Must do things in China?
Discussion
I've just booked tickets for my GF and I to Beijing in March. She has a three day course in Shanghai and we will be spending a few days in Beijing and seeing the wall. We will also be flying over to Chengdu to play with pandas. Aside from Hong Kong (which we are visiting in April) are there any other must see places or things we should do in the cities mentioned?
One idea I have is to fly to Manila and have a few days on a beach. The terracotta army doesn't really interest us that much.
One idea I have is to fly to Manila and have a few days on a beach. The terracotta army doesn't really interest us that much.
I love BJ. SH is great, but BJ has got all the old culture, much more interesting place.
SH go to nose around the French quarter, can't remember the English name for the network of little alleyways, but I guess it's in the guidebooks? And all the usual, the Bund, Fuxing Park, Shanghai museum is good (Chinese museums are always a little dull, given the history goes back so far, but the pieces are fascinating), Dongtai Road is good for antiques and tat, and whatever you do, be prepared to eat and eat and eat. Brush up on your chopstick skills if you haven't already!
If you're in Chengdu and have a couple of spare days, head up to JiuZhaiGou (九寨沟）which is absolutely stunning. Also, make sure you drink lots of tea in Chengdu, Chinese people covet it so it must be good!
BJ, summer palace is great, but there are two, and a Chinese guide will take you to the newer one. The more interesting one is the ruined one that the 'Big Barbarian' (Lord Elgin - son of the chap who pinched all the marbles from Greece) destroyed at the end of the second opium war. If you're doing the great wall trip, be prepared to see hordes of people for the first 30 minute walk, and then for it to thin out as they get bored... Whatever you do, don't go here on a national holiday or when it's raining, or it'll be heaving with people or treacherous. It's very steep in places, and you would slide a long way if you slipped in the rain! BaDaLing great wall (there's about three or four different parts open for tourists) has a ramshackle toboggan type ride up and down, very strange, just go with it...
Other things in BJ, 789 art district is fun for a few hours (buy a Mona Lisa with slightly slitty eyes), Forbidden City should be seen just to say you've seen it (get the audio tour, it's actually quite good), try the parks (loads of them) Jingshan Park in particular, make sure you eat dumplings (shui jioa - but be careful with the tone, if you pronounce it wrong it means 'sleep') and roast duck (KaoYa - 烤鸭), both are excellent.
Drink QingDao beer, it's generally the best (Snow beer gives me terrible headaches!), pronounced 'cheen-daow', ask for 'yi ping QingDao (pronounced 'ee ping') to ask for a bottle (very useful!). Don't ask for white wine unless you really want BaiJiu (nasty Chinese rice wine, very strong, a bit like Ouzo but without the taste).
Other things to do anywhere, go for tea at a tea house. Go for a massage (but nowhere with a pink light out the back - unless you're not with the missus), foot massage is good too. Go for Sichuan food, it's hot, spicy and delicious. Southern food is typically more sweet, so go for Cantonese if you like sweet. Eat street food and don't be shy, it's almost always excellent and very, very cheap. Every taxi driver in China will try to cheat you, get used to it, point to the meter and ask for 'fapio' (invoice / bill) which might put them off! Taxis are very cheap anyway, so even if you get ripped off, it's only ever for a quid or two!
Just realised, I might be teaching you to suck eggs here. Have you been to China before? Or want some more tips?
SH go to nose around the French quarter, can't remember the English name for the network of little alleyways, but I guess it's in the guidebooks? And all the usual, the Bund, Fuxing Park, Shanghai museum is good (Chinese museums are always a little dull, given the history goes back so far, but the pieces are fascinating), Dongtai Road is good for antiques and tat, and whatever you do, be prepared to eat and eat and eat. Brush up on your chopstick skills if you haven't already!
If you're in Chengdu and have a couple of spare days, head up to JiuZhaiGou (九寨沟）which is absolutely stunning. Also, make sure you drink lots of tea in Chengdu, Chinese people covet it so it must be good!
BJ, summer palace is great, but there are two, and a Chinese guide will take you to the newer one. The more interesting one is the ruined one that the 'Big Barbarian' (Lord Elgin - son of the chap who pinched all the marbles from Greece) destroyed at the end of the second opium war. If you're doing the great wall trip, be prepared to see hordes of people for the first 30 minute walk, and then for it to thin out as they get bored... Whatever you do, don't go here on a national holiday or when it's raining, or it'll be heaving with people or treacherous. It's very steep in places, and you would slide a long way if you slipped in the rain! BaDaLing great wall (there's about three or four different parts open for tourists) has a ramshackle toboggan type ride up and down, very strange, just go with it...
Other things in BJ, 789 art district is fun for a few hours (buy a Mona Lisa with slightly slitty eyes), Forbidden City should be seen just to say you've seen it (get the audio tour, it's actually quite good), try the parks (loads of them) Jingshan Park in particular, make sure you eat dumplings (shui jioa - but be careful with the tone, if you pronounce it wrong it means 'sleep') and roast duck (KaoYa - 烤鸭), both are excellent.
