China Travel Guide
Asia

Why holiday in China?

Big, big, big. 1.3 billion hard working, inventive people divided into 50 ethnic groups, though most are Han Chinese; 5,000 years of arts and crafts; landscapes stretching from jungles to Mt. Everest with deserts on the side; politics stretching from imperialism to capitalism with communism on the side; amazing structures ranging from the Great Wall to the Terracotta Army with dazzling skyscrapers on the side.

The food is fantastic, scenery varies from dreary, industrial plains to magical mountains and glaciers, the country is good value, the shopping is excellent and the country is working hard to be tourist- friendly, people are getting used to foreigners and no longer stare in horror when they hear English spoken.

This huge land is the centre of the earth according to Chinese tradition and it's heading that way again this century; the China buzz is thrilling. There are two Chinas here: the old, authoritarian, collective China and a new, young, more individualistic China.

Downsides:
- Pollution in some cities can be breathtaking, particularly in Hong Kong and Beijing due to rampant construction and lax industrial controls as well as natural forces such as dust blowing in from desert areas. In 2007 the World Bank calculated that 16 of the world's top twenty most polluted cities are in China.
The World Health Organisations says 'exposure to high pollution levels may trigger serious problems. People who have heart problems may wish to reconsider their willingness to go there'. See Chinese urban pollution.
- Massive distances mean considerable expenditure of time and money for domestic transport.
- Petty crime is on a rise in cities.
- Human rights is not to be discussed.
- Traffic jams are bad and getting worse.

No, not a car park. An expressway on a holiday when tolls were free.

China weather

Best: September-November (or June-October for high altitude places like Tibet or West Sichuan).
OK: April-May (some wind and dust)
Worst: December, January (extreme cold though the Harbin Ice Festival is amazing); July, August (hot, humid and crowded), 1st weeks of May and October (Chinese holidays so attractions are very crowded) and the Chinese New Year (sometime January/ February)

Main attractions

***Beijing for the Forbidden Palace, The Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square as well as stunning new architecture, terrific shopping and entertainment and a few lovely little old streets that still survive the massive rebuilding for the 2008 Olympics. Pictures

***Shanghai, Asia's version of Manhattan is more about bling and less about Ming than Beijing...with dazzling skyscrapers (don't miss the viewing platform on the 88th floor of Jinmao Tower), fashionable people, avant-garde galleries and museums, funky restaurants and bars, rivers of cars, oceans of noise, superb new transport systems and a ferocious night life. Shanghai is perfect for tourists who pursue sensory overload but not so good for seekers of ancient artifacts, though calm oases like Jade Buddha Temple, Fuxing Park, the Yuyuan Garden and a few crumbling hutongs still exist; alternatively take a Huangpu riverboat tour for a fish-eye view of China 2K.

Anhui Province (east, near Shanghai) for:
***Mount Huang (Huangshan)'s massive peaks, weird rock formations wreathed in mist, diverse plants and wildlife have inspired thousands of years of paintings and poetry. Climb or take the cable car.

**Suzhou, 40 minutes out of Shanghai by train and not far from Hangzhou or watery Tongli, quiet Suzhou is a canal town dotted with fine bridges, complex gardens and ancient stonework.

**Hangzhou (180kms/110 miles south of Shanghai, Zhejiang Province), a busy tourist town of canals, lake, gardens, ancient pagodas and varied buddhas. 'In heaven there is paradise, on Earth there is Hangzhou' is not an accurate description of the city these days, mass-touristy as it has become, but the west edge of the pagoda dotted West Lake is a relatively quiet place to wind down and smell the Starbucks.
Just to the south Mt Wuyi (Fujian Province) is an outstanding sight with gorges and diverse plant life.

***Xian (Shaanxi Province) is the place to see the 8,000 man, life-size Terracotta Army, discovered as recently as 1974, and Qin Shi Huang's tomb that the army guards, 28kms from the city; the Banpo Museum's remains of a Neolithic village (4,500 BC); Huaqing Pool, hot mineral waters favoured by emperors. You can soak tired bodies here, near the Terra Army, but it's not a culturally invigorating experience; Famen Si temple exhibiting Buddha's finger bone and a Tang dynasty museum; the expansive, dramatic views from the holy mountain of Hua Shan (Flowery Mountain) which you can partially ascend by cable car, with sufficient refreshment stops further up if you have the legs to keep climbing.

Some way to the east, 13km south of Luoyang are the brilliant Longmen (Dragon Gate) Cave Temples of marble, wood and tiled structures containing over 100,000 Buddhist statues and reliefs 1km long in 1350 caves; started in 492 AD, it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

*Guilin (Guangxi Province), not a very inviting city but nevertheless encircled by karsts and terraced rice paddies and gateway for visits to the exotic villages of ethnic minorities such as the Yao, Miao and Dong, as well as the exquisite six hour Li River ride (by boat, but bike is possible) down to Yangshuo.

