TravelToChina Ebook

Disclaimer (legalese)

This e-Book has been written for the reader’s entertainment. The opinions expressed in
these pages are to be considered exclusively those of the authors. The reader is
therefore responsible for their own actions.
e-Book: © Saporedicina.com
Cover photo: © Deposit Photos, Inc.
Click here to read the terms and conditions and here to read the disclosure of
Saporedicina.com
www.saporedicina.com
1
Index
Introduction
How to get a Chinese visa
Tour operator or independent travel?
Travel insurance, vaccines and medicines
Flights to China (and flights within)
Traveling by train in China
Traveling by bus, subway or taxi
Booking a hotel room in China
Internet and telephone
Currency, ATMs and credit cards
What should you bring?
When should you visit China?
Common sense and cultural issues
Food and drink
Shopping in the market
Tourist itineraries
Chinese/English phrase book

2

Introduction
First of all, thank you for downloading our e-Book!
This e-Book is divided into three parts: in the first part we will discuss in detail that
practical aspects of planning your trip and how to get around in China, starting with how
to get a visa up to shopping in the markets.
In the second part of this e-Book we will illustrate at great length some thirty tourist
itineraries. To conclude, the last part of this document is a dedicated Chinese/English
phrasebook.
You can jump to the section that interests you most by clicking the link in the index (see
the previous page).
Note that in this e-Book we don’t go into detail about any tourist destination. If you’d like
to learn more about a particular destination, The Great Wall of China at Mutianyu, for
example, click here to access our collection of tourist guides.
3

How to get a Chinese visa

In many countries, including the UK, Australia, Canada and EU countries, you must
apply through the CVASC (Chinese Visa Application Service Center).
However, if in your country there is no CVASC (click on the link above to see the
complete list), you shall apply at the Chinese Consular Office that serves your city. This
is also the case of people living in USA (you can click here to see where you should
apply if you are a US resident).
To get a visa you’ll need to present the following documents:
● Your original passport valid for at least six months with two blank pages;
● A black and white photocopy of the photo page of your passport and the pages
containing any previous Chinese visas obtained (only if you’ve already been to
China);
● A recent passport-size photo (48mm x 33mm) with light background;
● A photocopy of previous Chinese passports (only applicable to foreign citizens
who were once Chinese citizens and have obtained foreign citizenship);
● Proof of legal status in the country where you are requesting the visa, such as for
example a resident permit (only applicable if you’re applying for the visa outside
your country of citizenship);
● An Application Form completely filled in, printed and signed (click here to
download the application form provided by the CVASC of London and here to
download the application form provided by the Chinese Consular Office in the US
– if you prefer you can download a similar document on the CVASC website or
from the Chinese Consular Office in the country where you’re applying for the
VISA);
4
● The Declaration printed and signed (only needed if you’re applying through the
CVASC, click here to download the declaration for the CVASC of London);
● A printed copy of the appointment receipt (only applicable if you’re applying
through the CVASC – you will be able to make an appointment directly on
CVASC’s website).
● Between 30 to 150 USD, depending on the type of visa.
Choosing the standard procedure will require four business days for obtaining your visa.
This process can be accelerated (by paying more). Note that if you’re only visiting Hong
Kong, Macau or Taiwan, for passport holders of many countries you will not need a visa
(unless you stay more than three months).
If you’re applying for a tourist visa (or L visa) you will also need:
● A round trip air ticket;

● An invitation letter or hotel invoices for where you intend to stay during your trip.
Note that if you will stay in one or more hotels, the invoice must contain the full
names of all the people that are applying for the visa. Click here to learn more
about this.
In general, the invitation letter should contain:
● The applicant’s information: name, surname, sex, date of birth, passport number,
etc;
● Information about the intended trip: purpose of the visit, date of arrival and
departure, trip itinerary, the relationship between the applicant and the entity or
person that has offered the invitation, financial source for the expenses;
● Information about the entity or person doing the inviting: name, telephone
number, address in China, signature of the person or legal representative of the
5
inviting company (if you’ve been invited by a company) and an official stamp (if
you’ve been invited by a company).
The invitation letter can only be sent in by a Chinese citizen, by a foreign citizen that
lives in China and has a residence permit or by a Chinese entity (such as a Chinese
company).
If you’ve been invited by a person, that person should also attach a copy of their
Chinese ID, or a copy of the passport and residence permit (if they’re not a Chinese
citizen).
If you’re looking for a different type of visa, such as a business or work visa, you'll find
our complete guide to Chinese visas here.
6

Tour operator or independent travel?

Many people would like to travel to China but wouldn’t feel comfortable doing so without
a guide. That’s understandable, especially when you realize that you’ll be faced with a
language and culture so different than your own.
However we feel we should say that the Chinese are quick to recognize tourists’ needs,
so long as you have the money! Moreover in the last twenty years, China has created
an infrastructure that we can only dream of in the West (airports, railroads, subway
systems, hotels, etc), so getting around is easy enough even if you don’t speak the
language.
The last point in favor of independent travel is that China is one of the safest country
you’ll ever visit.
Keep in mind though that we’re talking about a country that’s as big as Europe. So if
you’re planning to visit lots of provinces but only have a limited amount of time, a travel
agency will allow you to get around more quickly (plus you’ll save the time it takes to
find hotels, stations and everything else). Lastly, in order to gain permission to visit
Tibet, you must use a specialized travel agency.
If you’re interested in a tour, here you'll find our guide to tours in China.
7

Travel insurance, vaccines and medicines

Our advice is to take out a travel insurance policy before leaving for China.
Despite the fact that in Asia basic medical treatment is rather cheap, if something
relatively serious befalls you, even just food poisoning that requires you to have your
stomach pumped, you’ll have to pay a bill of 3-400 USD (if you want to be treated in an
international hospital where the staff speaks English).
Moreover if you really get sick and have to spend a few nights in a hospital, without
insurance you’ll wind up spending thousands of USD. Here you'll find our guide to travel
insurances in China.
We also recommend that you get - or renew if necessary, - vaccines for diphtheria,
whooping cough, tetanus, polio, typhoid, and hepatitis A and B. If you’re going to be
traveling to rural areas, we also recommend vaccines for rabies and Japanese
encephalitis. If you need more specific information, you can find it here.
In any event you should contact your family doctor that knows your medical “history”
and can give you firsthand advice
Lastly, when traveling in Asia, we always bring some medicine. There are three
reasons. First of all, communication can be difficult and when you have an attack of
dysentery arguing with a pharmacist in Chinese isn’t the greatest option. Consider too
that a good part of medicine found in Asia are counterfeit, and filling your stomach with
counterfeit antibiotics is not good, especially when you need medicine that works.
8
Remember that our antibodies are different than those of Asians (for millennia we’ve
been exposed to bacteria and viruses of a different nature). So Asian medicines have
been tested and optimized to fight bacteria different than our own and aren’t a good fit
for Westerners.
Despite it all we’ve had the good fortune to only rarely get sick and only bring from
home aspirin, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and anti-diarrhea medicine. If you already
know you’ll need one or more specific medicines, don’t forget to pack them in your
suitcase!
9
Flights to China (and flights within)

International flights
It’s very hard to recommend an airline with the best rates to China since prices vary by
season, number of stops, the departure city and the arrival city as well. Here are our
suggestions for finding the best possible price:
● Finding the cheapest price by visiting each airlines pages could take days. Our
advice is always to use one of various search engines like Expedia, Vayama, or
eDreams.
● If you can, purchase your flights at least a few months in advance of your
departure since usually, the closer you get to that date the higher the prices go
up. You should also avoid booking over dates of major holiday periods such as
Christmas or Chinese New Year as prices will certainly be inflated. Consider too
that at times the price of flights can change from one day to the next (in the
sense that traveling on Monday is more expensive than flying on Sunday).
● Check out flights that land in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong because prices
can vary quite a bit. For example, in the past we noticed that flights between
Shanghai-Milan and Rome-Beijing were always cheaper than flights between
Milan-Beijing and Rome-Shanghai.
● Our theory is that both “Milan” and “Shanghai” are business hubs and so the
majority of businessmen (or women) choose these routes. This allows for better
economy of scale and therefore lower prices. But don’t try too hard to find a
logical explanation because there are too many factors to keep in mind. Don’t
exclude any options and you’ll be sure to find the best price on a flight.
● At the same time, if you have to go to Beijing it wouldn’t make sense to land in
Hong Kong since you’ll find yourself a 3-4 hour flight away.
10
● Flights that make at least one stop (perhaps in Dubai or Istanbul, depending on
the airline that you choose) are usually less expensive than direct flights.
Domestic flights
For domestic flights such as Shanghai-Beijing, we recommend cTrip, a Chinese agency
that offers excellent prices and has the advantage of having its website in English and
accepts payment via certain credit (or debit) cards like MasterCard, VISA or Union Pay
(Chinese network).
The only websites that we know of where it’s possible to find domestic flights for a lower
price than cTrip are Spring Airlines and Qunar.
Spring is a “budget” airline, which means that they offer limited flights and itineraries.
Thus, you will have less flexibility. The problem with Qunar is that the site is only in
Chinese.
General advice

● If you choose to go with a Chinese airline such as Air China or China Eastern,
90% of the passengers will be Chinese nationals. We prefer traveling with
Chinese tourist returning from Europe or the United States with boxes of
horrendous souvenirs under their arms over a sea of moody German
businessmen. So we often willingly choose Air China. But if traveling in the
company of 1,000 Chinese – we’re talking about enormous planes – makes you
uncomfortable then we recommend you choose another airline that isn’t Chinese.
● We often speak with other international “commuters” and it would seem that in
general, Turkish Airlines and Emirates are a step above other airlines both in
terms of price and service.
11
Traveling by train in China

How to reserve and purchase a train ticket in China?