Drink QingDao beer, it's generally the best (Snow beer gives me terrible headaches!), pronounced 'cheen-daow', ask for 'yi ping QingDao (pronounced 'ee ping') to ask for a bottle (very useful!). Don't ask for white wine unless you really want BaiJiu (nasty Chinese rice wine, very strong, a bit like Ouzo but without the taste).
Other things to do anywhere, go for tea at a tea house. Go for a massage (but nowhere with a pink light out the back - unless you're not with the missus), foot massage is good too. Go for Sichuan food, it's hot, spicy and delicious. Southern food is typically more sweet, so go for Cantonese if you like sweet. Eat street food and don't be shy, it's almost always excellent and very, very cheap. Every taxi driver in China will try to cheat you, get used to it, point to the meter and ask for 'fapio' (invoice / bill) which might put them off! Taxis are very cheap anyway, so even if you get ripped off, it's only ever for a quid or two!
Just realised, I might be teaching you to suck eggs here. Have you been to China before? Or want some more tips?
Thanks very much for taking the time to write that out. I've never been to Asia before, never mind China, so any and all tips you have are gratefully received. I hadn't really thought about the chopsticks, but obviously makes a lot of sense. Luckily we have a Vietnamese restaurant/takeaway around the corner (don't really get Chinese food in Switzerland) so I can get plenty of practice in.
A friend of ours has just returned from Shanghai today after being the victim of an extortion scam - nice people he met in his hotel took him to a good restaurant and then to a karaoke bar and wasn't allowed to leave until he maxed out his CC - so will be especially vigilant for scams, but like you say a taxi driver ripping you off for a couple of quid isn't the end of the world.
A friend of ours has just returned from Shanghai today after being the victim of an extortion scam - nice people he met in his hotel took him to a good restaurant and then to a karaoke bar and wasn't allowed to leave until he maxed out his CC - so will be especially vigilant for scams, but like you say a taxi driver ripping you off for a couple of quid isn't the end of the world.
Ah, that old chestnut... Happens the world over I think!
China is strange for that. It's a huge place, with massive populations in the cities, but it's actually quite quiet at night the moment you step off the main street, and the people, when you meet them individually, are so friendly. I've got some really nice Chinese friends. I took a load of people for dinner one night, friends, friends of friends, etc. Chinese food is ALWAYS eaten as shared, you pretty much never have your own dish (apart from rice), so you basically order a dish per person (or maybe three dishes if there's two of you). We were a party of ten or so, and I offered to pay. Came to about £36 (£3 per person!), but I got all sorts of offers of 'if you're ever in so and so city, give me a call', and everybody wants to know where you're from.
Just remembered an excellent place in BJ...
Ten or fifteen minute walk from Tiananmem Square (Forbidden City end) to Wangfujing Street (where it meets Donghuamen Street), walking north it's on the left, you'll see a small alleyway (normally this has loads of people crowding in and out, so you can't miss it....) there's a great 'asian' food street. If you're feeling adventurous, you can get a deep-fried tarantula, centipede, cricket or some battered scorpion, and all sorts of other horrible stuff like that. Go in the evening when it's all happening. If nothing else, it's great fun to see. The main street (Wangfujing Street) is mostly pedestrianised and has all the brand shops (so lots of foreigners), so if you fancy a bit of western shopping, this is somewhere to do it. If you're not up to deep fried insects, at least try some green tea ice cream, just a little further up the road on the right.
Some other totally random tips;
CHOPSTICKS - Get practicing! They really don't eat anything without them!
Cutlery - You'll get a pair of chopsticks and a spoon (normally porcelain). Use the chopsticks for anything you can pick up easily, and if you struggle, discretely load it on to the spoon and slurp it up from the spoon instead. You'll get dishes that come as 'soup'. This is normally some vegetables or something in a huge bowl. The idea is, you share it out, eat the meat or veg first, then slurp away at the liquid. Don't be afraid to dip your chin to the table, hold the bowl right next to your mouth and SSSSSLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRPPPPPPP as loudly as you bloody well can. Everybody else will be doing it.
Crockery - Standard form is a small plate, a bowl, a cup, a spoon, and chopsticks. The cup is for tea. The plate is for meat, fish, etc. Take it from the middle of the table, use the plate to hover, then eat. Use the bowl for rice and soup. If you're eating something with shells like prawns or crab or meat with bones, eat from your bowl and use the plate for the bones/shells. The waiter will clear the plate and give you a new one every now and then. There's no real hard and fast rules with the plate/bowl thing (not like western eating with all the knifes and forks and spoons), so you can't really get it wrong.
Eating etiquette - There isn't any! The Chinese are noisy eaters, with little western style 'manners' (the beauty of culture!). Slurp slurp slurp. Make as much noise as you can, they'll think you're a LaoWai (foreigner who knows a bit). Food is always served cut up in to portions that you can load on to chopsticks, so the chef does the hard work, hence you never need a knife to cut anything.
They'll always serve you tea with a meal (green tea), which is either free, or a small cover charge (3 or 2 RMB each - about 20 or 30p). If you don't like green tea, you will by the time you leave, they drink it by the bucketload.
