China

When most Australians go to live abroad for the first time, they usually take the "safe" option and go to the UK. If they are feeling extra adventurous, maybe they'll go to America or Canada. My best friend and I decided to go to Dalian, China, and I have no doubt in my mind that it was the best experience of my life. When Chinese people refer to Dalian, they allude to one catch-phrase - "Dalian is a beautiful city," or "the pearl of the orient." While the beaches don't have the pristine sands of Western Australia, or the magnificent skyline of Melbourne, Dalian is undoubtedly one of the nicer cities of China. Dalian is one of the smaller Chinese cities with only a population of about 6.2 million(yes this is small), but only has and urban population of about 3 million including a developmental zone. Dalian governs the entire Liaodong Peninsula of North-East China, while mountains surround the northern end of the city, which makes for many-a lovely hiking trip through the mountains and surrounding townships. As Dalian is a seaside city, there are also plently of opportunities for strolls along the coast when weather permits. As with most of China, there is also plenty to do and costs were minimal. As an English teacher, I was able to live on about 500RMB per week(about $70US) and this included eatling out every night, and having an active social life. Having travelled in most provicences of China, Dalian definitely had the best food, as unlike the rest of China, it food was niether sweet or laden with MSG. For $1 US, you could enjoy a tasty Chinese BBQ with lamb sticks and Corn bread, before heading out for an evening of drinking and playing Jenga or connect 4 at Noahs Ark or Dave's Bar. In the summer, Dalian comes alive in it's many paks and squares where you can join in with the locals and play Hacky Sack(with a feathered ball thing), or a version of Duck Duck Goose they play where someone walks around everyone who are standing in a circle and drops the hankey behind you before being chased (sadly I got caught and ended up having to stand in the middle with the other losers singing "We Will Rock You". In Zhongshan Square, in the city, they also do dancing. In our mis-guided attempts however to learn the steps, we ended up leading the locals in dancing the "Nutbush" to their music! Don't get me wrong, Dalian had it's drawbacks. Hygiene in retaurants, a hole in the ground for a toilet, the beaches had pebbles instead of sand, and communicating and accepting the beuracracy of their customs was often frustrating -as you would expect, but overall, Dalian was a fabulous experience, and I highly recommend it.

You gotta see the Forbidden City and venture out to see the Great Wall. It might be better now, but when I was there 5 years ago nobody spoke any English and everyone wanted to take pictures of us cause we looked so different. It can be a bit off putting at the start but you find out that the locals are really friendly. I recoomend finding an English speaking local tour guide and get them to introduce you to people. After that it's great!

If you real Guangzhou-nese food, go to SHANG XIA JIU, literal meaning: up down nine. A huge shopping block where only walking is allow.

Bargain for Terra Cotta Warriors souvenirs at the small stalls on the streets, learn some mandarin, bring a phrasebook with you. You will get a lot cheaper if you know and understand a bit Chinese.

Home to the largest standing Buddha in the world. Very spectacular sight. Go early in the morning no matter the time of year, it will always be packed by noon. Hostels for about 100miles around should easily be able to book a trip here.

Capital of China and host of 2008 olympics. It caters for english speaking tourists relatively well with most restaurants having English menus. Very cheap, but the rest of China is way cheaper, there is higher quality items and more variety and plenty to see and do. Most tours, especially the summer palace and Great Wall are very popular and all hostels and hotels will be able to book them for you.

Visiting the Muslim Quarter is a must for some of the tastiest food in China.

Be prepared for long border crossings between Hong Kong and Shenzhen! Once you're through, the giant mall near customs is a great place to have clothes custom tailored. Within the mall, you may be approached by various females asking you to eat at "their restaurant". Those are usually pricier than normal, so pick and choose your own instead!

Go to the Monkey Bar! Guaranteed great time.

While the old city can be nice, much of the newest areas are changing quite dramatically...

Smoggy when I went.

Wander down the backstreets off Tianaman Square. Go to the nightmarket and try the street food. Hire a cab for the day to take you to the Great Wall at Badaling. Do the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City. OOOOOh i could go on and on xxx I love this place xxxx

Duo shao qian? Means 'How Much?' 

Suzhou est une très belle ville chinoise avec ses canaux, ses ponts et ses marchés (style Bruges mais en plus pauvre et plus ancien). Si vous êtes en Chine, n'hésitez donc pas à visiter cette ville.

