China Travel Tips: Things to Do and Prepare in China for Travel

China is a fascinating country, with centuries of rich history and culture. But it can be quite the culture shock on your first trip! Sometime during your visit, you’ll have to deal with smog, chopsticks, and government bureaucracy. Just stay informed and be prepared, and you’ll have a stress-free vacation!

Plan in Advance for a Visa

China requires visitors from most countries to have an entry visa. It’s best to prepare your application at least two months prior to your trip. Americans must submit an application, a $130 fee, your passport, and your flight itinerary to the nearest embassy or Consulate General.

It’s best to go through a travel agency or visa service that can guarantee prompt delivery.

Advice given by Kiki

Focus your itinerary

China is massive. Really, it's unbelievably large. It contains the world's highest mountains, some of the world's largest deserts, remote jungles, seemingly endless grasslands, and, of course, many of the world's largest cities. You would need months and months of travelling to even begin to do it justice. So, rather than skimming the surface of the whole country on your first trip, choose one region, or even just one province, and explore it properly.

Here's some destination recommendations:

Sichuan: One province; three regions. Stay in the centre or the south for steamy bamboo forests and cute Ming-Dynasty villages. Head north for stunning lakes set among alpine-esque mountain scenery. Venture west for remote Tibetan-plateau grasslands.

Guangxi: Picture-perfect rice terraces and other-worldly karst peaks dominate a lush, almost jungle-like landscape which is perfect for hiking, cycling and river trips.

Beijing: Don't just fly here, stay here. Beijing packs in more world-class sites than many whole countries are able to offer: The Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, ancient hutong alleyways, majestic imperial parks...the list goes on and on.

Advice given by Daniel McCrohan

Chengdu Jiuyan Bridge   Image by@Wudao

Yangshuo, Guangxi     Image by@traveljoys

Temple of Heaven, Beijing     Image by@cz_capture

Check the weather

At any time of the year there are places in China that enjoy ideal weather for travel, but almost nowhere is weather-perfect all year round. So to ensure your first trip to China doesn't become a wind-beaten blowout, an energy-sapping sun-scorcher or just a damp squib, get on top of where's hot and where's not in the month you're planning to travel. Generally speaking spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons, although not in all provinces, and in many parts of China spring and autumn are no more than a few weeks long. For starters, check out this China weather rundown.

Advice given by Daniel McCrohan

Need help? Find a high school student

The array of Mandarin dialects and variations across China can make communication difficult even for native Mandarin speakers. But help is always at hand: those under 25 years old are most likely to speak both standard Mandarin and English.

Students who have studied English in books for years, but have had little contact with native English speakers, may more readily understand written questions.

Advice given by CNN Travel 

Try Wechat or Alipay to pay

The largest benefit from paying with payment apps such as Alipay and WeChat is convenience. At your typical hole-in-the-wall restaurant, coffee shop and convenience store, paying for items is as easy as scanning a QR code in the store (if you’re not sure what a QR code is, it looks like this).

As recently as 5 years ago, everybody had to make sure they always had cash on them to pay for things. Now, a wallet isn’t even necessary to carry as long as you have your phone.

You can also use Alipay and WeChat to pay items for sale in apps that lack traditional payment functionalities. For example, with Ele.me or Meituan you can order takeout at local restaurants and pay using Alipay or WeChat.

In addition to standard transactions, these mobile payment apps have taken the convenience of mobile payment to a higher level by allowing you to pay for bills like cellphone service and Internet with the app. Depending on your area and provider, you may even be able to pay for utilities like electricity and water too.

Lastly, for foreigners who cannot speak Chinese too well, using mobile payments can make your life in China much easier, allowing you to purchase things despite any language barrier. While some apps are only in Chinese, after having someone walk you through how to use them you will be able to make purchases on your own.

Advice given by TravelChinaCheaper

Try High-speed Rail China

China’s rail network is a fast-paced wonder that makes exploring this huge country – including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen – much easier.

It’s not just locals who can take advantage of the vastly improved journey times that the network offers: tourists too can use high-speed trains to visit more of China – and a whole lot faster. Many high-speed rail journeys are, ultimately, quicker than flying.

Tickets can be booked on Ctrip and delivered to a hotel. They can also be picked up from a station, though leave plenty of time for this, as queues can be long. Tickets can also be bought directly at stations or at offices dotted around cities. A passport is required to buy or pick up tickets, which are available 30 days in advance of travel. Trains get booked up quickly so it pays to be organised.

Notable HSR lines in China include the Beijing–Guangzhou high-speed railway which at 2,298 km (1,428 mi) is the world's longest HSR line in operation, the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway with the world's fastest operating conventional train services and the Shanghai Maglev, the world's first high-speed commercial magnetic levitation line, whose trains run on non-conventional track and reach a top speed of 430 km/h (267 mph).

Advice given by TheGuardian

Go to the Teahouse

Teahouse has been ranked as the public place for drinking tea, relaxation and entertainment since ancient times, acting as a vivid epitome of Chinese tea culture and Chinese people’s leisure lives. Besides providing a place for drinking tea, Chinese teahouses constantly launch new varieties in order to meet different needs of various people.

In winter, tonics with the effectiveness of keeping bodies warm are added into the tea. In summer, something with the effectiveness of driving away summer heat is added in the tea. Besides, in summer, some cold drinks are also sold in teahouses, such as sweet bean paste, cocoribe, stewed plum water and papaya juice. As for tea sets, there are custom-made tea sets varying from different kinds of tea, revealing the reach and long-standing culture of teahouses in China.

Explore More about Chinese Tea

Recommended teahouse:

Lockcha; G/F, The K.S. Lo Gallery, Hong Kong Park, 10 Cotton Tree Drive, Admiralty.

(Open in Google Maps); +852 2801-7177

Laoshe Teahouse; Bldg. 3, Qianmenxi Main Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100051, China; Opening times: 9:00am-9:20pm every day; Telephone: 010-63036830, 010-63021717

In Laoshe Teahouse you can deeply feel the old Beijing traditional culture. Firstly, the decoration of the teahouse is in old Beijing style, with ancient wooden furniture. Secondly, every day you can enjoy a convergence of Peking opera, folk arts, acrobatics, magic, face-changing and other local wonderful performances. One can also taste various types of tea, fine court dessert and traditional Beijing snacks. 

Try Traditional Chinese Medicine----An Ancient yet Completely Modern Healing System

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is thousands of years old and has changed little over the centuries. Its basic concept is that a vital force of life, called Qi, surges through the body. Any imbalance to Qi can cause disease and illness. This imbalance is most commonly thought to be caused by an alteration in the opposite and complementary forces that make up the Qi. These are called yin and yang.

Ancient Chinese believed that humans are microcosms of the larger surrounding universe, and are interconnected with nature and subject to its forces. Balance between health and disease is a key concept. TCM treatment seeks to restore this balance through treatment specific to the individual. 

It is believed that to regain balance, you must achieve the balance between the internal body organs and the external elements of earth, fire, water, wood, and metal.

Want to unblock your qi? Hit up a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinic. Illness isn't an essential requirement -- TCM doctors believe preventing disease is just as important as treating it.

"TCM is ingrained in Chinese culture," says Canadian Leslie Bottrell, who is trained in both Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine. "It permeates everyday life and so empowers individuals to be responsible for their wellness by promoting disease prevention."

Explore more about Traditional Chinese Medicine