Recommendations and advice for visiting China?
August 9, 2008 8:34 PM Subscribe
Traveling to China in November. I've seen some of the famous tourist spots (Great Wall, terra cotta soldiers in Xian, gardens in Suzhou, etc.), but I would like to visit some places that are not as well known. Any advice?
I'll probably be in Beijing, Shanghai and plan on visiting Yunnan. Any stops around Guilin, Anhui and Fujian are do-able too. However, I'll be traveling with my parents who are not as energetic as they used to be, so scenic areas that involve lots of uphill walking might not work out.
Someone in a past thread about China mentioned Pingyao, which I will definitely be visiting. Are there any other ancient well-preserved towns that I shouldn't miss?
Advice about weather, taking the train, etc. would be appreciated too! Thanks!
I'll probably be in Beijing, Shanghai and plan on visiting Yunnan. Any stops around Guilin, Anhui and Fujian are do-able too. However, I'll be traveling with my parents who are not as energetic as they used to be, so scenic areas that involve lots of uphill walking might not work out.
Someone in a past thread about China mentioned Pingyao, which I will definitely be visiting. Are there any other ancient well-preserved towns that I shouldn't miss?
Advice about weather, taking the train, etc. would be appreciated too! Thanks!
Your parents might like Lijiang in Yunnan but I know I had to take a bus, so check if it's accessible. It is full of Chinese tourists and has been sort of "recreated" and cleaned up too well (as happens in China) but it's pretty. It's worth getting up early before the shops open to see the town. If you end up stopping in a big town don't assume it's just a horrible Chinese city. There's interesting markets and tea houses even in seemingly boring cities.
I'm surprised how few people go to The Summer Palace near Beijing. It's really beautiful (although big so there's walking). It's perfect in the summer, maybe a little cold in November.
I've been through Sichuan, rural Yunnan, Tibet and Xinjiang (following the silk road from the Mongolian border West to Kashgar) but I imagine those aren't on your itinerary. If so let me know I can comment.
posted by Bunglegirl at 10:47 PM on August 9, 2008
I'm surprised how few people go to The Summer Palace near Beijing. It's really beautiful (although big so there's walking). It's perfect in the summer, maybe a little cold in November.
I've been through Sichuan, rural Yunnan, Tibet and Xinjiang (following the silk road from the Mongolian border West to Kashgar) but I imagine those aren't on your itinerary. If so let me know I can comment.
posted by Bunglegirl at 10:47 PM on August 9, 2008
I really enjoyed the tulou (huge, circular 500-year old Hakka buildings) in western Fujian province. When I went there in 2005, relatively few foreign tourists got out there, but I'm guessing with all things China, it's been significantly developed since then.
posted by alidarbac at 5:25 AM on August 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by alidarbac at 5:25 AM on August 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
go south, young woman! it's been a decade since i've been there, and i had the distinct good fortune of being the guest of a native, so i'm sure my experience would be different from yours. i cannot, though, put into words what a wonderful experience it is.
the lure of the south--at least 10 years ago--was that westerners were quite a novelty. consequently, my american friend & i were treated like rock stars; people literally followed us around, came up to touch our hair, leaned out of windows and doorways to say 'hello!' (which led me to the conclusion that china is a nation of parrots). it actually got quite tiresome to be treated that way, and after a day or so i wished there were a way to fade into the background. however ... point being that in the south natives might not be quite as jaded toward westerners as in the north. in guangzhou, my american friend & i (sans native guide) stayed in a hotel that had never had an american guest. it was such an event, the hotel manager came to our room and had tea with us. and if you're in guangzhou, the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and surrounding park are recommended.
guilin is lovely, and recommended because i found people who could speak english there.
travel in country is ... interesting. i didn't manage a train, but buses, boats, and sleeper buses were on my itinerary. (don't recommend the sleeper buses, especially if you're traveling with your parents. they remove the seats from a regular school bus, make bunk bed-type 'berths' out of plywood, and assign you *half* of a berth--you might be sleeping with a total stranger.) i was there for chinese new year, which is a huge holiday so lots of people were travelling, but every form of transport i took was filled to overflowing. on one boat trip (from shinjin to guangzhou), they had so many people stuffed in the boat that some were sitting on the step leading to the captain's cabin. however you travel, get there early, and try to get situated before any potential 'crush' of locals. (my experience was, rock star or not, they were going to push & shove to get a good seat.)
i can't help you with areas that don't require uphill walking. my experience was that *everything* is at the top of one hill or another. (god help me, but in wuzhou i actually thought about renting one of the people following us around to carry my backpack.)
a word of caution: my host's father was more than a little nervous when my american friend & i were out wandering around. apparently locals have been known to mug westerners, and he was quite fearful that we'd turn into victims under his watch. we never experienced any problems, and only once--in broad daylight--did i think there was anything remotely fishy going on.
