What to Visit in China, Travel Tips and Advises for Tourists

From north to south we've traveled through the whole China and visited really amazing places in this beatiful and astonishing country. I would like to share some tips and advice about the best places we've seen there. There are many various places to see in such a big country as China from gigantic mountains to tropical forests. So here are my favorite memories.

The Great Wall

From Beijing we made a trip to The Great Wall. Of course Great Wall, probably the most famous place in China. I understand why now! We used a service called Mubus that runs buses from the center of Beijing to the Mutianyu section of the Wall. They let you walk on the Wall for a few hours and then they take you back (we've made two reservations so we actually went back even later with another Mubus so it's possible to stay there the whole day). The Wall is of course full of people but the experience is definitely worth it. It was one of the most epic moments of this trip, to stand of the Wall looking at the vast mountains around. The most interesting part was however the unmaintained section of the Wall. When you reach the end of the nice Mutianyu sections that is repaired and nice to walk there is a sign that from this point the Wall is not being maintained and it's dangerous to enter. Well you just have to go there! Be careful though, some parts are really dangerous. I loved how this unmaintained part of the Wall looked authentic and I felt more the history there. Ancient ruins overgrown with trees and bushes, just a few people going there, so peaceful and mysterious. Don't miss this part.

The Forbidden City

Probably the most legendary historical complex in Beijing or even in the whole Chine. If you decide to go there make sure to book the tickets in advance or go there early if you're not Chinese since tickets for foreigners are being sold in limited number per day. You should go there as soon as possible anyway since it is really huge! If you want to see all the parts of the City then definitely reserve at least three or four hours for this visit. In front of it is also the famous Tiananmen Square with the mausoleum of Chairman Mao.

Huashan

So called the most dangerous hike in the world! (Don't worry it's actually quite safe if you're not there during a storm or some other unpleasant circumstances.) The typical sharp Chinese rocky mountains with cool trails and steep stairs carved in the stone with massive chains to hold onto. There is a cable car that you can use to get ip and down. It's still a lot of walking at the top since there are multiple beautiful peaks there and all of them are worth visiting. If you wish to walk the whole way up or down it is possible but one way might take two or even three hours because there is really a lot of stairs and some are quite narrow and dangerous looking. We went up with the cable car early in the morning, visited the peaks and walked down. The trip took us whole day and we returned after sunset. I wouldn't recommend walking the trails there when it gets dark since some parts are a bit steep. There are lamps along the paths though. You can also visit the infamous plank trail but for example we didn't get the chance to get there. There was a line for tickets where we waited for about forty minutes. There was a girl in front of us waiting. She wanted to buy the tickets for her and her family. The guy at the desk simply kicked her out because he needed them all to be present there when selling the tickets. She had returned with the family in like five minutes and he sent her to the end of the line again, ignored the fact the she waited the whole line. (Yea the whole family started yelling at him but it was futile.) Then it was our turn. The guy pointed at my friend ans said simply NO! We had no idea what was the problem, first we thought that he pointed at the camera my friend was holding thinking that maybe photos not allowed? Then he wrote in the translator on his phone that my friend was too fat and that there is no safety belt for him. (Yes my friend is not super slim but not extremely fat either, about 105 kg.) So no chance for us. There was a Japanese tourist behind us in the line. A few moments later he appeared at us apparently kicked out too. He told us that the guy at the desk told him that he couldn't go alone, that there had to be at least two people going together. There was no sign or notice anywhere along the way or at the waiting line where anything like this would be written so please consider this before you start waiting there so that you don't waste your time in the line in vain.

Xi'an

Nice city, beautiful hostorical walls but the main thing, the reason why one has to visit Xi'an is the Terracotta Army in Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum at the edge of this city. You can get there by the local city bus. It is quite a big complex of buildings with pits where the statues were found. It is quite an impressive look to see all the clay statues guarding their emperor. Who knows what is still waiting to be revealed underground...

Yading

We are guys from lowlands where the closest thing to a mountain is a hill with elevation of 550 m. This being said you can understand how amazed we were when we saw the beautiful mountains in Yading. One feels totally like in Tibet (actually the whole Sichuan has this feel) seeing the monumental peaks with glaciers along with Buddhist monasteries and the typical colorful prayer flags. Honestly I've never seen anything like this before. There are also really nice maintained paths so the hiking is not dangerous at all. For those who like adventure it's also possible to hike some less visited trails that go higher in the mountains. Be careful about the altitude sickness! 90% of Chinese tourists we'd met were carrying at least four bottles of oxygen with them. We stayed in Kangding for two days to make our bodies get used to the height and it was definitely a good idea. But still we had to stop quite often to take a deep breath, rest a bit and felt a slight headache at the end of the day. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to climb four or five stairs in such heights and how heavy your legs can become :D.

Tiger Leaping Gorge

After Yading we thought that nothing about mountains can amaze us anymore. Well, we were wrong! Beautiful valley with a wild river carved into gigantic steep mountains with waterfalls and small villages, this is the Tiger Leaping Gorge. (Reminded me a bit of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela just add the mountains.) There are two quite steep passages with a lot of ascending and descending but between them the path is quite flat. One can enjoy the view into the valley which is so huge that I got a bit dizzy when standing at the edge of the road observing the vast space and tall mountains in front of me. There are also some villages along the way where one can buy water or even spend a night. (We've been camping on a patio in front of one hostel after talking to the owner who had also registered us at the police.)