Food is served as it's ready in the kitchen, so it won't arrive to the table western style. Cold dishes will normally come first, followed by the quickest to cook dishes. Stuff like fish and meat will come in the middle, rice normally just after that. They don't do dessert (it's often on the menu, but nobody ever has it, and Chinese cake is the worst in the world), but they do normally have fruit after a meal.
Food - Eating is a HUGE deal in China, and they seem to eat every hour of the day, and when they're not eating, they're thinking or talking about eating. Breakfast in a Chinese hotel will be what we would have for a Chinese dinner over here. Big and heavy stuff, noodles, stewed pork, stuff like that. If you're anything like me, and just fancy a bit of fruit and a croissant for brekky, make sure you stay in a larger or western style hotel! Some of the food will just look plain bizarre. Thousand year old eggs, for example. If I found anything looking like this in my cupboard, I'd call in the council citing it hazardous for health, but the Chinese call it a delicacy. And bugger me sideways, despite what they look like, it's actually quite nice!
Pick up a card from your hotel with the name in Chinese (they'll all have these), so you can easily get a taxi back.
'Grey' taxis are about the same price as licensed, but they'll almost always try to cheat tourists, best avoided. If you get in a taxi and they try to start haggling (and not use the meter), just get out, don't be shy, walk away. They'll expect this.
China is a very 'faceless' place, which takes a bit of getting used to. Cut somebody up in traffic here, and you know they're thinking 'I'll remember you....'. If a taxi carves the whole street up, he's one of thousands of identical taxis, nobody is ever going to identify him, so nobody ever bothers to try. Totally faceless. Takes a bit of getting used to.
Money is easy to get from ATMs, they're everywhere. If you want to save a few quid, get a CaxtonFX card to save on bank charges. Most restaurants and shops (excluding the foreign owned ones) won't take VISA or Mastercard, they'll only accept local plastic (UnionCard), so best to always have a bit of cash on you. Hong Kong you wouldn't have any trouble paying with a card, but China is still pretty closed off in this respect.
DON'T DRINK THE WATER!!!!!! Whatever you do, don't drink water out of the tap. Get bottled, you can buy it everywhere and it costs nothing.
Wear comfortable shoes. You'll end up walking A LOT.... Even if you try not to, it's impossible!
All things red, and the number 8 are lucky! Hence the 88 in welded metal on the back of all the motorbikes!
Street hawkers - They're everywhere! If you want a cheap fake handbag, go for it, but pay about 1/10 of the first asking price. Walk away (they'll come after you). Then finally settle. If you're not interested, say 'Bu yao' (pronounced boo-yaow), which literally means 'Don't want'. Do the same for the grey taxi drivers that approach you coming out of any airport, train station, tourist spot.... They'll follow you all the way down the street sometimes, just let them and ignore them, they'll give up eventually!
Culture shock - If you've not been East before, you will undoubtedly get this, and it's totally normal. I still get it, and I'm there quite a lot. You'll get over it, but there will possibly be moments of 'What the heck was I thinking of coming here?!'.
If you're tall, or blond, be prepared to be stared at, followed down the street, chased by kids, asked to be in photos, etc. This is quite normal, go with it!
Last month during national day holiday, I went out for a wander near the beach, and got 'papped' twice in ten minutes. This was in Shenzhen, where there are foreigners everywhere. I guess these guys were down from the villages to see the big city for their holiday, and foreigners were still a novelty. They're very polite though, and always ask if it's OK to have their photo with you.
Loads of people will say 'Hello!' to you as you walk down the street. It's not taking the piss, it's probably that they've learnt English at school, but seldom get chance to use it on a real foreigner! Say 'Ni-Hao' back to surprise them!
In all, you'll either love it or hate it. There's no denying, it's a difficult place to travel with the language and culture differences, and all the noise, hustle and bustle can get a bit much at times. But, it's got a huge amount of history, some fascinating culture, and the people are almost always friendly.
Finally.... When are you going? Time of year can make a big difference!
China is strange for that. It's a huge place, with massive populations in the cities, but it's actually quite quiet at night the moment you step off the main street, and the people, when you meet them individually, are so friendly. I've got some really nice Chinese friends. I took a load of people for dinner one night, friends, friends of friends, etc. Chinese food is ALWAYS eaten as shared, you pretty much never have your own dish (apart from rice), so you basically order a dish per person (or maybe three dishes if there's two of you). We were a party of ten or so, and I offered to pay. Came to about £36 (£3 per person!), but I got all sorts of offers of 'if you're ever in so and so city, give me a call', and everybody wants to know where you're from.
Just remembered an excellent place in BJ...
