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Would you ever travel to China for vacation?
- Thread starter Blablurn
- Start date
I visited China two years ago, specifically Beijing and Shanghai. I had 0 issues with using English to communicate with people, the further away you are from a large city the less people speak English.
My first day in Shanghai I asked the receptionist at the hotel if the fog would last much longer, was informed it's not "fog" and it won't be going anywhere. At the end of the day the tissue I used to clean my nose was black, the pollution is unbelievable there.
All around fun trip, odd thing is that so many people on the street wanted to take photos with me. Like I would seriously get stopped multiple times a day by random people on the street, I'm from Dubai so light brown skinned. Got so many "you have beautiful eyes" from women, best confidence boost ever.
My first day in Shanghai I asked the receptionist at the hotel if the fog would last much longer, was informed it's not "fog" and it won't be going anywhere. At the end of the day the tissue I used to clean my nose was black, the pollution is unbelievable there.
All around fun trip, odd thing is that so many people on the street wanted to take photos with me. Like I would seriously get stopped multiple times a day by random people on the street, I'm from Dubai so light brown skinned. Got so many "you have beautiful eyes" from women, best confidence boost ever.
TatteredHat
Member
I honestly wouldn't know where to start, for now I'll stick to Japan instead as I can actually understand the language there.
always crazy bacon
Banned
Messofanego
Banned
Yup, it's on my bucket list for the glass bridges and the mountains.
NoblesseOblige
Banned
I would love to someday but unfortunately I make it a point to try and not vacation in places with massive violations towards basic human rights. I might visit as part of something like the Peace Corps or some type of secular mission program.
Sgt. Kabukiman
Banned
Yeah, without a doubt, I'd love to go. Plus I have some friends in Beijing. I'm surprised anyone would say no, honestly.
BudokaiMR2
Member
There are a ton of places I would love to visit in the countryside, but I have to say I have very little interest in spending time in cities like Shanghai or Beijing any time soon.
I've only been to Shanghai for a conference, but the pollution and people's general attitudes really left a bad taste in my mouth.
From what I have heard from friends, it can also be really tough finding information on harder to find spots out in the countryside. Maybe that has improved recently.
I've only been to Shanghai for a conference, but the pollution and people's general attitudes really left a bad taste in my mouth.
From what I have heard from friends, it can also be really tough finding information on harder to find spots out in the countryside. Maybe that has improved recently.
My wife and I have been around China, and Guilin was our absolute favourite part. Perhaps it was all in the timing, but it just felt so relaxed, was beautiful, and everything I hoped for from the country. Hong Kong, on the other hand... Complete opposite.
My wife went to Shanghai for two weeks and she loved it. The only weird thing was how fascinated some Chinese people were, especially when she visited "smaller" cities. People just pointed at her, took pictures with her without asking her or sometimes just touched her arm (she's Italian and has a slightly darker skin tone than your typical European).
I'd like to visit Hong Kong someday but it's not particularly high on my list.
I'd like to visit Hong Kong someday but it's not particularly high on my list.
I've been living in China for the past 5 years and I think it can be a fantastic vacation destination. Gorgeous country with a ton to see and do. So the answer is resounding yes.
Edit: oh and I should probably add that China is super safe and very easy to travel, even without a word of Chinese.
Edit: oh and I should probably add that China is super safe and very easy to travel, even without a word of Chinese.
TransTrender
Gold Member
Visited China for about three weeks. Mostly Shanghai and Hong Kong. I had a great time getting shitfaced at amazing places and eating absolutely splendid food all day every day. Also they had some interesting clubs, bars, arcades, and other entertainment. Hong Kong and Macau were fucking nuts. Overall though, all of Shanghai has about a thimble full of culture on display when compared to anywhere in Japan. Would still go back though.
dragonelite
Member
I would love to visit shenzhen in the not so far future.
curi0usBystander
Member
While probably not my first option I'd love to visit it someday.