Get tetanus shots before visiting. Don't visit during Chinese New Year if you want to get any sleep.

Xi'an can easily be done on two overnight trains. It's a dusty little town and there isn't much else there except for the Terracotta Warriors. Pay the extra Y200 for soft sleep berths if you're feeling travel-weary. They're worth it for the privacy of you're tired of being "lao wai'ed" to death

Be very alert and aware when moving around in Guangzhou. Have your bag/backpack in front of you is always a good start.

Xi'an est une ville chinoise connue grâce à son armée en terre cuite (site découvert il y a quelques années par hasard et qui attire aujourd'hui un grand nombre de visiteurs). On y trouve une armée en terre cuite grandeur nature...

Nanjing is a great city! Visit the Sun Yat Sen Mausoleum, Ming Tombs, and Lingu Si Pagoda in Zijin Shan park on the northwestern outskirts of town. Then see the Maoist era Martyr's Memorial Yuhuatai park on its southern outskirts. Wander the budy downtown center and then Fuzi Miao shopping area for what a real Chinatown looks like - lots of tourist tack but it is quite pretty. Great new Metro system to get around on and Nanjing has one of the best train stations in China. Try Nanjing Duck, the local specialty, a pickled/salted alternative to the more famous duck dish from China's northern capital.

Gulang Yu is an awesome place to go and relax away from noise and pollution. Take a basket lunch and a pair of comfy shoes and prepare to spend a quiet day on the beach. The Piano Museum is a Must-See!

This place is stunning in it's simplistic beauty. Go during the winter to avoid the crowds. It's spectacular.

The Capital city of the Middle Kingdom boasts the most concentrated relics in the communist nation. In Beijing, the people are friendly and proud. It is very inexpensive to visit Beijing.For shopping, avoid the Silk Market and Ya Show. I'd highly recommend Xidan instead.Eat anywhere! (Except those yucky places that tour guides take large groups)The Drum and Gong on Nanlousguxiang is one of my favorite eateries for inexpensive fusion of many Chinese provinces.Hai Di Lao has the BEST hot pot service in town.Take the subway. It's cheaper than the taxi an FASTER.If on a budget, stay in the Hutongs at Downtown Backpackers. It's clean, convenient and safe. The service is excellent and many tours are offered from there.

Beautiful and clean and fully worth a weekend get-a-away for sunshine and trip over to Gulang Yu.Be sure to say Hello to Steve and Rodney at Tuttu Bene across from the Marco Polo.

A fantastic city for clubs, bars and nightlife.Nothing too seedy and very minor underground scene.Check out Laris and Attica, both near The Bund for fine cuisine, sumptuous drinking, dirty dancing and outstanding views. Nanjing Road at night is NOT to be missed.Skip Xintiandi unless you're just starved for Euro-culture.Everything there is over-priced and European.Stop in at the House of Jazz and Blues at Maoming Lu for great live entertainment. The after-hours joint is JZ. (Just follow the HOBJ crowd).

This is the place to find leather EVERYTHING.Go for the Tidal Bore that occurs once a month with the moon. (Check your almanac) It's a fascinating phenomenon.Bargain HARD for the leather stuff.The quality varies widely.

Suzhou is lovely and lazy.The gardens are spectacular as are the nearby canals.The residents are friendly and smiling and seem happy to see visitors.

Xiamen is considered by the Chinese government a "model" Chinese city. It's incredibly clean, tidy, organised and CHEAP! It's located on the Eastern seaboard meaning it's main focus is commerce and therefore, Westerners. Many Westerners flying in and out of Xiamen on business are lulled into thinking all China is this clean, organised and English-speaking (hmmm...!). In addition to being a key centre of commerce and industry, it's also a key resort for more wealthy Chinese looking for some "time out". If you're a leisure traveller this means avoid the place during peak tradeshow season (April-May and Oct) and Chinese holiday periods...

Xi'an is a beautiful fortified city. When in Xi'an take the time to walk on the top of the walls, where you get an impressive view of the city. Also, you may visit the impressive Terracotta army or the Wild Goose Pagoda, both worth it.

