China Travel Guide » Culture

Visiting China: Some Tips

Cristina — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 08:19:29 +0000

For someone living in Europe or North America, visiting China is not exactly the easiest thing to figure out. The country is one of the difficult places to travel because of the bureaucracy. First, you need to figure out what type of visa you need then you need to submit the papers and pay the fee. Once you get to China, you must register with the police within 24 hours of arrival (hotels will typically do this for you, though) and don’t forget to carry the papers with you all the time (passport, etc). You also need to get an exit visa before departure. If that sounds annoying, then consider a tour because it will minimize the stress for you.

Whether you choose to travel independently or you want to travel in an organized way (tour), make sure to check out the highlights of Beijing . One of the most visited parts of the Great Wall of China is located near Beijing. Just look for information at the hotel and you’ll be able to book a tour to visit the wall. Another must-see place is the Forbidden City. It is the largest, best-preserved wooden-structure ancient architectural complex in the world. Other stunning places to visit include: the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the Ming Tombs.

But China is much more than just Beijing. Book one of the domestic flights in China and head to Xi’an, where you’ll find the Terracotta Army. It was discovered in 1974 and comprises four pits. Pit one is home to the main army, estimated at 8,000 figures.

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Dali Gucheng, the Old City

Daved Brosche — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:30:45 +0000

Dali Gucheng, or the Old City, is an ancient town located north of the district of Dali City in the Yunnan Province. Dali Gucheng was built during China’s Ming Dynasty and its tranquil atmosphere has been preserved by its separateness. For foreign visitors to Dali, it is a glimpse of the grand architectural and cultural landscape of China with fascinating attractions rooted in China’s rich imperial history.

The streets remain organized into perfect criss-cross patterns and the neat homes, almost all with beautiful adjoining gardens of orchids and azaleas, are a notable sight. The elegance of nature can be admired at every step, where mountain streams flow through the city and join at peaceful Erhai Lake. The city is set against the backdrop of snowcapped mountains, including the sacred Buddhist Jizu Mountain. Other must-see sights including the Three Pagodas, native Bai crafts and performers, and the Foreigner’s Street.

What to Expect

There’s a reason Dali Gucheng is known as the backpacker’s paradise. The weather is generally temperate with an abundance of sunlight year round. Dali Gucheng is affected by the monsoon season, which lasts from June to October. It is wise to bring warm clothing along, as the city is sometimes cooled by monsoon winds.

Hours of Operation

As a residential district of Yunnan, the Ancient City is open at all times, but buses stop running in late evening.

Admission Cost

Tourists enjoy the affordable prices and lovely quality of hotels, cuisine, and souvenirs along the famous “Foreigner’s Street,” which features Western items. Be prepared to pay for attractions like the Three Pagodas, which is a fee of 120 yuan (approx. $18).

How to Get There

Dali Gucheng is about 12km away from Dali City, where tourists are likely to arrive. Buses, trains (8 hrs), and air flights (4 hrs) run between nearby Kunming and Dali City, but schedules for both train and air travel are affected by monsoon season. Regional buses typically operate between 6:30 AM and 9:30 PM from the two major bus terminals. Transportation into Dali Gucheng can be arranged with a tour service, often offered by hotels in Dali City, or by local bus. As rates and discounts vary between public and charter buses, it is best to check both options upon arrival.

Chongsheng Three Pagodas

Daved Brosche — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:20:38 +0000

The historic city of Dali in southwestern China has a magnificent skyline, dominated by the Chongsheng Three Pagodas. The three pagodas, or tiered, eaved towers, were part of the former Chongsheng Temple. They stand between Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake and considered a Chinese national treasure to be preserved.

The three pagodas are three separate shrines to Buddha. They mark the corners of a symmetrical triangle and can be seen from miles away – the highest of the three is Qianxun Pagoda which is 16 stories high and tops more than 227 feet. The original Chongsheng Temple was destroyed in a fire almost 1000 years ago, but was rebuilt in 2005 in conjunction with the pagodas’ preservation efforts.

What to Expect
The newly-built Daoying Park, just south of the pagodas, is considered one of the best places to take pictures of the stately Chongsheng Three Pagodas. Bring lunch and a blanket to have a picnic in the sight of the breathtaking beauty of the skyline. Or try to position yourself and your camera to make best use of the Juying Chi, or Reflection Pond, behind the pagodas for great, symmetrical pictures. Either way, make sure to bring your camera with you on your visit since the best part of the pagodas is the pictures they create.

Nearby on the marble street, there are plenty of workshops and craft shops selling a variety of marble and brick-painting memorabilia and keepsakes. A large number of pictures, postcards and statues of the pagodas, especially, are available here for souvenirs.

