China

Photo © kookie888

Introduction

One of My Grand Canal Afternoon Walks (15)

A mere holiday to China (中国), anyone who's been there is going to say, is not enough. It is a colossal land, not only in size but also in the depth of its history and the range of its natural, and even sometimes unnatural, wonders.

From the amazing sights that everyone knows - like the Army of Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an or the Great Wall of China - to places that few outsiders will ever visit - Namtso Lake or the Buddhist grottos in Guyuan - China has something for everyone to see and experience. With a varied geography encompassing the highest mountains in the world, amazing deserts, grasslands, dense jungles and rainforests, China can be a difficult country to explore - but it's well worth the effort.

China was ruled by a series of Imperial Dynasties for around four to five thousand years until the Republic was founded in 1912. The Republic fell, on the mainland, to Communist in 1949. Since then, China has - somewhat ironically - charged to the fore of the modern world, particularly in the past few decades as it has focussed on growing economically through international trade and commerce. The result is cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, where skyscrapers tower above the horizon, but ancient spiritual practices are still maintained reverently.

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Brief History

Xian Warriors

Main article: History of China

Ancient China

The traditional history of China extends back 5,000 years to the third century CE, when the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were said to have ruled over the land in a time of peace. This period was followed by the Xia Dynasty in circa 2100 BCE, which lasted for approximately four and a half centuries. From an archaeological point of view, practically nothing is know about either of these periods. There is, however, archaeological evidence confirming traditional Chinese histories of the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BCE), which followed the Xia period.

The Shang kingdom was overthrown by the Zhou Dynasty in either 1122 BCE or 1046 BCE. During the Zhou period, seven different states sprang up, who fought against each other for supremacy in 260 years known as the Period of the Warring States. Ultimately, it was the Qin Dynasty which triumphed, marking the beginning of the Chinese Empire.

Imperial China

The Qin Dynasty (221–206 BCE) can be credited with two of China's most famous attractions: it was Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi who was buried with the Terracotta Army, and it was during the Qin period that the building of the Great Wall was commenced.

Not long after the death of Emperor Qin, the dynasty was overthrown by a rebellion, which led to the rise of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). The Han Dynasty was an age of economic prosperity and saw a significant growth of the money economy first established during the Zhou Dynasty. A division in the empire ended the Han and initiated an age of conflict between three states known as the Three Kingdoms (220–280 CE) of Wei, Shu and Wu. Following the devastation of the Three Kingdoms period, the Jin Dynasty (265–420 CE) reunified China and fostered a brief period of prosperity.

China was divided during the time of the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420–589 CE), reunited under the Sui Dynasty (581–618 CE), and then achieved a golden age of cosmopolitan culture under the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE). However the dynasty collapsed and divided again in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–960 CE), overrun by the Mongol in the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368) and restored under local rule by the Ming Dynasty in 1368. The Ming Dynasty was the last Han Chinese dynasty, replaced by the Manchurians who started the Qing Dynasty in 1644. The Qing dynasty lost official political control in 1911. The Qing Emperor remained a ceremonial head-of-state until 1944.

Modern China

From the late 19th century through to the early 20th century, a revolutionary movement inspired by Dr. Sun Yat-sen emerged, eventually leading to the establishment of the Republic of China in 1911. Sun Yat-sen was president for just four months, and he was followed by Yuan Shikai, who ruled until 1916. Following his death, China became fragmented. Sun Yat-sen struggled to unite the country in 1920, but his death five years later saw his followers split into two rival factions: the Nationalists and the Communists, who were led by Mao Zedong. The Nationalists and Communists fought bitterly, even throughout the Japanese occupation from 1931 until 1945. In 1949, Mao Zedong and the Communists had secured most of China, and on 1 October 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China.

The early years of communist rule were very hectic. The first move by the central government was to purge the population of potential sympathizers to the old government. The official number is that 700,000 people were executed during the purges. Most historians estimate a much higher number around 1 or 2 million people. Then central government created several disastrous programs.

In 1958, Mao initiated what may be one of the darkest periods in human history, perversely called the Great Leap Forward. The plan behind the Great Leap Forward was to produce steel in backyard furnaces. Towns were given impossible quotas to fill, which led to people stopping to work on the field and even melting down tools and cooking equipment. The result was one of the worst famine in human history, in which between 14 and 43 million people died. The Great Leap Forward was brought to an end in 1960.

It looked like after the failure and misery of the Great Leap Forward that Mao would be forced to step down, but he declared the beginning of the Cultural Revolution in 1966. The cultural revolution was Mao's attempt to continue the communist revolution. The youth were encouraged to join the Red Guards, a military-like organization. The red guards went into cities and villages denouncing, torturing and humiliating millions of people that did not hold up their ideals of communism. The effect of the red guards was felt in every part of China, especially in major cities with academic centres and minority areas with large religious populations. The terror of the red guards continued until Mao's death on 2 September 1976.

After Mao's death, a power struggle was initiated which was eventually won by Deng Xiaoping in 1980. Deng introduced some economic reforms which sparked the modernisation process in China. His reforms were criticised by both the conservatives and the liberals. It was the latter group which led the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, protests which saw China's reputation in the world plummet.

A third generation of leadership took over after 1989, and it continued to focus on economic growth and not on liberalizing the government. Since then, China has emerged as a global superpower, with a population of over almost 1.4 billion people. In 2008, it hosted the Olympic Games in Beijing.

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Geography

The geography of China is very diverse. Even though China is the most heavily populated country on the planet, it also has some of the most remote and least populated places in the world. This is reinforced by the fact that the vast majority of the population lives on the east coast of the country, making the western provinces sparsely populated.

Generally speaking, the northern and far west of China are semi arid to desert. The southwest is very wet and can suffer from extreme flooding. Most of the country is mountainous except for the large deserts in the northwest and the prairies of Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang. The far northern provinces skirt Siberia while Hainan, in the far south, has the same latitude as Hawaii. The southwest has large areas of mountainous jungle and rain forest with many wild animals including elephants. The Himalayan plateau is one of the highest and harshest places in the world. The two major rivers in the country are the Yellow River in the north and the Yangtze River in the center, which cut through China like two horizontal lines. The south has a mild winter but extreme typhoons in the spring, while in the north the winters can be very cold with sandstorms in the springtime. Although bad earthquakes can occur in many parts of the country they are infrequent.

China shares borders with many countries: East China Sea to the east; North Korea to the north-east; Russia and Mongolia to the north; Kazakhstan to the north-west; Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the west; India, Nepal, Bhutan to the south-west; Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and South China Sea to the south.

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Regions

China has 33 province-level divisions in six geographic administrative regions.^[2] Out of these 33 divisions, there are 22 provinces (省 shěng), five autonomous regions (自治区 zìzhìqū), four municipalities (直辖市 zhíxiáshì) and two special administrative regions (特别行政区 tèbié xíngzhèngqū). ^[3]^[4]

Eastern	Anhui, Fujian, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shandong, Shanghai, Zhejiang
Northeastern	Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning
Northern	Beijing, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Tianjin
Northwestern	Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Xinjiang
Southwestern	Chongqing, Guizhou, Sichuan, Tibetan Autonomous Region, Yunnan
South Central	Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Henan, Hong Kong, Hubei, Hunan, Macau

Minorities by region
The northern region of Heilongjiang has a distinct Russian feel to it, with even a Russian church St Sofia in the city of Harbin. The Mongolian minority occupy Inner Mongolia while the Uighers, Tajiks, Kygyrz, Uzbeks, and Khazaks live in Western Xinjiang and the Tibetans are spread around Tibetan Autonomous Region, Qinghai, Northern Yunnan, Southern Gansu, and Western Sichuan. These minority groups are just the tip of the iceberg because officially there is 56 different minority groups strung across China.

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Cities

Beijing

Beijing - Rear corner of Forbidden City from outside

Beijing is the country's capital and was host of the 2008 Olympic Games. It is a sprawling city of over 17 million people. Home to such attractions as the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, Beijing is a must for any traveller visiting China. Dozens of other attractions, including temples, the zoo and the relatively nearby Great Wall are other features which make this city worth at least five days to a week, if not more.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong was reunified with China in 1997, and it is one of the Asia's most important cities. A hub of business and a city of skyscrapers, it blends modernity with tradition. Quite a few temples, green islands and deserted beaches make Hong Kong more of a small country, and not just a world-class city of its own.

