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Triban

Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Location: Suwon Station
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Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 5:33 pm Post subject: Traveling in China for one month |
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So I plan on touching down in Shanghai and meeting some friends, and leaving from Beijing whilst catching the year of the dragon festivities.
My Travel itinerary looks like this at the moment, any suggestions appreciated.
Shanghai > Suzhou >Hangzhou > Huangshan >Yangshou/Guilin > Chengdu (?) or Sichuan > Xi'an > Beijing/Harbin
Kaifeng? Pingyan/Datong/Luoyang?
I'm trying to figure out a way to fit Lijiang and the silk road in there but we will see.
Any suggestions on what to see/where to go/trip cost/ travel route?
Also, how many days per city and where to stay or good food suggestions are welcome. Judging by my travel route, how much Mandarin should I know?
I have friends in Shanghai and Xi'am but nowhere else; I don't really want to fly solo everywhere but it seems dems the cards.
Last edited by Triban on Thu Nov 10, 2011 5:57 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Chet Wautlands

Joined: 11 Oct 2008
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Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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No suggestions, but that sounds awesome! |
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samd
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 1:03 am Post subject: |
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Sounds like a great trip!
As someone else said in another thread, Lunar New Year is not the best time to be travelling in China, but I'm guessing you don't have much of a choice, so you'll just have to plan a bit better in terms of tickets and accommodation.
I would use Ctrip and Elong to book flights and hotels, and to plan your itinerary. They will give you a good indication of prices and available routes.
Outside of Beijing and Shanghai you don't need to pay more than 200rmb a night for a basic hotel room, and hostels are half that for a double room or cheaper still for a dorm bed. In many ways hostels are better value and offer more services than the basic Chinese business hotels like Home Inn, Jinjiang Inn etc.
Flights range from a couple of hundred yuan to a couple of thousand, depending on the time and the route. Expect delays and cancellations too, especially in smaller cities, on less popular routes, and with smaller carriers. Domestic travel is pretty smooth, and normally being at an airport an hour early is more than enough. During holiday periods it will be a mess though, so be sure to give yourself enough time to get there and negotiate the crowds.
Also, keep in mind that it can be cheaper to fly further and in a more roundabout way. Eg. It is cheaper to fly Xi'an to Guilin to Chongqing to Shanghai, than the more geographically-logical Xi'an to Chongqing to Guilin to Shanghai. A bit of research on the sites above can save you a fair bit of cash.
I much prefer trains to planes in China. Cheaper, less delays, more comfortable, the train stations are more centrally located than the airports, less time wasted turning up at airports early and going through security, you see so much more of the country, and trains are great for meeting people, especially in the hard sleeper and seat classes. The downsides are the food, the toilets on some trains, and tickets can sell out fast on some routes during normal times, and instantly on all routes during holidays. For overnight trains, soft sleepers are usually at least a couple of hundred yuan cheaper than flying, hard sleepers cheaper again, and seats super cheap although pretty nightmarish I would expect.
Weather-wise, the North will be absolutely freezing, Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Chengdu and Sichuan Province will be freezing, and Guilin and Yangshuo a bit warmer.
In my opinion Shanghai and surrounds are the least interesting, but I'm sure your friends will be able to show you the best of that area. Suzhou and Hangzhou aren't really worth more than a day each, so if you have free accommodation in Shanghai, I would do them each as a day trip, rather than book accommodation there and make them part of your main route.
Xi'an is awesome and easily worth a couple of days.
If you go to Chengdu, then it's worth going to Chongqing too, the Three Gorges, and to Leshan to see the giant Buddha. Jiuzhaigou in Western Sichuan is supposed to be amazing, but I haven't been there, and I'm not sure what it's like in winter. I love Sichuan.
Same goes for Zhangjiajie, where Avatar was filmed. I haven't been there either, but well-travelled friends have told me it's their favourite place in China.
If you go to Guilin and Yangshuo (see the Longsheng rice terraces while you're there also), it might be worth visiting Yunnan Province too. Awesome food, nice weather, epic scenery like the Stone Forest, and Kunming is supposed to be a nice city with the best climate in the country.
Kaifeng isn't worth more than a day either, but if you're planning to go to the nearby Shaolin temple anyway, it's worth a visit along with Zhengzhou, which is well-connected to the rest of China. If you do go to Kaifeng, it has a excellent night street-food market, selling almost anything on a skewer.
Baekdusan/Changbaishan is fantastic, I went there last month, but it might be too cold and icy in January.
Harbin is worth the trip for the Ice Festival, but there's nothing else to do there, and it's freezing.
As you will be in the North anyway, Dandong on the North Korean border is a good place for some NK-watching, the easternmost end of the Great Wall, and North Korean-run restaurants on the riverbank. For nightlife, go to Real Love, an awesome Chinese-style club with a unique floorshow. You won't be disappointed. The overnight train to Beijing is a good one too.
In roughly the same area, I've heard good things about Dalian, but haven't been there myself. Jilin is a nice smaller city, and winter is the best time to go, to see the Ice Trees on the river. Shenyang and Changchun are places to avoid, unless you like cold ugly and industrial.
In terms of language, a phrasebook will do, but a few hours on Pimsleur Mandarin or Michel Thomas will go a long way and will enrich your trip no end. Booking trains and buses can be hard without Chinese, although if you're staying in hostels the staff can take care of that stuff for you. Bear in mind that in a lot of places there will be no English, and no-one who speaks it.
Food. The highlight of any trip to China.
Your friend in Shanghai will be able to show you the best of that region, but other than that:
Xi'an: Great street food in the Muslim Quarter. Try the Yangroupaomo.
Sichuan: Sichuan food is delicious, nice and spicy. Hotpot in Chongqing is a must, and they have some nice fish dishes too.
I'm a big fan of Northeastern food, and you'll eat well in Beijing and Harbin.
Every area has its own regional specialties, and it's never hard to find a good meal. Generally speaking, there will be more rice in the South, and more noodles and bread in the North. Harbin even has some good sausage.
Don't be scared of the street food either - it's usually fresh and safe and one of the tastiest options.
By the time you get back to Beijing, if you're craving Korean food, go to Wudaokou or Wangjing, and to Sanlitun for Western/foreign restaurants. |
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pugwall
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
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Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 6:54 am Post subject: |
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I prefer Travelzen to Elong or Cnet because it is easier to use and they accept foreign cards without charge. |
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ThingsComeAround