CanUKlehead
Member
Bingo.
Side story: A friend of mine from Gran Canaria was telling me a story of how she and her boyfriend ended up going on holiday in Shanghai. They were so unprepared by the culture shock, they spent most of the holiday in the hotel room, ordering hotel food in between their bouts of sex lol
Mr_Appleby
Member
Haha, we got asked to be in a few random group photos. Made sure we got ones for ourselves too.
Culture shock in shanghai lol. All this Starbucks and mcdonalds threw them for a loop? Had they never left their island before ?
ZackieChan
Member
Thing is, I went with people from Chongqing. They should have known better.
At one point, they took us to this shitty movie theater with movable seats, where they showed us this 90s era 3D movie that we were supposed to be impressed with. Just a weird ass fucking tour.
Unknown Soldier
Member
Been there, done that.
The air is awful and yellow in the cities.
There are plenty of beautiful things to look at.
The food is amazing.
Using the Internet is aggravating because of the Great Firewall. You can't even look at your Facebook while you're there.
I would like to go back sometime but I have other places I haven't been yet which take priority.
The air is awful and yellow in the cities.
There are plenty of beautiful things to look at.
The food is amazing.
Using the Internet is aggravating because of the Great Firewall. You can't even look at your Facebook while you're there.
I would like to go back sometime but I have other places I haven't been yet which take priority.
Sounds good. I really would love to go someday. I've visited almost all countries in Asia, but I haven't been to China yet. For some reason it feels more intimidating for me. Strange.
BreezyLimbo
Banned
I want to visit the monolithic Guan Yu statue
so yeah I suppose
so yeah I suppose
Yes. And I am in a month's time.
Edit: To clarify, I have a six day stopover in Guangzhou and Guilin (Shenmue land).
I'm in the process of getting a visa, which is both expensive and a bit of a hassle. Been wanting to see Guilin/Yangshuo for ages though so I'm hoping it's worth it.
Edit: To clarify, I have a six day stopover in Guangzhou and Guilin (Shenmue land).
I'm in the process of getting a visa, which is both expensive and a bit of a hassle. Been wanting to see Guilin/Yangshuo for ages though so I'm hoping it's worth it.
BladeoftheImmortal
Member
I recently got my best friend to visit me here. It is a long process just to get to come here. He had to get a hepatitis B shot. Then lay 150$ USD for a visa. Then on top of that had to get the ticket obviously. He and I said we'd meet in Japan next time. 😅
He had fun, but he didn't think it was worth all the hassle in the end.
He had fun, but he didn't think it was worth all the hassle in the end.
30yearsofhurt
Member
Some landing locations (I know Shanghai is one of them) have a 144-hour visa-free entry for China as long as you have proof of onward travel or something. Not sure if Guangzhou is on the list (they may only have a 72-hour visa-free entry), but you may want to look into it.
Problem is I will be leaving Guangzhou, so I doubt it would be applicable in my case :/
torre_avenue
Banned
I never thought I would.
And then I did. And it's pretty cool.
Fake markets are really interesting.
And then I did. And it's pretty cool.
Fake markets are really interesting.
I've been in Xi'an for one month about 3 or 4 years ago for study/tourism and I don't think I ever want to go back there in my life. Pollution was terrible, i've asthma and some respiratory problem, and while I was there i coughed so much. the air and pollution was just terrible. Sometimes the smog was so thick I couldn't even see buildings.
A police man/guard of the neighborhood (still not sure who he was) came in barging inside our home (I was in a student flat rented with two other students from the same language school); he demanded to see all our passports, then he checked our city of residence on their phones/map, and started smoking inside our house. All of this happened for no reason at all. He spoke no english, so it took like one hour to show him all our documents. Plus he spent like 15-20 minutes smoking, which was awful, since I hate people who smoke.
Found some shops/groceries near our house with just terrible hygienic conditions. Had to go to the largest supermarket to buy food.
