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Home > Guides > General
General information - page 3/3
Where to go
For ancient relics: Beijing, Luoyang, Xi'an and Leshan (near Chengdu).
For metropolis and skyscrapers: Shanghai, Canton and Hong Kong.
For nature and off-the-beaten-track places: Yunnan and Qinghai provinces, Tibet and inner Mongolia.
When to go
The North: not only inner Mongolia and Manchuria, but also Beijing can reach far below zero temperatures in winter. April to June is probably the best time to go, but if you don't fear cold then December to February can be pleasantly sunny and dry.
The South-East: this area is extremely hot and humid in winter, and monsoon winds blow from July to September, so that you'd be better off going in early spring.
Central and Western China: Yunnan is cold when it rains and warm under the sun no matter the season, but usually it rains the most in summer/late fall. Sichuan and other central provinces are best visited in spring.
Tibet: July/August is the warmest time, but at 4-5,000 meter high nights and cloudy days can be cold all year round.
How to go
By air: you can fly to Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong depending on the airline and your final destination. From Bangkok you can also fly to Kunming in Yunnan province. Flights are also an expensive but fast way to cover long internal distances, and the only legal way to get to Lhasa is actually a domestic flight from Chengdu or Beijing.
By train: the Trans-Mongolian railway is the only option to get to China by land from Europe (note that the Trans-Siberian takes you to Nakhodka and not to Beijing), and the trip takes about six days. Trains are a good way to travel around China if you have plenty of time and patience - some lines can be very crowded and tickets not always easy to get.
By sea: there are ferry boats from Japan and Korea to Tianjin, Qingdao and other ports depending on the line.
Things to know
A little Chinese is your best chance to enjoy the trip and the contact with the Chinese people. All foreigners are generally looked down on and Westerners are still stared at like aliens in most places, but one can more and more easily stumble into the most warm-hearted people. It is now possible to speak out one's mind on politics, but foreigners and their contacts with the Chinese are carefully controlled. Sleeping in Chinese-only hotels or entering restricted regions can lead to very high fines.
China is probably one of the safest places for women travellers, but in big cities one just can't be too careful.
Tap water is generally not drinkable; boil it first (that's why tea is so popular in China!) or buy bottled drinks. Chinese cooking is varied and tasty, but if there's something you absolutely can't stand (like hot dishes or dog meat) learn how to say it.
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Sinophilia was born in 1998 as a meeting-point for China-lovers. In these years we have managed to build a database of essential information on the Chinese culture, adding here and there a few more specific essays on Chinese art, history, language and religions, and some useful tools.
Feel free to send us your comments and contributions!
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