In China, the trains are still the most popular means of transport. Since, unless you use
an agency, you can only purchase a ticket 20 days in advance, during the “high”
seasons such as the Spring Festival (in January or February), May first, the National
holiday (October first) or summer vacations (July-August), you should buy your tickets
as soon as possible so as to avoid risking going without.
For example, if you intend to travel October first then our advice is to purchase your
ticket between the 11-13th of September. You won’t be able to do so before then and if
you wait too long, you risk not finding any available tickets.
While if you live in China getting a ticket in advance isn’t much of a problem, but if you
are visiting China as a tourist or for a business trip then purchasing a ticket 20 days in
advance may not be possible unless, quite simply, you are already in China! In this case
the only way to avoid missing out on a ticket is to use an agency (keep reading for more
details).
To purchase a train ticket in China you have three choices: you can do it online, at the
station or at one of the many ticket offices throughout the city.
Buying a ticket online

There are hundreds of websites where you can buy your train tickets. Here are the best
ones:
The official site of the Chinese railways
12
Purchasing your tickets on the official site of the Chinese railways is the only way to get
tickets online without paying an added commission. The disadvantages are that the site
is only in Chinese and moreover you can only purchase tickets if you already live in
China since you will need a debit or credit card belonging to a Chinese network (Union
Pay for example; VISA and MasterCard instead are not accepted) and a Chinese
telephone number. Note too that you can only buy your tickets starting from 20 days
from departure and that the site works on and off.
Choosing this option you’ll have to pick up your tickets at the station. You’ll have to
insert your name exactly as it appears on your passport (that is without spaces or other
symbols) and you can input a maximum of twenty letters. If your names is more than
twenty letters you seriously risk not being able to pick up your tickets (since it might be
interpreted as a spelling error), so in such a case we don’t recommend that you buy
your ticket through the official railway site.
In summary, this option is practical only for those living in China who possess a Chinese
debit or credit card and in addition, understand Mandarin.
China Highlights
Using ChinaHighlights.com is without a doubt the easiest way to buy your tickets online.
Most of all the site is in English and you can pay with both a credit card – VISA or
MasterCard – or with Paypal. In addition you can book your ticket anytime (you don’t
have to wait until 20 days before departure).
Here’s how it works: you pay the cost of the ticket plus a commission that ranges from 5
to 15 USD (the higher the cost of the ticket, the higher the commission with a maximum
of 15 USD) and the agency takes care of purchasing the ticket in your place and
13
sending it to your hotel (or your house if you live in China). If you’d like, you can also
pick the tickets up directly at the station.
For us this is an important distinction since when we travel, we prefer to have a certain
flexibility and even choose the hotel at the last minute. The fact that we can pick up our
tickets directly at the station is a big advantage since we don’t have to worry about
getting my tickets from the agency.
To sum up, this option is recommended for all tourists that intend to travel in the high
season or want to have the assurance of finding a train ticket (on longer routes you risk
not finding a ticket even in the low season).
We also recommend China Highlights for those that live in China but don’t want – or
cannot – get to the station and also do not speak Mandarin or have a Chinese debit or
credit card.
cTrip
Just like China Highlights, cTrip.com has an English website and you can pay with a
credit card. Even though the commission is a little less (40 Chinese Yuan, or about
6.50 USD, plus 20 Yuan for each additional ticket) and can send your tickets to your
hotel or leave them at the station where you can pick them up at a maximum of 60 days
in advance of your trip, there is a disadvantage compared to China Highlights. In the
event of a problem their post-sale service is practically nonexistent.
14
Buying tickets at the station
If you want to purchase your tickets at the station be prepared to wait on line: it isn’t rare
to wait even 45 minutes or more to get a ticket, especially in the busy seasons. If
instead you find yourself in a small village you should be able to take care of it quickly.
The only time we would recommend that you buy your tickets at the station is when you
have to take a train for a short distance that has different runs each day; for example for
Beijing-Tianjin – there’s a train every twenty minutes – or for Shanghai-Hangzhou –
there’s a train every half hour. In this case you can arrive at the station, buy your ticket
and leave on the first available train. Keep in mind though that in this case you also
have to wait on line for at least twenty minutes or so.
Buying tickets at a ticket counter

The good news is that you don’t have to go all the way to the station. You can buy your
ticket in one of the dozens (hundreds?) of ticket counters located in the large cities.
Even if the agent doesn’t speak English – this happens in only a few ticket outlet
counters, – you can make yourself understood by writing the name of the city on a piece
of paper and the approximate time you want to leave. Normally they let you see the
screen and you can pick which train you prefer.
Remember though that with the new regulations, foreigners can only pick up tickets
purchased online at the station.
Which class to choose for long distance trains
High speed trains
Presently China is the country with the largest network of high speed trains. The trains
are modern, comfortable and relatively convenient. Nevertheless, you should keep in
15
mind that these trains tend to only travel by day, there are many places that they don’t
go and in the majority of cities, the high speed train stations are located far from the city
center. There are three types of high speed trains:
● Class G trains (高铁, gaotie): These trains are the fastest (and most expensive).
They reach up to 300 Km/h and connect the major Chinese cities. Since these
tickets are the most expensive, usually there’s no problem getting them, even
though it’s best to purchase them at least a week in advance, especially on lines
with the most passengers (such as the Beijing-Shanghai-Guangzhou).
● Class D trains (动车, dongche): These trains are slower than the ones mentioned
above because they have more stops and, as a result, only reach 250 Km/h.
Tickets are less expensive than for Class G trains and since they have more
stops in many more cities are sold more rapidly.
● Class C trains (城际高铁, chengjigaotie): These trains run only the short
distances between urban centers which doesn’t let them reach elevated speeds.
As far as seating goes, you can choose from (least to most expensive):
● Second Class Seats (二等座, erdengzuo): These seats are the cheapest and
most recommended. They are very similar to economy class aircraft seats. There
are five seats in a row.
● First Class Seats (一等座, yidengzuo): These seats are more spacious (there are
four to a row) and more comfortable, but cost between 20% and 40% more.
● Business Class Seats (商务座, shangwuzuo): They are not available on all trains
and their price is nearly double that of First Class. These seats are similar to
those of business class on a plane and there are three to a row.
16
Conventional trains
Conventional trains have the great advantage of reaching almost every corner of China
and are less expensive than high speed trains. The classes or seating for these trains
are, from least to most expensive:
● Hard seat (硬座, yingzuo): The longer your trip, the faster you’ll have to run to
grab yourself a seat aright after check in. In any case, you’ll rarely succeed and
will often spend your trip in the corridor, trying to sleep among the farmers who
smoke and spit everywhere, students playing cards and crying children that look
at you as if you just landed from Pluto. The worst moment coincides with the
passing of the girl selling food, drinks, magazines and more passing by your
head: you have to wake up, stand up, and let her pass while she tries to grind
your shins under her cart. Even if you manage to find a seat, you’ll usually lose it
when you get up to use the bathroom.
● Soft seat (软座, ruanzuo): This time you have a numbered spot, but plan on
swimming through a sea of people every time you use the bathroom since the
corridors will be clogged with those who don’t have a place.
● Hard cot (硬卧, yingwo): You’ll have to share the cabin with five people and the
bathrooms are clean enough considering that each car holds “only” 120 people.
In our opinion these are the tickets that have the best quality to price ratio.
● Soft cot (软卧, ruanwo): You’ll have to share the cabin with three other people,
the bed is softer and more spacious than the “hard cot”. The problem is that the
tickets are much more expensive.
To give you an idea, if you bought a ticket today for Shanghai-Guilin (1600 km in about
20 hours) the prices would be: 192 Yuan for a hard seat, 351 Yuan for a hard cot and
537 Yuan for a soft cot.
17
How to pick up tickets at the railway station
If you booked a train ticket online, you’ll have to go to the railway station to get them. To
do so, you’ll need the booking number and you’ll have to show your passport. Below are
a few suggestions for picking up your tickets:
● In many stations the line can be rather long, so go early.

● Usually tickets can be picked up at any one of the sales counters, even though
some stations might have a dedicated counter for retrieving tickets (Ticket pick
up, 取票窗口 or 取票专口).
● If you booked tickets for multiple trips, you can pick them up all at once (this is
the best option). Nevertheless, tickets that are not departing from the station
you’re in have a small commission of 5 Yuan per ticket.
Some final advice

● To purchase a ticket at the station or at a ticket counter you’ll need your
passport. Moreover, if you purchased a ticket online, you must also provide a
scanned copy of your passport. The result is that in order to travel by train, you’ll
have to bring your passport with you since it’s possible that they’ll check if the
number stamped on the ticket is the same as the one on your passport.
● Hang on to your ticket until the exit of your arrival station because they often
check you at the exits.
● On the train you’ll not lack for distributors of free hot water so a thermos would be
a good idea.
● Long distance trains have a dining car that is usually overcrowded, expensive (by
Chinese standards) and the food is not that great. You can also buy a tray (rice,
vegetables and a little bit of meat) from the servers that go back and forth
through the cabins towards noon and seven at night. Regardless, for long
18
distance trains it’s always best to buy something before departure. That’s usually
quite convenient since Chinese train stations often appear like a supermarket.
● Breakfast and lunch are the most dangerous times – especially if you’re sleeping
in the corridor – because the Chinese tend to hang out in the corridor with a tin of
instant noodles full of boiling water.
19

Traveling by bus, subway or taxi
Long distance buses

At times long distance buses (usually overnight) are the best option (or the only ones
available).
If you intend to travel to a remote region – such as the Altai Mountains in north Xinjiang,
Lake Lugu in north Yunnan, Xishuangbanna in south Yunnan or almost all sections of
the Great Wall – the bus is the only option. All you have to do is show up at the station
and buy a ticket (it’s usually possible to do so even a few days in advance). Remember
to bring your passport with you because you might need it.
As discussed in the previous chapter, even if the city you intend to visit has a train
station this doesn’t mean that you’ll find a train ticket, especially during vacations.
Moreover, in some situations the bus is even faster than the train.
Here’s an example: if you land at Pudong Airport (Shanghai) and your final destination
is Hangzhou (a city 200 km from Shanghai), you have two options: first, take the bus
that leaves from Pudong Airport and it will leave you directly in the center of Hangzhou
(it takes three hours). Second, take the metro line 2 from Pudong to Hongqiao train
station (which is located at the extreme opposite end of Shanghai) and then take a fast
train to Hangzhou. In this case you’ll need about five hours so long as you manage to
find a spot on the first train that departs.
The subway in China