People were just rude. Everybody spits. One person even spitted just in front of me and even hit some of my shoes. So many people just pushed me away from queues or just when walking along the street.
A few girls even stopped me along the road (something never happened before in my life), when I was doing something else; fortunately I didn't fall for that and left quickly. obviously a tourist trap. But it was very annoying.
Traffic and people driving were awful. no respect for pedestrian, and they just drove terribly, even inside taxis. I seriously risked my life several times.
Hygienic conditions in many restaurant were appalling. I'm talking about very busy restaurants in the city centre of Xi'an. I went there with my Chinese teacher (from the language school); he recommended it. It was appalling. Tables were dirty, soaps and washing detergents were in display just all around tables, and cats entered from the street inside the restaurants.
Apparently plumbing was so bad, we had to throw toilet paper inside bins placed inside bathrooms (both at our home and at the language school).
Nobody spoke english, not even inside banks. When my credit card broke, it was hard to ifnd someone could help me. I resorted to using western union (had my parents send me somke money through Western Union); but even inside that bank, it took several minutes to find an employee who could speak english.
On top of that the Great firewall was really problematic.
Personally I'm never going back there in my whole life. Even just the pollution and general rudeness of people (so many people just pushed me on the street) made it the worst vacation of my life. This is without talking of the person who made his children (looked like a 10-12 years old) pee on the street, in front of everybody and it seemed completely normal.
Definitely not for me. But the spitting and more importantly the pollution ( I coughed for several weeks after that) made the air unbreathable.
I don't think i would go back there ever. Had my worst vacation/study period of my life.
Apparently it will be available in Guangzhou soon: https://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/guangdong/144hours-visa-free.htm
As long as you will fly back out from Guangzhou, you might not have any practical issue. They don't usually check your passport and visa when you travel around inside China after being let in. Hotels will photocopy your passport details, but I don't think they usually pay attention to the specifics.
ZackieChan
Member
That food in Chongqing...my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Worth the trip just for that, imo.
Sorry for the photo dump but here are some pictures I've taken in China just to illustrate a bit of how diverse and beautiful the country and the people can be. I've been pretty much all over the country, but I've still got tons more that I hope to see. In particular a lout of the South and the far Northeast.
Shanghai
Shanghai HDR by Eric, on Flickr
Xishuangbanna, Yunnan
Complimentary by Eric, on Flickr
Lanzhou, Gansu
Crossing China - Lanzhou by Eric, on Flickr
Wulumuqi, Xinjiang
Crossing China - Wulumuqi by Eric, on Flickr
Xining, Qinghai
Crossing China - Qinghai by Eric, on Flickr
Danxia Mountains, Gansu
Crossing China - Gansu by Eric, on Flickr
Wuliangsu Lake, Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia - Crossing china by Eric, on Flickr
Huashan, Shaanxi
Huashan - Crossing China by Eric, on Flickr
Yulin, Shaanxi
Yulin, Shaanxi - Crossing China by Eric, on Flickr
Outside a Shaanxi Village
Shaanxi Village - Crossing China by Eric, on Flickr
Weinan, Shaanxi
Weinan - Crossing China by Eric, on Flickr
Somewhere in Hebei
Crossing China by Eric, on Flickr
Near Zhangjiakou, Hebei
Crossing China by Eric, on Flickr
Beijing
Crossing China by Eric, on Flickr
And for the dude that wants to go to Yan'an, here is a collection of photos from there:
Yan'an - Crossing China by Eric, on Flickr
Yan'an - Crossing China by Eric, on Flickr
Yan'an - Crossing China by Eric, on Flickr
Yan'an - Crossing China by Eric, on Flickr
Yan'an - Crossing China by Eric, on Flickr
Shanghai
Shanghai HDR by Eric, on FlickrXishuangbanna, Yunnan