wherever you go & however you get there, travel safely & have a wonderful time!
posted by msconduct at 5:56 AM on August 10, 2008
the lure of the south--at least 10 years ago--was that westerners were quite a novelty. consequently, my american friend & i were treated like rock stars; people literally followed us around, came up to touch our hair, leaned out of windows and doorways to say 'hello!' (which led me to the conclusion that china is a nation of parrots). it actually got quite tiresome to be treated that way, and after a day or so i wished there were a way to fade into the background. however ... point being that in the south natives might not be quite as jaded toward westerners as in the north. in guangzhou, my american friend & i (sans native guide) stayed in a hotel that had never had an american guest. it was such an event, the hotel manager came to our room and had tea with us. and if you're in guangzhou, the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and surrounding park are recommended.
guilin is lovely, and recommended because i found people who could speak english there.
travel in country is ... interesting. i didn't manage a train, but buses, boats, and sleeper buses were on my itinerary. (don't recommend the sleeper buses, especially if you're traveling with your parents. they remove the seats from a regular school bus, make bunk bed-type 'berths' out of plywood, and assign you *half* of a berth--you might be sleeping with a total stranger.) i was there for chinese new year, which is a huge holiday so lots of people were travelling, but every form of transport i took was filled to overflowing. on one boat trip (from shinjin to guangzhou), they had so many people stuffed in the boat that some were sitting on the step leading to the captain's cabin. however you travel, get there early, and try to get situated before any potential 'crush' of locals. (my experience was, rock star or not, they were going to push & shove to get a good seat.)
i can't help you with areas that don't require uphill walking. my experience was that *everything* is at the top of one hill or another. (god help me, but in wuzhou i actually thought about renting one of the people following us around to carry my backpack.)
a word of caution: my host's father was more than a little nervous when my american friend & i were out wandering around. apparently locals have been known to mug westerners, and he was quite fearful that we'd turn into victims under his watch. we never experienced any problems, and only once--in broad daylight--did i think there was anything remotely fishy going on.
wherever you go & however you get there, travel safely & have a wonderful time!
posted by msconduct at 5:56 AM on August 10, 2008
The Ming Dynasty Tombs are worth a visit - also seconding the recommendations for the Summer Palace or Yi He Yuan on the outskirts of Beijing. There will be a fair bit of walking for both though, but it's mostly flat and there're lots of places to rest and have a meal.
If you're around Shanghai maybe you should do a side-trip to scenic Hangzhou and visit the famous West Lake.
October/November is one of the better times to go to northern China, though it might be getting quite cold by then!
posted by monocot at 7:32 AM on August 10, 2008
If you're around Shanghai maybe you should do a side-trip to scenic Hangzhou and visit the famous West Lake.
October/November is one of the better times to go to northern China, though it might be getting quite cold by then!
posted by monocot at 7:32 AM on August 10, 2008
A second for a visit to Hangzhou - it is a lovely town and at least 10 years ago when I lived there, it was a more authentic view of China than Beijing or Shanghai. In addition to the West Lake, there is a bamboo forest you can visit and a Buddhist temple, both of which are lovely.
posted by bluesky43 at 9:11 AM on August 10, 2008
posted by bluesky43 at 9:11 AM on August 10, 2008
Yangshuo, near Guilin is very pictoresque and easily accessible, thought not exactly off the beaten track. When I was there in 1998 foreigners were still somewhat of a novelty. I doubt you'll turn any heads ten years later, but it's a pleasant destination.
Dali, near Lijiang was the other popular destination for hippie backpackers. One of the attractions was that it's one of the only places in China where the "herbal alternative to cheap Chinese beer" (as Lonely Planet put it) won't land you in jail or a bullet in the head. That's probably changed in the last 10 years, and that might not be so much of a draw for you and your folks. Again though, it's quite beautiful and pictoresque.
posted by Loudmax at 11:31 AM on August 10, 2008
Dali, near Lijiang was the other popular destination for hippie backpackers. One of the attractions was that it's one of the only places in China where the "herbal alternative to cheap Chinese beer" (as Lonely Planet put it) won't land you in jail or a bullet in the head. That's probably changed in the last 10 years, and that might not be so much of a draw for you and your folks. Again though, it's quite beautiful and pictoresque.
posted by Loudmax at 11:31 AM on August 10, 2008
I would second Yangshuo, near Guilin. It's kind of a backpacker's haven, so you'll find people who speak English and western food (which can be a nice change of pace) there. Most importantly, though, you'll find the Li River - famed in song and art in China for thousands of years. It's incredibly picturesque, with karst hills winding along a nice smooth river. Take a day trip by boat along the river, and have dinner prepared by the boat captain's family, it's a neat experience. Then get back to Yangshuo in the evening and take a night tour with the cormorant fishermen.