All major Chinese cities have a modern metro system (the Shanghai subway system is
the largest on the planet). Moreover the tickets are cheap enough, starting from 2-3
Yuan. The most expensive we are aware of was in Shenzhen (from the airport on the
20
borders of Hong Kong), where you must pay 9 Yuan. Consider however that it’s a trip of
about two hours. For shorter trip the price is 3 Yuan also in Shenzhen.
In general the metro is in service from 5-6 in the morning up until 11-12 at night. I
recommend however that you check the times (you’ll find all of them on Wikipedia).
Here are the subway maps for Shanghai and Beijing.
Taxis in China
Chinese taxis are cheap, safe and found practically everywhere. The only problem is
that taxi drivers don’t speak English. Always write the address of your destination in
Chinese characters and show it to the driver.
Another way to be sure to arrive at your destination is to write the telephone number of
the place you’re looking to go (a hotel or restaurant for example). As soon as you get
into the taxi call the number and pass the telephone to the taxi driver. He’ll understand
your intentions and the person that answers on the other side of the line will explain how
to get there. This tactic is particularly useful in Beijing, a city big enough that even taxi
drivers get lost.
Do not accept, for any reason, a ride in a car that doesn’t have a taxi sign or meter.
These are “black cabs,” and you’ll wind up wasting a ton of time and paying a ridiculous
amount of Yuan.
The majority of Chinese taxi drivers are honest: they’ll always start the meter (unlike
Bangkok, where each time it’s a psychological war between you and the taxi driver) and
will bring you to your destination by the shortest possible route. It is however possible,
especially at the airport or near tourist areas, to encounter a dishonest taxi driver.
Here are a few stories that we happened to hear:
21
● Taxi drivers that take off with your bags in the trunk as soon as you get out of the
taxi. This is why you shall never pay before taking out your bags.
● Taxi drivers that try to change a 100 Yuan banknote with a false one to then
protest and make you give them another one.
● Taxi drivers that choose a longer route than necessary.
An effective way to prevent fraud perpetrated by taxi drivers is to show that you’re not a
tourist. You can achieve this with a few words as soon as you get into the taxi. All you
have to do is greet the driver with:
“Nihao shifu, wo qu XXX” (it means “Hello driver, I’m going to XXX”) then indicate the
intersection where you intend to go (Chinese taxi drivers prefer intersections because
they don’t know residential numbers) or show him a piece of paper with the address
written.
I know that it might seem simplistic. The reality is that this tactic works because so
many foreigners who live in China, especially Beijing and Shanghai, don’t speak
Chinese or know the word “shifu,” which literally means “master” but in everyday
Chinese it represents a polite way to refer to drivers and other workers.
22
Booking a hotel room in China

Before moving forward, keep in mind that Chinese hotels must register all guests with
the police. Therefore, you must always hand over your passport when you arrive at the
hotel.
Also, in China, not all hotels are licensed to host foreigners. The most risky hotels are
the cheapest. For this reason we recommend that you book in advance, so as to avoid
trying different hotels before finding a place you’ll be able to stay.
Which online portals can you use to book a hotel room in
China?
There are various online portals for booking hotels, but in our opinion, for China the top
three are Agoda, Booking and cTrip.

Why shouldn’t you use other comparative sites?
The reason is that although Booking and Agoda may be quoted in the majority of
comparative websites, such as Trivago, both offer exclusive rates for those who book
directly from their site.
Agoda
Agoda is one of the best portals for Asia, both for the number of hotels and for price.
Pros: Usually Agoda offers the best possible rates for hotels in Asia. In addition, its
network of hotels in China is decidedly superior than more well known international sites
such as Booking.
Cons: Agoda’s coverage for certain parts of China is still rather scarce (but if you’re
thinking about staying in a major city or tourist region you shouldn’t have any problems).
23
Booking
Booking is one of the most-used platforms for booking hotel rooms in the world.
Pros: Booking offers a good selection of hotels, has interesting offers and is one of the
best-known platforms in the world.
Cons: Their selection of hotels in China is far less than those of Agoda and cTrip.
cTrip
cTrip is one of the main travel agencies in China and one of the few Chinese agencies
that has a good website in English (and other languages) and allows payment with
non-Chinese credit cards (such as VISA or MasterCard).
Pros: cTrip offers a comprehensive selection of hotels throughout the country.
Cons: Many of the hotels on the site do not have permission to host foreign guests and
it lacks some of the international hotels.
Comparison of the three platforms
Number of hotels
If we consult the Agoda website, we see that in Shanghai, there are 2,878 possible
hotels, on Booking 1,847 and finally cTrip 3,348 hotels.
If we use Beijing as an example, Agoda offers 3,033 hotels, Booking 1,901 and cTrip
3,958.
In conclusion, while Agoda and Booking offer a good assortment of hotels in major
cities, cTrip is the only portal that offers a wide assortment of options in second or third
class level cities that have little in the way of tourism. Nevertheless, keep in mind that
24
cTrip includes many hotels where foreigners cannot stay, and this accounts for the large
difference in numbers.
Prices
Here’s a comparison of prices in USD of our three favorite hotels in Beijing (for three
nights starting August 1). One’s a budget hotel (Peking International Youth Hostel), a
mid-range hotel (Beijing Double Happiness Courtyard Hotel) and a high end hotel (The
Peninsula Beijing).
● Peking International Youth Hostel: One bed in a dormitory costs 18 USD/night

on Agoda, 21.6 USD/night on Booking and isn’t listed on cTrip.
● Beijing Double Happiness Courtyard Hotel: The price for a double room is
more or less the same on Agoda, Booking and cTrip: on Agoda, it costs 111
USD/night, on Booking 111.2 USD/night and on cTrip 112 USD/night.
● The Peninsula Beijing: The price for a double room on Agoda costs 277
USD/night, on Booking 312 USD/night and on cTrip 396 USD/night.
As you can see, Agoda is usually the least expensive (even if prices are rather similar).
What type of hotel should I choose?
If you don’t speak Chinese, we recommend that you book a room in a hotel of at least
three stars, or in an international hostel.
In these places you’ll usually find at least someone at the reception desk who speaks
English. It’s a different story in budget-friendly Chinese hotels (and not-so-friendly ones)
when often nobody will speak English.
Another important fact to keep in mind is that if you don’t speak Chinese, organizing a
tour on your own (such as visiting the Great Wall if you’re in Beijing, or the Stone Forest
if you’re in Kunming) can be difficult. Hotels of a certain category will help you organize
25
excursions. On the other hand, international hostels usually offer the cheapest day trips
(or even longer) to all major tourist destinations.
Internet Connection
While hotels of four or more stars normally offer decent internet service, budget hotels
in general do not offer an internet connection (or if they do, it’s terrible). Although
international hostels tend to offer internet connection, at times it is so slow as to be
useless.
Another problem is that many websites such as Google, Facebook, Twitter and
YouTube are blocked in China. The only way to access them is to use a paid VPN
service.
If access to the internet is important to you, we recommend that you read the reviews
on Agoda or Booking before making your booking to see if the internet connection
works well and if the hotel offers free access to a VPN network (some international
hostels have it to please fans of Facebook).
Where to book your hotel
Chinese cities can be enormous. I’m not just talking about Beijing and Shanghai, but I’m
also referring to “little” cities like Hangzhou, Tianjin, Suzhou, Kunming, Chengdu and
Guangzhou, which number between five and ten million inhabitants.
Even though taxis in China are rather convenient, we recommend that you look for a
hotel in the center of town, or at least near a subway station (in China almost all major
cities have an efficient subway system).
Are Chinese hotels safe?
26
As was already mentioned, China is one of the safest country to which we’ve ever
traveled (and we’ve traveled a lot). So we don’t have any particular precautions to warn
you about. Just use your common sense!
Which hotel should you choose?

Click here to read our reviews on the best hotels in major Chinese cities.
27

Internet and telephone

In China getting access to a decent internet connection is quite an undertaking.
Furthermore, you’ll have to make due with a connection that often won’t allow you even
the ability to make a call on Skype. Plus, as was already mentioned, many websites are
blocked.
You can still access them, but you’ll need a paid VPN. Click here to read our reviews on
the ones we currently recommend.
Your phone should work without a problem in China (so long as it doesn’t date back to
the last century). The problem is that if you use a foreign telephone network you’ll spend
a ton of money. The most practical solution is to by a Chinese sim card.
You can find one in any magazine stand that has a sign saying “China Mobile” (中国移
动通信 in Mandarin). If though you also want to have access to the internet you’ll have
to go to a China Mobile store (which you’ll find everywhere). China Telecom and China
Unicom are the other two main options. In any event remember to bring your passport
since you’ll have to register the card in your name.
Don’t forget to cancel your data subscription before leaving China or, if you’ll be
returning to China in the future, you might find that they have continued to debit your
monthly fee for months (or years).
Prices for internet plans vary between 50 and 200 Yuan. If you only intend to use the
connection to use Whatsapp, check emails or see news headlines then a plan of 50
Yuan a month should be enough. Keep in mind however that even if you buy a more
expensive plan, the connection may be so slow that it will not allow you to do big things.
28
The process of buying a sim card is simple enough and if you charge it with 100 Yuan
you can communicate for a month without problems (so long as you don’t start calling
abroad).
If you want to be able to call internationally, you should then charge the card with at
least 300 Yuan.
29

Currency, ATMs and credit cards

Even though Chinese currency is called Renminbi (RMB, literally “the People’s money”)
you’ll never hear anyone say: “It costs 100 RMB.”
The monetary unit of the RMB is in fact the Yuan (元), divided into Jiao (0.1 Yuan) and
Fen (0.01 Yuan). In informal situations the Chinese tend to use the term kuai (块)
instead of “Yuan,” which literally means “piece.”
As we write this guide 10 Yuan are worth about 1.47 USD. To find out the exchange
rate between Yuan and USD in real time you can use a currency converter.
As far as change goes, you’ll find coins of 0.1, 0.5 and 1 Yuan and banknotes of 0.1,
0.5, 1, 5, 10, 20 , 50 and 100 Yuan. This means that the highest value banknote
corresponds to about 15 USD.
We never had a problem getting money from a Chinese ATM using our European
MasterCard or VISA. Besides, in China there are ATMs on practically every corner.
Just remember to make sure that the ATM machine you choose has the VISA or
MasterCard symbol. If you use one of the ATM machines of the major banks (Bank of
China, China Construction Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China or
Agricultural Bank of China) you shouldn’t have a problem.
After inserting your debit or credit card into the ATM machine make sure to press the
button for “English” or else you’ll have to carry out the rest of your transaction in
Chinese characters.
30
Shopping malls, restaurants and bars of a certain level usually accept credit cards. But
don’t dare try to pay using a card in a tavern!
Before leaving, we recommend that you contact your bank to let them know that you’re
going to China. At times credit card company security services are a little too zealous if
they see suspicious transactions (such as withdrawal Monday at an ATM in America
and another in China on Tuesday) and don’t have any problems blocking your credit
card.
31

What should you bring?