Average Costs
The admission fee for going to the Chongsheng Three Pagodas site itself costs 120 yen, but the pagodas are best enjoyed in conjunction with a tour of other historically important sites. There are walking tours of Dali that will take you past the three pagodas, as well as a number of other historical Dali attractions for as little as 160 yen a person.

Hours of Operation
The pagodas are open to the public from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and an average visit is about two hours. When visiting at night, the pagodas are lit up to create an illumination skyline.

Ancient Culture Street

Roger — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 18:21:55 +0000

Ancient Culture Street (Gu Wenhua Jie) – China is one of the most interesting and historically accurate streets in China. It looks and feels just like stepping into the 19th century in ancient China.
China created Ancient Culture Street in Tianjin so that the citizens of China and tourists would not forget the old ways of living in China. The streets hold many delights for shopping and sightseeing. The architecture is built in the style of old-world China, and is an experience not to be missed.

What to Expect
Visitors to Ancient Culture Street should be prepared to visit the numerous shops selling various knick-knacks and antiques. Enough money should be brought to cover any purchases made there. Weather in Tianjin is fairly mild, with below freezing temperatures in winter and high 70’s in summer. Dress accordingly for each season. Visitors should bring sun block or hats and a camera.

Hours of Operation
Ancient Culture Street (Gu Wenhua Jie) – China’s hours vary by each shop. Visitors should arrive from late morning to early afternoon to catch the maximum number of open shops. If planning to visit other locations, arrive as early as possible for maximum enjoyment. If visiting the nearby Confucius Temple (Wen miao), it’s hours are: Sunday-Saturday-9am-5pm.

Admission Cost
Admission to Ancient Culture Street is free; however, anything bought in the shops will cost money as well as any food offered. Admission to the Confucius Temple is RMB4 per person. The Tianhuo Temple (Tianhou gong), located on Ancient Culture Street offers free admission as well.

How to Get There
Ancient Culture Street (Gu Wenhua Jie) – China is located in the northeast corner of the city of Tianjin. The most reliable modes of transport to Ancient Culture Street are the railway system or by taking a taxi. From the railway station you can take a taxi to Ancient Culture Street, or it is also possible to walk there. It is located on Wenhua street (Wenhua jie), and a very short walk east from the Confucius Temple.

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Summer Palace (Yiheyuan)

Daved Brosche — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:18:09 +0000

The Summer Palace is located in Beijing, China. Within the rather slim 70,000 square meters of space the Summer Palace occupies, there are several variations of different gardens, palaces, and other classically styled architecture. The palace structure suffered two separate attacks in it’s long history. One of these attacks happened during the Anglo-French invasion of 1860; the other happened during the Boxer Rebellion. The Summer Palace is quite the popular destination for tourists. Having a large expanse of land and water in the vicinity allows the palace to also serve as a park for visitors.

How to Get There

There are many access routes throughout Beijing.
From the north-western 3rd Ring Road, travel north past Suzhou Bridge.
From the north western 4th Ring Road, head north past Sihai Bridge.
Also, if you are traveling on the 5th Ring Road, go through Zhongguancun/Beiqing Road exit.
If needed, public transportation will be available.

What can you expect? Well, there are many beautiful landscapes and ancient pieces of art displayed for observation. The Summer Palace is readily distinguished as one of the most classical and beautiful gardens in the world. Three quarters of the area surrounding the Summer Palace is water.

The palace is separated into four areas. Each area varies in its design and uniqueness. There are many winding paths and scenic spots that are perfect for picnics. The main palace buildings can be seen through the east palace gate. The lake opens up on the eastern bank of the Summer Palace, giving an amazing view across the waters. Off to the west, there are six pristine bridges that can be completely viewed in all their beauty.

Palace Costs
From November 1st to March 31st the entry cost is CNY 25.
From April 1st to October 31st the entry cost is CNY 35.

The Hours of Operation
From November 1st to March 31st the palace hours are 07:00 to 17:00.
From April 1st to October 31st the palace hours are 06:30 to 18:00.

Terracotta Army

Roger — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:56:12 +0000

The Terracotta Army is formed by the Terracotta Warriors and Horses located near Xi’an, Shaanxi province. The army belonged to Shi Huang Di the First Emperor of China. The army was discovered by chance in 1974 when several local farmers worked on drilling water well on a field near Xi’an.

What does the terracotta army comprise?

The army is formed by figures which vary in height and are all life-like and life-sized. The tallest of them are the Generals. The army includes warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians. Currently it’s estimated that the army comprises over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses most of all still buried in the pits.

History

The emperor buried his army with him with the only purpose to serve him in the after life to rule another empire. It’s estimated that Shi Huang Di’s army was buried in 209-210 BC.

The emperor’s necropolis was built to serve as an imperial palace, complete with office, halls, walls and entrances. It is believed that the craftsmen working on the complex were all buried alive when they completed the necropolis in order to not divulge any secrets.

