China Travel Advice

[LongHairRocker]

Hi everyone,

I'm going to China this monday fot 2 weeks and I have everything planned: plane tickets, traintickets in China, hotels, but I wonder if you guys have advice on things to see (I'm going to Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai) or things i need to know, so I won´t make a faux pas there.
And I also wonder about things like local food, what should I try and what is to be avoided. So if you ever been to China or live there, I need youre knowledge. I thank you all in advance..

 

[Locko96]

Hey,

I'm American but I lived in Shanghai for 6 years. I'll kinda give you a run of the cities you're going to. However, I only went to Xi'an once so I can't really give a huge rundown on that.

Beijing: I've been there several times so I can give a decent rundown of the city. In terms of places to go, I recommend that you visit the Great Wall (specifically the JiaYuGuan section of the wall. Avoid the sections close by to the city as they are swarming with tourists), TianAnMen Square and the Forbidden City. The 2008 Olympic site is really neat too, but that would only be a short visit. There's is never a problem with just getting dropped off somewhere in the city and wandering around. If you've never been there, it's really quite interesting. As far as food goes, there are night markets scattered around the city that are really cheap but the food is delicious. I also recommend trying the Peking Duck. You can find a restaurant online I'm sure. However, be sure to make a reservation. There are also many local sort of "hole in the wall" restaurants that sell noodles and local delicacies.

Xi'an: Honestly, I went there once and I didn't really enjoy it. I can't see spending more than 2 days there. The Terra Cotta warriors are definitely
interesting but they get old kinda fast. There's also a surrounding wall in the city that you can bike or walk. Other than that, I don't know much about the cities.

Shanghai: This is where the bulk of my info comes in. I'll start with sites to see. I recommend going to the financial district and seeing the Pearl Tower, the World Financial Center and there's a 3rd tower which name slips my mind. Nearby is a district called JinQiao, which is essentially the foreigner's district, and the Science and Tech Museum. Under the S&T Museum is where you will definitely want to go. It's called KeJiGuan. It's a place to buy fashion and silks. More importantly, it's a great place to buy fake goods. Headphones, games, and everything technological. What I just mentioned is in the side of the city called PuDong. On the opposite side, PuXi, is where more of the interesting stuff is. There is a place called the Yu Gardens, which is a modernized temple area. There is also the Jing'an temple, but that's sort of a tourist trap. There is also an area called People's Square. Around it are malls. Inside is a park and the Shanghai Museum. Nearby is JingLi Road. It's a famous street known for the musical instruments you can buy there. In terms of food in Shanghai, the hole in the wall restaurants that are literally everywhere are always great. Famous things include a dumpling restaurant in the Yu Gardens (you'll notice a huge line in Yu Gardens of people waiting for food, hard to miss but you should make a reservation). Once again, just wandering the city is a
great thing to do.

That's about it from me. However, find stuff for yourself to do there. May I ask how well you speak Mandarin?

 

[ddrfr33k]

Hopefully you'll be checking this message once you land. I know getting internet access can be difficult in most places...

I spent 12 days in Xi'an, Beijing, and Shanghai in 2008. My itinerary was planned for pretty much my entire trip, and I had translators when I needed them. Here's a couple of tips for you:

If you're not careful, your bank will apply a $5 per transaction surcharge every time you use your credit card. You can usually dispute this and get the charges reversed, but consider yourself warned.

While wandering around, if you don't look Asian, street vendors will walk up to your and try to sell you stuff. Don't take anything they hand to you. They won't take it back, and then they make a fuss until you give them money for it. I'm 6'5" (197 cm), bright red hair, and fair skin. I stuck out like a sore thumb while I was there.

Some street vendors will tell you they have a shop with more stuff to check out. Don't go there, especially alone. A couple of guys in my group did this, and they're my size +75 lbs of muscle, all ex-military. And they honestly felt like they were gonna die and get dumped in an alleyway. Don't even think of trying to haggle with them at that point. Just as a point of caution.

Also, when you do haggle with the street vendors, they'll show you their cheapest knockoffs first. One of my translators has a friend who makes counterfeit goods, and said that they have 3 grades of fakes: B, A, and S grade. You can usually tell which ones they show first. By the time you hit the S grade items, they'll be trying to sell it at a high price. Don't fall for it. Expect to feign walking away at least 3 or 4 times before you get the price you want. And don't be afraid to walk away if you have to. That's part of the nature of the beast.

If you don't speak Chinese, know that how you say something matters more than what you say. If you're not comfortable with the language, get your guide to help.

I had a lot of fun in the Bund in Shanghai. It's this old business district that has a lot of western roots. To be honest, you'll really only want to check out the riverside parks, and it really doesn't have a whole lot going for it. But there's tons of people there. There was a female high school student who approached a couple of us and wanted to practice her English. So we just chatted for an hour or so, it was really fascinating.

Enjoy the spicy food in Xi'an and Beijing. You will rarely ever try cuisine like that again. And if you get the chance (and you're of proper age) try the snake wine at the restaurant on the Terra Cotta Warriors site. I regret not taking a shot of it when I had the chance. It makes for great stories back home.