Shanghai

Shanghai is the current day economic center of China and boasts an interesting colonial past. Built along the Yangtze River, it has the world's largest cargo port. It's also one of the most modern cities in China, though you can still find some great temples and gardens spread around the city.

Other major cities

There are a lot of very large cities in China. This is a list of some of the most interesting ones to travellers.

Chengdu is an historic city famous for spicy food and capital of the Sichuan province.
Chongqing is the largest city in the central/western area of China and the largest municipality of the country.
Guangzhou formally known as Canton, is a large industrial city in Southern China.
Guilin is the setting of many of China's classical poems about it beautiful rock formations.
Hangzhou is home to the famous west lake and considered one of the beautiful cities in China.
Harbin in the northeast is one of the coldest cities, famous for its Ice Sculpture Festival in winter.
Kashgar is a city at the crossroads of the famous Silk Road with a great Sunday market.
Kunming is the city of eternal spring due to its mild climate and chill atmosphere.
Macau is located under a 100 kilometres from Hong Kong, is well known for its thriving gambling industry.
Nanjing was the capital of China during the Republic and many other ancient dynasties.
Qingdao is a large port city in Shandong Province with international ferries to South Korea and Japan.
Shenzhen is a Special Economic Zone in Guangdong, near Hong Kong, one of the richest cities in China.
Suzhou was the famous garden city described by Marco Polo as the "Venice of China."
Tianjin (City) is a large port city, just 30 minutes by train from Beijing.
Xiamen in Fujian is a very liveable city in the southwest of the country.
Xi'an was the first capital of a unified China and home to the Terracotta Army.
Yangshuo is Guilin's neighbor and one of China's favorite backpacker hangouts.

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Sights and Activities

The Forbidden City

Forbidden City

The Forbidden City located in Beijing was the home of the Emperor and the Imperial Chinese government for almost five centuries. The site was originally just an Imperial City of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368). After the fall of the Mongols, the emperor of the newly established Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), Hongwu Emperor, moved the capital from Beijing in the north to Nanjing in the south, and ordered that the Yuan palaces be burnt down. When his son Zhu Di became the Yongle Emperor, he moved the capital back to Beijing, and construction began in 1406 of what would become the Forbidden City. Constructed in 15 years by more than a million workers, this is one of the most amazing palaces in the world with thousands of rooms facing dozens of major courtyards. Remember to take some time to relax and enjoy the nice gardens, explore the side chambers that few visitors go to see and walk on the royal highway down the center of the Forbidden City.

The Great Wall of China

Many cities built walls to protect themselves some of them very large and impressive. Only the Chinese would build a wall to try to protect the whole country! Although the Great Wall of China does not go around the entire country it does stretch along it for over 8,800 kilometres from the Pacific all the way deep into the desert in Gansu. This makes it the longest wall in the world. From massive towers of brick to a pile of dirt only two meters high, the Great Wall can impress at any part along its path.

China Danxia

China Danxia, or Danxia landform of China, is the general name of the unique type of landscapes, Danxia landform, formed from red sandstone and characterised by steep cliffs, which are caused by endogenous forces (including uplift) and exogenous forces (including weathering and erosion). In August 2010, China Danxia was inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List. Danxia landforms cover several provinces in southeast China. Taining County, Fujian Province, has very good examples of "young" danxia landforms wherein deep, narrow valleys have been formed. As the landform gets older, valleys widen and one gets isolated towers and ridges. In 2010, several danxia landscapes in southern China, with a general name of "China Danxia", were inscribed as a World Heritage Site. The six inscribed danxia landform areas are: Mount Langshan and Mount Wanfo (Hunan Province), Mount Danxia (Guangdong Province), Taining and Mount Guanzhi (Fujian Province), Mount Longhu and Guifeng (Jiangxi Province), Fangyan, Mount Jianglang (Zhejiang Province), and Mount Chishui (Guizhou Province). The total core area of 6 regions above is 73945 ha, and the total buffer area is 65446 ha. Other notable danxia areas, such as Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, are not included in the World Heritage Site.

Labrang Monastery

Located in Xiahe, Gansu, the Labrang Monastery is one the best Tibetan temples in the world. Sitting in a beautiful mountain valley the large monastery, with over 1,200 monks, dominates the town. Year round travellers can hear pilgrims turning the thousands of prayer wheels that line the sides of of the temples and walls around the monastery. There is also several nice day hikes around Xiahe that make this town a wonderful place to visit. Lastly because Xiahe is not in the Tibetan Autonomous Region is much easier to visit with less red tape the majority of the time.

Kung Fu and Wushu

Learning a little Kung Fu or Wushu is a great addition to any trip to China. These two terms can mean anything from martial arts to very precise movement exercises. For most westerns they believe that kung fu and wushu just mean fighting but they also encompass traditional arts like tai chi quan (太極拳), which is non violent and people can be seen doing in the parks every day. If wanting to learn to kick some butt or just a better way to relax after a hard day taking a few classes or just joining some people in the park for a little kung fu or wushu can be a great experience.

Mount Taishan

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Mount Taishan is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai'an, in Shandong province, China. The tallest peak is the Jade Emperor Peak, which is about 1,540 metres high. Mount Tai is one of the "Five Great Mountains". It is associated with sunrise, birth, and renewal, and is often regarded the foremost of the five. Mount Tai has been a place of worship for at least 3,000 years and served as one of the most important ceremonial centers of China during large portions of this period.

Taklamakan Desert

The Taklamakan is located in the northwestern Chinese subdivision of Xinjiang or the Uygur Autonomous Region. Its boudaries are the Kunlun Mountains to the south and Pamir Mountains and Tian Shan mountain ranges to the west and north respectively. It forms part of the Tarim Basin and is one of the largest sandseas in the world. Just like the Gobi, it is a cold winter desert, which is reflected by temperatures sometimes below -20 °C and occasional snow cover. In summer, it's extremely hot, with generally around 40 °C, but sometimes way higher than this. Although up until recently it was only possible to travel north or south of the Taklamakan along two branches of the ancient Silk Route, now there is the Tarim Desert Highway, linking the cities of Luntai and Minfeng. It's well over 500 kilometres long and 80% of the route travels through high shifting sand dunes. The completion in 1995 came together with bushes along the road to prevent the shifting sand dunes, and an irrigation system for that same vegetation. You can fuel up somewhere in the middle of the desert, the rest is totally deserted, making this trip a once in lifetime experience!

Terracotta Army, Xi'an

The Terracotta Warriors were built by the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi. After unifying China (which at that time was the area just around Xi'an) in 221 BCE he started work on his tomb and died eleven years later in 210 BC. To protect his tomb and rule another empire in the afterlife he ordered the construction of 8,099 soldiers and horses. The warriors were left alone until the March of 1974 when a peasant digging for a well discovered the tomb by accident. The warriors were a mythical part of local folklore, and very few people actually believed they existed. During peak times more people visit the warriors a day then there are actual warriors, so be prepared for crowds at times.

Tiger Leaping Gorge

Located in Yunnan, southwestern China and sandwiched between Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to the south, and the vast mountains of Deqin to the north, a 3-day hike along the side of the world's deepest river gorge is an unforgettable experience. Note that the Gorge should not be attempted by the faint hearted, and absolutely not by anybody in bad weather - the path is only several feet wide in places, and next to a sheer drop of several thousand feet this would be a dangerous and unpleasant experience.

Spring Temple Buddha

The Spring Temple Buddha in China is the tallest statue in the world. It was build as China's answer to plans to erect a 152-metre-high Buddha in India (Maitreya Buddha), which still is only in the planning stages. The total monument will become even higher as the top of the mountain on which the monument is situated, as it is being reshaped to add two more pedestals under the already existing pedestal of 25 metres. The statue is named after the nearby Tianrui hot spring.

