A typical first trip here runs about $475 to $650 per person for 7 days at a mid-range style, before flights. Get your own number from the Budget Calculator.
- Eight major regional cuisines, Sichuan (spicy), Cantonese (delicate), Beijing (rich)
- Dim sum (yum cha), small dishes shared over tea in Cantonese tradition
- Peking duck, mapo tofu, xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), iconic dishes
- Hot pot, communal cooking in simmering broth at the table
- Street food: jianbing (egg crepes), baozi (steamed buns), tanghulu (candied fruit)
- Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), the world's largest human migration event
- Mid-Autumn Festival, mooncakes and lanterns under the full moon
- Dragon Boat Festival (June), racing and zongzi rice dumplings
- Golden Week holidays (October), mass domestic travel, expect crowds everywhere
- Temple Fairs during New Year, traditional performances and street food
Mandarin Chinese is official. English is limited outside major cities and tourist zones.
Download a VPN before arriving, many Western apps (Google, WhatsApp, Instagram) are blocked. WeChat and Alipay are essential for daily life.
- Avoid discussing politically sensitive topics (Taiwan, Tibet, Tiananmen)
- Business cards are exchanged with both hands and a slight bow
- Slurping noodles is acceptable and shows enjoyment
- Tipping is not customary and sometimes refused
- Beijing: The Great Wall, the vast Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and the political and imperial heart of China across 3,000 years of history
- Shanghai: A futuristic Pudong skyline alongside 1930s Art Deco Bund buildings, the world's premier finance hub, and cutting-edge contemporary art
- Sichuan: Home of fiery mala cuisine (mapo tofu, hot pot), the giant panda research bases in Chengdu, and sacred Buddhist Emei Shan mountain
- Yunnan: Extraordinary ethnic minority cultures, the UNESCO-listed Lijiang old town, dramatic Tiger Leaping Gorge, and a border with Southeast Asia
- Xi'an: The awe-inspiring Terracotta Army, one of ancient China's greatest imperial capitals, and the eastern terminus of the historic Silk Road
Latest for China
Updates for China will appear here as they are published. Every update cites official sources, so you can plan on it.