China Travel Guides, Written From the Ground
Practical, on-the-ground guides to travelling in China: visas, payments, trains, SIM cards and the routes that actually work. Written from real timetables, real prices and real mistakes.
The details people get wrong
Visas, bank cards, SIMs, station procedures — checked against what actually happens at the counter.
If You Lose Your Passport In China
A guide to the process of reporting a lost passport and obtaining emergency travel documents in China.
Ordering Food in China Without Speaking Chinese
From scanning QR codes to understanding the bill, we've got you covered.
Seeing A Doctor In China As A Visitor: The Queue Guide
Navigate Chinese hospital queues. Step-by-step guide for visitors on registration, payment, and pharmacy logistics.
Paying In China: What Actually Works At The Counter
Alipay and WeChat Pay with a foreign card, plus the handful of places where you’ll still need cash.
The 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Rule, Explained Plainly
Ten days, no visa — but only if you arrive from one country and leave for a third.
Routes that actually work
Point-to-point journeys with real frequencies, elapsed times and what each class costs.
Taking A Sleeper Train In China
A comprehensive guide to sleeping trains in China, helping you decide if a night on the tracks is worth it.
Routes
Beijing To Shanghai: High-Speed Rail Vs Flying, With Real Numbers
Take the train unless your onward flight leaves from Pudong.
Routes
Beijing To Xi’an: 4h30 By Train, And The Station Trap
Book to Xi’an North, then ride metro line 2 straight into the walled city.
Routes
Shanghai To Hangzhou: A Day Trip That Genuinely Works
Take an 08:00 train from Hongqiao, and book the return while you are still at breakfast.
Routes
Shanghai To Suzhou: 25 Minutes, Two Stations, One Wrong Choice
Book to Suzhou station, not Suzhou North, and start with the Humble Administrator’s Garden.
Places worth planning around
Honest write-ups: how many days it deserves, what it costs, when to skip it.
Cities
Beijing: How To Arrive, Where To Sleep, And How Many Days It Deserves
Arrive at the right airport, sleep inside the Second Ring Road, and give the Wall its own day.
Cities
Shanghai In Three Days: Arriving, Sleeping Right, And Spending Well
Stay on the Puxi side, ride the metro not the maglev, and treat Pudong as a visit rather than a base.
Cities
Xi’an: The Wall, The Warriors, And How Many Days It Takes
Warriors before 09:00, the wall at sunset, three days covers it comfortably.
Cities
Chengdu: Pandas, Hotpot, And The Gateway To Western Sichuan
Pandas by 08:00, hotpot after dark, and two days minimum before you head west.
Cities
Guilin And Yangshuo: The Karst Landscape, Planned Properly
Sleep in Yangshuo, cruise downstream to it, and give the rice terraces a night.
Each city, in the right order
Which sight each morning, what the tickets cost, and how to stop crossing the city twice a day.
Itineraries
3 Days in Beijing: The Order That Saves You Half A Day
One day on the central axis, one on the Wall, one in the south. No backtracking.
Itineraries
2 Days in Shanghai: Old City West, Skyline East
Fight the temptation to cross the river twice. Puxi in one piece, Pudong in another.
Itineraries
2 Days in Xi’an: The Buried Army East, The Walls In Town
Sights east on day one, everything within the walls on day two.
Itineraries
3 Days in Chengdu: Pandas At Dawn, Teahouses After
Pandas at 07:30, teahouse at noon, a mountain on the third day.
Itineraries
2 Days in Hangzhou: The Lake On Foot, The Temple At Dawn
Circle the lake on day one, climb into the tea hills on day two.