Other Sights and Activities

The ancient city of Pingyao/Shuanglin Monastery & Wangjia dayuan.
Longsheng is the gateway to the Longji Rice Terraces (Dragons Backbone Terraces), a few hours from Guilin.
Yangtze River and Three Gorges Dam.
Guangxi is home to Dong and Miao minority villages in between amazing karst peaks and centered around the town of Yangshuo.
Visit a Tulou, a traditional communal residence in the Fujian. The famous Fujian Tulou was designated as UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. The Yongding County in Fujian offers a wide range of these Tulous and on top of that 99% of the 400,000 inhabitants are Hakka people.
Dali is a pretty town located on a very nice lake that has a great chill feel.
Lijiang has an amazing old town, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List
Shangri-la is a small Tibetan town with a nice temple.
Tai Chi Quan (太極拳), find your inner self and work some small muscles with a few tai chi classes.
Visit the holy mountains of Huangshan, Emei shan, and Wutaishan.
Jiu Zai Gou is a popular destination in Sichuan province that features colourful lakes and waterfalls.
The Leshan Giant Buddha is a famous 71-metre-high statue of Buddha carved in the rocks near Leshan.

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Events and Festivals

Festival in Shangri-la

China has three "Golden Week" holidays per year. People get a mandatory two or three days off work for each holiday, and workers' companies can grant them the rest of the week off, making each holiday a total of 7 days. As you can imagine, having almost 1.4 billion people with the same days off can make travelling at these times arduous to say the least.

Travelling during the Spring Festival/Chinese New Year is incredibly difficult. Chinese New Year is China's Christmas, so the millions of migrant workers and students flood back to their home towns. Everybody else takes the opportunity to spend their hong bao (gifts of money traditionally given at CNY) and go travelling. Most of the time, since you are only allowed to purchase train tickets 6 days in advance and must be present in the city of origin, sometimes only standing room tickets are available. Be aware! The Spring Festival is undoubtedly the busiest time for the Chinese transportation system. Flying will avoid the crowded trains, but book early and expect to pay higher prices. All the main tourist attractions will be crawling with tourists (worse than usual), so unless you like crowds, it's best to avoid it altogether.

Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar, so the date changes each year. The Chinese New Year/Spring Festival holiday is 7 days long and usually starts on New Year's Eve.

The two other national holidays are October 1st, National Day, celebrating the founding of the People's Republic of China and May 1st, which is International Labor Day. Almost all Chinese get the two holidays off and many take the opportunity to travel. If you want to avoid the crowds, fly, but it should get a lot less busy towards the end of the week.

The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival is an annual event officially taking place for a month starting on January 5th each year. It is held in the city of Harbin in the Heilongjiang province. It is one of the world's largest ice and snow festivals, along with Canada's Quebec City Winter Carnival, Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival and Norway's Ski Festival.

Other events and festivals include:

Lantern Festival - At the end of February marking the completion of spring festivities, China holds the Lantern Festival. Aptly named for the incredible lantern displays throughout the country’s largest cities, towns, parks and community, the Lantern Festival has existed since China’s ancient dynasties ruled the land. Afterwards, most domestic travellers head back from their holidays to begin a new working year, so transportation is often jam-packed.
Pure and Bright Festival (Qingming) - Qingming, otherwise known as Pure and Bright Festival, usually held in April, celebrates the coming of spring’s most beautiful period. Visitors and locals head to parks and gardens to enjoy music, dance and performances in the main cities of China. However, visiting cemeteries is usually the first thing the Chinese citizens do and many locals devote part of the day to tending to graves and honoring ancestors who have passed.
Shanghai Formula 1 Grand Prix - Even though this hasn’t been part of the annual calendar as long as some of the more ancient festivals, the Shanghai Formula 1 Grand Prix is a grand spectacle filled with music, food, celebrations, and of course, car racing. Held in Shanghai every April, the city represents China’s leg of this world touring event. Most of the event is held at the Shanghai International Circuit, although there are pre-race parties found throughout the city.
Cheng Chau Festival - Lasting for seven days in May, visitors flock to the small island of Cheng Chau every year for an event called the Festival of Bun Hills. Sitting off the southern coast of China, there is an interesting array of activities that include colorful parades, costumes, performances and traditional cuisine.
Dragon Boat Festival - The Dragon Boat Festival, or Duanwu Festival, is one of China’s most thrilling events. It is held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, which usually falls somewhere in June. Dragon boat racing is common in China’s metropolises and on this day a special celebratory cuisine is prepared and eaten, such as realgar wine and zongzi.
Mid-Autumn Festival - Sometimes referred to as the Moon Festival, China’s famous Mid-Autumn Festival is usually held in September or October. It follows the lunar calendar, so it changes every year when using modern calendars to set a date. Fire dragon dances, making and eating moon cakes, lighting lanterns, city parades, and even match-making are common activities during this time. Beijing usually experiences heavy crowds and offers plenty of exciting additives to the event.

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Weather

The weather in China is very extreme. The summers are hot unless you are in the mountains and the winters are very cold, except for a small subtropical portion in the south. Beijing is cold and dry with sporadic snowstorms. Bring a hat, gloves, a scarf and at least 3 to 4 layers of clothing when you are visiting the north of the country in winter.

The best times to visit the entire country are spring (April to June) and autumn (late September to November), when temperatures in most parts of the country are somewhere between 15 °C and 25 °C, though nights can be chilly, particularly up north and in the mountains.

The north and northeast of the country are dry with occasional snowstorms in winter. Harbin is famous for its ice sculpture festival in late winter. Temperatures can drop below -40 °C at night during this time.

In summer, it is usually dry and warm or even hot in some places. This especially applies to the northwest, with Turpan being the oven of China, recording temperatures near 50 °C during some years.

The central parts of China are a bit less extreme, but note that in summer a combination of high temperatures (up to 40 °C) and high humidity can make things more unbearable than the hot and dry weather further north. Winters here are usually less cold, but freezing temperatures and snow do occur. Summertime sees more rain in this area as well. This also applies to the mountainous parts in the central west, with Tibet being relatively wet in July and August. Winters here can get almost as cold as in the north.

The south of China has warm and humid weather year round, but even in Hong Kong it is not uncommon for temperatures to drop below 5 °C in winter. Normally it is more like 20 °C, though. Tropical storms hit the Chinese coast occasionally during the July to September period and the hot and humid weather make this time of year not a good time to visit.

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Getting There

By Plane

Most tourists enter China by airplane. Almost all the major airline companies have services to and from China directly or by a feeder. Many foreign airlines have code-sharing agreements with Chinese airlines, so it is not unusual to see a United Airlines flight flown on a China Eastern plane.

The major airports serving as main gateways to China are:

Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), Beijing
Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU), Chengdu
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), Guangzhou
Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), Hong Kong
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), Shanghai

Several smaller cities have busy airports with mainly domestic flights, but a growing number of international connections, mainly to countries in the eastern half of Asia. These include:

Changsha Huanghua International Airport (HHA)
Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (CKG)
Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport (DLC)
Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (KWL)
Haikou Meilan International Airport (HAK)
Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (HGH)
Harbin Taiping International Airport (HRB)
Kashgar Airport (KHG)
Kunming Wujiaba International Airport (KMG)
Lhasa Gonggar Airport (LXA)
Macau International Airport (MFM)
Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG)
Qingdao Liuting International Airport (TAO)
Sanya Phoenix International Airport (SYX)
Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA)
Shenyang Taoxian International Airport (SHE)
Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (SZX)
Tianjin Binhai International Airport (TSN)
Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport (URC)
Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WUH)
Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN)
Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY)

There are over 40 airlines operating in China. Some of the better-established and well-connected airlines in China are Air China, Cathay Pacific, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines.

By Train

By Road

Main article: Overland Border Crossings In China

Crossing a land border with China can be an option for many travellers. The border crossings near Nanning, Hong Kong or Macau are near major population centers making them easy to access. The other land crossings in China, open to foreigners, drop people off in the middle of nowhere making them harder to access. This does not mean these areas should be skipped. In fact, the opposite is often true, as some of the border crossings are in the most remote and some of the most interesting areas in China, where few travellers go. These areas can make for great stories and experiences.

By Boat

There are ferry services from Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.