Ten or fifteen minute walk from Tiananmem Square (Forbidden City end) to Wangfujing Street (where it meets Donghuamen Street), walking north it's on the left, you'll see a small alleyway (normally this has loads of people crowding in and out, so you can't miss it....) there's a great 'asian' food street. If you're feeling adventurous, you can get a deep-fried tarantula, centipede, cricket or some battered scorpion, and all sorts of other horrible stuff like that. Go in the evening when it's all happening. If nothing else, it's great fun to see. The main street (Wangfujing Street) is mostly pedestrianised and has all the brand shops (so lots of foreigners), so if you fancy a bit of western shopping, this is somewhere to do it. If you're not up to deep fried insects, at least try some green tea ice cream, just a little further up the road on the right.
Some other totally random tips;
CHOPSTICKS - Get practicing! They really don't eat anything without them!
Cutlery - You'll get a pair of chopsticks and a spoon (normally porcelain). Use the chopsticks for anything you can pick up easily, and if you struggle, discretely load it on to the spoon and slurp it up from the spoon instead. You'll get dishes that come as 'soup'. This is normally some vegetables or something in a huge bowl. The idea is, you share it out, eat the meat or veg first, then slurp away at the liquid. Don't be afraid to dip your chin to the table, hold the bowl right next to your mouth and SSSSSLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRPPPPPPP as loudly as you bloody well can. Everybody else will be doing it.
Crockery - Standard form is a small plate, a bowl, a cup, a spoon, and chopsticks. The cup is for tea. The plate is for meat, fish, etc. Take it from the middle of the table, use the plate to hover, then eat. Use the bowl for rice and soup. If you're eating something with shells like prawns or crab or meat with bones, eat from your bowl and use the plate for the bones/shells. The waiter will clear the plate and give you a new one every now and then. There's no real hard and fast rules with the plate/bowl thing (not like western eating with all the knifes and forks and spoons), so you can't really get it wrong.
Eating etiquette - There isn't any! The Chinese are noisy eaters, with little western style 'manners' (the beauty of culture!). Slurp slurp slurp. Make as much noise as you can, they'll think you're a LaoWai (foreigner who knows a bit). Food is always served cut up in to portions that you can load on to chopsticks, so the chef does the hard work, hence you never need a knife to cut anything.
They'll always serve you tea with a meal (green tea), which is either free, or a small cover charge (3 or 2 RMB each - about 20 or 30p). If you don't like green tea, you will by the time you leave, they drink it by the bucketload.
Food is served as it's ready in the kitchen, so it won't arrive to the table western style. Cold dishes will normally come first, followed by the quickest to cook dishes. Stuff like fish and meat will come in the middle, rice normally just after that. They don't do dessert (it's often on the menu, but nobody ever has it, and Chinese cake is the worst in the world), but they do normally have fruit after a meal.
Food - Eating is a HUGE deal in China, and they seem to eat every hour of the day, and when they're not eating, they're thinking or talking about eating. Breakfast in a Chinese hotel will be what we would have for a Chinese dinner over here. Big and heavy stuff, noodles, stewed pork, stuff like that. If you're anything like me, and just fancy a bit of fruit and a croissant for brekky, make sure you stay in a larger or western style hotel! Some of the food will just look plain bizarre. Thousand year old eggs, for example. If I found anything looking like this in my cupboard, I'd call in the council citing it hazardous for health, but the Chinese call it a delicacy. And bugger me sideways, despite what they look like, it's actually quite nice!
Pick up a card from your hotel with the name in Chinese (they'll all have these), so you can easily get a taxi back.
'Grey' taxis are about the same price as licensed, but they'll almost always try to cheat tourists, best avoided. If you get in a taxi and they try to start haggling (and not use the meter), just get out, don't be shy, walk away. They'll expect this.
China is a very 'faceless' place, which takes a bit of getting used to. Cut somebody up in traffic here, and you know they're thinking 'I'll remember you....'. If a taxi carves the whole street up, he's one of thousands of identical taxis, nobody is ever going to identify him, so nobody ever bothers to try. Totally faceless. Takes a bit of getting used to.
Money is easy to get from ATMs, they're everywhere. If you want to save a few quid, get a CaxtonFX card to save on bank charges. Most restaurants and shops (excluding the foreign owned ones) won't take VISA or Mastercard, they'll only accept local plastic (UnionCard), so best to always have a bit of cash on you. Hong Kong you wouldn't have any trouble paying with a card, but China is still pretty closed off in this respect.
DON'T DRINK THE WATER!!!!!! Whatever you do, don't drink water out of the tap. Get bottled, you can buy it everywhere and it costs nothing.
Wear comfortable shoes. You'll end up walking A LOT.... Even if you try not to, it's impossible!
All things red, and the number 8 are lucky! Hence the 88 in welded metal on the back of all the motorbikes!
Street hawkers - They're everywhere! If you want a cheap fake handbag, go for it, but pay about 1/10 of the first asking price. Walk away (they'll come after you). Then finally settle. If you're not interested, say 'Bu yao' (pronounced boo-yaow), which literally means 'Don't want'. Do the same for the grey taxi drivers that approach you coming out of any airport, train station, tourist spot.... They'll follow you all the way down the street sometimes, just let them and ignore them, they'll give up eventually!
Culture shock - If you've not been East before, you will undoubtedly get this, and it's totally normal. I still get it, and I'm there quite a lot. You'll get over it, but there will possibly be moments of 'What the heck was I thinking of coming here?!'.