Besides medicine, which we already discussed, we only recommend that you bring a
universal electrical adapter since in China you never know what type of outlet you’ll
need to use.
If you like reading bring a few books or buy an Amazon Kindle because finding a book
in English in China is an almost impossible undertaking (Hong Kong being the
exception).
Obviously if you decide to visit Beijing in January it will be brutally cold so pack winter
clothes in your suitcase. Conversely, if you’re heading to Hainan Island you won’t need
them (but remember to bring your bathing suit).
Click here for a complete list of things we put in our backpack when we travel to Asia
(and some practical advice as to how to pack your belongings comfortably).
32

When should you visit China?

As we’ve already said, China is a continent. The best time to travel depends on which
specific places you intend to visit. Here are a few general guidelines:
● If you plan on traveling around inside the country, avoid the Chinese vacations
such as the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) or the October vacations. China
has more than a billion inhabitants (nobody knows the exact number) and at the
times we mentioned they are all traveling, whether as tourists out and about or as
migrant workers returning to their birth village for the holidays. Believe us when
we tell you that walking into a Chinese train station before the Spring Festival is
not the least bit enjoyable.
● In summer it’s hot everywhere. The exception is Yunnan Province, where you’ll
be welcomed by a perennial Springtime (20-25 degrees). Moreover the
southeastern coastline (from Shanghai to Hong Kong) is affected by typhoons,
which can very well ruin your vacation.
● The Chinese Spring is not exactly the best time to go. This is the rainy season –
we’re talking entire weeks of downpours – and Beijing is also hit with sandstorms
from the desert.
● Winter in the north of China is unforgiving (going down to -40 degrees). In
Shanghai the temperature can get down to zero degrees and it can even snow
once or twice but it isn’t that bad. Winter is the best time for visiting the south
where you’ll find a mild climate.
● Autumn offers dry, temperate weather and is therefore the best season to visit
China.
33

Common sense and cultural issues

● If you want to keep your camera or cell phone, avoid taking pictures of the police
or armed forces (especially in Tibet and in Xinjiang). Besides the reprimand, they
may actually seize the incriminating device.
● Don’t argue with the Chinese. It doesn’t work - especially if you’re in the right.
The only result from making a Chinese person lose face is to make him dig in all
the more. Be patient and smile. In China, you’ll always find a solution in the end.
You just have to wait.
● As was already discussed, Chinese taxis are cheap, safe and found practically
everywhere. The only problem is that the drivers don’t know a word of English.
Always write the address of your destination in Chinese characters and show it to
the driver.
● Another way to be sure to arrive at your destination is to write down the

telephone number of the place you wish to go (a hotel or restaurant, for
example). As soon as you get into the taxi call the number and pass the phone to
the driver. He’ll understand your intentions and respond to the person on the
other end of the line who will explain how to get there. This tactic is particularly
useful in Beijing.
● An alternative means for getting around the city is to use the subway system.
Chinese subway systems are cheap, clean, safe and well developed. The
automated ticket machines also have instructions in English and are very
intuitive. Clicking on the following links you’ll find interactive maps of the subway
systems of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
34
● Chinese traffic is the worst we’ve ever seen (with the exception of Vietnam which
is a story all its own). Be careful when crossing the street. The first times you can
wait until a Chinese man crossed so as to use him as a “human shield” against
the cars, trucks, carts and the famous silent electric scooters (which you don’t
need a license to drive).
● Don’t be surprised if a Chinese spits at your feet, points to you and shouts
“kankan laowai” (“look, a foreigner;” this often happens when you travel in areas
not often visited by white devils), shouts an insult to you while trying to run you
over with his electric scooter, pushes you while you try to get into a subway car,
“steals” the taxi that you just stopped (a classic when it’s raining) or smokes in
your face. If you don’t think you can handle these types of attitudes have a nice
trip to Switzerland.
● At the same time, don’t be surprised if a Chinese smiles at you, starts talking to
you while waiting for a train or follows you to give back your wallet that you just
dropped. The majority of Chinese are extremely honest and friendly.
35

Food and drink

● Do not drink tap water. You don’t have the necessary antibodies to survive the
infamous Chinese water. We aren’t saying that you’ll die, but don’t complain if
you come down with dysentery.
● Eating street food is at your own risk. If you’ve been to Asia in the past then you’ll
likely not have a problem. If though this is your first experience East of Moscow,
just like with the tap water, street food could be the harbinger of a “surprise.”
Then again food poisoning can even happen to veterans like us. If you want a
laugh, read How to poison yourself and suffocate to death in Xinjiang.
● In China nobody leaves a tip, so don’t feel obligated to do so. This isn’t San
Francisco.
● Chinese cuisine is extremely varied. The good things is that you don’t have to go
all the way to Sichuan or Gansu to try the local food: the big cities of the East like
Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou are in fact the prefered destinations of migrants
from the West who move toward the coast in search of their fortune.
● Visit one of the following links to learn more about our favorite Chinese dishes
and where to find them: food from Xinjiang, one of the Muslim provinces of
China, food from Dongbei, in the northeast of China, malatang of Chongqing.
36

Shopping in the market

Don’t think that you can show up to a shopping mall in Shanghai and start haggling over
a D&G purse just because you’re in China.
If though you want to shop off the street or in a “fake market” such as Ya Show or the
Silk Market of Beijing, then haggling is not only convenient, it’s practically obligatory.
The reason for this is that the initial price asked in these places is extremely inflated.
The idea is that you’ll always find some chump who’ll fall for it. But it is possible to
negotiate. Once we went to Ya Show in Beijing and asked the price of a suitcase. The
salesgirl didn’t even look up at us and said:
“1,000 Yuan.”
We laughed in her face and told her that she couldn’t rip us off because we lived in
Beijing (if you don’t speak Chinese this is the best tactic, if instead you’re able to
converse in Chinese you don’t need such “subtlety”).
In the end we bought the suitcase for 150 Yuan, or 15% of the original asking price.
Don’t be shy or afraid of bargaining. In fact if you don’t chew down the price the sales
people will think you’re an idiot!

37
Tourist itineraries

In this chapter you’ll find a collection of itineraries for visiting China. Keep in mind that
China is extremely vast and diverse, so trying to visit it all in just a few weeks makes no
sense.
This is why we have divided the itineraries into three main sections; something for those
planning a trip of 6-8 days, those planning to stay 12-15 days or, why not, 18-21 days.
For each section, we have also specified if it is a “historic” itinerary (or designed for
visiting mainly sites of archaeological interest, such as Xi’an for example), “natural” (or
designed for those who want to be immersed in nature, such as Jiuzhaigou), or
“contemporary” (or designed for visiting modern realities such as Shenzhen or recurring
festivals, like the Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival of Harbin).
Moreover, for each itinerary we have also added a difficulty rating based on the
necessary movements to complete it and the best time to visit each zone or province.
38
Itineraries (the complete list)
Click on one of the links in the first row of the table below to go directly to itineraries for
the length you’re interested in:
Itineraries from 6-8 days Itineraries from 12-15 Itineraries from 18-21
days days
Beijing Beijing - Luoyang - Beijing - Luoyang -

Dengfeng - Xi’An - Dengfeng - Xi’An -
Shanghai Shanghai - Xiamen -
Shenzhen - Hong Kong -
Macau
Beijing - Xi’An Beijing - Pingyao - Datong The Silk Road: Beijing -

- Xi’An - Guilin - Yangshuo Xi’An - Dunhuang - Urumqi
- Kashgar
Tibet: Lhasa - Namtso Beijing - Xi’An - Chengdu - Any combination of three

Lake - Shigatse Chongqing - Yangtze itineraries of 6-8 days or an
cruise - Yichang itinerary of 6-8 days and
an itinerary of 12-15 days
Yunnan: Kunming - Dali - Beijing - Zhangjiajie -

Lijiang - Shangri-La Fenghuang - Guilin -
Yangshuo
Shanghai - Suzhou - Beijing - Tianjin - Qingdao -

Nanjing - Hangzhou Mount Tai - Qufu
Hong Kong - Macau - Tibet: Lhasa - Namtso

Shenzhen Lake - Shigatse - Everest
Base Camp - Kathmandu
Guangxi: Guilin - Xinjiang: Urumqi - Kashgar

Yangshuo - Longsheng - Tashkurgan - Kanas
Sichuan: Chengdu - Emei Kunming - Dali - Lijiang -

Shan - Leshan Lugu Lake - Emei Shan -
Leshan - Chengdu
Sichuan: Chengdu - Any other combination of
39
Jiuzhaigou - Huanglong two itineraries of 6-8 days
Henan: Luoyang - Tempio

Shaolin - Xi’An
Hunan and Guangxi:

Zhangjiajie - Fenghuang -
Guilin - Yangshuo

Itineraries from 6-8 days
Note that, even if the majority of the itineraries in this section can be completed in about
6 days, if you’re one of those people that likes to take one or two afternoons free just to
lose themselves in a city or sit and observe people passing by, then we recommend that
you figure on at least 8 days.
Beijing – Discover the appeal of Imperial China
● Itinerary Type: Historic.