China - Hong Kong - Macau vv

The Turbojet offers several connections between Hong Kong and Macau, between Macau and Sekou in China and between both Hong Kong and Macau and the Shenzhen Airport Fu Yong Ferry Terminal in China. To add, it also connects the Hong Kong International Airport with both Macau and the Shenzhen Airport Fu Yong Ferry Terminal.
New World First Ferries also has regular connections to and from Shenzhen. There are connections to Shenzhen itself (Shekou) from the Inner Harbour as well as the Outer Harbour. Check Yuet Tung Shipping Co (Tel: +853-28574478) or Shenzhen Xunlong Shipping, the latter also has connections from Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal to Shenzhen. CKS has ferries to/from Jiangmen near Zhuhai, while Yuet Tung also goes to Zhuhai (Wanzai).

China - Hong Kong vv

Chu Kong Passenger Transport Co offers many services between Hong Kong (Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Terminal) and Hong Kong Airport and dozens of places in mainland China.

China - South Korea vv

There are many options of travelling by boat between China and South Korea.
Huadong sails between Incheon and Shi Dao, while Weidong travels between Incheon and Qingdao. Dandong Ferry plies the route between Incheon and Dandong and Musung has boats between Busan and Yantai.
Other possible connections to and from the South Korean port city of Incheon include those to and from the Chinese cities of Yantai, Dalian, Shanghai, Tianjin and Weihai. These cities can be reached from Busan as well, including Yingkou.

China - Japan vv

There are regular ferry services linking Chinese ports, like Tianjin with Kobe in Japan on a weekly basis. Chinese Express Line is the major carrier on the Tianjin to Kobe route.
To add, there are also weekly ferries crossing the sea between Shanghai and Kobe and Osaka in Japan. The ferry's destination alternates each week between Osaka and Kobe and the journey takes two days. Another line travels weekly as well between Shanghai and Osaka only. And everyday Thursday, there are ferries between Shanghai and Nagasaki. Orient Ferry plies the route between Qingdao and Shimonoseki.

China - Taiwan vv

From Fuzhou, China, there are two daily ferries to Matsu, Taiwan. The trip takes two hours. From Matsu, there are two daily ferries to Keelung in Taiwan. This trip takes 10 hours. Bookings can be made at +886 2 2424 6868.

There are also several ferry services between Xiamen and Quanzhou on the mainland and the island of Kinmen, Taiwan. Now there also is one weekly ferry from Dongdu Harbor in Xiamen to Keelung, that leaves on Thursdays at 6:00pm, as well as one to Taichung leaving on Tuesdays. Call 0592-2393128 for information or 0592-6011758 for bookings from China.

The Cosco Star leaves Xiamen every Thursday at 6:00pm and arrives in the north end of Taiwan (Keelung) at 08:30am the next morning. The ship also leaves Xiamen every Monday evening to arrive at the south end of Taiwan (Kaohsiung) the next morning and then central Taiwan (Taichung) the day after that. From Taiwan back to the mainland, the ship leaves Keelung every Sunday at 7:00pm, arriving Xiamen the next morning at 09:00am. The ship also leaves Taichung every Wednesday at 9:00pm for an overnight sailing to Xiamen.

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Getting around

By Plane

All of China's major cities and many of its minor ones are linked by airports. Many of these airports have only been built in the last decade. Although Chinese airlines have had a bad reputation in the past, airline safety records have improved dramatically. Air travel is a little cheaper than most Western countries, but going on a few flights can still hurt your budget if you are a backpacker. However, China is a very large country and you can save considerable time by just flying one or two long legs. The major online airline booking companies are Ctrip and Elong. All of the major airports mentioned above, also have numerous domestic routes. To add, there are several airports which have mostly only domestic flights, like Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport.

By Train

Now this is remote

China has one of the most extensive train systems in the world. They are usually very reliable and for overnight trains the attendants provide boiling hot water and tidy up every hour or so.

The train system is divided into several classes. Trains with an "N" signify that the train travels within a province or district only. "K" means fast, "T" means Super fast, and a train with no letter in front usually means it is a common passenger train and will make more stops. "Z" is a direct train and is probably the most expensive, but well worth it. The hard bunks on the Z train are as nice as a bed in a hostel.

While soft sleepers are appealing, they aren't necessary. Hard sleepers are equally safe and comfortable, unless you are stuck in one with no air-conditioning during sweltering National Day. Depending on the class of trains, hard sleepers may or may not have air-conditioning and heating.

When purchasing train tickets remember that for the majority of cities tickets can only be purchased for that city. Sometimes a person can purchase roundtrip tickets but this is pretty rare. If a traveler wants to buy train tickets that go from Beijing to Xi'an then to Chengdu the traveler will have to buy the Xi'an to Chengdu ticket in Xi'an. In most cases train tickets can only be purchased 2 weeks in advance. Sometimes CITS can buy train tickets for other cities but for a large fee.

At this time there are no rail passes of any kind for Chinese trains. There is a very good student discount though. Although, depending on where you are in China, the ticket vendor will only give the discount to people with Chinese University IDs only.

This link gives free access to a quick reference timetable of Chinese trains. For a modest fee, you can order a comprehensive timetable from the owner of the website. For a map of Chinese railroads, click here.

Qinghai-Tibet Railway

qinghai-tibet-photo-01

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway is one of the newest train services in the world, officially inaugurated on the 1st of July, 2006 with the opening of the last leg from Golmud. Officially called the Qingzang Railway, it travels from Xining in Qinghai province, to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. There are, however, other cities in China, where you can get on the train and travel directly to the Tibetan capital, including all the way from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and even Guangzhou. From Golmud, it's 1,142 kilometre, from Xining about 1,950 kilometres. The line includes the Tanggula Pass, which, at 5,072 metres above sea level, is the world's highest rail track. The 1,338-metre-long Fenghuoshan tunnel is the highest rail tunnel in the world at 4,905 metres above sea level. Over 80% of the Golmud-Lhasa train is at an altitude of more than 4,000 metres and there are oxygen supplies are available for each passenger in the train, hopefully preventing altitude sickness. It is expected that new lines and branches will open, connecting Lhasa with other places like Nyinchi, Shigatse and Xigaze and even on to the border with Nepal. Some of the constructions have begun already and most of them will be completed before 2020. Rumors about extensions towards India and other Asian countries are not more than rumors!

By Bus

Chinese bus travel

China has one of the best bus networks in the world. Even during the busiest times of the year, such as Chinese New Year, bus tickets are easy to obtain. In larger cities, the main bus stations are attached to or near the train stations making for an easy transfer. Most larger cities still have multiple bus stations, but almost all bus stations have buses that go to the same towns.

In towns without train stations, the bus is the main artery of transport and usually there is only one bus station per town. In smaller towns, many of the bus stations do not even have computer systems, meaning you can't book tickets in advance. Also, many of the buses that serve smaller towns can be quite old and in bad shape. Remember that you can always ask for a bathroom break.

As a general warning, most bus stations in China only have signs written in characters. There will be no pinyin and certainly no English. Just ask one of the attendants for help and as long as you're polite they are usually happy to help you.

By Boat

Although boat services within China are limited, there are still a few decent options which make for a totally different experience. They’re most common in coastal areas, where you can use a boat to reach offshore islands such as Hainan, or the islands off Hong Kong. The Yantai–Dalian ferry is still a decent option if you want to avoid the detour across land. There are also several inland river routes worth considering like the three-day boat ride along the Yangtze River from Chongqing to Yichang. The Li River boat trip from Guilin to Yangshuo is a popular tourist ride.

Although technically international, both Hong Kong and Macau have services with mainland China cities like Shenzhen and Zhuhai and there are possible links further on towards Guangzhou, a very memorable journey.

Finally, but way less a decent option, there are ships along the coast, mostly cargo ships which might take you for a fee, to ports like Xiamen.

Travel Agents

There are now countless travel agencies in China, although due to some weird outsourcing system they all seem to outsource to each other and back again. While many of the local travel agencies are very good, many can be shady. If you want to guarantee an English speaking guide it is best to stick to one of the national chains. But even then, the national chains often outsource to local travel agencies.

China International Travel Service (CITS) is the state owned travel agency and can be a little pricey although will give any traveller information for free. There are CITS offices in almost every major city in China. Most of the time there will be at least one person that can speak English and they can help book just about anything. CITS is one of the few places that can buy train tickets for other cities for a surcharge.