This city has the highest population of college students- 800,000! It's second only to Beijing. It can get extremely cold here and heat is only available during certain months of the year. The Terracotta Soldiers are a must see for tourists.

Superbe, ça vaut vraiment le détour, pour la beauté du lieu et pour l'ambiance sympa, un peu baba. Beaucoup de français ont adopté Dali. Niveau shopping, de beaux objets à acquérir, beaucoup de marchandage. Point noir: trop touristique

Kunming, c'est propre, ensoleillé, agréable à vivre masi pas très beau. Ville de transition, donc.

I only had about 8 hours here, but more than enough time to go to the Great Wall. I went on a pre arranged tour that included lunch, but there are buses and taxis that will also take you there from the airport. It was absolutely spectacular!

Not a fan of the traffic, or the airport. Most recent trip through Shanghai had me at the airport 5 hours before my flight and I could not check-in until just over 2 hours before the flight. The airlines have specific aisles to check in for specific flights, so they are not open for check in at all times. Unless of course you are travelling via Shanghai Airlines, then there are many aisles of check-in oportunity.

Shenzhen is home to what I like to call the "Great Fake Mall of China." It is a multiple story building filled with hundreds, if not thousands, of merchants selling fake shoes, sunglasses, handbags, electronics, DVD's, accessories, etc. It's at the Lo Wu train station, an easy ride from Hong Kong. I recommend a local to do the bargaining for you.

Take a trip with a local tour business. This will provide a private vehicle and driver, tour guide who purchases all tickets etc, and a wealth of information about the area that you would not get if going by local bus or taxi.

If shopping at the Lowu center at Shenzen don't flash your money around, don't appear too keen when bargaining, and be prepared to put something down and make as if to leave. It's almost guaranteed the price will keep coming down.

Always barter, unless in a proper shop. A great way to get the price you want is to show them the money you want to pay. Money talks

"Tai gui le!" Means "Too expensive!"

If you plan to go to the Great Wall make sure you leave early in the morning or later at night because traffic leaving Beijing is horrendous!

I recently passed through Shanghai on my way to the nearby city of Ningbo. I landed at Shaghai Pudong and had to switch to Shanghai Hongqiao airports. At both the airports all the key signs were bilingual between Mandarin and English, whilst many of the staff spoke passable English. Furthermore there is a reasonable bus service linking the two airports, it costs about 30 RMB (at time of typing £1 = 13.25 RMB) and the journey lasted about an hour. From Pudong airport there are many other bus services which are also sign posted bilingually, such as to the central train station and to certain hotels and key areas around Shanghai.

Hangzhou has very bad air pollution. We could hardly see through the yellow haze.

always travel with some one in this city

Xiamen is an international port city on the southeast coast of China. It is actually an island connected by a land bridge to the mainland. Travelers often arrive by long distance bus with the bus terminal in the heart of the city. Alternately, they can arrive by plane, landing at the airport to the north of the island. Xiamen itself has several scenic attractions, notably the HuLiShan fort to the south of the island. The Xiamen botanical gardens just north of Xiamen University is also an attraction, but be careful, or you might wander into the nearby military base. There are dozens of parks, especially the one near the lake in the middle of the island. Xiamen University itself is a pictoresque place to visit and each day, hundreds of tourists arrive to visit the university. Night life is diverse as there are dozens of bars and clubs to choose from. Cuisine ranges from traditional Chinese and Xiamenese fare to Indian, Cuban, and western, but be prepared to pay more for non-Chinese cuisines. Nearby Xiamen is Gulangyu island. Although tourists go there, it is also a place of residence. Therefore, many famous buildings or notable buildings are also someone's home or a store at the ground floor. Gulangyu's cemetaries are actually filled with British and American missionaries from the 19th century. For more information, www.amoymagic.com is a good website for further resources.

You can camp overnight on the Great Wall of China!!! We organized it through Leo Hostel. (definitly organize a group with a Chinese speaking guide as it can be unsafe to go alone.) Anyhow, it was amazing!

It's the world's wholesale market. 3000 containers exported everyday thru NingBo port.Very impressive shopping experience!

