Much more off the beaten path Yunnan old town which was a restoration project between a Chinese university and ETH Zurich. Found some outstanding accommodation, scenery, food and, of course, Yunnan tea.

The Bai minority has this lovely book store in a tiny village nearby, literally in the middle of rice fields. It’s all very reachable via local drivers with their electric scooters.

They are already selling them very cheaply, from 17 to 70 cents（USD）each, but even so, they are still worried that some people may not be able to afford them.

Hi folks, I'll be arriving in Xi'an on Feb 13 (thats 15 days after CNY) and out of China on Feb 24. Any idea if Chunyun/travel rush would heavily affect train ticket availability in Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia? Thx all

If I just take a taxi to the mutianyu ticket office and don't hire a driver for the whole day, will there be taxis or Didi available to bring me back?

yep, it looks like I made HUGE mistake and will be heading into Zhangjiajie from exactly May 1st to May 5th

Is that a big mistake? Will it be even more crowded than usually crowded? I can deal with crowds but will it be to a point that is not enjoyable and will spend most day in queues (longer than the usual long)

I have one other option...
Move my tickets a week before and then I would hit Shanghai (April 30th to Friday 2nd) -- I would do Disneyland 29th or 30th as I am guessing on May 1st/2nd the park will go absolutely bananas?

Thanks!

Can you tell me if this is allowed under the Chinese visa free transit system: planning to fly into Shanghai from the UK (I am a British citizen), then fly to Zhiangjiajie, then fly to Beijing. I'll be in China for 9 days total. Then from Beijing, I'll fly to Hong Kong (and not return to mainland China).

Is this permitted or do I need to get a visa? Also how likely is it travellers are refused entry despite qualifying for visa free transit?

Hello everyone !

I will be in Shanghai for the new year eve and was wondering if anyone knew about specific plans for celebrating it !

I looked at this website: https://www.shine.cn/feature/lifestyle/2412263873/

But I'm still quite unsure about what's the best and if you need tickets when it's not mentioned, notably for 宝山

So thinking about flying into PVG from the US, travel to XIY and exit from XIY to HKG.

Is that allowed?

Hi all,

I am fortunate to be able to use the 30 day visa free period in China and I’m planning a trip this April. I intend to fly in through HK (spend a weekish there, including Macau) and then get a train to Yangshuo (spend some days there, up to a week), then a train to Yunnan to explore Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La, while eventually getting a train out of China to Laos from Kunming.

I initially thought I would be in a hurry as the visa free period was 14 days but this was extended to 30 days, so I think I could take my time a bit more. I’m looking for advice regarding things I should have in mind or things I might stop at as well!

Some questions I have:

1. As I understand, I would need a exit ticket to be granted entry into China. However, the Laos tickets can only be booked 14 days in advance. I read somewhere that people book tickets into HK from Shenzhen and put that as exit ticket. Anyone have experience with that? Or should I keep myself to a stricter schedule and book the tickets to Laos instead?

2. If I buy a sim card in HK, I understand I wouldn’t need a vpn? Is that true?

3. Any advice for regulations? I read somewhere I might have to report my entry to local authorities, is that true or how does that work?

4. If you have any ideas for my trip I would love to hear them! Is it for example worth it to stop in some cities inbetween, seeing as I have the extra days? (Ex. Shenzhen, Guilin, Kunming?)

Thanks in advance! Curious to what you think.

I've booked a flight to Shanghai PVG that lands in Terminal 2 at 05:05, then take a International flight to Seoul, Korea at the same terminal at 08:25. The flights are operated by different airlines. Will i have enough time to go through passport control then check in for my second flight? I will not need to collect baggage as I will only have carry on baggage.

Hi all, I plan to travel to Guangzhou mid-April for a short family holiday. From there, I wish to go to Zhang Jia Jie (ZJJ). I understand there is an airport near Zhang Jia Jie. However, when I looked at flights from Guangzhou to ZJJ mid-April on the China Southern website, it was a ridiculous amount over US$2500 per person! Any recommendations on which website I should look at for booking domestic flights to get there? I had a look at trip.com and they don't seem to offer many flights to ZJJ fro Guangzhou either.