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Red Tape

Most travelers will need a visa (签证 qiānzhèng) to visit mainland China. In most cases, this should be obtained from a Chinese embassy or consulate before departure. Hong Kong and Macau have their own separate visa policies. Those requiring visas for Hong Kong and Macau may also obtain them from a Chinese embassy or consulate, but they must be applied for separately from the mainland Chinese visa; there is no single visa that serves both mainland China and either of those areas.

30-day single- or double-entry visas for the mainland can sometimes be acquired in Hong Kong or Macau. This means you can generally fly from overseas to Hong Kong without a visa and then proceed from there into the mainland having spent a few days in Hong Kong to acquire a mainland visa. It may be unwise to rely on this, though, since the official rule is that only residents of HK or Macau can get mainland visas there. Exceptions are often made but they vary over time, apparently for political reasons. Nigerian citizens have been unable to get visas in HK since Nigeria extended diplomatic recognition to Taiwan, US citizens were blocked after the US began requiring fingerprints from Chinese travellers, and visas became difficult for nearly everyone around the time of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In general, it is more certain to apply before departing for China.

Visas are sometimes denied to travelers with passport stamps from Turkey and nearby Middle Eastern countries; see Visa trouble#China for more information.

Nationals of Brunei, Japan and Singapore do not need a visa to visit mainland China for a stay of up to 15 days, regardless of the reason of visit. Nationals of Bahamas, Fiji, Grenada, Mauritius, Serbia and Seychelles do not need a visa to visit mainland China for a stay of up to 30 days, regardless of the reason of visit. Nationals of San Marino do not need a visa to visit mainland China for a stay of up to 90 days, regardless of the reason of visit.

To visit mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau residents of Chinese nationality need to apply at the China Travel Service, the sole authorised issuing agent, to obtain a Home Return Permit (回乡证), a credit card sized ID allowing multiple entries and unlimited stay for 10 years with no restrictions including on employment. Taiwanese citizens are required to obtain a Taiwan Compatriot Pass (台胞证 táibāozhèng), which is typically valid for 5 years, and may live in mainland China indefinitely for the duration of the permit's validity with no restrictions including on employment. Travellers should check the most up-to-date information before travelling.

Transit without a Visa

In May 2018, new rules went into effect for visitors going to Hainan. Citizens of the UK, Canada, the US and some other European and Asian countries can travel there for up to 30 days without a visa.

Although entry into China requires a visa for citizens of most countries, there is an exception when transiting through some airports; this can be used for short visits to many metropolitan regions of the country. These rules are subject to sudden changes and you should check with your airline shortly before attempting this method of entry.

Citizens of the designated countries who arrive at airports in Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang can stay in the city of arrival for up to 72 hours provided they depart from an airport of the same city. The onward ticket must be to a country other than the country from which their arriving flight originated and they must have the required entry documents for the third country or countries.

Passengers without a visa who intend to leave the transit area will typically be directed by an immigration officer to wait in an office for around 20 minutes while other officials review the passengers' onward flight documentation.

Effective 30 January 2016, a more generous policy has been introduced for the city of Shanghai and the neighboring provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Visa-free entries through the airports of Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou, as well as the Shanghai sea port or train station (direct train from Hong Kong), are allowed; once admitted, passengers can go anywhere within the three province-level units, and must depart within 144 hours (6 days). Translation: 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy for Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang.

Types of Visa

Getting a tourist visa is fairly easy for most passports as you don't need an invitation, which is required for business or working visas. The usual tourist single-entry visa is valid for a visit of 30 days and must be used within three months of the date of issue. A double-entry tourist visa must be used within six months of the date of issue. It is possible to secure a single or double entry tourist visa for up to 60 days or, less commonly, 90 days for some citizens applying in their home countries.

Consulates and travel agents have been known to occasionally request proof of onward travel at the time of visa application.

Tourist visa extensions can be applied for at the local Entry & Exit Bureau or Public Security Bureau (公安局 Gōng'ānjú) after handing in the following documents: valid passport, visa extension application form including one passport-sized photo, a copy of the Registration Form of Temporary Residence which you received from the local police station at registration. Tourist visas can be only extended once. Processing time is usually five working days and it costs ¥160. See city articles to find out the local bureau.

Some travellers will need a dual entry or multiple entry visa. For example, if you enter China on a single entry visa, then go to Hong Kong or Macau, you need a new visa to re-enter mainland China. In Hong Kong, multiple entry visas are officially available only to HKID holders, but the authorities are willing to bend the rules somewhat and may approve three-month multiple entry visas for short-term Hong Kong qualified residents, including exchange students. It is recommended to apply directly with the Chinese government in this case, as some agents will be unwilling to submit such an application on your behalf.

Obtaining a Visa on Arrival is possible usually only for the Shenzhen or Zhuhai Special Economic Zones, and such visas are limited to those areas. When crossing from Hong Kong to Shenzhen at Lo Wu railway station, and notably not at Lok Ma Chau, a five day Shenzhen-only visa can be obtained during extended office hours on the spot for ¥160 (Oct 2007 price) for passport holders of many nationalities, for example Irish or New Zealand or Canadian. Americans are not eligible, while British nationals have to pay ¥450. The office now accepts only Chinese yuan as payment, so be sure to bring sufficient cash.

There may be restrictions on visas for some nationalities and these vary over time. For example:

The visa fee for American nationals was increased to US$140 (or US$110 as part of a group tour) in reciprocation for increased fees for Chinese nationals visiting America.

Indian nationals are limited to 10 or 15 day tourist visas, and have to show US$100 per day of visa validity in the form of traveller's checks. (US$1,000 and US$1,500, respectively)
Foreigners in South Korea not holding an alien registration card must now travel to the Chinese consulate in Busan, as the Chinese embassy in Seoul does not issue visas to non-residents in Korea. Additionally applications have to be made through an official travel agency.

The current Z visa only allows you to remain in the country for 30 days; once you are there, the employer gets you a residence permit. This is effectively a multiple-entry visa and you can leave China and return using it. Some local visa offices will refuse to issue a residence permit if you entered China on a tourist (L) visa. In those cases, you have to enter on a Z visa. These are only issued outside China, so getting one may require a trip outside China such as Hong Kong or South Korea. They also require an invitation letter from the employer. In other cases it is possible to convert an L visa to a residence permit; it depends upon which office you are dealing with and perhaps on your employer's connections.

For family members of a Z visa holder, a dependent S1 visa is now available and can be applied for outside of China with the original birth and/or marriage certificates.

One option for foreigners married to Chinese citizens is to obtain a six to twelve month visiting relatives (探亲 tànqīn) visa. A visiting relatives visa is actually a tourist (L) visa that permits individuals to remain in China continuously for the duration of their visa and does not require the visa holder to exit and re-enter China to maintain the validity of the visa. Individuals seeking to apply for a visiting relatives visa should first enter the country on a different visa and then apply for a visiting relatives visa at the local Public Security bureau in the city that your marriage was registered in, which is usually your Chinese spouse's hometown. Make sure to bring your marriage certificate and spouse's identification card (身份证 shēnfènzhèng).

It is possible for most foreigners to get a visa in the Chinese Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. During busy periods, the office may refuse entry after 11:00. Also, on major Chinese holidays, the Consular Section may be closed for several days.

Those seeking a visa in South Korea will generally have to either show an Alien Registration Card showing they still have several months of residency in South Korea or show that they've received a Chinese visa within the last two years. One cannot apply to a Chinese embassy or consulate directly but must proceed through a travel agent. Generally only 30-day single entry visas are available.

Registering

Chinese law requires that hotels, guest houses and hostels register their guests with the local police when they check in. The staff will scan your passport including your visa and entry stamps. Help staff out if they do not know where the most recent stamp is - immigration officers are sometimes known to stamp in the wrong order.

Some of the lower-end hotels are not set up for this and will refuse foreign guests. At one time this was a legal requirement; no hotel could accept foreigners without a license from local police. It is not clear whether this law is still in force, but some hotels still refuse foreigners.

If you are staying in a private residence, you are in theory required to register your abode with the local police within 24 hours (city) to 72 hours (countryside) of arrival, though in practice the law is rarely enforced for short-term visitors so long as you don't cause any trouble. The police will ask for a copy of the photograph page of your passport, a copy of your visa, a copy of your immigration entry stamp, a photograph and a copy of the tenancy agreement or other document concerning the place you are staying in. That agreement might not be in your name but it will still be asked for.