● Movement difficulty: Very low, since you can land directly in the city, get around
mainly by subway and leave the city just to visit the Great Wall of China.
● Best time to travel: The best time to visit is the autumn when the weather is dry
and temperate. That said, it’s possible to visit Beijing at almost any time of the
year.
● Recommended hotels: Click here to read our reviews on the best luxury &
budget hotels in Beijing.
● Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized your, as a group or in private,
click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
● Itinerary:
40
● Day 1: Arrive in Beijing and visit the Summer Palace and the university area of
Haidian;
● Day 2: Visit the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall at Mutianyu, or the “Wild” Great
Wall at Gubeikou;
● Day 3: Visit the Temple of Heaven and the shopping area of Wangfujing;
● Day 4: Visit Tian’An Men Square, the Forbidden City and Coal Hill;
● Day 5: Visit to the Temple of the Lama, Temple of Confucius, the Bell Tower,
Drum Tower, in the Gulou neighborhood and the few Hutong left in the city;
● Day 6: Walk in the international quarters of Sanlitun and Dongzhimen.
● Other attractions that might interest you: Silk Market at Guomao, Street of
Artisans (Liu Li Chang), Beijing Opera, Olympic Stadium, shopping area of
Xidan, Beihai Park, Lake Houhai, Lake Xihai, Beijing Zoo.
● Visits outside the city: If you want to get our of the city for 1/2 days, I
recommend a day trip to Tianjin, 2 two days of Trekking on the Great Wall of
Simatai at Jinshanling, or a visit, still for 2 days, to the Ice and Snow Festival of
Harbin (which is only open in late winter).
Beijing-Xi’An – Discovering ancient China

● Movement difficulty: Medium, if you decide to take the Beijing-Xi’An night train;
low if you decide to take a direct flight.
● Best time to travel: The best time to visit is the autumn when the weather is dry
and temperate. That said, it’s possible to visit the two cities at almost any time of
the year.
● Hotel consigliati:Click on the links below to read our reviews on the best luxury
and budget hotels in Beijing e Xi’An.
41
● Tour operators: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in
private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
● Itinerary:
● Day 1: Arrive in Beijing and visit the Summer Palace and the university area of
Haidian;
Wall at Gubeikou;
● Day 4: Visit Tian’An Men Square, the Forbidden City and Coal Hill; Beijing-Xi’An
night train;
● Day 5: Visit the archaeological site of the Terracotta Warriors and the Xi’An city
center (Muslim quarter and old city walls);
● Day 6: Excursion to Mount Hua;
● Day 7: Return to Beijing with the fast train and visit the a Gulou neighborhood;
Tibet: Lhasa-Lake Namtso-Shigatse – Visit to the roof of the world
● Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.

● Movement difficulty: High. Besides getting to Tibet (which is 45 hours by train
or 4 hours by air from Beijing), unless you want to stay in Lhasa you’ll be forced
to spend long hours on a bus, with the greatest problems due to the altitude.
Click here to read our guide on traveling in Tibet.
● Best time to travel: The best time to visit Tibet is the autumn, when the weather
is dry and relatively mild. Avoid the winter, when many passes are closed due to
the snow. You should also make sure that Tibet is open to foreign travelers
during the period you intend to travel, since the Province is often closed to
tourists.
42
● Recommended Hotels: This will be handled by the tour operator you go with
(see below).
● Tour operators: To visit Tibet, it is mandatory to be accompanied by an
authorized tourist guide. Click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
● Itinerary:
● Days 1 and 2: Train Beijing-Lhasa. If you have the time, I recommend that you
arrive in Tibet by train. Not just because it’s a unique experience, but also so that
your body can gradually acclimate to the change in altitude. If you only have six
days, then it’s best to arrive by air: it would be a sin to go all the way to Tibet to
stay only 4 days!
● Day 3: Visit Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street and the historic
center of Lhasa;
● Day 4: Visit Lake Namtso;
● Day 5: Visit Lake Yamdrok, at the Kharola Glacier, and the city of Shigatse
(staying the night in Shigatse);
● Day 6: Visit the Monastery of Tashilhunpo (near Shigatse) and the Palcho
Monastery, situated in the city of Gyantse, or way back to Lhasa.
● Day 7: Visit the Monasteries of Drepung and Sera, near Lhasa.
Yunnan: Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangri-La – Multi-ethnic China at the foot of

the Himalayas
● Itinerary Type: Natural.

● Movement difficulty: Medium; once you’ve arrived in Kunming, where flights
coming from all major Chinese cities land, the other cities are well connected
both by train (except for the Stone Forest and Shangri-La) and bus. Considering
Lijiang’s popularity among Chinese tourists, finding train tickets is often
complicated which means that you may have to settle for the bus.
43
● Best time to travel: Despite not being an extremely vast province, the climate in
Yunnan varies from sub-tropical in the southern area to alpine in the region of
Shangri-La. In my opinion there isn’t one specific time to visit that’s better than
others; besides of course not going during Chinese holidays when the Province
is invaded by Chinese tourists.
● Recommended Hotels:Click on the links below to read our reviews on the best
luxury and budget hotels in Kunming, Dali and Lijiang.
● Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private,
● Itinerary:
● Day 1: Arrive in Kunming and visit the city;
● Day 2: Get up very early to visit the Stone Forest before the hordes of Chinese
tourists arrive; bus for Dali;
● Day 3: Visit the Old City of Dali;
● Day 4: Excursion to Mount Cang (you can get there on foot from the Old City of
Dali), and bus for Lijiang;
● Day 5: Visit the Old City of Lijiang, then take a bus for Shangri-La;
● Day 6: Visit the village of Shangri-La and the Tibetan Monastery of Songzanlin,
near Shangri-La (even though Shangri-La geographically speaking is located in
Yunnan, the local population are ethnic Tibetans and the monastery has no
reason to envy those geographically found in Tibet);
● Day 7: Return to Kunming.
● Recommended trekking: 2 day excursion to Tiger Leaping Gorge, located

between Lijiang and Shangri-La.
Shanghai-Suzhou-Nanjing-Hangzhou – The Cities on the Yellow River Delta
44
● Itinerary Type: Historic/Modern
● Movement difficulty: Low; the four cities are connected by fast trains.
● Best time to travel: As is often the case in China, the best time is in the autumn,
or the dry and mild season. That said, the area can be visited in any time of year.
luxury and budget hotels in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Nanjing.
● Itinerary:
● Day 1: Arrive in Shanghai; visit the Yuyuan Gardens, the Shanghai Museum, the
Bund, and Nanjing Road;
● Day 2: Visit the Oriental Pearl TV Tower financial district of Lujiazui (where you’ll
find all of Shanghai’s major skyscrapers);
● Day 3: Arrive in Suzhou and visit the city; overnight there;
● Day 4: Arrive in Nanjing and tour the city, overnight there;
● Day 5: Visit Nanjing (morning) then the Nanjing-Hangzhou train in late afternoon;
● Day 6: Arrive in Hangzhou and tour the city (West Lake is not to be missed!);
● Day 7: Return to Shanghai; visit the Old French Concession.
● Recommended trekking: 2 day excursion to the Yellow Mountain (or Huang

Shan).
Hong Kong-Macau-Shenzhen – Modern and Colonial China
● Itinerary Type: Modern, since Hong Kong and Macau are two relatively
“modern” cities (compared to Beijing or Nanjing), while Shenzhen up until a few
decades ago was little more than a fishing village.
45
● Movement difficulty: Low; Hong Kong and Shenzhen are linked by metro, while
all you have to do get to Macau is take the ferry from Hong Kong (the crossing
lasts about an hour).
● Best time to travel: The best season for visiting Guangdong Province and the
cities of Hong Kong and Macau is the winter, when there isn’t too much heat (it’ll
be about 15-20 degrees C) with little rainfall.
luxury and budget hotels in Hong Kong, Macau and Shenzhen.
● Itinerary:
● Day 1: Arrive in Hong Kong, visit Central, Causeway Bay and Victoria Peak;
● Day 2: Visit Landau Island(for the Giant Buddha and village of Tai-O); dinner at
Lan Kwai Fong (LKF);
● Day 3: Visit Kowloon peninsula; don’t miss the free show “A Symphony of Lights”
on the Avenue of Stars, which takes place at around 8 every evening;
● Day 4: Visit Macau on day trip (you can catch the ferry from Hong Kong Island);
● Day 5: Arrive in Shenzhen; visit the Nanshan District;
● Day 6: Visit the Districts of Futian and Luohu, still in Shenzhen;
● Day 7: Return to Hong Kong.
Guangxi: Guilin-Yangshuo-Longsheng – The karst hills on the shores of the Li

River

● Movement difficulty: Low, since almost all hotels can help you arrange
transport either by bus or boat.
46
● Best time to travel: The best time to travel is May if you want to see the newly
watered rice paddies of Longsheng. That said, it is possible to visit Guilin and the
rest of Guangxi Province in almost any time of the year.
luxury and budget hotels in Guilin, Longsheng and Yangshou.
● Itinerary:
● Day 1: Arrive in Guilin and tour the city;
● Day 2: Cruise on the Li River and arrive in Yangshuo; visit the city center;
● Day 3: Take a ride on the Yulong River and return by bicycle; fishing with
cormorants show;
● Day 4: Transfer to Longsheng (by bus) and visit the terraced rice paddies;
● Day 5: Return to Guilin and visit “Reed Flute Cave” and “Elephant Trunk Hill”.
Sichuan: Chengdu-Emei Shan-Leshan – Visit the heart of Sichuan