Complimentary by Eric, on FlickrLanzhou, Gansu
Crossing China - Lanzhou by Eric, on FlickrWulumuqi, Xinjiang
Crossing China - Wulumuqi by Eric, on FlickrXining, Qinghai
Crossing China - Qinghai by Eric, on FlickrDanxia Mountains, Gansu
Crossing China - Gansu by Eric, on FlickrWuliangsu Lake, Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia - Crossing china by Eric, on FlickrHuashan, Shaanxi
Huashan - Crossing China by Eric, on FlickrYulin, Shaanxi
Yulin, Shaanxi - Crossing China by Eric, on FlickrOutside a Shaanxi Village
Shaanxi Village - Crossing China by Eric, on FlickrWeinan, Shaanxi
Weinan - Crossing China by Eric, on FlickrSomewhere in Hebei
Crossing China by Eric, on FlickrNear Zhangjiakou, Hebei
Crossing China by Eric, on FlickrBeijing
Crossing China by Eric, on FlickrAnd for the dude that wants to go to Yan'an, here is a collection of photos from there:
Yan'an - Crossing China by Eric, on FlickrYan'an - Crossing China by Eric, on FlickrYan'an - Crossing China by Eric, on FlickrYan'an - Crossing China by Eric, on FlickrYan'an - Crossing China by Eric, on FlickrSgt. Kabukiman
Banned
^^^^^
Fantastic photos, thanks for posting them!
Fantastic photos, thanks for posting them!
always crazy bacon
Banned
It's only in some places, I'm in China and looking at blue skies and white fluffy clouds right now.
Yeah. I'm in Shanghai most of the time and it's generally pretty good. Look at those photos from all over China and it's not like I was waiting for clear days to get shots, blue skies are pretty standard in most of the country. Just a few cities, mainly up North, that are pretty terrible air quality wise.
No worries. Happy to share. I think China is a pretty amazing place. Probably the best choice I made in life was moving out this way.
Chairmanchuck
Member
To really experience China imo you really need to rent a car.
Especially in Beijing. Close to Beijing are so many nice small villages and cities that are hard to reach by bus or without speaking Chinese.
Most tourist in Beijing do the typical stuff like "Tiananmen, Forbidden City, Xiangshan, Great Wall, Tiantan etc." while around Beijing there are nice little villages and areas like Gubei or Pinggu.
Also since Vern posted his pictures, one of my favorite little villages was Wuzhen:
Especially in Beijing. Close to Beijing are so many nice small villages and cities that are hard to reach by bus or without speaking Chinese.
Most tourist in Beijing do the typical stuff like "Tiananmen, Forbidden City, Xiangshan, Great Wall, Tiantan etc." while around Beijing there are nice little villages and areas like Gubei or Pinggu.
Also since Vern posted his pictures, one of my favorite little villages was Wuzhen:
I wouldnt mind visiting, but it isnt a top-5 destination in my list. Know a lot of people who went and they all had a great time, just be alert for all the tourist traps / scams but that goes for most countries. It's a huge country with a lot to offer. Also a lot of shady things, but I guess you wont really run into those as a tourist.
But you can't drive without a Chinese license right? I know the US license doesn't work anyway.
Wuzhen is nice, and you can get into the "water village" area for free just by walking around through the normal neighborhood instead of the tour gate/ticket area.
Chairmanchuck
Member
With a tourist visa you can get a temporary drivers licence at every airport.
With that you can then rent a car.
I really think you need to be flexible to even see what China has to offer. A normal tourist is just seeing big cities. Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Harbin etc. but not the "actual China" that people who lived there, (like us) can actually experience. The good and the bad sides.
I had a really difficult time in China. Sorry but I've had a number of friends that have also said 'it's interesting to see.. but I wouldn't go on holiday there'. The pollution, general cultural destruction during the Mao years, lack of street etiquette and questionable modern standards in hotels/food etc. made it a pretty terrifying research trip for me. I do want to go again when I have less things to worry about but even I know it'll be hard.