When shopping at the markets (and you must shop at the markets) remember bargaining is necessary. A good rule of thumb is to kindly force the vendor to make the first offer, and then counter with 10% of the figure. Work your way up from there - try not to pay more than 20% of the original offer. The best price is always the one that is fair to both the vendor and you.Also, make a point of visiting old Beijing (hutong). It is the only place still existing where you can get a sense of real Beijing life and culture.

nice beaches better travel between March and Oct as it is warm and lots of activities going on. Qingdao Beer Festival in late August every year, attracting lots people from all over the world. Booking hotel at least 4 months ahead.

Be sure to get a Chinese-style body massage (88 yuan for an hour at a relatively upmarket place in Pudong) or get a foot massage and pedicure (30 yuan onwards at a street parlour).

Be aware that SARS was first discovered in the Qingping market. It is right over the foot bridge from Shamian Island where a lot of Americans stay. I did not realize the history of the place until I had gone over there in my sandals. I scalded my feet with hot water for an hour.

The weather is really terrible in spring and fall. In spring the sand in Gobi dessert terrorizes the whole air and in fall the wind is so strong that you can see a big tree 'dancing'. It is a cool place to visit, since Beijing has the Great Wall (Chang Cheng) and the Palace, which is really worth seeing. The Palace is reall HUGE and BEAUTIFUL. But sometimes you can really get ripped off badly, for example, I saw two American dudes paying $30 dollars to a bicycle guy for a 300 meter trip (which is a total ripoff). But except for that, it is a good place to visit.

Hangzhou is a great place.... if you go there at the right time. For me it wasn't that awful. The temples and the lake... It is really worth seeing. The Liuhe Pagoda is fantastic, and the Buddist carvings were fascinating (but can be boring for kids....)

1. You have to eat the rice noodles in Nanning, it is delicious!2. Be careful of the sun in Summer, it burns!

Kunming's Stone Forest is a must visit if you are in this area!

Hey everybody,don't forget to attend the pandareservate near Chengdu when you're around; it's great! The city itself is huge and extremely busy, quite an expercience on its own just to be there. Try to see something from both the old chinese culture in chengdu (tempels..) and the metropole chengdu:P Enjoy!

My stay in Shanghai was very short but very impressive. just standing along the waterside watching all those extremely tall buildings is an experience you'll never forget!

It's worth the trip to see the Terracotta warriors-they are amazing! It's a little difficult to get there by train on certain days so make sure you check ahead of time.

You cannot sleep at the airport - don't even try it. The police will show up and make you leave and there is nothing around there.

See the Summer Palace - spend the day there if you can, it's beautiful!

Great place to buy burned dvds for cheap - make sure you check them first - most places will let you.

must try the iron egg --traditional local dishes ! ^^

It's better to have a tour around the city by taxi.Warm-hearted driver will help you to go to the most beautiful place in Tianjin and do not forget to taste Tianjin "Gou bu li" baozi!

Try the hot pot if you're not afraid of spice!

Do not buy the photo books inside the forbidden city. Once get out the forbidden city, you can get the bargains.

Taking the bus from Hong Kong to here is too long. The airline is faster and much better.

The second stop for the walk across the great wall is my favourite. The embroided duvet covers and blankets sold at the amrket stalls here are really good value. I have had trouble finding something similar elsewhere.

I think the most dramatic border crossing (no troubles really just as far as contrast from one side to the other) that I have ever been through. I can't get over how different Vietnam and China are just by crossing an invisible line. Hekou is a nice enough town to walk around. There is a little supermarket, some parks and restaurants so you won't go hungry. We took an overnight bus to Kunming. The landscape on the bus trip was beautiful. There is a grumpy border gaurd going into China. He yelled at me and said it wasn't me in my passport. Called my photo fat (even though I have always been skinny.) Then the other lady working there yelled at him and then he let me through. So I think he does that to everyone. Apparently he yelled at the person I was with because he said "Ni-how" (don't know how to spell it) but it means hello in Chinese. he said- "If you don't speak Chinese fluently don't speak it at all." Grouchy...

See Guilins karst mountains

I lived in Shanghai, Pudong for 5 months in 2005. The best thing to do is just to walkaround in different areas and get lost. One of the few very old things is Longhua Temple south of the City centre.