***Yangshuo (south), surrounded by amazing pointy limestone hills (karsts), rural tranquility and cormorant fishermen still in a 1,000 year partnership with their birds, this is premium biking or walking territory though the town itself is a neon-lit bustle of tourist overdose.

***Yunnan (sub-tropical province, far southwest, near Burma/Laos/Vietnam), for colourful ethnic minorities, shining ranks of rice terraces groomed by water buffalo, ancient buildings and terrific hiking or biking.

Kunming, known for its fine climate (aka the city of eternal spring), temples and relaxed lifestyle, is fairly modern but still pleasant nevertheless.
The weird rock formations of Shilin 'Stone Forest' are an easy 100kms from Kunming while Dali, 370km away, is a backpacker favourite, with its atmospheric, fortified old town, great hiking around Lake Erhai or Cang Shan mountain and banana pancake breakfasts.

Lijiang, 570 kms from Kunming is more remote and less modernised than most Chinese towns. Traditional old, wooden, low-rise buildings (that are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site) are inhabited by traditional old low-rise Chinese, offering one of the country's most charming and authentic old-time China experiences, with the added value of canals, colourful Naxi culture and the nearby Jade Dragon Snow Mountains.
Hiking the jungle in Xishuangbanna brings visitors to really exotic ethnic villages.
Best time to visit Yunnan: more or less any time. Winter is sunny but a little chilly, summer a little wet but cooler than most places due to its altitude of nearly 2,000 metres.

**Sichuan Province (west China, north of Yunnan, aka Szechuan) for:
Mount Emei scenic area with diverse vegetation, hundreds of temples - including the country's first Buddhist temple - and the world's largest rock-carved Buddha (Leshan, 8th century, 71m high) overlooking the confluence of three rivers.

**Jiuzhaigou Valley wilderness area in north Sichuan for forests, karsts, waterfalls, valleys, birds, plants, pandas and the Himalaya mountains.

*Turfan, Kashgar (far north-west) for Muslim minorities, stunning desert scenery and Silk Road relics, though it's extremely hot, distant and non-Chinese.

*Hainan Island (Dao), the Chinese answer to Hawaii. Main activities involve swimming, snorkelling, surfing, hiking, sun-burning and too much Tsing Tao beer; sights include primate-packed Monkey Island and the colourful Tomb of Hairui. Hainan Beach picture
Get there by domestic or international flight or by ferry from Hai'an (Leizhou Peninsula, nearish to Guangzhou). Best time to visit: November to April; Worst: May to October (storm season).

**Hong Kong, people packed, scenically dazzling and historically fascinating, it's a kind of muggy mini-China experience. The climate is more sub-tropical than most of the 'mainland' so the best time to visit differs from the mainland: October-December is relatively cool and sunny.

*Macau, this tiny (11 sq miles), relaxed ex-Portuguese island has a few interesting colonial relics such as forts, churches and temples but its visitor raison d'etre is gambling of all sorts from odd Chinese games involving sorting buttons to high stakes poker.
Macau is easy to get to from Hong Kong by high speed ferry.

***Tibet is a breathtaking experience, both metaphorically and literally as your lungs gasp for oxygen and your mind gasps for rational explanation of the magical mountains, strange apparel and rituals. Tibet Pictures and information

China Hotels:
Chinese hotels are at peak pricing three months in advance. If you are willing to risk not getting a room at your preferred hotel or b&b then wait until weeks before arrival before making a booking. The nearer to the date the lower the price. You could save up to 50% on room rates though patience.
Chinese-run hotels are particularly good value compared to international chains. Check here for a range of China Hotels from budget to luxury, business to family vacations.

Tipping:
Unlike western countries tipping is not a part of the Chinese culture and could actually be deemed offensive. Do not tip in taxis, restaurants and hotels unless you are in a very westernized establishment where service personnel have obviously been conditioned to expect tips from foreigners. The exception is for some tour guides of organised groups and service people in Hong Kong where you should round up taxi fares, check restaurant bills to see if 10% or 15% service charge is included if it is, you could leave a little tip if you're happy.

Electricity:
220v, flat 2 pins, occasionally 3 flat pins or even 3 rectangular pins (UK style).

Visas:
Visas are required from visitor's home consulates or embassies with the exception of western nationals visiting only Hong Kong or Macau. More on Visas for China.

Health information:
Beware AMS (altitude sickness) in Tibet - even Lhasa - for older or less fit tourists; hygiene standards are low in Tibet so typhoid is not uncommon, as is rabies due to rampant dog packs.
Hepatitis A and B occur throuout the country as does malaria in some south western states.

Language:
Mainly Mandarin (70%) or Cantonese, but service people are increasingly making an effort with English.

Money:
China is still not totally comfortable with credit cards outside major tourist locations (e.g. big shops and hotels) so plan to carry some cash. Exchanging foreign currency is easy but easier still is to use cards to get ATM cash in most cities.
Tipping is not necessary in any situation outside Hong Kong or Macau. More on Chinese currency.

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