China, decoded for
first-time visitors.
City guides, food, transport and ready-made itineraries — written on the ground, in plain English. Visa-free transit, cashless payments and the high-speed rail network made simple.
Destinations
From imperial Beijing to border escapes — 68 city guides and counting. A dozen highlights below, browse all destinations.
City Guide Shanghai 上海
Skyline metropolis where the Bund meets French Concession lanes.
City Guide Beijing 北京
Imperial palaces, hutongs and the Great Wall at your doorstep.
City Guide Guangzhou 广州
Cantonese heartland: dim sum towers, colonial Shamian and the Pearl River.
City Guide Shenzhen 深圳
Shenzhen city guide — sights, tickets and getting around.
City Guide Chengdu 成都
Home of giant pandas, Sichuan hotpot and the slowest tea-house afternoons.
City Guide Hangzhou 杭州
West Lake poems, Longjing tea fields and Alibaba's garden city.
City Guide Chongqing 重庆
Mountain cyberpunk city: hotpot fog, monorail through buildings, night views.
City Guide Xiamen 厦门
Xiamen city guide — sights, tickets and getting around.
City Guide Qingdao 青岛
German quarter on the sea: beer, beaches and red-roofed hills.
City Guide Xi'an 西安
Terracotta warriors and the old Silk Road gateway.
City Guide Kunming 昆明
Kunming city guide — sights, tickets and getting around.
City Guide Sanya 三亚
Sanya city guide — sights, tickets and getting around.
Modern China
The side that surprises first-time visitors — bullet trains, neon cityscapes and a cashless everyday.
Getting around Trains that defy gravity
The world's largest high-speed rail network, plus curiosities like Chongqing's train-through-a-building — getting around is half the fun.
Read the transport guides →
Neon nights Cities that glow after dark
Stilt-house light shows, night markets and skyline rivers — Chinese cities save their best act for after sunset.
See Chongqing →
Future skylines Tomorrow, already built
From Shanghai Tower's 546 m observation deck to driverless metro lines, the future-feel of Chinese cities is real — and easy to navigate.
See Shanghai →Practical guides
The essentials: visas, payments, trains and getting connected.
High-Speed Rail Booking Guide
China's 45,000 km HSR network hits 350 km/h; book 15 days ahead on Trip.com or 12306 with a passport.
Practical GuideDeparture Tax Refund (VAT)
Get back 9-11% on in-store purchases over 500 CNY at 'Tax Free' stores - refund at the airport on departure.
Practical GuideMetro & City Transit for Visitors
All big-city metros have English signage and announcements; fares 2-9 CNY make it the backbone of travel.
Practical GuideEtiquette, Tipping & Culture Notes
No tipping anywhere. Queue firmly. Bring your own toilet paper - the practical stuff nobody tells you.
Practical GuideEmergency, Health & Pharmacies
Dial 120 for ambulance, 110 for police. Big-city hospitals have international departments; pharmacies are everywhere.
Practical GuideVisa-Free Transit & Entry Guide
Citizens of 54 countries can enter China visa-free for up to 240 hours in transit, plus 30+ unilateral visa-free schemes.
Practical GuideMobile Payments: Alipay & WeChat Pay
Cash is nearly extinct in China. Foreign cards now link to Alipay/WeChat Pay in minutes - here is the 2026 setup.
Practical GuideSIM, eSIM & Internet Access
Google, WhatsApp and Instagram are blocked on Chinese networks. Plan your connectivity before you fly.
Getting AroundGetting Around Chongqing
CKG airport line 3; monorail lines 2/3 are the ride; the city has no flat roads - use metro + Didi.
Getting AroundGetting Around Qingdao
TAO airport metro line 8 in 40 min; 8 metro lines; scenic bus 603 along the coast; taxis cheap by km.
Getting AroundGetting Around Wuhan
WUH airport line 2 metro; 11 metro lines crossing the Yangtze; ferries 1.5 CNY connect Hankou-Wuchang.
Getting AroundGetting Around Nanjing
NKG airport S1 metro 40 min; 12 metro lines; city wall sights walkable from Fuzimiao with metro hops.
Getting AroundGetting Around Hangzhou
HGH airport 40 min; metro + free public bikes around West Lake; Didi cheapest for tea villages.
Getting AroundGetting Around Guangzhou
CAN airport express 30 min; 16 metro lines with English signage; ferries cross the Pearl River for 2 CNY.
Getting AroundGetting Around Chengdu
CTU metro line 10 direct downtown; 13 metro lines; Didi to Panda Base ~40 CNY; bike lanes everywhere.
Getting AroundGetting Around Shanghai
PVG maglev 8 min + metro transfer; 20 metro lines; the world's densest taxi grid; Suishenma QR transit pass.
Getting AroundGetting Around Xi'an
XIY airport 40 min by express; metro covers wall city; Didi cheapest for Terracotta Army day trip.
Getting AroundGetting Around Beijing
Two airports (PEK/PKX), 27 metro lines, Didi taxi and the Yitongxing transit app; taxis start 13 CNY.
Itinerary ideas
Tested routes with rough budgets — customize them into your own trip.
5-Day First-Timer: Beijing & Xi'an
The golden route: imperial Beijing, the Great Wall, and the Terracotta Army - one week of China's headline hits.
Itinerary7-Day Classics: Beijing - Xi'an - Shanghai
Emperor's capital, ancient dynasties and the modern skyline in one seamless HSR triangle.
Itinerary10-Day Deep China: Beijing - Xi'an - Chengdu - Chongqing
Add pandas, hotpot and mountain-city nights to the golden route; ends with the Three Gorges vibe.
Itinerary6-Day Family Trip: Shanghai & Hangzhou
Slow-paced, stroller-friendly: Bund lights, Disneyland, pandas' cousins... no, tea fields and boats.
Planning a trip to China?
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