● Movement difficulty: Low, since all destinations can be easily reached by bus
from Chengdu.
● Best time to travel: Summer is very hot while the winter is cold, so the best
times are the Spring and autumn.
● Recommended Hotels: Click here to read our reviews on the best luxury and
budget hotels in Chengdu.
● Itinerary:
47
● Day 1: Arrive in Chengdu and tour the city center;
● Day 2: Visit the Chengdu Panda Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and
get to Mount Emei, or Emei Shan, by bus;
● Day 3: Climb Emei Shan with an overnight stay in one of the many monasteries
that can be found along the way;
● Day 4: Arrive at the top of Emei Shan and descend (by bus); arrive in Leshan by
bus;
● Day 5: Visit the Giant Buddha of Leshan and the surrounding park;
● Day 6: Return to Chengdu.
Sichuan: Chengdu-Jiuzhaigou-Huanglong – The most spectacular parks of China
● Itinerary Type: Natural

● Movement difficulty: Medium, considering that in the Jiuzhaigou region, public
transport is virtually nonexistent (which is why it’s much simpler to visit this region
of China with an organized tour).
● Best time to travel: The autumn, when it’s not too hot and the leaves of the
trees turn breathtaking colors. That said, Sichuan can be visited anytime of the
year (but winters in Jiuzhaigou are very rough).
● Recommended Hotels: Click here to read our reviews on the best luxury and
budget hotels in Chengdu.
● Itinerary:
● Day 1: Arrive in Chengdu and tour the city center;
get to Jiuzhaigou (by bus or plane);
● Days 3-4: Visit Jiuzhaigou National Park (spending just one day would be a sin);
48
● Day 5: Visit Huanglong National Park;
● Day 6: Return to Chengdu or, directly to Beijing from the airport in Huanglong.
● Recommended trekking: 2 day horseback excursion to Sonpang, near
Jiuzhaigou.
Henan: Luoyang-Tempio Shaolin-Xi’An – Visit the birthplace of Kung Fu

● Movement difficulty: Medium, because unless you visit with an organized tour,
you’ll have to get around by train and/or bus in Henan Province where the use of
English is not very widespread.
● Best time to travel: The best time is the autumn, as is the case with the majority
of China.
● Recommended Hotels: Click here to read our guide on Henan Province, where
we indicate a few hotels in all areas of interest to tourists; and here to read
reviews of the best hotels in Xi’An.
● Itinerary:
● Day 1: Arrive in Luoyang (by air or fast train from Beijing) and visit the Cave of
Longmen;
● Day 2: Visit the Temple of Baima and the Luoyang Museum;
● Day 3: Arrive in Dengfeng, visit the Shaolin Temple and the Mount Song National
Park;
● Day 4: Return to Luoyang, and move on to Xi’An by fast train; visit the Xi’An
Muslim Quarter;
● Day 5: Visit the archaeological site of the Terracotta Warriors and the old city
walls of Xi’An;
49
● Day 6: Excursion to Mount Hua.
● Recommended activity: Kung Fu lessons in Dengfeng.
Hunan and Guangxi: Zhangjiajie-Fenghuang-Guilin-Yangshuo
● Itinerary Type: Natural

● Movement difficulty: Medium, since you will always have to take a bus or train
to reach various destinations.
● Best time to travel: The best time is the autumn, as is the case with the majority
of China.
● Recommended Hotels: Click here to read our guide to hotels in China.
● Itinerary:
● Days 1 & 2: Arrive in Zhangjiajie by air or fast train and visit Zhangjiajie National
Forest Park (it would be a sin to spend only one day);
● Day 3: Excursion to Mount Tianmen, near Zhangjiajie;
● Days 4 e 5: Visit the city of Fenghuang; train or bus for Guilin;
● Day 6: Cruise on the Li River and arrive in Yangshuo; visit the city center;
● Day 7: Ride on the Yulong River and return by bicycle; fishing with cormorants
show.
● Recommended trekking: 1 or 2 day excursion to the terraced rice paddies of

Longsheng.
50

Itineraries from 12-15 days

In this section we will illustrate various itineraries for trips of about two weeks.
Obviously, you can create a different itinerary by simply combining two of the one week
itineraries we laid out in the previous section.
Beijing-Luoyang-Dengfeng-Xi’An-Shanghai
● Itinerary Type: Historic/Modern.

● Movement difficulty: Medium, considering that unless you travel on an
organized tour, you’ll have to get around by train and/or bus through Henan, or
the Luoyange Dengfeng Province, where English is not widely spoken.
● Best time to travel: Autumn, when the weather is dry and mild. However this
itinerary can be traveled any time of year.
● Recommended Hotels: Click on the links below to read our reviews on the best
luxury and budget hotels in Beijing, Xi’An and Shanghai.
● Itinerary:
● Day 1: Arrive in Beijing and visit the Summer Palace and Haidian university area;
Wall at Gubeikou;
● Day 5: Visit the Temple of the Lamas, the Temple of Confucius, the Bell Tower,
the Drum Tower, Gulou quarter and the few remaining Hutongs left in the city;
51
● Day 6: Walk through the international quarters of Sanlitun and Dongzhimen;
arrive in Luoyang (by air or fast train);
● Day 7: Visit the Cave of Longmen, visit the Baima Temple and Luoyang
Museum;
● Day 8: Arrive in Dengfeng, visit Shaolin Temple and Mount Song National Park;
● Day 9: Return to Luoyang, then travel on to Xi’An by fast train; visit the Xi’An
Muslim Quarter;
● Day 10: Visit the archaeological site of the Terracotta Warriors and the ancient
city walls of Xi’An;
● Day 12: Arrive in Shanghai (by train); visit Yuyuan Gardens, Shanghai Museum,
the Bund, and Nanjing Road;
● Day 13: Visit the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and Lujiazui financial district (where
you’ll find all of Shanghai’s major skyscrapers);
● Day 14: Visit the Old French Concession.
Beijing-Pingyao-Datong-Xi’An-Guilin-Yangshuo

● Movement difficulty: Medium if you travel by train since you’ll have to cross half
of China! Lower if you decide to get around by air.
● Best time to travel: The best season is the fall, when the weather is dry and
mild. You can however visit the destinations listed at any time of year.
luxury and budget hotels in Beijing, Datong, Pingyao, Xi’An, Guilin and
Yangshuo.
● Tour operator:If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private,
52
● Itinerary:
Wall of Gubeikou;
● Day 3: Visit the Temple of Heaven and the shopping district of Wangfujing;
arrive at Datong (by air or fast train);
● Day 7: Visit the Yungang Cave and Hanging Temples of Datong;
● Day 8: Arrive in Pingyao (by train); visit the walls of the Old City, visit the
residences of the Wang ande Qiao families;
● Day 9: Arrive in Xi’An (by train) and tour the city center of Xi’An (Muslim quarter
and ancient city walls);
● Day 10: Visit the archaeological site of the Terracotta Warriors; arrive in Guilin
(by air);
● Day 11: Cruise in the Li River and arrive at Yangshuo; tour the city center;
● Day 12: Ride on the Yulong River and return by bike; fishing show with
cormorants.
● Recommended trekking: Excursion to Mount Hua (near Xi’An) and/or the

terraced rice paddies of Longsheng, near Guilin.
Beijing-Xi’An-Chengdu-Chongqing-Cruise on the Yangtze-Yichang

● Movement difficulty: Medium if you travel by train since you’ll have to cross half
of China! Lower if you decide to get around by air.
53
luxury and budget hotels in Beijing, Xi’An and Chengdu.
● Itinerary:
Wall of Gubeikou;
arrive in Xi’An (by air or train);
● Day 7: Visit the archaeological site of the Terracotta Warriors;
● Day 8: Visit the city center of Xi’An (Muslim quarter and ancient city walls); arrive
in Chengdu (by air or train);
the city center;
● Day 10: Arrive in Chongqing and depart on a Yangtze River Cruise (or Blue
River);
● Day 11: Cruise on the Yangtze;
● Day 12: Arrive, via cruise, in Yichang, where you’ll find the Three Gorges Dam.
54
Beijing-Zhangjiajie-Fenghuang-Guilin-Yangshuo

● Movement difficulty: Medium since you’ll be crossing half of China, and
especially in the regions of Zhangjiajie and Guilin, where you’ll have to get
around by train, bus or boat.
luxury and budget hotels in Beijing, Guilin and Yangshuo.
● Itinerary:
Wall of Gubeikou;
arrive in Zhangjiajie (by air or fast train);
● Days 7 and 8: Visit Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (it would be a sin to only
spend one day there);
● Day 9: Excursion to Mount Tianmen, near Zhangjiajie;
● Days 10 and 11: Visit the city of Fenghuang; train or bus for Guilin;
● Day 12: Cruise on the Li River and arrival in Yangshuo; visit the city center;
55
● Day 13: Ride on the Yulong River and return by bike; fishing show with
cormorants.
● Recommended trekking: 1 or 2 day excursion to the terraced rice paddies of

Longsheng.
Beijing-Tianjin-Qingdao-Mount Tai-Qufu

● Movement difficulty: Medium, because in Shandong Province (or the second
half of the trip), you can only get around by train or bus.
luxury and budget hotels in Beijing, Tianjin and Qingdao.
● Itinerary:
Wall of Gubeikou;
arrive in Tianjin (by fast train);
● Day 7: Tour the city center of Tianjin;
56
● Days 8-9: Arrive in Qingdao (by train) and tour the city;
● Day 10: Arrive on the slopes of Mount Tai (or Taishan, by train), climb Mount Tai
and spend the night up top;
● Day 11: Descend Mount Tai and arrive in Qufu, the birth city of Confucius;
● Day 12: Visit the Confucius Family Mansion.
● Recommended activity: Beer Festival in Qingdao, if you go in August.
Tibet: Lhasa-Namtso Lake-Shigatse-Everest Base Camp-Kathmandu