If you're tall, or blond, be prepared to be stared at, followed down the street, chased by kids, asked to be in photos, etc. This is quite normal, go with it!
Last month during national day holiday, I went out for a wander near the beach, and got 'papped' twice in ten minutes. This was in Shenzhen, where there are foreigners everywhere. I guess these guys were down from the villages to see the big city for their holiday, and foreigners were still a novelty. They're very polite though, and always ask if it's OK to have their photo with you.
Loads of people will say 'Hello!' to you as you walk down the street. It's not taking the piss, it's probably that they've learnt English at school, but seldom get chance to use it on a real foreigner! Say 'Ni-Hao' back to surprise them!
In all, you'll either love it or hate it. There's no denying, it's a difficult place to travel with the language and culture differences, and all the noise, hustle and bustle can get a bit much at times. But, it's got a huge amount of history, some fascinating culture, and the people are almost always friendly.
Finally.... When are you going? Time of year can make a big difference!
2 years ago I went to China and did Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Guilin, Yangshuo, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
Tips
If you plan on going to the wall, avoid Badaling, its the nearest bit of wall to the city therefore it is rather busy and touristy. We did a trip to Jinshanling and had three hours to wander around. The wall here is much nicer, you are able to get photos with nobody on it and it is in a more natural state in some areas. There are hawkers on the wall who will follow you and expect you to buy something from them at a hugely inflated price. If your not interested in it, tell them that as soon as you see them and hopefully they will get the message. We paid 250RMB (most start at 350RMB + so haggle with them) each for a day tour that included lunch.
Bei Hai Park is beautiful, try and get to Panjiayuan if you are there on a day when it is open as that is really good fun. Also the Lama Temple is a wonderful place to visit, really peaceful.
Chengdu is a great place and is a great base for trips out of town. When I was there they were building a metro system which should be open now and make life easier to get about.
You have to go see the Pandas at the Chendgu Panada Base. Best to get there for when it opens as if your much laters crowds turn up and you will have a hard time getting quality Panda time. We got there early and had Pandas to ourselves in the peace and quiet and it is possible to spend hours watching them. We stayed in a hostel near the tourist bus station and they organsied this trip for us.
Also go see a Sicuhan Opera. Fantastic show and even though it is in Chinese, you still get what is happening as it is a series of small shows. The face changing masks are awesome and this was one of the favourite things we saw.
From Guilin (if you go here, 2 nights max and then go to Yangshuo) you can go on a trip to the Dragon Backbone Rice Terraces. This was another brilliant day out. You get a coach to this minority village where the ladies have hair that is about 6 ft long. They do a show and then pinch your bum on the way out. Then you get taken to the terraces and have lunch up there. On a trip like this you feel like you are seeing more of the countryside and other ethnic groups. Stunning views of the terraces too!
In Yangshuo we did a bamboo raft river trip on the Yulong River (better then the Li River). We also went in some Mud Caves which involves wearing your swimwear, a hard hat and some flip flops. You then get in a tiny boat and are pulled along into the caves. So then you are pretty much bum to face shuffling through the caves until you reach a mud bath complete with slide! Great fun and the mud makes you feel like you are floating. Then there is some more shuffling along until you get to a fresh spring and you was the mud off. Then more shuffling till you get to hot springs and you sit there chilling for a bit. Great fun and I reckon an experience like no other!
Toilets!
Try and go in hotels and shopping centres as there are likely to be the best quality. On rare occasions you get a "throne" as I liked to call them but most of the time it was squat drops with varying degrees of cleanliness. Avoid petrol station and street toilets!!!!
Take alcohol gel and tissues with you as this is not always provided.
Dont go to any art studios, you will be ripped off!
Some Chinese like to talk to you as they like to practice their English. Always be very complimentary about China to they are very proud of their country and this will prevent them from being offended. We were often asked about our views on China.
Buy the Lonely Planet China guidebook. This was invaluable and so very helpful.
Have everywhere you want to go written down in Chinese or you will not get a taxi to take you there.
Travelling by train is fun, if not confusing. Just give yourself plenty of time.
If you want to see any photos of where I went to, just message me and I will send you some.
Tips
If you plan on going to the wall, avoid Badaling, its the nearest bit of wall to the city therefore it is rather busy and touristy. We did a trip to Jinshanling and had three hours to wander around. The wall here is much nicer, you are able to get photos with nobody on it and it is in a more natural state in some areas. There are hawkers on the wall who will follow you and expect you to buy something from them at a hugely inflated price. If your not interested in it, tell them that as soon as you see them and hopefully they will get the message. We paid 250RMB (most start at 350RMB + so haggle with them) each for a day tour that included lunch.
Bei Hai Park is beautiful, try and get to Panjiayuan if you are there on a day when it is open as that is really good fun. Also the Lama Temple is a wonderful place to visit, really peaceful.
Chengdu is a great place and is a great base for trips out of town. When I was there they were building a metro system which should be open now and make life easier to get about.