Shangri-La

A huge city but the main thing you have to see is the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery aka the second Potala. We were first a bit skeptical since we read some reviews saying that this place is full of tourists and not worth it but I am so glad that we went there despite that! It was an amazing experience just like from a movie. Peaks covered in snow in the distance, monks, golden roofs, smoke offerings...the atmosphere is beyond description! And it was not that bad with the tourists. If you ever visit this place remember to go around the lanke that's in front of the monastery. There are some cool views at the complex and a there is a nice rock literally covered in the traditional praying flags.

Lijiang

The Old Town! Historical streets with small traditional shops. Yes I expected to see two or three short streets like that but not almost four square kilometers of magical big and small streets that allow you to travel in time and visit the old China. One can spend hours exploring this truly mysterious historical center. There is also the famous place where you can make a photo of the traditional bridge, Deyue pagoda and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the distance.

Guilin

If you like kung-fu movies and wish to visit the homeland of Monkey King then the karst mountains around Guilin are the right place for you! There are many ways to explore the area. A lot of people take a boat trip on one of the rivers flowing between the mountains, some people take a bus and walk there and some rent bikes. We had chosen the last option and didn't regret it. Rented bikes in our hotel in Yangshuo and did some trips around mostly along the river. Even thought we saw many people renting bikes in the town, we met only a few of them on the road. It was the biggest adventure on a bike for me! Riding a bike along these peculiar mountains is an amazing experience. The countryside is also really poetic. Big fields with farmers in straw hats, small villages, rafts in the river, bamboo forests and vanishing paths in jungle. (Plus the interesting technical condition of the bikes...)

Hong Kong

Well it is just the city but especially the night view of Hong Kong is simply spectacular. The shining skyscrapers reflecting on the water surface, Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, The Peak, ferry... Oh and we were lucky enough to appear in the middle of the 2019 demonstrations. That was quite and adventure :D.

Some random tips:

• Don't rely on the information about buses and trains on the Internet blogs etc. In china everything changes rapidly, there are new railways and roads being built and the legendary Chinese productivity is insane! Always go to the nearest station to ask for the best way to get to your destination. Sometimes even if there is no direct bus to some location they are able to arrange some transfers. We were once dropped off the bus in the middle of the mountains at a crossroad at 5:00 AM and another bus took us. The lady at the station somehow made this possible.
• Sometimes it's possible to stop a bus just by waving at it or you can even tell the driver to stop before the regular stop along the way if you need to. Just don't be afraid to ask!
• Don't underestimate the acclimatization when going to Sichuan or similar places with high altitudes! Spend one or two days somewhere along the way, don't go directly to the highest places. Drink a lot of water (as much as possible) and eat high-nutrition food. Also avoid sleeping in the highest places. It's good to descend for night to make your body rest.
• Use VPN (might not work anyway) or download all necessary data in advance (or use offline apps like translator or maps). Don't rely on Google or Youtube. Bing is the way.
• Download a translator on your phone (offline version). 90% of people you are about to meet will not speak English at all. Prepare for speechless conversations with phones.
• Water is generally not potable. Best option is to buy the big 5l barrels in local shops. In hotels they usually give you a bottle of potable water or you have to ask them for it. Hot water that is in hotels, public places or trains is safe to drink.
• Toilet paper is not always available in public toilets or in hotels.
• Don't forget to apply for visa since you cannot enter China just like that. You need to do this in advance (definitely take a look at the rules at your local Chinese embassy at least few months before you go) since it's a lot of paperwork and you might have to reapply because the process is pretty strict.
• Don't rely on your credit card. Chinese use Weechat app for payments in shops etc. Union cards are usually accepted but cards like VISA might be a problem. All cards are accepted in Chinese ATMs so better to get some cash there or even better before you go in your country.
• You need to be registered at police every night which means that you have to stay in hotels or official camps where the owner takes a copy or photo of your passport. (be aware if he doesn't) For each unregistered night you might be fined at the airport or even get banned form visiting China again.
• Learn some basic words such as thank you (shieshie), hello (niihao), goodbye (zaijie), sorry (dueibuuchii), yes/no (hao/buuhao, shh/buushh), correct or understood (duei).
• Be prepared that there are security checks similar to the airport at train stations. You cannot bring stuff like sprays or sharp objects inside. Water and food is OK. Always have enough time since many people might be standing in lines.
• Be aware of scams (we didn't encounter any but heard some stories). Some friendly people might invite you to bar or similar place and order some expensive stuff making you pay for it.
• When there is no bus line in some more deserted places such as Sichuan, there are always local drivers waiting for people at the stations. It's safe to go with them. You just have to bargain the price a bit.

Travel video from this trip:

Our dramatic experience in Hong Kong:

Keywords: travel,tourism,hiking
#china #travelchina #chinatravel #traveltips #chinatravelguide