Dali = Heaven = Dali

Only 3 nights. Bloody Cold!!

take a boating over the west lake, visit the gardens on the middle of the lake and go to rent a bike on the other side of the lake, for and adenturous ride while watching the skyscrapers in the far

I really liked the old astronomic observatory For the great wall: get a taxi to drive you to a spot a few hours away from a major tourist part and then walk over the wall to there. No problem finding your way back.

swimming pools r messed up, they will eat ur swim suit!

if you have a small child make sure you bring a stroller when going to the palace. it's a long long walk. it killed me!

Loved the monastary that is way up on a hill with all the statues of different monks depicted supposedly on specific people who, actually, weren't happy with the honest depictions and the sculptor soon "dissappeared." You take a bus to a main bus exchange and then take a shared minivan up the mountain, same thing on the way back. I found it very peaceful up there. I can't remember the exact details but it should be in your guidebook and/or they should have information at your accomodation.

Moi qui pensait avoir compris en gros la structure des villes chinoises, je me suis pris une claque en arrivant à Qingdao! Très étrange impression. Déjà aucun vélo, les gens du coin ne savent d'ailleur pas faire de vélo (pour preuve mes amis de là bas), c'est le comble pour des chinois! Une ville "vallonée", pas vraiment de centre ville, il y'a les quartiers des anciens colons allemands (entre autre), la ville un peu 80', et la ville moderne. Beaucoup de coréens. Beaucoup de plages. Un air "pur" (relatif au reste du pays). La fête de la bière annuelle, qui niveau ambiance n'arrive pas à la cheville de celle de Munchen. Non loin les monts laoshan où on peut faire des balades sympas.

Le Xinjiang c'est sublime!! les ouighours sont excellents! Karghilik... pas grand chose à voir. Faut se promener dans la vieille ville ouighoure, se perdre dans les ruelles en terre. Plein de gamins qui jouent.

When I was in Nanning we got in early in the morning and right across from the train station there is a pretty decent hotel and some of the rooms have internet access.

What a fantastic little town, although its been given the cheesy Chinese tourist treatment it is still a gem. The walk around the city walls was a highlight for me and gives really good views of the town.

This provincial capital is a bit out of the way and hardly any tourists make it this far, but thats partly what makes it a fascinating place. 800 years ago it was the capital of the Xi Xia kingdom, a group of Tibetan decent who built some quite amazing tombs just outside the city. The city itself is built by the banks of the yellow river and there is a fantastic old pagoda in the town which you can climb (if you have a head for heights!)

The town itself doesn't really have any sites, although its quite fun to wander round the downtown area and the markets. Anshun is a good base though if you plan to visit the Huangguoshu Falls (the largest in China) and some of the caves in the surrounding areas. The waterfall really is quit amazing and you can walk behind the falls as well.

I've visited Beijing and passed through it a good number of times now and have yet to see a smog free day. Visit the wall (jinshangling or simitai are the best bits), wizz round the temple of heaven and the summer palace and get out of there. China is an amazing place with some beautiful scenery and historic sites, but Beijing is nowhere near the top of the list of 'must see' places in China in my books. Controversial?

I came here to see the Buddhist grottoes, which certainly didn't disappoint (some of them are as impressive as the valley of the Kings in Luxor). But don't miss out on the fantastic sand dunes on the edge of the town either. They are immense, hundreds of metres high, and you can hire cammels to go trekking into the dunes very easily (its set up for Chinese toursits, but is not as chessy as that sounds). A great place to visit.

I really didn't like this city very much, but the pollution had a lot to do with that! I've visited most provinces in China and few can compare with Shanxi in terms of coal burning ouput. I coughed solidly for three days, saw the terracottas, the muslim quarter and a couple of pagodas and quickly moved on.

This is one of my favourite places in the whole of China. It's laid back, chilled, the scenery is beautiful. What more could you want. Take a boat down the river, hire a bike and go cycling around the country lanes, climb some karst peaks. The town itself has some great shops, markets and places to eat, drink and stay. Top place!

There are many river towns near shanghai and this is one of the most famous, and more touristy. It's not a bad place to wander around and get a feel for these kinds of old towns, but there are others which are less busy and more enjoyable (zhujiazhou is my personal favourite).

People here in Kashgar (or Kashi in Mandarin) speak the Uyghur language, which is related to Turkish. They are a unique ethnic group with great ethnic music, try to see a traditional musical instrument shop, some of the larger ones are amazing.

