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[Chichikov]

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.

You need to get a Chinese driver license but it's only a written exam.
Some of the questions are stupid, but it takes like a day to study the book.

 

[Chairmanchuck]

lack of street etiquette and questionable modern standards in hotels/food etc.

I have to say if you spend good money the standards in most hotels are far better than I ever experienced here in Europe.

If you are outside of big cities, you can get 5* hotel rooms for 250RMB.

You need to get a Chinese driver license but it's only a written exam.
Some of the questions are stupid, but it takes like a day to study the book.

You dont need that. You can get a temporary Chinese drivers licence with a tourist visa:

In January 2007, it became possible for foreigners in China to apply for temporary driving licenses (临时驾驶执&#29031 with the approval of a new clause by the Ministry of Public Security. The application process for temporary driving licenses is less complicated and removes the requirement of the examinations, the health check and other procedures. However, holders of temporary driving licenses are subject to several limitations. Firstly, not all Chinese visa holders are eligible for this ”express" application method. Only those foreigners who have been granted a visa with a duration of stay of at least 180 days are eligible. Secondly, the holders of the temporary license will only be allowed to drive in China for a period of 90 days at maximum after the issue of the certification. Thirdly, this period cannot be extended, and multiple applications are not allowed under the same visa.

If you have a Z-visa or F/M-Visa you have to take the test (that is still bullshit in German, since they used Baidu translate to translate the questions )

 

[vern]

You need to get a Chinese driver license but it's only a written exam.
Some of the questions are stupid, but it takes like a day to study the book.

Yeah I've got a Chinese license. Just didn't think it would be feasible for someone coming here on vaction.

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.

Food varies of course, but you can get clean and very decent hotels in Tier 1 cities for 300-400 RMB which is basically free compared to hotels in NY, HK, Sydney, SF...
Were you staying in 7 Days Inn or equivalent by chance? Hard to really complain about the hotels if you are staying in dives. If you were paying 70-80 bucks per night on average you should have had pretty damn nice accommodation, especially outside Tier 1.

Pollution on a quick trip shouldn't really be a concern for anyone. I really don't get that complaint, unless you have some kind of respiratory disease.

 

[Chairmanchuck]

Pollution on a quick trip shouldn't really be a concern for anyone. I really don't get that complaint, unless you have some kind of respiratory disease.

I actually get that though. This Beijing summer was mostly really great. Almost no Smog till the end of August.

But if you are traveling there, it actually affects how you see the city. If its always gray because of the pollution, not because of bad weather, you wont like the city that much.

 

[Greedings]

Personally, I have no interest. There are so many places higher on my "to visit" list that are closer and cheaper to travel to.

 

[AngryMoth]

Travelled the where or country and now working here as an English teacher. It's an amazing place to travel. Incredible landscapes, food and you get a fair dose of culture shock since it's not as westernised as other western countries. The southern and western provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guangxi and my favourites, stunning beauty and really friendly people.

 

[Sunster]

I want to go to Southern China. Stay in a small village on the Guilin Li River for a while. That would be cool.

 

[Regiruler]

As a Roman Catholic I feel unwelcome, so no.

I also have no interest in dealing with the smog, pollution, and general bustle of such a populated country.

 

[Kamaji]

I'm really psyched about traveling China for a month or so eventually. My girlfriend is an exchange student in HK so i'll be in HK for a week or so this fall.

Thinking about crossing "the border" to Shenzhen or Guangzhou now as well. Is there any point to that or are those cities just industrial/commercial centers?

 

[numble]

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.

What sort of questionable hotel standards did you encounter? Your observation may depend on your time period, but nowadays even 3rd and 4th tier cities have Marriotts and Sheratons, if you have high standards in hotels.

 

[u_neek]

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.

I hear ya, but I'd rather not risk it.

 

[BladeoftheImmortal]

As a Roman Catholic I feel unwelcome, so no.

I also have no interest in dealing with the smog, pollution, and general bustle of such a populated country.

Beijing has its own cathedral.

 

[Izuna]

Hell yeah, tho my destination would be Hong Kong.

 

[Summer Haze]

Yeah man, they have some great hiking trails.

 

[Rex Banner]

I found the general population very loud and inconsiderate. I was constantly creep shooted in extremely obvious ways or gawked at for simply being white. Sometimes having people shove a phone in my face as I was standing there like I was an amusement attraction. My friend, who is a very attractive young woman, was harassed and followed many times as well. In the national parks they smoke, litter, and yell and scream while they walk around and ignore things such as queues or casually hold up entire areas while they relax in front of a set of stairs or a door way. Even on 'quite' trains people are yelling, talking on phones, letting their kids run around screaming. Then as soon as you enter HK it's like a completely different culture and much more respectful of the people around you.