Joined: 07 Nov 2008
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Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:48 pm Post subject: |
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+1 what samd said about trains.
If you are planning to visit the Shaolin Temple- plan that in advance. I got scammed (by the bus company, strangely enough) that they forced my buddy and I to purchase tickets to another park and when we ended up at Shaolin, the demo had finished- the next one was to start when our bus was departing
Edit:
You don't need to know Chinese, but a good way to communicate is to write down on cards names of places you want to go or foods you want to try. Don't want to mix that up with mispronunciation! |
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Triban

Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Location: Suwon Station
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2011 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks samd, priceless information. I realize it will be damn cold, but will it be bearable? I thought I should take the trip now as the year of the dragon festivities in Beijing will probably be something I wouldn't want to miss. IF it is going to be extremely frigid, what would be the best ways to avoid it? (i.e. can you suggest somewhere to buy cheap coats )
Also, I was definitely going to do night trains and stay in sleeper cars, is there a website where I can book things or do I just need to find it on my way?
Finally, that is a lot of suggestions and places, do you think I would be able to do it in a month? If you could re-adjust my itinerary, how would you do it?
Thanks! |
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pugwall
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2011 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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Recommend staying in South West China in Winter (Yunnan, Guanxi, Sichuan) as the weather is a lot more bearable. That region and especially Yunnan is the highlight of China for me anyway. It has the best tourism infrastructure due to a lot of tourists including it on their SEA trails and accomodation and food is far cheaper than in East China.
Guilin
Yangshuo
Beihai
Kunming
Xishuangbanna
Dali
Lijiang
Tiger Leaping gorge
Shangrila
Chengdu
Jiuzhaigou
More than enough for a month there. |
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Triban

Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Location: Suwon Station
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:29 am Post subject: |
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Well I am touching down in Shanghai and I MUST be in Beijing for the Chinese New Year (Jan 23)...it's the year of the dragon, it should be amazing. I think I will spend about 2-3 days in Shanghai and 4-5 in Beijing...is it doable? |
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sonicmatt
Joined: 04 Oct 2007
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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i was in china for 18 days a year a go. i would recommend beijing for at least 5 days to see everything and not be rushed. its a huge city. xian if u go there is good for a day, get in early take the bus to the terracotta warriors and then hop on a train to go somewhere else. chengdu is nice. good for hotpot and pandas. yangshuo was one of my favorite places ever. beautiful scenery, hikes, biking and etc. 4 days would be good there but i met people who were there for months. we finished up in hong kong, which u can do in 4 days.
if you plan to get the most out of your stay there then i recommend taking planes. the train ride from beijing to xian was around 8 or 10 hrs. but from chengdu to guilin/yangshuo was like 23 hrs. |
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samd
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 10:55 pm Post subject: |
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Pugwall, I do like your plan, but at the same time I prefer the North to the South, and it sounds like the OP has to fly in and out of BJ and SH anyway.
I also agree that you can spend as long as you want in a place like Yangshuo, and Beijing needs at least five days to make the most of it.
Beijing will be roughly the same temp as Seoul, but Harbin will be much much colder, -20, -30, ridiculous cold that I can barely imagine. I think it would be bearable, but if you also go to the South it means you'll be carrying bulky heavy clothes around.
This website allows you to look up major train routes, and should cover anywhere you want to go. The prices might not be exact, but they won't be too far off. Some trains don't allow you to buy tickets until 14 or 10 days before boarding, and others require a passport for booking.
http://www.chinatravelguide.com/ctgwiki/Special:CNTrainSearch
There are sites that let you book online in English, but they charge fees and I wouldn't bother with them. The best thing to do might be to make sure you're flying into Beijing because it will be close to New Year's and ou can book the ticket now, and then book the train tickets along the way.
Making an itinerary is pretty hard, it would take a lot of research, but assuming you have 30 days, you wan to see as many places as possible, and the trip must begin in Shanghai and end in Beijing, I would do it roughtly this way:
5 days - Shanghai. Day trips to Suzhou and Hangzhou. Or, leave Shanghai a days earlier and go to Hangzhou next.
Train
3 days - Kaifeng/Zhengzhou/Shaolin temple.
Train
2/3 days - Xian
Train
2 days - Chengdu
Train/bus
2 days - Chongqing
Plane
4/5 days - Guilin and Yangshuo
Plane
2 days - Yellow Mountain
Plane
5 days - Beijing
That leaves 3 days for travel, and the Kaifeng/Zhengzhou/Shaolin and the Guilin/Yangshou (you take a boat) legs have travel included.
It's probably more practical to fly in and out of Guilin, and Huangshan, but I think Zhengzhou-Xian-Chengdu-Chongqing can all be done comfortably by train.
It's a shame to miss so many places, but one month is too short to do it all, and I'd probably skip Harbin and the rest of the North due to weather. If Harbin can' be skipped I'd fly between Xian or Chengdu and Guilin, skip Chongqing (and maybe skip Chengdu too) and fly up to Harbin and go to Beijing from there.
I would use the above website to try and figure out which routes have the most convenient train times ie. whether you could save time and hotel money by taking sleepers, or whether the only options are day trains or ones which arrive at inconvenient hours.
Also, if you do end up staying in cheap hotels rather than hostels, the ones near train stations will be the worst and you'll be woken up by phone calls and knocks on the door from hookers throughout the night. |
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Triban

Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Location: Suwon Station
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Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 8:27 pm Post subject: |
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I heard Guilin and Yangshuo were nothing to write home about, what do you say is different?
Also, my chinese friend said I would be hard pressed to find anything to do from Jan. 23-30 when I plan on staying in Beijing due to Chinese New Year, but I assumed it would be good...I am mainly concerned about places to stay during that time and a way to get to the Great Wall and some other sites. |
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Triban

Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Location: Suwon Station
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Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 8:28 pm Post subject: |
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I heard Guilin and Yangshuo were nothing to write home about, what do you say is different?
Also, my chinese friend said I would be hard pressed to find anything to do from Jan. 23-30 when I plan on staying in Beijing due to Chinese New Year, but I assumed it would be good...I am mainly concerned about places to stay during that time and a way to get to the Great Wall and some other sites.
Also, is there anyone who wants to go with me?  |
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