This is a crazy city, bustling with energy. Watch out for pickpockets. Also, since most people in Shenzhen are actually recent immigrants looking for work, the street language is Mandarin, not Cantonese as in other parts of Guangdong province.

This city is still in the process of modernizing, enjoy the rural life while you can. I think I got sick here, be careful with drinking water and such.

Great city, lots of history, lots of culture. Tons of must see sites here.

Great city, nice spring-time weather ALL YEAR ROUND unlike other parts of China, which can get crazy hot during summer or crazy cold during winter. Definitely one of my favorite cities in China.

Home of the Naxi (NAH-shee) nationality. A very beautiful city with a great culture. The Naxi people have a unique script based on pictures, look around the tourist areas for examples. They also have good traditional music. A beautiful part of the city is the Gucheng, or ancient city.

Cool city, with a nice blend of Chinese and Central Asian culture. If you are eating a meal with local Uyghurs, don't order pork, they don't eat it due to their religious traditions (Chinese, on the other hand, love pork).

Yinchuan is a comparatively small and quiet Chinese city. Overall, the province it is located in, Ningxia, is quite poor, even by China standards. Transport between Yinchuan and surrounding areas is still underdeveloped.

Shangri-la is a breathtakingly beautiful city, right on the border with Tibet. One thing to remember is that the oxygen level up here in the mountains is very low, so those who are physically weak (elderly, those with breathing problems) should buy emergency oxygen tanks from the hotels in case something happens.

Chaozhou has an extremely hot and humid summer, be sure to keep that in mind. The upside is that this is the best weather for growing fruits such as lychees, so make sure you buy some while here.

Shantou is a city near the cultural center of Chaozhou, and is right near the sea. The cuisine is excellent here, you won't go hungry for sure. The native dialect spoken here is rather hard to learn, though it is most closely related to the dialects of southern Fujian province. Most people will have learned Mandarin or sometimes, Cantonese.

Dali is the home of the Bai nationality, who speak a language that is probably a distant offshoot branch of the Chinese languages. They have a nice traditional music troupe that is worth listening if you get the chance.

A quickly emerging city, Jieyang is extremely hot and humid in the summer. Cuisine is delicious. The native dialect is the same as that of Chaozhou or Shantou.

Guangzhou is a great city for anyone interested in any aspect of Chinese culture. This is the traditional home of the Cantonese language; Mandarin is also widely spoken. A must have here is Cantonese cuisine, particularly Dim Sum.

Taishan dialect is a kind of more colloquial, rural form of Cantonese, people fluent in Standard Cantonese but never exposed to this subdialect may need to spend some time getting used to it, but either way, most Taishan people speak Standard Cantonese as well.

I had a best fun there. Visit to Sunglow bar next to the Golden Gulf hotel is obligatory.

It's the trade center of China, so many go there for business reasons, but when you come, allow yourself to be a tourist at least for a day. City is old, has many great things to see...good luck.

The really special part of this city is the small island which used to be home to the British, French and other 'colonisers' in the 19th and early 20th century. It is only a 5 minute ferry ride from the main part of the city, but it seems a million miles away. There are no cars or bikes on the island and in the early mornings and evenings (when the day tripping tourists aren't there) it is very quiet and peaceful. There are some nice hotels on the far side of the island with good views of the sea.

There's not a great deal to see in this town, but its a good 'jumping off' point if you plan to explore the minority villages that run south from here towards, and into Guangxi province. In 3-4 days you can work your way down to Guilin stopping off at many of the dong minority villages on route.

I only passed through Tianjin, but I was quite taken by the old colonial area down by the river side and some of the markets are rather interesting too. Not really worth visiting for the sake of it, but not a bad place to spend a day or two if you're in the area.

I really liked Hangzhou, in terms of the advancement of the city I would place it even higher than Shanghai. The buildings are all new and futuristic and the taxis, shops, stores are all new. The city is smaller than Shanghai and Beijing and makes getting around a bit easier.

The ice festival at Harbin is one of the most amazing spectacles I have seen in my life! The scale is immense. There are several ice sculpture parks in the city itself and the huge ice and snow creations found in the park across the river are almost unbelievable. When I visited in Feb 2007 they had Temples, Churches made out of ice 1:1 scale. If you are in China at this time of year then it is a 'must see', you won't be disappointed.