I enjoyed visiting but the culture and people would make it unbearable to live there for me.

Pretty much my experience, but mine had the added bonus of being visited by the police at our hotel one night, to search our room and ask us questions about what we're doing in China during our short stay, who we know, etc. The airport immigration officers were also great, very likeable people.

I've travelled to some piss-poor areas of Southeast Asia that I absolutely adored. This was something else however, never again.

 

[Imp the Dimp]

Yes, I've been there and it was among the most fascinating countries I've visited. Financially supporting non-democratic countries is a double-edged sword but I'm glad I didn't miss out on the experience. The air pollution is a travesty though.

 

[LegendofDragoonLives]

Looked up a visa seems like it's an invoked process? And kinda expensive.
US/UK dual national here.

..

How expensive breh? -_-


I definitely intend to visit. However, I have two trips I will definitely be making beforehand. One is South East Asia. The next after that is New Zealand and Australia, have some people there so it should be a real blast. China is on tier 3 in Asia on places I have to visit up there with India and Japan (Japan I want to visit more than most places, but I don't think I can for the first two Asian visits)

 

[Late Flag]

I was in Beijing several months ago for business. We only got a long afternoon of sightseeing, but I enjoyed my visit and I would certainly consider a return trip.

 

[The Technomancer]

Not sure if I would go there just for vacation but I piggybacked 2 weeks in Beijing/Chonging on a business trip right around CNY this year and had a great time

 

[andythinkpad]

OP you seem to ask a very generic question with barely any knowledge of China.

First of all do you know traveling in China is not that cheap nowadays?

 

[The Albatross]

Yes I would but theres other places I'd rather go first. Price, distance, and language are all barriers to me.

 

[Jack The Nipper]

I visited for 3 weeks. The scenery is amazing and so is the food. The pollution and people(excluding HK) are pretty awful though. It's very difficult to organize compared to some other countries. It took us many hours just to find information on certain routes but tripadvisor forums help a LOT.

Disagree, people are great. No issues when needing help, no redness or aggressive behavior. Airports, bus stations, are a breeze and they hardly mess with anyone. I could care less if they pretend to be nice and hold a door for me.

 

[Jim_Cacher]

WTF? HK is the arrogant dickbag capital of the world.

I come from Hong Kong, and seriously, I agree with this. Many people are racists against people from mainland and from southeast asia / middle east / caribbean or black people in general.

 

[Pedrito]

I already did and it was great. But it requires more planning than usual and the language barrier can become more frustrating than just about anywhere else. Because it's a tonal language, it's very difficult to learn even simple words. And don't expect to be able to read it either.

The visa process was also a pain in the ass because I was backpacking without a real plan. So I had to create a fake itinerary with hotel reservations in each places, and then cancel everything once the visa was obtained.

 

[andythinkpad]

I come from Hong Kong, and seriously, I agree with this. Many people are racists against people from mainland and from southeast asia / middle east / caribbean or black people in general.

Yeah don't go to HK if you speak Mandarin. I don't even go and I speak Cantonese. Nowadays I fly Asiana directly to Guangzhou, or one of the Chinese airline that fly to Shanghai.

 

[Daedardus]

I went for three weeks. It's best that you have some local/guide travelling with you because you won't get as much done as when you're on your own. The big cities are amazing to visit and fairly modern. Food is great if you know where to look, taxi and public transportation are cheap and if you stick to the main roads you won't get in any trouble. Beijing is a lot more tourist unfriendly than the other cities, so beware of some scamming techniques and a bit more unfriendly treatment than other cities. As long as you go in the moderate spring/autumn times, weather should be fair and so will the pollution if you're a bit lucky. When the smog was bad, you really noticed, but we only had three really bad days out of 22.

 

[Jim_Cacher]

On topic, I would love to visit more places in China. I have been to Shanghai for a business trip. It has a similar vibe to Hong Kong due to historical reason, having many western style buildings and I feel that people are generally open to foreign ideas. Lovely place.

If I can travel, I want to go to Lhasa or Beijing because of Potala Palace, Forbidden City and the Great Wall. I love my country and I definitely want to witness more!

 

[Saganator]

I wouldn't turn down the opportunity, but China is not really on my list of "places I want to see." It would be neat to see the Great Wall, and then maybe spend a day or two in a major city just to see what it's like.

 

[Chairmanchuck]

OP you seem to ask a very generic question with barely any knowledge of China.

First of all do you know traveling in China is not that cheap nowadays?

I would disagree and say if you can speak Chinese, it can be cheap. Flights and Trains are still far cheaper than in Europe, accommodation can be far cheaper if you arent in a Tier 1 city (like I said, you can get 5* hotel rooms for 250RMB if you arent at a tourist hotspot and in a Tier 1 city).