Hi everyone, I’m a Chinese person who has been living in Shenzhen for many years. I know Shenzhen is not a typical tourist city, but some of you might be interested in the Huaqiangbei electronics market or the Shuibei jewelry market.
If you’re visiting Guangzhou, it’s also a great idea to include Shenzhen in your trip!

I am a US citizen residing in Atlanta and I am trying to travel to Zheng Zhou for a wedding. I don't understand the rule of going to a third country. Anyone with expereince could kindly explain to me how I can apply for transit visa. I was told no roundtrip to USA but what if you are showing a connecting flight to another country. Does this itentinary work? I am only staying for 6 days in china

Atlanta to LA--> LA to taipei---> taipei to zhengzhou------>Zhengzhou to taiwan -->taiwan to LA-->LA to Atlanta.

second option

Atlanta to seoul-->seoul to shanghai-->shanghai to zhengzhou--->seoul--->america

I want to visit Harbin during CNY from Hong Kong. What is the cheapest and best way?

Hello Everyone! I am staying in Shanghai and I planned to take a train in the Evening to Huangshan, sleep there (where?) and take a bus to the mountain and then back to Shanghai. It's winter, though! is it a good idea? do they have cable cars to the to the top without hiking for too much?

can you guys please suggest me the best option to organize this trip?

e.g when to take the train, where to sleep, what to see, where to go?

thank you so much in advance!

Hi everyone!

I’m planning a trip to China in March/April and would love your feedback on my itinerary. My trip starts in Kunming and ends in Chengdu, which are fixed points. I’m especially excited to use this season to see flowers blooming — for example, azaleas in Bijie, cherry blossoms or other flowers in Kunming, and rapeseed fields in Luoping.

I’m also really interested in:

• City life: discovering good places to eat and experiencing the local vibe.
• Nature: scenic landscapes and unique sights.
• Ancient towns: I love exploring traditional architecture and local culture.

I will only be using public transport, or taxis/didi and want to make sure my plan is realistic. I’m also unsure if I should add another day in Kunming to explore more of Yunnan’s amazing food scene and perhaps try Pu’er tea — but I don’t know what to shorten in the rest of my trip.

Here’s my current plan:

Day 1: Kunming

• Arrival in Kunming in the afternoon
• Visit Guandu Ancient Town
• Overnight: Kunming

Day 2: Kunming

• Explore Yuantongshan Park for cherry blossoms
• Visit the Flower Market (Dounan Flower Market?)
• Overnight: Kunming

Day 3: Luoping

• Travel to Luoping
• Overnight: Luoping

Day 4: Luoping

• Visit Jinji Peak, Niujie Luosi Field, and/or Jiulong Waterfalls
• Overnight: Luoping

Day 5: Bijie/Baili

• Travel to Bijie/Baili
• Overnight: Bijie/Baili

Day 6: Bijie/Baili

• Explore Azaleas 百里杜鹃 (Baili Dujuan)
• Is there anything else to do in Bijie?
• Overnight: Bijie/Baili

Day 7: Guiyang

• Travel to Guiyang
• Visit Qingyan Ancient Town
• Overnight: Guiyang

Day 8: Guiyang

• Explore the city
• Optional: Take a day trip to Langde via Kaili
• Overnight: Guiyang

Day 9: Jiabang Rice Terraces

• Take a 2-hour train to Congjiang, then a bus to Jiabang
• See the rice terraces at sunset; is this something one can do alone or is a guide needed?
• Overnight: Jiabang Rice Terraces

Day 10: Basha (岜沙) or Zhaoxing (肇兴)

• Travel to Basha or Zhaoxing (which one do you recommend?)
• Overnight: Basha/Zhaoxing

Day 11: Guiyang

• Drive back to Guiyang
• Should I skip this and take a long trip to Chongqing instead?
• Overnight: Guiyang

Day 12: Chongqing

• Travel to Chongqing
• Explore the city
• Overnight: Chongqing

Day 13: Chongqing

• Continue exploring Chongqing
• Overnight: Chongqing

Day 14: Shangli Ancient Town (Ya'an)