Studies have shows that most likely 8 head moulds were used and then clay was used to give them the individual features. After the figures were done, they were places in the pits in practice military formation according to rank and duty.

There is evidence of a big fire that burned the wooden structure of the tomb. According to the historical records, General Xiang Yu raided the tomb not long after the emperor’s death. Legend say the fire lasted for three months. Because of the incident only one statue remained intact. But despite the fire, much of the army survived in various stages of preservation.

Museum of Qin Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses

The army in the three pits which form the museum is located outside the Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum. The museum covers 16,300 sq m / 4 acres. The largest pit is Pit 1 and it was opened for the public in 1979. The first pit contains soldiers and chariots. Pit 2 comprises over a thousand warriors and 90 chariots. The last one comprises only 68 warriors, a war chariot and four horses. Most of the clay figurines discovered in the pits have been restored to their former grandeur.

Opening Hours

The museum is opened daily from 8 AM to 6 PM

Admission Fees

High Season (Mar 1 to Nov 30): 90 Yuan
Low Season (Dec 1 to Feb 28/29): 65 Yuan

Beijing’s Museums

Roger — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:05:32 +0000

There are more than 100 museums and galleries in Beijing. Among the well known we can mention: the Palace Museum, The National Museum of China, Beijing Art Museum, the Military Museum and the Ancient Coin Museum.

The National Museum of China

The National Museum of China stretches more than 300 m / 984 ft to the north and to the south along the east side of the Tiananmen Square. The predecessors of the museum are the Museum of Chinese History and the Museum of Chinese Revolution, which shared the same building.

The Museum of Chinese History

The Museum of Chinese History is actually Beijing History Museum and was built in 1912 and opened to the public in 1926. It displays three periods of China’s history: the Primitive Society (500,000BC to 4,000BC), Slavery Society (2,100BC to 475BC) and Feudal Society (221BC to 1911).

The Palace Museum

The Palace Museum (see photo) was established on the basis of the Forbidden City, which used to be the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The palace covers an area of 720,000 square km. The Palace Museum was established in 1925 and it represents the China’s largest and most intact ancient building complex. It has the country’s largest collection of art works, including paintings, potteries, toys, documents and many more.

It is China’s largest museum and in 1961 it was included n the List of Key Historical Monuments under State Protection, while in 1987 it was put on the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

The National Art Museum of China

The National Art Museum of China ((Wu Si Street) is an art museum displays, collects and researches the work of Chinese artists in modern times. There are 13 exhibition halls filled with more than 60,000 fine art works like Chinese paintings, prints, sculptures, iconography, shadow play works, paper-cuts, embroideries and many more.

Beijing Ancient Coin Museum

Built over the reconstructed Zhenwu Temple at the Wucheng of Deshengmen, the Beijing Ancient Coin Museum exhibits Chinese ancient coins from different dynasties. It also features temporary exhibitions.

Beijing Art Museum

Beijing Art Museum is located within the Temple of Longevity, which was built in 1577 under the reign of Wanli Emperor. Beijing Art Museum was founded in 1985. It houses collections and exhibitions and its aim is to preserve, to study and develop the Chinese cultural heritage. Among the collections you can see the valuable Chinese paintings and calligraphies of Ming and Qing Dynasties, ancient coins of China and the modern Chinese and Japanese arts, crafts and paintings.

Li Xiao Long

Adam — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:00:43 +0000

I guess you can choose your own name here, so that is my Chinese name. It means “Little Dragon,” which is the Chinese (real) name of Bruce Lee. That is my joke with the ladies – never fails to get a laugh. I like to ask people their name when I meet them – In Chinese this is “Wo Jiao Shenme Mingzi?” Then they ask me my name and I say, “Wo Jiao Li Xiao Long!” For my first two weeks here I was Zheng Leng (Jackie Chan,) but I think Li Xiao Long is better.

Funny enough – I got that job at MAERSK. I guess there were probably two reasons for this: First, I made sure I got paid for the last class, and secondly, I called the guy who seemed to be the decision maker from last time, and told him that I thought that he had make a mistake in not choosing me just because I didn’t have Business English Teaching experience, per se. Anyway, I am glad that I got a call back. I was going to refuse it out of spite, but that wouldn’t do any good. Tonight I had five students; three of them were new from a couple weeks ago. Very smart and good English; First, we started with common American idioms – (the grass is greener on the other side, the early bird gets the worm, etc.) After that, we read an article about recent talks between Korea and China regarding a Free Trade Agreement – it was pretty heavy in high level business terms regarding trade, tariffs, etc. I had them rotate paragraphs, ask me when they needed clarification on words, and, at the end, discuss the overall meaning of the piece. Time flew by and I will employ this format from here on out.