This Temporary Residence Permit should be carried with you at all times, especially if you are in larger cities or where control is tight.

You will need to re-register if your visa or residence permit undergoes any changes - extensions, or changes in passport (even here, it is ideal to re-register when you get a new passport, regardless if you've transferred the visa or residence permit to the new passport).

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Money

Work

cooking breakfast

China is an incredible place to work and live. There tend to be three categories of expatriates that work in China: the Executive, the Young Professional, and the English Teacher.

Executives have usually been sent by their companies to China to take advantage of the economic boom and the cheap but skilled labour force. They generally have large expat packages that include free education for their children at expensive international schools, large villas or apartments paid for by their company, and a company car complete with driver.

The Young Professional has also usually been sent to China for the same reasons as the Executive. The YP is usually a bit lower on the management scale and has a less extravagant salary package. Their work tends to be more hands-on, and their experience closer to "China" than the Executive villa allows.

The rest tend to be English Teachers. It is often said that there are more people studying English in China than there are native English-speakers in the world. For this reason, there is usually no shortage of teaching jobs available in China. The work can be fun and interesting, and you can meet fascinating people from both China and the rest of the world.

Jobs with government schools will usually not pay very well by western standards (RMB3,000-4,000/month - less than US$500). There are more and more private language schools opening to meet demand, so there are better-paying options, especially in the bigger cities. In Shanghai, for example, a teacher with a degree and some experience will usually get a minimum of RMB150/hour part-time (roughly US$20). A full-time teacher can get anywhere between RMB8,000 and RMB15,000+ per month (US$1,000-2,000). An average full-time teaching load is about 20 teaching hours per week, with some specified preparation time. While this salary is still not a lot by some western standards, the lower cost of living in China means you can live very comfortably off this salary. You can also bear in mind that the average rural Chinese worker earns less than RMB1,000 per month, and a city-dweller is lucky to get RMB2,000.

It is easy to find websites advertising jobs: just google "TESOL job China" and you'll find a bunch of websites to choose from. Asia Expat and China Splash are also good for browsing TESOL and other jobs. You need to be discriminating when looking at schools to join. There are always stories of underpayment or no payment, working over time with no pay, visa troubles and other problems. Research the company you are thinking of working for and see what other people have to say about them.

Working visas should be arranged by your company. It is illegal to work for a salary in China unless you have a Z visa (see Red Tape). This is usually issued in China and requires a medical exam. While it tends to happen a lot, it is technically illegal to work on an F (business) visa or an L (holiday) visa. Reputable companies will get you a Z visa.

It is also important to remember that if you want to teach English as a way to see the world, you still actually have to do the teaching. Teaching children can be tiring and difficult at times. If you are teaching adults, they will expect results for the amounts they are paying. Most jobs require a degree of some description, and they usually prefer teaching experience. Most companies do not require a TESOL certificate, but some places will pay more if you have one.

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Study

NanKai University, Main building

There are many ways to study Chinese language in China. Most people study two different ways, either at a program associated with a University or private language school. The other two main options are hiring a private language tutor or finding a Chinese person to do language exchange with. China did not have a mass transportation system until the last 30 years, making it that local dialects are the law of the land. When choosing a location to study Chinese remember that what you learn in class might not be useful on the street because some dialects are completely different from standard Mandarin (Pǔtōnghuà, literally "common speech") making what you learned in class seem useless.

A key thing to remember is that all the different ways to study Chinese, except language exchange, were created to make money. Now that does not mean that the teachers or tutors are bad or not committed. It means that the programs the teachers work for are a money making ventures. The only reason why Chinese universities created teaching Chinese to foreigners departments is because it is a way to generate extra income. This is not some program to further the academic field of language teaching.

Programs Associated with a University

Many large universities in China have programs for teaching Chinese language to foreigners. The quality and cost of these programs vary greatly. In general the more famous the university the more the tuition will cost. This does not mean the program will be better or the class size will be smaller. All of the the university programs are located on that university's campus and follow the academic schedule of that university, which is usually a semester system. The major upside of studying at a university is that you get to meet other students from all over the world who are also studying Chinese language. Some universities now even offer four year degree programs in Chinese Language and Culture.

Private Language School

Private language schools have now been founded in almost every major Chinese city. These schools tend to be very small and located in odd office buildings. The classes tend to be smaller than at a university but are usually much more expensive. An upside to a private language school is that the teachers can be more flexible to adjusting to your schedule or a groups schedule for studying.

Remember that the founders of these private language schools, foreigner or Chinese, did this to make money. Now they could be committed to creating a better system for teaching Chinese or just view it as another job. Many of these places are perfectly good but there is no evaluation from independent organizations. Therefore there is no way to know for sure how good the school is other than word of mouth. Make sure to ask around before enrolling at a private language school.

Other Ways to Study

Private Tutor - A private tutor is usually pretty easy to find in most Chinese cities. The cost depends on the experience and how much English the teacher knows. It is usually pretty hard to arrange a private tutor from abroad. The best way to find a private tutor is to ask around at local expat bars.
Language Exchange is very different from having a private tutor. The idea is that a foreigner meets up with a local Chinese person and they speak for a couple of hours, half the time in both languages. The biggest perk of this system is that it costs no money. This is a good way to reinforce your Chinese classes or sessions with a private tutor because it forces you to have more structured study time. Also language exchange partners can become good friends and a good way to learn about the local community. There have been stories of people learning Chinese by having massive amounts of language partners and meeting with a different one every day for 4 hours a day.

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Language

For more help with communicating in China, have a look at the Chinese phrasebook.

Chinese languages are as diverse as the landscape. There is a different dialect in every region, and the language/accent will sometimes change from town to town or sometimes even in the town itself. The main dialects can be loosely divided up into Cantonese (spoken in Hong Kong and nearby Mainland China), Mandarin (the official language of the mainland), Sichuanese (spoken in western China) and Hunanese (spoken in Hunan province), although this list is a huge over generalization because the dialect in Shanghai is complete different then the dialect spoken in the nearby city of Wenzhou. The Chinese word for Mandarin, pǔtōnghuà (普通话) translates literally as common speak. It is based on the dialect spoken in the capital Beijing during the 1950s.

Chinese Mandarin is a tonal language and has the greatest number of homophones of any language in the world. The writing system uses characters, known as hànzì (汉字), and the standard romanization of pǔtōnghuà is called pīnyīn (拼音). Since pǔtōnghuà was introduced as the common language in 1955, it has been the standard language of instruction in schools. The vast majority of educated people speak Mandarin, except for some older people who went through the school system before pǔtōnghuà became the standard. Although some people quickly forget how to speak Mandarin once they leave school or speak it with a heavy local accent. Luckily most television shows and radio broadcasts are in Mandarin most people can understand it.

There are five tones in Mandarin, simply called 1st tone, 2nd tone, 3rd tone, 4th tone and neutral tone (or 'light' tone when literally translated from Chinese). Tones are not indicated in Chinese characters. In pīnyīn, the tones are indicated above a vowel, for example: mā (1st), má (2nd), mǎ (3rd), mà (4th) and ma (neutral).

When reading pinyin, most English pronunciation rules can be followed. For example, b, d, f, g, h, j, k, m, n, p, s, t, w, y and z are all pronounced in a similar way as in English. Some exceptions include x (pronounced 'sh'), c (pronounced 'ts'), and q (pronounced 'ch'). The 'r' sound when said as an initial sound has no English equivalent, but sounds close to a growled 'l'. 'Zh' is pronounced as a soft 'j' sound.

Some useful words and phrases:

Hello = nǐhǎo (ni how) 你好.
Thanks = xièxiè (shye shye) 谢谢.
Goodbye = zàijiàn (zai jyen) 再见.
Please take me to... = qǐng sòng wǒ qù... (ching song wo chew) 请送我去...
I (don't) like... = wǒ (bù) xǐhuan... (wo (boo) she hwan) 我(不)喜欢...
How much does this cost? = zhège duōshǎo qián? (jigger dwo shao chyen) 这个多少钱?
My name is.... = wǒ shì... (wo shr) 我是...
Where is the toilet? = xǐshǒujiān zài nǎ(r) (she show jyen zai nar) 洗手间在哪(儿)?