The only thing more expensive are the entry fees for stuff like mountains and some "old cities".

 

[kmfdmpig]

I find the government of China to be abhorrent, although to be fair so is the government in a lot of countries these days. With that said, I would certainly be interested in traveling to China. Japan would be my first choice in Asia (I've been many times), next would probably be Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore, but China is certainly up there as well.

 

[OEM]

Definitely, but there are so many other places I need to travel to first

 

[ASilentProtagonist]

Hell yes. I'd take a trip to Shanghai over most places in Europe any day.

 

[Lach]

Weird topic to popup now, as I'll start my 3 week trip to china next week.
- 2 weeks mainland (guided group).
- 3 days Hong Kong
- 5 days Taiwan

Went to japan twice with friends and we traveled around on our own without problems. I'm a bit more careful in china so I decided to go with a guided group.

 

[Magnus]

Absolutely not. Not the cities anyway. The consistent stories I've been told by travelling friends and family is that the poor air quality and overall environmental odour are unbearably bad. I have sinus and breathing issues as it is.

 

[Porkepik]

Definitely, as like in a week. Going to hong kong for a week then chengdu (sichuan) another week and a few days in beijing. Honestly I can't wait and I more excited for chengdu than HK. A friend from montreal who is originally from chengdu (and on vacation there the whole month)will probably help me so I won't get lost too much. Good thing is the embassy delivered me a multiple entry visa valid for 9 years so I can go back whenever I want which I ll probably do to visit other parts of the country. I have been a couple pf times to Vietnam and cambodia before and I m excited to see the difference in culture,food and landscape. My nikkon will get out of retirement for these 2 weeks.
Fun thing is it costs less to book a plane ticket to asia than to go visit my parents in Belgium (at least from montreal,canada). I wonder how mich my ticket to greece will cost next year....
Oh and jetlag is a bitch coming back from asia.... need a week to feel good

 

[Geno Breaker]

Only if someone else pays the bill.

 

[PillarEN]

I would. It just happens to be lower on my list of desired places to see within my lifetime. I'm more inclined to travel to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan or Vietnam from that particular area of the world.

 

[Spuck-uk]

I mean, it's a lot easier to travel to, and has a LOT more history than the USA, so sure, why not.

edit: I'm European

 

[entremet]

Yes. It's on my list.

 

[Guevara]

It's not very high on my list. I've gone to Japan a couple times and the Philippines. I'd love to go to South Korea. After that maybe.

 

[frontovik]

It's down on the list for me, Europe is preferable.

 

[Bisnic]

It's on the other side of the world for me(Canada) and I dread the long hours of flight that it would require getting there, so no. I would probably go to Japan before China though, but even that is too far away from me to think about it. I'm going to France next year and I already hate the long flight awaiting me and that's a lot less of travel to do.

 

[Domaje]

I would, but I'm a bit more interested in Hong Kong than the mainland.

It's like saying that you are more intrested in London than the whole Europe :/

 

[yongeandcollege]

I'd go but there are other parts of Asia I'd prefer to visit first.

 

[Wilester]

Seeing Psy perform Gangnam Style in an arena in Shanghai remains one of holiday highlights.

Then I went to North Korea for 9 days....

 

[nephilimdj]

Hong Kong is prob one best places to holiday on earth, most of the city is reachable by underground train and got a dozen plus islands you can visit using ferries for like 10 bucks return (thu some island ferries only leave a few days a week)
Only real neg is everything opens at 10am and everything gets crowded at 11am. Basically gotta be out and about at 10am to beat the flood of mainlanders.

 

[PillarEN]

It's on the other side of the world for me(Canada) and I dread the long hours of flight that it would require getting there, so no. I would probably go to Japan before China though, but even that is too far away from me to think about it. I'm going to France next year and I already hate the long flight awaiting me and that's a lot less of travel to do.

Hah. Seems like you're stuck in the worst possible place for traveling. Getting south beyond the US is a long flight. Europe is far depending where in Canada you live and so is Asia. Never mind Africa or Australia.

 

[Ratrat]

I already have. It was amazing. Great food and so much to see.
Beijing btw.

 

[Krappadizzle]

I had a great time in China. Good food and my money took me very far. People were a bit xenophobic, but overall it was a good time. Going around the city with my buddy who is black was like being out in public with a unicorn. People were taking pictures of us and shit, it was weird.

 

[hom3land]

Took a 9 day vacation to China. Got ridiculous ly cheap flights from the East coast to Shanghai. Had a blast. Even if it was the middle of the summer with high humidity. Wife at the time is vegetarian so stick to vegetarian restaurants. Food was amazing. Saw Shanghai, Beijing, and hangzou. Would go back in a heartbeat to see more of the country.