You have to go see the Pandas at the Chendgu Panada Base. Best to get there for when it opens as if your much laters crowds turn up and you will have a hard time getting quality Panda time. We got there early and had Pandas to ourselves in the peace and quiet and it is possible to spend hours watching them. We stayed in a hostel near the tourist bus station and they organsied this trip for us.
Also go see a Sicuhan Opera. Fantastic show and even though it is in Chinese, you still get what is happening as it is a series of small shows. The face changing masks are awesome and this was one of the favourite things we saw.
From Guilin (if you go here, 2 nights max and then go to Yangshuo) you can go on a trip to the Dragon Backbone Rice Terraces. This was another brilliant day out. You get a coach to this minority village where the ladies have hair that is about 6 ft long. They do a show and then pinch your bum on the way out. Then you get taken to the terraces and have lunch up there. On a trip like this you feel like you are seeing more of the countryside and other ethnic groups. Stunning views of the terraces too!
In Yangshuo we did a bamboo raft river trip on the Yulong River (better then the Li River). We also went in some Mud Caves which involves wearing your swimwear, a hard hat and some flip flops. You then get in a tiny boat and are pulled along into the caves. So then you are pretty much bum to face shuffling through the caves until you reach a mud bath complete with slide! Great fun and the mud makes you feel like you are floating. Then there is some more shuffling along until you get to a fresh spring and you was the mud off. Then more shuffling till you get to hot springs and you sit there chilling for a bit. Great fun and I reckon an experience like no other!
Toilets!
Try and go in hotels and shopping centres as there are likely to be the best quality. On rare occasions you get a "throne" as I liked to call them but most of the time it was squat drops with varying degrees of cleanliness. Avoid petrol station and street toilets!!!!
Take alcohol gel and tissues with you as this is not always provided.
Dont go to any art studios, you will be ripped off!
Some Chinese like to talk to you as they like to practice their English. Always be very complimentary about China to they are very proud of their country and this will prevent them from being offended. We were often asked about our views on China.
Buy the Lonely Planet China guidebook. This was invaluable and so very helpful.
Have everywhere you want to go written down in Chinese or you will not get a taxi to take you there.
Travelling by train is fun, if not confusing. Just give yourself plenty of time.
If you want to see any photos of where I went to, just message me and I will send you some.
Again thanks a million guys. This kind of information is invaluable. I'm prepared for a culture shock and I also expect each city to be different too in that respect.
MS - we will be there from the middle to the end of March. The way it is currently planned we will have a day in Beijing when we arrive (10am), before flying down to Manila (1am departure) and then 2 days/nights at the end of the trip. That first day we'll play it by ear and hopefully won't be too jet lagged and can actually see a reasonable amount, but I'll probably book an airport hotel just in case and as somewhere to leave luggage. After a few days seeing Manila and relaxing at a beach resort, we will fly to Shanghai for four nights. My gf has a three day course there and we'll stay a day afterwards, so I've got three days to amuse myself there. After that we fly to Chengdu for a visit to see/play with the pandas, eat hot pot and see the opera. Unfortunately we only 24 hours to get that done, before flying back to Beijing.
The April trip will be another culture shock no doubt, as that will include HK, Bangkok, KL, Singapore and Ko Samui.
MS - we will be there from the middle to the end of March. The way it is currently planned we will have a day in Beijing when we arrive (10am), before flying down to Manila (1am departure) and then 2 days/nights at the end of the trip. That first day we'll play it by ear and hopefully won't be too jet lagged and can actually see a reasonable amount, but I'll probably book an airport hotel just in case and as somewhere to leave luggage. After a few days seeing Manila and relaxing at a beach resort, we will fly to Shanghai for four nights. My gf has a three day course there and we'll stay a day afterwards, so I've got three days to amuse myself there. After that we fly to Chengdu for a visit to see/play with the pandas, eat hot pot and see the opera. Unfortunately we only 24 hours to get that done, before flying back to Beijing.
The April trip will be another culture shock no doubt, as that will include HK, Bangkok, KL, Singapore and Ko Samui.
MaxMX5 said:
If you plan on going to the wall, avoid Badaling, its the nearest bit of wall to the city therefore it is rather busy and touristy. We did a trip to Jinshanling and had three hours to wander around. The wall here is much nicer, you are able to get photos with nobody on it and it is in a more natural state in some areas. There are hawkers on the wall who will follow you and expect you to buy something from them at a hugely inflated price. If your not interested in it, tell them that as soon as you see them and hopefully they will get the message. We paid 250RMB (most start at 350RMB + so haggle with them) each for a day tour that included lunch.
Toilets!
Try and go in hotels and shopping centres as there are likely to be the best quality. On rare occasions you get a "throne" as I liked to call them but most of the time it was squat drops with varying degrees of cleanliness. Avoid petrol station and street toilets!!!!
Take alcohol gel and tissues with you as this is not always provided.
100% agree re the wall - we also went Jinshanling and got loads of great photos without anyone in them, then saw a picture in a local paper of Badaling for the same day - like Oxford Street at Christmas! Toilets!