Its In the Ending

As you travel around China your might get confused by names. On signs for certain places you might see several different names such as Huanghe, Huang He, Huanghe River, Huang River or Yellow River. This is because in Chinese the ending “he” means river. So Huanghe means "Yellow River," while Huangshan means "Yellow Mountain," which are two completely different place and are very far from each other. To make something a river, mountain or lake one just has to add that ending to the word. It is best to memorize some of the most common endings in order to make it easier to travel in China.

A list of common endings:

Hai (海): Ocean and Sea
He (河): River
Hu (湖): Lake
Shan (山): Mountain
Ren (人): Person
Lu (路): Street

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Eat

Hot pot on Hua Yuan Road

Foreigner Friendly Food

Hot Pot (火锅) is what many people call Huoguo or Chinese fondue. Always eaten by a group of people a boiling pot of broth is put in the centre of a table. People take raw veggies and meat and cook them in the broth. The broth can change a lot depending on the region of the country. Usually a split bowl is served that has spicy broth in one half and non spicy broth in the other half. When ordering hot pot it is best to walk around with the restaurant with the waitress pointing at what you want to eat.
Lamian (拉麺) is a noodle soup dish served in beef broth. These noodles are always sold in muslim noodle stalls that can be found anywhere in the country. Another good noodle dish found at these kind of restaurants is Huimian (会面), which is a thicker noodle and smaller noodle usually also served with some veggies.

Fast Food

In recent years international and national fast food chains have exploded over the country. In general eating at fast food restaurants is more expensive then eating at a busy food stall. Some of the national fast food restaurants do not have the best hygiene, even if the sitting area looks spotless.

UBC Coffee is a Hong Kong chain that serves a mixture of Chinese and Asian style western food. This places are clean and safe to eat at. It is always possible to order an Asian style pizza and a decent cup of coffee at one of these restaurants. Another nice feature is that UBC Coffee always has heating and air conditioning.
KFC (肯德基炸鸡, pinyin: Kěn Dé Jī Zhà Jī) is by far the most popular fast food restaurant in China. There are over 1,800 restaurants in almost 500 cities in all of China, except Tibet. Although the food tastes generally the same, KFC in China tends to be more spicy then compared to its western counterparts. It is possible to find KFC in almost every major Chinese city.
McDonald's (麦当劳, pinyin: Mai Dang Lou) is growing in China but mainly in the east coast cities, although there is one in Xi'an. McDonald's serves the same food as in western countries, although with more chicken products in order to compete with KFC.

Hygiene

Chinese kitchen sanitation standards may seem horrifying to some Westerners: little or no refrigeration, meat and vegetables cut up on the same dirty chopping board, and hearing your chef hocking up behind the kitchen door. Some of this is negated, however, thanks to Chinese cooking methods. Food is usually cooked at high heat, in small pieces, and served immediately. Food is therefore thoroughly cooked, and a lot of the bugs are killed in the cooking process. Many foreigners that get food poisoning in China will get it from eating Western food, as meat is often served in large pieces (which means it is easier for it to cook unevenly), and vegetables are served raw (in salads etc). Having said that, you should still be a little cautious when choosing your dinner.

Some tips for eating safe:

Try to eat in restaurants where there are a lot of other people. Empty restaurants are probably empty for a reason.
Avoid eating out of bain-maries; aim for freshly-cooked.
While meat is generally well-cooked, if you are worried about hormones or antibiotics in meat, or you don't want to find out that you're actually eating dog or some other mystery meat, vegetarian dishes are a tasty alternative. The best places for genuine vegetarian food are Buddhist temples, most of which will have a cafeteria or restaurant serving cheap and delicious food. Regular restaurants will always have vegetable or tofu dishes, just don't be surprised if you find some pork mince hiding behind a bok choi leaf.
Street food is generally cooked in front of you, so you can judge the safeness for yourself. Meat is never refrigerated (it's difficult to carry a fridge around on the back of a bike), so think twice before eating meat-on-a-stick (ròuchuànr 肉串(儿)) on a warm day. There is a slight likelihood that the meat may in fact be cat, rat or dog, instead of the lamb they say it is. Although the lamb meat might be from the lambs head and not a more traditional part of the body.
MSG (monosodium glutamate) is sold by the bag-load in Chinese supermarkets and is still used as an additive in a lot of dishes. If you are sensitive to it, tell your waiter. The Chinese word for MSG is wèijīng (味精).

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Sleep

Accommodation in China comes in all sorts and sizes and in most places you won't have any problems finding a decent room for a good price. Although being very general in most cases, hotels and guesthouses tend to be in acceptable conditions and new places to stay have been built recently and in the more touristy cities and towns the competition means good quality for good prices. Remember to always ask for a discount and bargain, especially at mid range and top end hotels.

In general, places to stay in China are pretty good, but don't expect things to be organised and clean like you might be used to at home or in some other countries. Check out time is at noon almost everywhere and a late check out means you will have to pay for an extra night or part of that. You can store your luggage in most places, so that won't give to many problems. Outside the main cities, English is not spoken too well (except in top end hotels), but a few phrases of Chinese and a happy smile will probably communicate what you mean within seconds.

Most hotels are lodging only and breakfast comes at an additional cost.

Budget

Budget means that you will find yourself in a room in a hostel, guesthouse or one of the cheaper 1- or 2-star Chinese hotels. In the budget category there can be huge differences between accommodation and for the same price you can find yourself in a very clean room with air conditioning, TV and a mini fridge, but the rooms in traditional Chinese business hotels can be fairly basic or even dirty in some places. Expect to pay somewhere between US$3 and US$20 for a room. In some towns, like Yangshuo, you might get surprisingly much for your dollars, meaning private rooms with clean sheets, good showers etc. Note that in Hong Kong, Macau and a few other cities finding decent budget rooms can be a bit of headache, which means everything is full, there isn't any or it is really the lowest of the lowest. In very small towns staying in locals home may be the only option.

Mid-range

Midrange places can be a delight in China and as someone from the west you will get very good rooms for very little money. Most 2- and 3-star hotels (sometimes even so called 4-star hotels, Chinese stars are based on services, so a two star hotel just means there is a phone and TV in every room) and some upmarket guesthouses can be find in the midrange and basically that means that you will get more than the regular traveller will actually need. (Satellite) tv, minibar, aircon and several other thing you actually don't need will be included in the price. Many times in smaller towns the midrange hotels will have options for higher end and budget rooms. Occasionally midrange hotels are the old state owned hotel in the city.

Top end

Top end hotels are at least US$100 per room but sometimes even per person. These are the most luxurious hotels and compared to hotels in the west are a bargain. Still, for most non-business travellers this is not the most obvious place to stay. In Hong Kong prices are much higher by the way. On the island of Hainan you will even find some beach resorts which can almost compete with the ones in Thailand.

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Drink

Water

Do not drink the tap water. The locals do not drink it, nor should you. When first treated, the water is nearly at a drinkable standard, but after it has traversed along an ancient network of pipes, it has picked up any number of nasty metals and bugs. Many cities' drinking water comes from rivers, so it can also be affected by pollution, chemical spills and algal blooms. Purified and spring water is cheap and available everywhere. If you are really stuck, ensure you thoroughly boil any tap water before drinking it. When buying bottled water (especially outside the big cities), ensure the lid is properly sealed before drinking it.

Alcohol

Chinese culture is a heavy drinking culture. The only place you won't be able to find alcohol is deep within a Muslim Autonomous Region, such as rural Ningxia province. Most locations primarily sell two kinds of alcohol: beer (pijiu) or baijiu. Cities in China tend to sell the national beer of Qingdao and local brands. The local brands vary depending on the city: some can be great and others may be the worst beer you've ever tasted. Most of the time, you can get a big bottle of beer at a grocery store for around RMB3. Lastly the beer is usually weaker then Western beer at around 3.6 to 4 % alcohol and served chilled or just warm, in the winter finding a cold beer can be very difficult. Baijiu is a very strong tasting hard alcohol that most foreigners hate. Be careful because baijiu literally translates to white wine, and most of the time when a Chinese person offers "white wine" they mean baijiu. Making up for the horrible flavor is the price, which is sometimes cheaper than water. There are a few high quality versions of baijiu, such as Maotai, which can cost hundreds of US dollars a bottle.