I have been offered a couple other jobs. I have a possibility for one at LG, which is a big Korean-owned company that makes cell-phones and air-conditioning units. So, I can then keep the curriculum that same for both companies. I am happy to have my days filled with the gym, school, and work. It is also really nice that I can do it at my own pace – I need to keep reminding myself that I am very, very fortunate to have this opportunity in life where I can really focus on improving.

Beijing Travel Advice

Adam — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 17:47:20 +0000

Following is my email to a friend of a friend regarding travel advice for her Mother and Brother that are coming to Beijing and then going to Lhasa, Tibet:

PS – For all those asking me to post pictures – I am still learning on this system – I am waiting to hear back from my friend and will post some good ones, soon. Thanks

“No problem – it’s my pleasure.

OK – regarding the train to Lhasa, I am going to email my friend who recently took the trip and he will be able to give me definitive answers to the questions regarding oxygen and food quality (I suggest bringing some food with you.) I can say a good train resource is seat61.com - and the local website to find the fares is: http://www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains

The non-commission price for a softsleeper is $134. This is the one with four-berths. People feel differently about whether they prefer high or low bed; with the lowbed you can put stuff under the seat and you dont have to climb up, unless you are really, really short – and, depending on the train (no idea about the Lhasa train) there is a compartment underneath that you can put your stuff in. I prefer the top myself because I’m less bothered up there, but either one is fine.

My suggestion would be that, depending on her comfort level regarding hostels, she should stay at 365Inn or LeoHostel, both are located on DaZhaLan St. about a 1/2 mile from Tiananmen and the main center of Beijing – the reason I suggest one of these two places is they have tours up to the Badaling section of the Great Wall – this is the orginal wall and is not very commercial, at all. It will cost about 150-180RMB (about $25) and includes a really nice lunch….it does involve some hiking, but if your Mom and brother are in good shape they should have no problems.

She can also get her train tickets booked through either hostel for a commission of about 30 RMB ($4.50.) For more info; www.leohostel.com – I am friendly with the owner, although he is not there much – but you can use my name – “Adam who is friends with Mr. Kim”

What I normally do when I go to Beijing, is stay at 365Inn because it is quiet, comfortable and cheap (I usually get a room (often to myself for 50 RMB/$6.50)) – she and Caleb should be able to get a room with two double beds, AC/Heat, and a TV for about 100 RMB total,) and then I go over to LeoHostel to hangout and schedule tours and train tickets. LeoHostel is very popular and sometimes it is a bit noisy – the two places are about a 5 second walk across the street from one another. The price I quoted is the bare-bottom price and those rooms dont have a bathroom in them – I have gone there between October and March and have been able to negotiate because there were several rooms open. She or Caleb should look up the number and call them first and make reservation – both places everyone speaks English. 365Inn also has a washer and dryer – very rare, indeed.

One more thing, the train to Lhasa leaves out of Beijing West which is about a 15 minute cab ($5) ride from those hostels/Tiananmin Sq. She can tell the cabbie – BeijingXi (shi) or just point to the ticket (upper left hand corner.)

Lots of info, but it is hard-earned and very good.

Adam”

Fear and Loathing In Qingdao

Adam — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 14:00:06 +0000

What an adventure this last couple days has been! I arrived in Qingdao yesterday morning and made my way to my hotel. They didnt have record of my reservation which, in and of itself is no biggie, but combine that with a very significant language barrier and you have an interesting six hours on your hands. They switched my room a couple times and I was a little bit frustrated, but it all worked out. I walked around the city for a few hours and had a great brunch at a five star hotel (I am of the travelling philosophy that it is best to find the cheapest accomodation and eat like a champ.) After that, I finally got things situated at the crib, and, because of all the chaos, was able to find a friendly spirit that was able to help me navigate the language barrier.

This morning, I met with a real-estate agent and we searched for an apartment in some nice parts of the city. Afterwards, I met with the above mentioned friendly spirit, a local named Jack, and he and I went to the gym. Afterwards, he and his girlfriend treated me to a great dinner, Hotpot. If you haven’t tried it, you should. Similar to fondue; you choose from an assortment of fresh meats and vegetables and you dip it in a boiling bullion and then into a tasty sauce. In a word, Yummy!!

It is great to have a couple local friends right out of the gate, because it means the foriegner is less likely to get taken for a ride when it comes to apartment searches and can avoid other potential pitfalls.

Tomorrow, I am meeting with the local school here to check into a Mandarin program and then I will have a better idea of where I would like to live. This place is my favorite Chinese city so far. I did a fine job in researching cities in China, and this place has it all; great restaurants, shopping centers, and gyms. The city is also very clean and has a wonderful waterfront. Yesterday the weather was splendid and lots of people were out there flying their kites, etc. I am still working out the kinks and will be able to put together some proper posts over the next few days.