Visiting China For The First Time - What To Expect

Tips For Your First Time In China

If you are visiting China for the first time, then here are some tips that may come in handy. We know it can be quite overwhelming for tourists coming here for the first time. You may even experience culture shock, which takes some getting used to. Hopefully these tips will help make your travel time less stressful and more enjoyable. You can also check out our travel to China checklist guide to know what to bring before you arrive.

Hotels in China

Always try to stay in a more international-friendly hotel, where the staff can generally speak some English. It will be an ordeal not being able to understand them. There are some lower-class hotels in China which do not even allow foreign visitors to stay. Make sure to check ahead of time if you are allowed to stay before booking. If you are staying in bigger cities, most of the hotels there will be very convenient and welcoming. Only when you start to travel into deeper parts of China do the hotels become less likely to allow foreigners to stay. This has to do with the way foreigners are registered with the police in each city they stay in. Smaller hotels usually do not have the proper procedures in place for handling this.

When To Travel To China

In general, airlines in China may increase their ticket prices during the holiday season in the northern hemisphere. July, August, and Chinese New Year are more expensive. On these dates it is also difficult to find available flights and good rates. Hotels are especially expensive during trade shows such as the Canton Fair in Guangzhou or Global Sources in Hong Kong, so you will have to be ready to invest more in accommodation if your goal is to attend a fair in China. If you do not care about the date, the most pleasant months to go to China are between March-May and September-November, when the temperature reaches comfortable levels. In the summer, heat and humidity can be a serious problem in the provinces of the south coast. Make sure you take precautions to avoid getting sick. Traveling during the winter can be a challenge if you go to the north of China, it can get very cold, between -10 and 5 degrees Celsius during the day.

Buy A Prepaid Chinese Cell Phone

It is a good idea to buy a prepaid Chinese cell phone. You can access the internet and get many minutes at a very reasonable price. If you travel for business, the mobile phone will be very useful for calling your supplier in case you get lost, and also for checking your email when you are out of the hotel without getting ruined by roaming charges.

Do Not Forget Your Universal Adapter

Take a universal multi-adapter, since Hong Kong and China have different plugs among themselves, and probably with your country of origin too. It would be terrible to not be able to charge your computer, phone, or other devices. Check out our post about adapters needed in China to learn more.

Reasons To Visit China

So, is China worth visiting? There are many reasons why, if you have not decided to visit China yet, you should consider visiting China for the first time. It is a huge country, full of valuable historical places and great cultural richness. Because of its large size, China has all the landscapes you can imagine and offers all kinds of activities for its visitors. On a first trip, a private China tour guided by your own interpreter is the easiest way to see the highlights without fighting the language barrier.

Know The Wonders Of The World

China is one of the countries with the greatest historical wealth in the world, justified by the number of buildings of impressive architectural value and unique pieces of engineering. An example is the important Great Wall of China, a huge wall more than 500 km in length and over 2,000 years old, that even today remains standing. You can also visit the sacred cities of the ancient Chinese Empire. In many places in Chinese territory, there are ancient cities that date from time immemorial. One of the oldest and most important is the ancient city known as the Forbidden City. This city bears its name because for hundreds of years its entrance was prohibited, and it was not until the 20th century that people were allowed to enter. It consists of buildings of great architectural value, with a traditional Chinese style and several sacred temples.

Check Out Its Spectacular Landscapes And Animal Life

Besides such an important historical and cultural heritage, China has all kinds of spectacular landscapes, from deep jungles to deserts, coasts, beaches, meadows, snow-capped mountains, and cities that are much more than overpopulated. The vast majority of China’s territory is uninhabited and provides the perfect space for the development of wildlife. The country has a great diversity of flora and fauna, being the home of the panda bear, the golden-haired monkey, the white dolphin, the South China tiger, and more.

Shopping In China

We all know the incredible offers that the Chinese market always has. Cities such as Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Beijing are perfect for shopping. Hundreds of thousands of clothing stores, markets, home-appliance shops, and all kinds of stores have unimaginable offers, so shopping in China can be a very good idea. Make sure you bring enough cash with you or have a credit card accepted in China. You should also look into using WeChat Pay for shopping, as it is a preferred method of payment among Chinese shops.

Interesting Cities To Visit While In China

Beijing

For a first trip to China, most tourists visit Beijing, since this destination offers travelers an overview of China, from its history and culture to its development and prosperity today. The capital has it all: history, culture, prestige, and decent landscapes to the north around the Great Wall, plus many world-famous restaurants.

Xi’an

Next, you should discover where the nation of China really started. Visit Xi’an, where the First Qin Emperor ruled from the first capital of a united China. See the great Terracotta Army. Xi’an is an excellent place to experience life in the pre-Beijing dynasties. Enjoy a banquet of the Tang dynasty and admire temples, a mosque, pagodas, and towers more than 1,000 years old.

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city in China, and some say it should be visited for its significance. Make sure you see the colonial architecture and the skyscrapers of its urban center, and take the Maglev train to and from the airport. Shanghai is a comfortable city to get to and around. And if you are going to China for the first time for business, then Shanghai is the city to go to, since it offers many startup companies.