Toasting is very important in Chinese culture. When toasting an individual always hold the glass with two hands. And if that person is your superior to you click below the rim of their glass. In large group settings it is fine to just to click your glass on the lazy susan at the center of the table if you want to toast the whole table.
Talk-Talk Bars are a common type of bar in China. These establishments are easy to spot because of the number waitresses in cute outfits waiting outside trying to entice you in. Once you get in, the girl's job is to talk and flirt with you to keep you drinking in their bar. A talk-talk bar is different from a hostess bar, which is usually much more expensive and classy.
Scams - Although Chinese people can spot a shady bar from a distance, as a tourist you might have a slightly harder time. There are many scams at the shady bars around China. If a young woman comes up to you and asks you to buy her a drink, don't buy it. Most of the time the woman is paid by the bar to pretend to get you to buy her drink. She then gets a drink and disappears, and the bartender comes up saying you owe him over a RMB1,000. If you refuse then two very larger bouncers will appear to make you pay. Also many of the shady bars double as fronts for prostitution.

Tea

Drying the tea leaves

Tea is the big thing in China and everyone in the world knows it. Tea is made in almost every region, consumed in all regions and made from just about anything: leaves, flowers, grass, bark and animal parts. The big question is how do you tell high quality tea from low quality tea? There are thousands of different kinds of teas all with unique tastes. Like wine, in order to tell good from bad requires a fine taste and years of practice. Luckily there are some general categories that tea can be lumped into. Besides the categories listed below, there are hundreds of other kinds of tea. Even with all these choices most Chinese people just drink the basic loose leaf green tea that comes in giant bags.

Green, Yellow and White Teas are loose leaf teas and the most popular kinds of tea in China. Green tea in particular is the favorite among most Chinese people. The vast majority of the time these teas are collected and processed when the leaves are fresh. This gives the tea a very strong flavor. Due to the fresh nature most of these teas lose their flavor in about a year.
Red and Oolong Teas are also very popular teas. These teas are oxidized more in order to make their flavor last longer. In general red tea is viewed as a lower quality tea when compared to others. Although most Westerners like red tea because it is the most similar to black tea in the west.
Black Teas is usually very expensive and intense tea. This tea has been heavily oxidized making it possible to keep its taste for years. Some areas of the ancient world actually used it as a currency. Black tea is very caffeinated and usually served in small glasses. Some black teas can be very expensive and hard to find.
Scams - Unlike Japan or South Korea, China has no complex tea ceremonies. Anyone trying to sell you a visit to a Chinese tea ceremony is trying to scam you. The process of washing the leaves is the only ritual done with expensive Chinese tea and any legit tea house will do that for free.

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Health

Water

DO NOT drink the tap water. The locals do not drink it, and nor should you. When first treated, the water is nearly at a drinkable standard, but after it has traversed along an ancient network of pipes, it has picked up any number of nasty metals and bugs. Many cities' drinking water comes from rivers, so it can also be affected by pollution, chemical spills and algal blooms. Purified and spring water is cheap and available everywhere. If you are really stuck, ensure you thoroughly boil any tap water before drinking it. When buying bottled water (especially outside the big cities), ensure the lid is properly sealed before drinking it.

Medication/Health Care

Common medicines, such as aspirin, paracetamol, pseudoephedrine and anti-diarrhea tablets, are readily available from pharmacies and supermarkets in China. Many medications that require a prescription in other countries (such as the oral contraceptive pill and some antibiotics) are available over the counter in China. Most pharmacies (called yàofáng 药房 in Chinese) will have a book with English medicine names and their Chinese translation. One good chain pharmacy found in most big cities is "Watson's", which also sells toiletries and beauty products. Carrefour, a French food and department store, also has a section for over-the-counter medicines.

While medications are readily available, it is important to note that the quality of drugs released to the Chinese market can be highly varied. The incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is higher in China compared to other countries, and it can be difficult to tell the difference between good and bad medications - or worse, fake medications. It is always wise to carry anti-diarrhea tablets and some other simple medicines when travelling, so you may wish to bring them from home.

Due to the dense population, you don't have to travel far to find a hospital in a city. Due to the dense traffic, however, you probably don't want to rely on an ambulance to get you to a hospital in an emergency. It is usually quicker to catch a taxi. Major cities with big expatriate populations (such as Shanghai and Beijing) have foreign clinics and hospitals, with English-speaking staff and overseas-trained doctors. They are generally quite expensive, so check how much your insurance will cover before forking out hundreds (or sometimes thousands) of RMB.

Beijing:

Beijing United Family Hospital.

Shanghai:

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Safety

Keep connected

Internet

Wangba (联网) means internet bar in Chinese. Almost every town will have an internet bar or gaming center. The best way to spot an internet bar is to look for the 网(ba) character, which means net, and large digitized images of computer game characters. Often, there will be a sign saying Green Power in English at the entrance. Most gaming centers cost about RMB3 an hour. You prepay at the main desk and are then given a plastic card or a piece of paper. Once you are done you return the card or piece of paper and get reimbursed for the money you didn't spend. Be prepared for a place that might be dingy, basic and messy. Internet bars in China tend to get crowded starting in the late afternoon to the late evenings.

Some hotels provide access from the rooms that may or may not be free; others may provide a wireless service or a few desktops in the lounge area.
Also, quite a few cafes provide free wireless Internet service. Some cafes, even provide a machine for customer use.

Phone

Post

China Post (中国邮政) is the official postal service of the People's Republic of China, operated by the State Postal Bureau of the People's Republic of China (website in Chinese only), and has more details about price to send letters, postcards and parcels, both domestically as well as internationally. The Chinese postal service is very good. Remember that in more remote places usually only one post office in a city can handle sending international boxes or letters. Also many times it might be worth having the name of the country you are trying to send to in Chinese characters, because small town people might not know what Estonia is in English. Post offices have a striking green logo and can easily be found everywhere in the cities. They are mostly open every day (including weekends!) from 8:00am to 6:00pm, though small offices might have shorter opening times, while the bigger ones in central and touristic areas are sometimes open during evenings as well.

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External Links

References

1 End-2008 estimate. China Statistical Yearbook 2009. National Bureau of Statistics of China. Retrieved on 2010–09–29.
2 Geographic Administrative Regions of China - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_Administrative_Regions_of_China
3 Illuminating China's Provinces, Municipalities and Autonomous Regions - http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/43470.htm
4 Political Divisions of China - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_divisions_of_China

Quick Facts

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Local name: Zhōng Guŏ (中国)
Capital: Beijing
Government: Communist State
Nationality: Chinese
Population: 1,328,020,000^[1]
Languages: Mandarin, Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien/Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages
Religions: China is officially an Atheist Nation but Daoism (Taoism), Buddhism, Islam, and more recently different sects of Christianity are becoming more and more prevalent.
Currency: Chinese Yuan (CNY)
Calling Code: +86
Time Zone: UTC+8

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Kwoa

French living, working and travelling around China for the past 15 years, I spent my working time in office and all my free time walking around visiting. I'm most familiar with the Shanghai region, Sichuan region and Guangdong region, places I've lived for at least 3 years each, but I've also travelled around Gansu, Guangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Hubei and Qinghai.
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I've lived in Xian for a year 2013-2014 with quite a lot of travel during that period to Luoyang, Huanyang, Lanzhou, Xining and Pingyao then travelled an additional 5 months in 2014 2015 and 2016 throughout neighbouring and northern provinces and surrounding countries when needing to exit and reenter China with concurrent visas.
I have travelled quite extensively around Qinghai and Xinjiang and Beijing and twice to Jiuzhaigou.
I also travelled extensively in 1996 and 1997 first based in Hong Kong for 6 weeks midsummer with frequent visits to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhongshan and Macau then 6 weeks in midwinter from Beijing to Harbin, Chongqing and down the Yangzi river to Wuhan then 2 weeks from HK with a group for an orphanage stint in Changsha before heading back out solo again down to Guilin, Yangshuo, Kunming, Dali and Lijiang.
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