● Movement difficulty: High. Besides having to get to Tibet (which is 45 hours by
train or 4 hours by air from Beijing), unless you stay in Lhasa you’ll be forced to
spend long hours on buses, with the greatest problems due to the altitude. Click
here to read our guide to traveling in Tibet. Note that besides a Chinese visa and
Tibet Permit, if you intend to arrive in Kathmandu you will also need a Nepalese
visa.
● Best time to travel: The best time to visit Tibet is in the fall, when the weather is
dry and relatively mild. Avoid the winter when many passes are closed due to the
snow. Furthermore, make certain that Tibet will be open to foreign tourists in the
period you intend to visit, since the Province is often closed to tourists.
● Recommended hotels: This will be handled by your tour operator (see below).
● Tour operator: To visit Tibet, you are obligated to be accompanied by an
authorized tour guide. Click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
● Itinerary:
● Days 1 and 2: Train Beijing-Lhasa. If you have the time, I recommend that you
get to Tibet by train. Not only is it a unique experience, but you can also
acclimate your body to the gradual change in altitude.
57
● Day 3: Visit Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street and the historic
center of Lhasa;
● Day 4: Visit Lake Namtso;
● Day 5: Visit the Monasteries of Drepung and Sera, near Lhasa;
● Day 6: Visit Lake Yamdrok, Kharola Glacier, and Palcho Monastery, situated in
the city of Gyantsee; arrive in Shigatse and overnight there;
● Day 7: Visit the Tashilhunpo Monastery (near Shigatse), visit Sakya Monastery,
arrive in Lhatse and overnight there;
● Day 8: Arrive in Rongbuk and visit the “highest”, in terms of altitude, monastery in
Tibet.Trekking at Everest Base Camp (about 6 Km and two hours of walking);
overnight in Rongbuk, in a tent;
● Day 9: After admiring the sunrise from the Base Camp, move on to Zhangmu via
Old Tingri and Nyalam; overnight there;
● Day 10: Arrive at Kodari, at the border between Tibet and Nepal; walk the border
and arrive at Kathmandu; overnight there;
● Days 11 and 12: Visit Kathmandu, in Nepal.
Xinjiang: Urumqi-Kashgar-Tashkurgan-Kanas

● Movement difficulty: High if you get around by train or bus, since Xinjiang is the
vastest province in China. Medium if you take flights for the largest sections,
since several locations can only be reached by bus or in the case of Karakorum,
only with a private car and driver (see the details in the itinerary).
● Best time to travel: The best time is the fall, when the weather is dry and mild
and you can taste the seasonal fruits (grapes, figs, melons and more). Winter is
not recommended since some parts of the itinerary can not be traveled due to
the snow.
58
luxury and budget hotels in Urumqi and Kashgar.
● Itinerary:
● Day 1: Arrive in Urumqi, capital of the province, by air; move on to Kashgar by
overnight train (about 20 hours of traveling) or by air;
● Day 2: Visit the Mosque of Id Kah and the Old City of Kashgar;
● Day 3: Visit the tomb of Abakh Khoja and the night market of Jie Fang Bei Road;
● Day 4: Visit the Desert of Da Wa Kun (with camel ride) by bus;
● Days 5 and 6: Excursion Kashgar-Tashkurgan along the Karakorum Highway,
the highest paved international highway in the world – in terms of altitude – which
connects Pakistan and Cina. Note that there are no bus lines here; I recommend
that you ask at your hotel about renting a private car and driver (cost: about
1,500 Yuan);
● Day 7: Return to Urumqi then a night bus to Burjin, a city found at the feet of the
Altai Mountains, north of Urumqi;
● Days 8 and 9: Bus for Hemu, visit the village (“cowboy” style) and beautiful
nearby hills; overnight there;
● Days 10 and 11: Bus for the Tourist Complex of Kanas and a visit to the park;
● Day 12: Return to Urumqi.
● Recommended trekking and activities: Excursion to Lake Tianchi, 110 Km

from Urumqi; visit the Kashgar livestock market (open only on Sundays);
excursion from Hemu to Kanas, in the Altai Mountains.
59
Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Lake Lugu-Emei Shan-Leshan-Chengdu

● Movement difficulty: Medium; once you arrive in Kunming, where flights arrive
from all teh major cities of China, the other cities are well connected by train and
bus lines. Considering the popularity of Lijiang among Chinese tourists, often
finding train tickets in Yunnan is complicated and you’ll have to settle for the bus.
● Best time to travel: Despite not being an extremely vast province, the climate in
Yunnan varies from sub-tropicale in the south to alpine in the region of
Shangri-La. In my opinion there’s no one period when it’s better to visit than
another; with the obvious exception of not going during Chinese holidays when
the Province is invaded by Chinese tourists. For Sichuan, on the second part of
the trip, the best time to visit is without a doubt the fall.
luxury and budget hotels in Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Chengdu.
● Itinerary:
● Day 1: Arrive in Kunming and tour the city;
● Day 2: Get up very early to visit the Stone Forest before the crowds of Chinese
tourists; bus for Dali;
● Day 3: Visit the Old City of Dali;
● Day 4: Excursion to Mount Cang (you get there on foot from the Old City of Dali),
and bus for Lijiang;
● Day 5: Visit the Old City of Lijiang; overnight there;
● Days 6-7: Bus for Lugu Lake, homeland of the almost matriarchal tribe of the
Mosuo; visit the various places around the lake; overnight in the Village of Lige;
● Day 8: Bus from Lugu to Xichang; night train from Xichang to Emei Shan;
60
● Day 9: Climb Emei Shan with an overnight in one of the many monasteries along
the route;
● Day 10: Arrive at the top of Emei Shan and descend (by bus); arrive in Leshan,
by bus;
● Day 11: Visit the Giant Buddha of Leshan and the surrounding park; bus for
Chengdu;
the city center of Chengdu.
● Recommended trekking: 2 day excursion to Tiger Leaping Gorge.
Itineraries of 18-21 days

In this section we will illustrate several itineraries suitable for trips of about three weeks.
Obviously, you can create a different itinerary by simply combining itineraries of one and
two weeks from the previous sections.
Beijing-Luoyang-Dengfeng-Xi’An-Shanghai-Xiamen-Shenzhen-Hong
Kong-Macau
● Itinerary Type: Historic/Modern.

● Movement difficulty: Medium, because unless you travel with an organized
tour, you’ll have to get around by train and/or bus through Henan, or the Province
of Luoyange Dengfeng, where English is not widely spoken.
luxury and budget hotels in Beijing, Xi’An and Shanghai, Xiamen, Shenzhen,
Hong Kong and Macau.
61
● Itinerary:
Wall of Gubeikou;
arrive in Luoyang (by air or fast train);
● Day 7: Visit Longmen Caves, Baima Temple and the Luoyang Museum;
● Day 8: Arrive in Dengfeng, visit Shaolin Temple and Mount Song National Park;
● Day 9: Return to Luoyang, move on to Xi’An by fast train; visit the Muslim
Quarter of Xi’An;
● Day 10: Visit the archaeological site of the Terracotta Warriors ancient city walls
of Xi’An;
● Day 12: Arrive Shanghai (by train); visit the Yuyuan Gardens, Shanghai Museum,
the Bund, and Nanjing Road;
● Day 13: Visit the Oriental Pearl TV Tower financial district of Lujiazui (where
you’ll find Shanghai’s major skyscrapers);
● Day 14: Visit the Old French Concession; train for Xiamen;.
● Day 15: Visit the city center of Xiamen train for Shenzhen;
● Day 16: Arrive in Shenzhen; visit the Nanshan District;
● Day 17: Visit the Futian and Luohu Districts; pass the border and arrive in Hong
Kong;
62
● Day 18: Visit Central, Causeway Bay and Victoria Peak in Hong Kong;
● Day 19: Visit Landau Island (or the Giant Buddha and the village of Tai-O);
dinner at Lan Kwai Fong (LKF);
● Day 20: Day trip to Macau (you can take the ferry from Hong Kong Island);
● Day 21: Visit Kowloon peninsula; don’t miss the free show “A Symphony of
Lights” on the Avenue of Stars, which is held every day at around eight in the
evening.
The Silk Road: Beijing-Xi’An-Dunhuang-Urumqi-Kashgar

● Movement difficulty: High if you intend to get around by train and/or bus, since
Xinjiang is the largest province in China. Medium if you take flights for the largest
portions, though some places can only be reached by bus or in the case of
Karakorum, only with a private car and driver (see details in the itinerary).
mild. Winter is not recommended since some parts of the itinerary – especially in
Xinjiang, cannot be reached due to the snow.
luxury and budget hotels in Beijing, Xi’An, Dunhuang and Urumqi e Kashgar.
● Itinerary:
Wall of Gubeikou;
● Day 4: Visit Tian’An Men Square, the Forbidden City and Coal Hille; night train
Beijing-Xi’An;
63
● Day 5: Visit the archaeological site of the Terracotta Warriors and the city center
of Xi’An (the Muslim Quarter and ancient city walls);
● Day 7: Air or train Xi’An-Dunhuang (by train it takes about 24 hours);
● Day 8: Visit Mogao Caves and the Dunhuang Museum;
● Day 9: Train Dunhuang-Jiayuguan (about 6 hours) and and visit the westernmost
part of the Great Wall of China;
● Day 10: Train Jiayuguan-Urumqi (about 7 hours); visit the Xinjiang Uighur
Autonomous Region Museum;
● Day 11: Visit Turpan (or Turfan) and return to Urumqi;
● Day 12: Travel by auto from Urumqi to Korla (about 6 hours) through Tianshan
mountain;
● Day 13: Travel by auto from Korla to Kuqa (about 3 hours) and visit the ruins of
Subash;
● Day 14: Travel by auto from Kuqa to Aksu (about 5 hours) with a stop at the
Cave of the Thousand Buddhas of Kizil;
● Day 15: Travel by auto from Aksu to Kashgar (about 6 hours);
● Day 16: Visit the Mosque of Id Kah and the Old City of Kashgar;
● Day 17: Visit the tomb of Abakh Khoja and the night market of Jie Fang Bei
Road;
● Day 18: Visit the Desert of Da Wa Kun (with camel ride) by bus;
● Days 19 and 20: Excursion Kashgar-Tashkurgan along the Karakorum Highway,
the highest paved international road in the world- in terms of elevation – which
connects Pakistan and China. Note that there are no bus lines; I recommend that
you ask at your hotel for help in arranging a private car and driver (cost: about
1,500 Yuan);
● Day 21: Return to Beijing (by air).