Beijing does a very good job at portraying the history of china. Beijing is all old school unlike Shanghi, from the square to great wall to forbiddin palace. Great place for single males as all the restraunts have "entertainers" and because of the exchange rate living expenses there is really low. Watch out for the kid beggers though, they hug on your leg and gets really annoying.

This provincial capital is a bit out of the way and hardly any tourists make it this far, but thats partly what makes it a fascinating place. 800 years ago it was the capital of the Xi Xia kingdom, a group of Tibetan decent who built some quite amazing tombs just outside the city. The city itself is built by the banks of the yellow river and there is a fantastic old pagoda in the town which you can climb (if you have a head for heights!)

The Big Buddha is amazing!

I really like this cute little river town thats now been merged into the 'greater shanghai' area. It's pretty crowded at the weekends, but worth exploring.

its strange to see this huge city up on the tibetan plateau. its quite interesting though and a good base for exploring sites like the monastery at tongren or qinghai lake.

I really liked this provincial capital. It's surrounded by mountains on all sides and the park in the middle of the city has wild monkeys in it!

The city is quite nice, the mountains are very tourist, but still spectacular. Well worth visiting though.

One of my favourite places in China. The location by lake Erhu and beneath a range of 4,000m mountains is very dramatic. Take a trip around the lake and visit some local villages, the 3 pagodas are also worth a trip. I could chill out here for weeks...

Great gardens, but rather busy with tourists. The Master of the Nets is my personal favourite.

Don't stop here unless you have too. I only did in order to change trains between UB and Beijing. There's nothing much to see or do. Move on!

The Buddha caves here are amazing. In china, only Dunhuang and Leshan compare in terms of how impressive this place is. It's just a pity they were smashed up so much during the cultural revolution.

An easy trip from Shanghai or Nanjing. Changzhou has a lovely park and monastery and the tallest pagoda in the world. Not bad really.

This is my favourite river town in the Shanghai area. Its got loads of charm, lovely canals and some great little shops and cafes. I used to bike out to this place in less than an hour on my moped when i lived in shanghai, and the journey out there was rather nice too.

The best beaches in China, great food and a real south east Asia feel.

walk EVERYWHERE. so fantastic. be CAREFUL crossing streets. even if your light is green, cars think they have the right of way. Order the Peking duck.

Traveled there in 1994! Came in the "back door" to China- over one of the old silk road routes. Expected it too be really run down and dirty- full of coal dust. Ended up in the first privately built hotel in that province- beautiful! The Hong Chinese side of town was very nice and "modern"- the Uigur (Muslim) side of town was very degraded- obviously poor people and high unemployment. Food was excellent! Real Chinese food is MUCH spicier/hotter than expected- and the Uigur food is a little bit bland- lots of noodles! Be prepared for Asian toilets- grooves in the ground with and without running water. In other words, crouching not sitting!!!

Always carry a card with the name of your destination and name of your hotel written in Chinese to show taxi drivers. Almost none of them will speak English.

I loved the Shanghai Bowuguan: the only decent art history museum i've seen in China

If you don't want to go on your own to the Shaolin Temple, Zhengzhou is a good base to book one of the tours to the temple. It happens that mostly Chinese are on the bus, it's fun, no one speaks English, even the tourguide has problems. Be prepared with your own guidebook and a mandarin translation book and have fun using sign language! it's quite fun - if you're interested in Chinese people. But think about going to the Shaolin Temple on your own..

Traders/Salesclerks/Taxi Drivers rarely know how to speak English.So to reach your intended destination/s, plan ahead and bring a list of the addresses (written in Chinese)you intend to go. Or else, you may not be able to go back to your hotel for the night!

Chaozhou has a lot of history behind it. Some parts of it are being remodelled. You can take a bicycle-rickshaw tour around the city for a good price (50-80 RMB)

ERENHOT (or Erlian called by the Chinese) A small town on a chinese-mongolian border. If you are travelling on a trans-mongolian train you have to spend few hours there (customs and changing engine), and there is not much to do... You can get a chinese foot massage, buy some staff from a duty free shop, or just hang out with fellow travellers...

Bell Tower Youth Hostel is a great place to stay if you want to have and English breakfast or a steak;) Pool table, Fussbaltable, Chill and lounge area... Double room for RMB150 Its right in the middle of the city. There is a little travel service at the reception and the staff speaks English.