Try and go in hotels and shopping centres as there are likely to be the best quality. On rare occasions you get a "throne" as I liked to call them but most of the time it was squat drops with varying degrees of cleanliness. Avoid petrol station and street toilets!!!!
Take alcohol gel and tissues with you as this is not always provided.
The one dodgy bit was that by the time we came down from the wall - the cable-car was running on it's backup generator as there had been a power failure...and the genny was overheating!Rather than repeat what others have mentioned - other options/ideas - Yangzte gorge river trip + the dam project. We did it quite a while ago, so I'd guess the water level has gone up more since then as it wasn't 'full'.
I'm 6 foot 3 and fat at 17.5 stone. The can drivers would refuse to drive me because they thought I would break their suspension. The Chinese tourists had never seen a person like me so fought over taking photos. I was a celebrity over there.
In Beijing the best duck comes from Made in China. Just around the corner passed 5 Cartier shops (3 probably fake) by the Peninsula hotel there is a row of car show rooms. They had 4 Zondas including an F, Buggattis and many other exotics. Worth a look and shows the money China has.
A strange experience is walking from Tianamon Square to Daniel Boloud's restaurant. You have to know where it is though or have a good guide. The locals have no idea it is there and you have to go passed guards that make it look like an Embassy.
Get a guide. I had one called Lilly who is recommended by everyone on tripadvisor. She is excellent.
Don't take pictures of food in restaurants as they get angry.
Go to the wall early in the morning and go to the less touristy location. You will have the wall to yourself. Go up the chair lift and you can come down the tobagon.
Be very amused by the total lack of western manners. People were running down the aisle of the plane as we landed.
Do not use a neighborhood toilet! They can be shared by many houses and there are no stalls just a row of holes in the ground. In fact if you walk near one do not look at it put of curiosity because you may see a line of people having a crap.
Beijing is an amazing place with so much history and a culture which is alien to a westerner. I loved being there. My wife would never go back.
In Beijing the best duck comes from Made in China. Just around the corner passed 5 Cartier shops (3 probably fake) by the Peninsula hotel there is a row of car show rooms. They had 4 Zondas including an F, Buggattis and many other exotics. Worth a look and shows the money China has.
A strange experience is walking from Tianamon Square to Daniel Boloud's restaurant. You have to know where it is though or have a good guide. The locals have no idea it is there and you have to go passed guards that make it look like an Embassy.
Get a guide. I had one called Lilly who is recommended by everyone on tripadvisor. She is excellent.
Don't take pictures of food in restaurants as they get angry.
Go to the wall early in the morning and go to the less touristy location. You will have the wall to yourself. Go up the chair lift and you can come down the tobagon.
Be very amused by the total lack of western manners. People were running down the aisle of the plane as we landed.
Do not use a neighborhood toilet! They can be shared by many houses and there are no stalls just a row of holes in the ground. In fact if you walk near one do not look at it put of curiosity because you may see a line of people having a crap.
Beijing is an amazing place with so much history and a culture which is alien to a westerner. I loved being there. My wife would never go back.
eyebeebe said:
Your tips just get more and more useful!!
Do you know if it is possible/relatively straightforward to get a PAYG SIM card? If anything needs preparing in advance I do have access to a mandarin speaker.
A virtual beer heading your way
Not quite as easy as it should be! HK is easy, China a little less so, but not difficult as such.Do you know if it is possible/relatively straightforward to get a PAYG SIM card? If anything needs preparing in advance I do have access to a mandarin speaker.
A virtual beer heading your way
You'll get the sim easily. Setting up prepaid data is a bit more difficult, as when you text for the options, the replies will obviously all come through in Chinese....
. Go to a China Mobile shop (try the airport? I would guess they'll be the most useful), if they don't speak English, just go somewhere else. Cost is peanuts. Maps on an iPhone is VERY useful in China, so data is very handy indeed. Their data networks are pretty good given the volume of people using them.Top ups for a sim are a little less easy, easiest way is to buy a card and google for instructions on how to use the code to add the credit to the sim, you can do it by text message. They'll be somebody else who's worked this out before you!
If you get China Mobile, you'll be able to use the wifi in Starbucks.
I'd offer an introduction for backup, but I don't know anybody in BJ any more. I do know people in SH, but most of my Chinese friends are in Shenzhen.
I might be there myself at that time next year, but will more likely be down south.
If you go to HK in April, start another thread about that, it's a totally different place, with totally different answers to these above!
I lived in Shanghai for a while and I can confirm the city is well and truly HUGE.
If you are on a flying visit then the tourist must do's in a 'top three' would include the following:
(1) The bund. The river side area of PuXi where you can look over to PuDong business district.
(2) 'Sky Walk' visit in the new Financial World Trade Tower. The views from the top are just stunning. Try to get up there for around sun set and watch as the city goes from sunlight to dusk to night time.
(3) Nanjing Xi Lu. The main shopping street that will give you a feel for how hectic and afluent the city is.