64
Chinese/English travel phrasebook

Before beginning, the best advice we can give you for communicating in China is to
download Pleco, a free Chinese/English dictionary that work on both Android and iOS
smartphones. You can then write the word you wish to say (in English) and get the
Chinese characters and corresponding pronunciation.
A brief note about pronunciation

Chinese is a tonal language. This is how they are indicated and how you should
pronounce the various tones:
The first tone (ā) is pronounced as if you were singing a high note.
The second tone (á) is pronounced as if you were asking a question in English (rising).
The third tone (ǎ) lowers then rises (but less than the second tone). Normally it’s a little
longer than the other tones.
The fourth tone (à) drops shortly as if you said “No!” in English.
Greetings and useful phrases

English Chinese Characters Pronunciation (pinyin)
Hello 你好 nǐhǎo
Goodbye 再见 zàijiàn
How are you? 你好吗? nǐhǎo ma?
Yes 是的 shìde
No 不是 búshì
Thank you 谢谢 xièxiè
No, thank you 不用了,谢谢 bú yòng le, xièxiè
Please 不客气 búkèqi
Excuse me 对不起 duì bu qǐ
65
I don’t understand 我听不懂 wǒ tīng bù dǒng
I, You, Him, Her 我, 你, 他, 她 wǒ, nǐ, tā, tā
Asking for help

English Chinese characters Pronunciation (pinyin)
Can you help me? 你可以帮我吗? nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ ma?
Where is the hospital? 医院在哪里 (哪儿) ? yīyuàn zài nàli (nàr)?
Where is the police station? 警局在哪里? jǐngjù zài nàli?
Where is the bathroom? 厕所在哪里? cèsuǒ zài nàli?
Note that 哪里 (nàli) is used more or less everywhere while 哪儿 (nàr) is typical of the
Northeast (including Beijing).
Getting directions
Where is the metro station? 地铁站在哪里? dìtiězhàn zài nàlǐ?
Where is the train station? 火车站在哪里? huǒchēzhàn zài nàlǐ?
Where is the entrance? 入口在哪里? rùkǒu zài nàlǐ?
Where is the exit? 出口在哪里? chūkǒu zài nàlǐ?
North, South, East, West 北, 南, 东,西 běi, nán, dōng, xī
Note that in China street signs often indicate the geographical coordinates. You can use
this information to get oriented.
In taxi
Hello driver, I would like to go… 你好师傅，我去… nǐhǎo shīfu, wǒ qù…
… to the airport …飞机场 … fēi jī chǎng
66
… to the train station …火车站 … huǒchēzhàn
… to hotel xxx …xxx 宾馆 … xxx bīnguǎn
I arrived 到了 … dào le
Note that many foreigners that live in China don’t know a word of Chinese (especially in
Beijing and Shanghai). So if you start a conversation with nǐhǎo shīfu ( Hello driver, a
very common phrase in China), he’ll believe that you live in China and speak Chinese.
This will reduce the possibility of getting ripped off since dishonest taxi drivers usually
prey on newly-arrived tourists.
At the market
How much is this? 这个多少钱? zhè ge duō shǎo qián?
It’s too expensive! 太贵了! tài guì le!
Can you give me a discount? 便宜一点 pián yi yī diǎn
It’s too big 太大了 tài dà le
It’s too small 太小了 tài xiǎo le
Chinese currency is called Renminbi. But the Chinese, when referring to the price of
something always say 100元 (Yuán) or, often, 100块 (kuài) , which literally means “100
pieces."
Drinks
Can I have a bottle of ... 麻烦给我一瓶 … má fan gěi wǒ yī píng …
... water …水 … shuǐ
… beer …啤酒 … píjiǔ
… red wine …红酒 … hóng jiǔ
67
… cola …可乐 … kělè
… Sprite …雪碧 … xuěbì
… orange juice …橙汁 … chéng zhī
Can I have a cup of … 麻烦给我一杯… má fan gěi wǒ yī bēi …
… tea …茶 … chá
… coffee … 咖啡 … kāfēi
Cold 冰的 bīng de
Hot 热的 rè de
When you order something to drink in China you have to specify the temperature (“cold”
or “hot” is sufficient). If you don’t get ready to drink a nice warm beer.
Food
The check 买单 mǎidān
No spicy 不要辣 bú yào là
No meat, I’m a vegetarian 不要肉，我吃素 bú yào ròu, wǒ chīsù
(我不吃肉) (wǒ bù chī ròu)
To take away 打包 dǎbāo
Can I have … 麻烦给我… má fan gěi wǒ …
… a fork …一个叉子 … yī ge chāzi
... a knife …一个餐刀 … yī ge cān dāo
... a spoon …一个勺子 … yī ge sháozi
... a cup …一个杯子 … yī ge bēizi
... fruit …水果 … shuǐguǒ
… vegetables …蔬菜 … shūcài
… a green salad …沙拉 … shālā
... eggs …鸡蛋 … jīdàn
… chicken …鸡肉 … jīròu
68
… beef …牛肉 … niúròu
… pork …猪肉 … zhūròu
… sheep’s meat …羊肉 … yángròu
… fish …鱼 … yú
… shrimp …虾 … xiā
… a plate of rice …米饭 … mǐfàn
… a plate of spaghetti …面条 … miàn tiáo
… potatoes …土豆 … tǔdòu
… tofu …豆腐 … dòufu
Numbers
0 零 líng
1 一 yī
2 二 èr
3 三 sān
4 四 sì
5 五 wǔ
6 六 liù
7 七 qī
8 八 bā
9 九 jiǔ
10 十 shí
11 十一 shí yī
20 二十 èr shí
21 二十一 shí yī
100 一百 yī bǎi
1000 一千 yī qiān
69

TravelToChina Ebook

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

TravelToChina Ebook

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Cover photo: ​©​ Deposit Photos, Inc.

How to get a Chinese visa

To get a visa you’ll need to present the following documents:

● A round trip air ticket;

In general, the invitation letter should contain:

Tour operator or independent travel?

Travel insurance, vaccines and medicines

How to reserve and purchase a train ticket in China?

Buying a ticket online

The official site of the Chinese railways

Buying tickets at a ticket counter

Which class to choose for long distance trains

High speed trains

● In many stations the line can be rather long, so go early.

Some final advice

Traveling by bus, subway or taxi

Long distance buses

The subway in China

Here are a few stories that we happened to hear:

Pros​: cTrip offers a comprehensive selection of hotels throughout the country.

Comparison of the three platforms

● Peking International Youth Hostel​: One bed in a dormitory costs 18 USD/night

What type of hotel should I choose?

Where to book your hotel

Are Chinese hotels safe?

Which hotel should you choose?

Internet and telephone

Currency, ATMs and credit cards

What should you bring?

When should you visit China?

Common sense and cultural issues

● Another way to be sure to arrive at your destination is to write down the

Food and drink

Shopping in the market

Beijing Beijing - Luoyang - Beijing - Luoyang -

Beijing - Xi’An Beijing - Pingyao - Datong The Silk Road: Beijing -

Tibet: Lhasa - Namtso Beijing - Xi’An - Chengdu - Any combination of three

Yunnan: Kunming - Dali - Beijing - Zhangjiajie -

Shanghai - Suzhou - Beijing - Tianjin - Qingdao -

Hong Kong - Macau - Tibet: Lhasa - Namtso

Guangxi: Guilin - Xinjiang: Urumqi - Kashgar

Sichuan: Chengdu - Emei Kunming - Dali - Lijiang -

Sichuan: Chengdu - Any other combination of

Henan: Luoyang - Tempio

Hunan and Guangxi:

Beijing – Discover the appeal of Imperial China

● Itinerary Type​: Historic.

Beijing-Xi’An – Discovering ancient China

● Itinerary Type​: Historic.

Tibet: Lhasa-Lake Namtso-Shigatse – Visit to the roof of the world

● Itinerary Type​: Historic/Natural.

Yunnan: Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangri-La – Multi-ethnic China at the foot of

● Itinerary Type​: Natural.

● Recommended trekking​: 2 day excursion to ​Tiger Leaping Gorge​, located

Shanghai-Suzhou-Nanjing-Hangzhou – The Cities on the Yellow River Delta

● Recommended trekking​: 2 day excursion to the ​Yellow Mountain​ (or Huang

Hong Kong-Macau-Shenzhen – Modern and Colonial China

Guangxi: Guilin-Yangshuo-Longsheng – The karst hills on the shores of the Li

● Itinerary Type​: Natural.

Sichuan: Chengdu-Emei Shan-Leshan – Visit the heart of Sichuan

● Itinerary Type​: Historic/Natural.

Sichuan: Chengdu-Jiuzhaigou-Huanglong – The most spectacular parks of China

● Itinerary Type​: Natural

Cover photo: © Deposit Photos, Inc.

Pros: cTrip offers a comprehensive selection of hotels throughout the country.

● Peking International Youth Hostel: One bed in a dormitory costs 18 USD/night

● Itinerary Type: Historic.

● Itinerary Type: Historic.

● Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.

● Itinerary Type: Natural.

● Recommended trekking: 2 day excursion to Tiger Leaping Gorge, located

● Recommended trekking: 2 day excursion to the Yellow Mountain (or Huang

● Itinerary Type: Natural.

● Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.

● Itinerary Type: Natural

● Itinerary Type: Historic.

● Recommended activity: Kung Fu lessons in Dengfeng.

● Itinerary Type: Natural

● Recommended trekking: 1 or 2 day excursion to the terraced rice paddies of

● Itinerary Type: Historic/Modern.

● Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.

● Recommended trekking: Excursion to Mount Hua (near Xi’An) and/or the

● Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.

● Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.

● Recommended trekking: 1 or 2 day excursion to the terraced rice paddies of

● Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.

● Recommended activity: Beer Festival in Qingdao, if you go in August.

● Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.

● Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.

● Recommended trekking and activities: Excursion to Lake Tianchi, 110 Km

● Itinerary Type: Natural.

● Recommended trekking: 2 day excursion to Tiger Leaping Gorge.

● Itinerary Type: Historic/Modern.