If you are adventurous (maybe leave your parents in town to shop for a few hours?), I would also recommend doing some caving in the area around Yangshuo - lots of fun caves there suitable for regular tourists.
posted by gemmy at 12:26 PM on August 10, 2008
If you are adventurous (maybe leave your parents in town to shop for a few hours?), I would also recommend doing some caving in the area around Yangshuo - lots of fun caves there suitable for regular tourists.
posted by gemmy at 12:26 PM on August 10, 2008
I'll recommend Dali and Yangshuo as well. Lijiang was disappointing, but if you're nearby, it might be worth seeing for a day.
Tiger Leaping Gorge was nice too - although it won't be for the parents.
The water/light show in Yangshuo is quite good - the river was too flooded when I was there for that or the cormorant fishing - but they both received rave reviews.
posted by backwards guitar at 4:09 PM on August 10, 2008
Tiger Leaping Gorge was nice too - although it won't be for the parents.
The water/light show in Yangshuo is quite good - the river was too flooded when I was there for that or the cormorant fishing - but they both received rave reviews.
posted by backwards guitar at 4:09 PM on August 10, 2008
If your with your parents and they need more of the creature comforts, Hangzhou is definitely a nice place to go. I live there and my parents love it whenever they visit. If you stay by the lake, it can be very relaxing and idyllic despite the fact that there is a big, dirty and noisy chinese city 10 minutes away. You should check out Suzhou too, if you like gardens.
I'd also try to check out a "water town," like wuzhen. These are old towns in the Yangtze Delta between Hangzhou and Shanghai that have become tourist attractions. They don't have any hills and have great old Chinese architcture. Wuzhen is one of the most famous but there are a bunch of them. Any travel agent in Shanghai or Hangzhou will be able to help you book a trip there.
posted by afu at 10:33 PM on August 10, 2008
I'd also try to check out a "water town," like wuzhen. These are old towns in the Yangtze Delta between Hangzhou and Shanghai that have become tourist attractions. They don't have any hills and have great old Chinese architcture. Wuzhen is one of the most famous but there are a bunch of them. Any travel agent in Shanghai or Hangzhou will be able to help you book a trip there.
posted by afu at 10:33 PM on August 10, 2008
Ha, I just got back from China last night. In Yunnan, both Dali and Lijiang are worth going to; but as mentioned above, beware of the hordes of Chinese tourists in Lijiang. Early morning is best, and avoid the bar street at night. Yangshuo is a good base for exploring the area around Guilin. It's pretty touristy now, but the plus side is that there's plenty of infrastructure and options for exploring the area. Some of the caves have pretty simple walking tours that aren't strenuous (i.e. nothing like actual caving). I ended up randomly checking out one cave that has a tame boat ride with a walk on a stone path; I think it was the Assembling Dragon Cave. There are steps, but nothing massive, so your parents might be up for that. Boat tours are a great way to go, and there are plenty of options. Bikes are another great way to get around, if your parents would be up for a leisurely ride; one of my favorite things there was just to bike off into the valley and watch the farmers and water buffalo. The roads avoid most of the hills, so you get to enjoy the scenery without having to climb it.
Someone above mentioned Tiger Leaping Gorge. Just because the hike along the upper path is out, don't rule out a jaunt by car along the lower road. The main lookout is (of course) jammed with tour buses, so beware. But maybe you can hire a driver who will take the road slowly, so you can enjoy the view, and maybe stop at Tina's Guesthouse or somewhere else at the far end of the road for some food with a view of the mountains.
I had a decent experience with a sleeper train as well as long-distance (but not sleeper) buses. Feel free to MeMail me with any questions.
posted by bassjump at 6:19 AM on August 11, 2008
Someone above mentioned Tiger Leaping Gorge. Just because the hike along the upper path is out, don't rule out a jaunt by car along the lower road. The main lookout is (of course) jammed with tour buses, so beware. But maybe you can hire a driver who will take the road slowly, so you can enjoy the view, and maybe stop at Tina's Guesthouse or somewhere else at the far end of the road for some food with a view of the mountains.
I had a decent experience with a sleeper train as well as long-distance (but not sleeper) buses. Feel free to MeMail me with any questions.
posted by bassjump at 6:19 AM on August 11, 2008
Response by poster: Thanks for the replies, everyone!
posted by extramundane at 6:11 PM on August 11, 2008
posted by extramundane at 6:11 PM on August 11, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
There's a fabulous article about shopping in Shanghai from the New Yorker a few weeks ago here.
posted by mdonley at 9:01 PM on August 9, 2008