There are countless restaurants with traditional foods in them, way too many to list. I've tried a good number of them from high price range down to the low price range and can't complain at all (well I can but I'm picky with my food - as in horrified as to what you can get on a plate over there ). One thing the Chinese are passionate about is their food. But bear in mind its NOT western food unless you are going to a specific western style establishment or the usual McD's for example.
Don't expect a typical UK takeaway type of meal at all with Chinese menus.
Don't bother with night life or clubbing, its not really part of Chinese culture and as a result you'll find this to be very 'artificial' and overly american influenced. Instead spend time exploring the city or eating out.
Some interesting other areas of Shanghai are Jing An Temple, Xintiandi, XuJiaHui, Henshan Lu.
I'll let you google these for their descriptions
Taxis and Metro are very cheap and effective ways of getting around. Don't be put off by distances.
If you are on a flying visit then the tourist must do's in a 'top three' would include the following:
(1) The bund. The river side area of PuXi where you can look over to PuDong business district.
(2) 'Sky Walk' visit in the new Financial World Trade Tower. The views from the top are just stunning. Try to get up there for around sun set and watch as the city goes from sunlight to dusk to night time.
(3) Nanjing Xi Lu. The main shopping street that will give you a feel for how hectic and afluent the city is.
There are countless restaurants with traditional foods in them, way too many to list. I've tried a good number of them from high price range down to the low price range and can't complain at all (well I can but I'm picky with my food - as in horrified as to what you can get on a plate over there
). One thing the Chinese are passionate about is their food. But bear in mind its NOT western food unless you are going to a specific western style establishment or the usual McD's for example.Don't expect a typical UK takeaway type of meal at all with Chinese menus.
Don't bother with night life or clubbing, its not really part of Chinese culture and as a result you'll find this to be very 'artificial' and overly american influenced. Instead spend time exploring the city or eating out.
Some interesting other areas of Shanghai are Jing An Temple, Xintiandi, XuJiaHui, Henshan Lu.
I'll let you google these for their descriptions
Taxis and Metro are very cheap and effective ways of getting around. Don't be put off by distances.
plenty said:
eyebeebe said:
After a few days seeing Manila and relaxing at a beach resort
Is there a specific reason you are going to Manila? It's a fairly grim city and not really a first choice for a holiday destination, especially if you're looking for a relaxing beach resort.That way, you get beaches and cocktails, but you're still technically in China, so no visa issues when you come back to BJ.
Worth thinking about maybe?
maser_spyder said:
plenty said:
eyebeebe said:
After a few days seeing Manila and relaxing at a beach resort
Is there a specific reason you are going to Manila? It's a fairly grim city and not really a first choice for a holiday destination, especially if you're looking for a relaxing beach resort.That way, you get beaches and cocktails, but you're still technically in China, so no visa issues when you come back to BJ.
Worth thinking about maybe?
Why Manila? I've always fancied going to the Philippines, as it is somewhere people don't really go (Tahiti is on my bucket list too, though people say that it's a dump). There is also a direct flight from Beijing and then to Shanghai for very little (Cebu Air). My thoughts were to go to Subic Bay, which is a couple of hours drive from Manila. There's a beach and restaurants, as well as a marine park, tiger zoo , M16 shooting range, diving and waterspouts. It also looks dirt cheap. Money isn't exactly tight, but I do like a bargain. However, I can be swayed by a generally negative opinion of the place.
I've had a look at Sanya. I'd never heard of it, although when I was doing some map browsing I did notice Hainan and wonder if there was anything there. It looks like it is the local beach weekend getaway for HK and Macau. Is that are fair appraisal? It certainly looks like a great place, but to get somewhere decent it seems pretty expensive. The other thing is the flights are bloody expensive: Beijing - Sanya - Shanghai is £450-500 per person. I'm paying similar to fly from Zurich to Beijing! Beijing - Manila - Shanghai is about £100 as a comparison. Am I missing a trick with Chinese internal flights? They seem far more expensive than any other flights in SE/E Asia. Cost aside though, it's definitely worth doing some research into. Any other suggestions for beaches in the general area (besides Thailand, as that will be the April trip)?
Internal flights booked within China are a LOT cheaper....
GZ to Sanya I did earlier this year for £35 all-in, and about £70 from Sanya to BJ? Or SH? Can't remember, but somewhere north.
Yes, there's not much there, but the rainforest is interesting, and it's a great place to relax and chill out for a few days.
I generally found booking China internal flights in the UK to be around 4-6 times more expensive than booking via the airline direct. Crazy. The Chinese airline's websites are always rubbish too, and credit cards never work properly even though they should. I ended up getting somebody in China to do it for me last time, was much easier.
GZ to Sanya I did earlier this year for £35 all-in, and about £70 from Sanya to BJ? Or SH? Can't remember, but somewhere north.
Yes, there's not much there, but the rainforest is interesting, and it's a great place to relax and chill out for a few days.
I generally found booking China internal flights in the UK to be around 4-6 times more expensive than booking via the airline direct. Crazy. The Chinese airline's websites are always rubbish too, and credit cards never work properly even though they should. I ended up getting somebody in China to do it for me last time, was much easier.
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