If you want to stay in a nice Chinese hotel near the forbidden city i can recommend the Beijing Fu You Jie Hotel.From RMB160 for a double room..Summer Palace was the most impressive i have been and i was impressed by the friendliness of the Chinese people!

One of my favorite cities in China because of the cute minority Naxi people, so different to the Han people, and the lovely cool weather. The Old Town is a fascinating marble cobblestone maze of shopping stalls, curious little bars and cafe restaurants, and even a few backpackers inns. Also a great place to visit because it is close to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Tiger Leaping Gorge. Bring sunscreen because although it is a cooler place, the high altitude means you will burn more readily than you think and wear comfortable shoes because it is really a great city for walking.

Beijing is awesome for Chinese history; The Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven... It's a terrific (flat) city for walking, or if you're brave, cycling. Just be careful around traffic; it is safer to jaywalk and trust your senses than the little green man. You must visit the hutongs and if you can, stay in the hostels there; they are quaint little pieces of history fast becoming trendy cafes and boutiques.

I loved Xi'an for its laid back kind of feel (reminds me of my hometown of Brisbane), but there is not much to do there. Having said that though, it is only an overnight train journey from Beijing and is worth the visit to see the Terracotta Warriors and the impressive Xi'an city wall.

Oh my God, you have never seen anything as amazing as the Kunming Stone Forest. Just incredible. Bear in mind that it is a high altitude place, so keep drinking your water and lay off the caffeine and alcohol.

If you want pretty landscapes and pretty cities, Guilin is the place to go. A short ferry cruise down the gorgeous Li River is great to see the local fishermen and amazing limestone mountains. The city itself is beautifully planned around the lakes and although the Golden Week is a busy tourist time, the bustle and extra entertainment dotted around the place during the evening could be worth it. Walk around the city along the lakes or take a breath taking night boat tour.

If you find yourself in Lijiang i really recommend the 2 or 3 day trek through the Tiger Leaping Gorge of the Yangtze river. The scenery is absolutely stunning, and few guesthouses along the route are really cozy (although obviously very spartan).

Don't pass through without trying the Sichuan hotpot!

Nunca, nunca... NUNCA! mezclen Chivas Reagal con Green Tea!!! Y si van a beber cerveza... Pearl River LIGHT!!! sólo 11 grados alcoólicos... las demás son un poco fuertes ;)

Pudong is a rather new area of Shanghai, where back in 2000 nothing but a few buildings were standing and now it is hard to find a virgin spot. Pudong is on the east bank of the river Huangpu. Stay in the Shangri-La Pudong and you might have a magnificent view of the Bund (colonial Shanghai). The hotel is located next to one of China, maybe Asia's biggest shopping centers and the well known Shanghai Pearl Tower is just a few steps away. To get to Shanghai on the other side of the river, take either taxi, subway or the boat. In Pudong you can find the still (for how long?) tallest hotel in the world: Hyatt Regency in Jinmao Tower. There is a platform almost on top (something like 80th floor), from where you have an awesome view over Shanghai and Pudong if there is no smog

Definitely check out the Yu Yuan Garden for a bit of peace and tranqulity. Or, Nanjing Road for amazing shopping. Both are packed with people!!

no matter wat yea do you gotta go to an english pub called the rigshaw...

While a beach in China may seem like an oxymoron...it's actually a nice, relatively clean beach! I recommend going to the beach near nice hotels (Marriott or Hilton). Mainland tourists in matching "Hawaiian" outfits are rather funny to watch.

Zhengzhou is the classic grey Chinese city, but very close to Shaolin Temple, which is worth a visit (if you are lucky enough to see the famous monks).

For a unique experience, take the magnetic levetation train from Pudong to the airport. This is about a 10-15 minute taxi ride from Grand Hyatt, St. Regis or Shangri-La and the train itself takes but 8 minutes to the airport once you hit the 400 km per hour top speed. Fun.

Beijing is a very historical city and there are a lot of delicious food there.

Great-Wall and Beijing Duck, when you have the experience of them, you will love them

Make sure visit 'HouHai' area. U can find nice bars!

Best time to travel in Hangzhou is from March to April or in summer as the public transportation such as bus will not provide service after 8:00