• Travel to Ya'an and arrive around 15:00
• Continue to Shangli Ancient Town
• Overnight: Shangli

Day 15: Shangli Ancient Town (Ya'an)

• Visit Mengding Tea Plantation
• Overnight: Shangli

Day 16: Shangli Ancient Town (Ya'an)

• Visit Bifengxia Panda Base and Gorge
• Travel to Chengdu in the evening
• Overnight: Chengdu

Day 17: Chengdu

• Explore the city
• Overnight: Chengdu

Day 18: Chengdu

• Take a day trip to Dujiangyan Irrigation System and Qingcheng Mountains Overnight: Chengdu

Day 19: Chengdu

• Take a day trip to Leshan or Emeishan? (which one is better?)
• Overnight: Chengdu

Day 20: Chengdu

• Take a day trip to an ancient town (Anren, Xinchang, or Yuantong?)
• Which one do you recommend?
• Overnight: Chengdu

Day 21: Chengdu

• Flight back in the evening

Does this itinerary seem feasible? Would you recommend adding another day in Kunming, and if so, what would you shorten? I would also love to include Zhenyuan in Guizhou, but the itinerary is already so full. Any tips for must-try local foods, sights, or advice for public transport in these areas would also be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help! 😊

I do have question and this is my plan:

1. ⁠JFK New York to PEK Beijing flight (Korean Air flight has a 3 hr connection in ICN Seoul) and stay for 5 days

2. ⁠PEK to CAN Guangzhou flight on China Southern or Eastern and stay for 5 days

3. ⁠CAN to ICN on Korean Air and stay for 10 days

4. ⁠ICN to JFK

Will this work visa-free for me and my spouse and two kids under 13 years old?

What is there to do in fuzhou? I’m staying at my family’s house Tingjiangzhen.

Hi guys!

I'm slowly planning a trip to China for May and I'd appreciate any help with the very rough itinerary I have so far.

About me: I was in China 5 years ago and did all the standard things for first-timer, Xian, Shanghai, Beijing, Yangshuo, Zhangjiajie, Hong Kong. I'm mostly food motivated and like to discover new cultures via food, getting lost in the cities, hiking in nature. Do not really care about museums or hundreds of Buddha statues, unless they are really extremely impressive or require interesting hikes to get to them. Dislike planes, like trains and buses.

Plan so far (needs to start and end in HK):

- land in Hong Kong, take train to Shenzhen (1 day for city sightseeing and trying out food),

- two days in Guangzhou (more or less the same activities as in Shenzhen),

- train to Kunming, 2-3 days here, street markets, sightseeing, cuisine, stone forest

- train to Dali, 1-2 days, renting a bike, riding a bike through countryside

- bus/taxi to Shaxi, visiting old town, sightseeing, 1 night

- bus/train to Yibin, 1-2 nights, sightseeing, walks, food, maybe taking a bus to Shunan Bamboo Forest

- train to Chengdu, 3-4 days, pandas, food, hiking Mt Emei

- train to Chongqing, 2-3 days in a city

- train to Changsha, mainly to try Hunan food and hit some street markets

- back to HK

Would you add anything along this route, or think some parts are not worth it? I'm planning on spending about 25-30 days in China, so it's all very flexible at the moment. I was wondering if skipping Dali/Shaxi in favor of visiting some sea resorts in the South might be worth it as it will be getting quite hot at this point, on the other hand both towns sound quite relaxing and different from all the other big city vibes I have on my list.

I’ll be in Hefei in January for a week (my husband works for a company that has manufacturing there). He will be at work all day, anything interesting you suggest I should do to fill my time?

Thanks!

Hi, I will be traveling in China from March 16 to 31 - Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai. Can you give me an idea of what kind of clothes to bring please. I was planning to bring mostly sweater/jumper, leggings, trousers, maybe a coat? Are those the right clothes to bring? I was told temp can range from 5 to 15 deg C and weather can be unpredictable so I am a bit confused. Wear I live, 15 can be warm and can be a tshirt weather if it's sunny and not windy. Is that the same in China?