Learn Chinese, Travel or Work in China
The price of flights varies in such a way that it often seems arbitrary. There are many studies that try to predict ticket price trends. Below, I detail some of the main conclusions of these studies, which will let you save money when purchasing plane tickets:
[Read more…]
A Chinese class K train.
In this guide to traveling in China by train, you’ll find out how to buy a train ticket in China, what the different classes of Chinese trains are and some general travel tips.
You can only buy a train ticket starting from 20 days before your trip. You can’t do it too far in advance. In particular during peak seasons – Spring Festival (in January or February), May Day (May 1st), National Day (October 1st) and Summer Holidays (from July to August) – you should buy your ticket as soon as possible or you’ll risk that tickets will already be sold out. [Read more…]
The mountains at sunset between Lijiang and Shangri-la -Photo by Matteo Bosi
Wrapped in the mountains on its high plateau, protected by the imposing Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Lijiang (丽江) is an ancient city whose original nucleus goes back over 1000 years, when the Ancient Tea Road (or Southern Silk Road) transited here, attracting merchants from all over Asia.
The Naxi were firmly established here at the time, shaping a center that today is a renowned tourist destination. The ancient heart is surrounded by a modern city that today flaunts luxury hotels, a capacious theater and wide streets to allow the numerous crowds of tourists to appreciate the tiled ways of the historic center, curled roofs and products typical of the area.
Lijiang is an unmissable stop on a classic Yunnan itinerary; while with a little more effort you can get to Shangri-la, for sure Lijiang isn’t missed by the Chinese visiting this region. As a result it’s a very popular city filled with bodies.
The Naxi themselves, who once lived in these alleys and ran their businesses there, now have almost completely abandoned the place, leaving the business to the Han. What was a precious architectural and social jewel, is now in their eyes an open mall, where the streets are packed with colored lights and there’s too much noise.
If you can, have a Naxi take you around the city: he’ll tell you how things once were a few decades ago, before the earthquake devastated the city and the homes were in their original forms; when from the boxy square you could freely romp through the local alleys; when the locals all knew each other and each street had a specific commercial interest. [Read more…]
I decided to write this article to pay homage to one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited: Chongqing (重庆). My history with this city began in February 2016. Every time I think about the days I spent in Chongqing I get a lump in my throat… and think that the first day there wasn’t even the best!
Chongqing is a hot and spicy city in all senses: high temperatures, spicy food and, especially, hot people! The lifestyle is different than any other city in China, full of energy and life in all aspects, maintaining its uniqueness. It’s an unforgettable city that leaves a beautiful memory in the hearts of those who visit.
Chongqing represents one of the four cities directly controlled by the central government, along with Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. It’s also the independent city with the most inhabitants, since the data from 2014 lists a population of 29,914,000 inhabitants.
Being located at the point of convergence between the river 长江, “Long River” (better known by its old phonetic transcription Yangtze and the name “Blue River”) and the river 嘉陵江, “the Jialing River”, Chongqing is a huge industrial city with a very active port – divided into 8 parts – 重庆港, the “Port of Chongqing”.
The confluence between the Long River and the Jialing River is called 朝天门, “The gate that goes through heaven”, an area where there’s also the famous Chaotianmen Bridge, which is also where many tourist ferries depart. The most beautiful thing about Chaotianmen is being able to see the point where the two rivers converge in differing colors,
a unique panorama! [Read more…]
When I decided to go to China for the first time, finding an affordable and comprehensive health insurance was one of my first concerns, as I knew that, while in my country I was covered by the welfare system, in China I was on my own. This also applies for short-term travelers: unless you have international insurance, you won’t be covered while traveling around Asia.
Health insurance isn’t compulsory when you travel, so you can still go to Asia without any insurance and hope to never get sick, have an accident, lose your luggage or having your flight canceled by a storm.
However I won’t do it myself. It’s too risky. Especially when you consider that a good travel insurance only costs you a couple of USD per day.
Chinese hospitals are business oriented and they won’t help you unless you can pay cash in advance or they can verify that you’re covered by an adequate medical insurance.
I repeat, if you can’t pay nobody will help you. Also, the international hospitals in China (where doctors and nurses can speak English) are often more expensive than hospitals in the U.S.
I’ve heard plenty of horror stories of western tourists or expats that were left to die or lose a foot in an Asian hospital because, after being a victim of an accident or bad food poisoning, they didn’t have insurance or enough cash to pay for the emergency treatments they needed. Can you afford to pay 5,000 or 10,000 USD cash? [Read more…]
Kinmen (Jīnmén in Mandarin, also known as Quemoy in English, derived from the local pronunciation in Hokkien) is an island administered by Taiwan (the Chinese Republic) and claimed by China (Chinese People’s Republic) which is only 2 km away. Access from China was off-limits to foreigners up until 2008.
So the first time I disembarked on a newly-opened Kinmen I had no idea of what to expect. I lived in Xiamen for a few years and during my summer swimming I enjoyed curiously wondering about the coast off in the distance that was visible from the beach.
I often heard about this place through stories told by the local people: I was especially struck by a few daredevils who in the past, risking bullets on both sides, went there at night by small boats to visit relatives of whom they were separated for years. I don’t know how true these stories are, but they certainly left me fantasizing about this island that was so close but out of reach.
For almost 60 years Kinmen remained off-limits, with the beaches off of China completely mined and those without mines full of iron pickets. That’s not exactly a post card island. The only way for me to legally approach it was by air from Hong Kong or directly from Taiwan, a torturous and paradoxical route (to reach a place 2 km away, I had to travel a thousand). But even for the Chinese it isn’t easy to get to Kinmen.
In 2008 the government of the People’s Republic adopted a political restriction on visas and many expats like me were forced to make the so-called “visa runs”, that is, leaving China to re-enter with a new visa or entrance stamp allowing one to extend their stay for another 30 days. For me that meant 9 hours on a bus to Hong Kong, a night in a microscopic guest house and another 9 hours for the return or, alternatively, an expensive flight.
When finally the governments of China and Taiwan agreed to open access to Kinmen directly from Xiamen, it wasn’t just the Chinese that were thrilled but also some of us expats: the distance of about 2 km that separated me from this territory that was “occupied” by Taiwan, now also opened to foreigners, saving us a long trip to Hong Kong. [Read more…]
The purpose of this guide is to show you how and where to book a hotel in China. If you’re interested on booking an hotel in a specific Chinese city, you can head directly to our hotel reviews.
Before going on, you need to be aware of these two points:
This is article was written by David East from Unfamiliar China.
Though Chinese food is popular all over the world, the version that westerners are accustomed is a major variation on the authentic cuisine of China. This change came about as a result of time, local customs, and restaurateurs who wanted to adapt to western palates.
As a result, Chinese food in the west is often a mish-mash of different elements of Chinese cuisine, with a number of western ingredients and styles thrown in for good measure. Traditionally, Chinese food is divided into the eight culinary traditions, each named after a different region of China.
Because of the huge variety in climate, local agriculture, trade, and many other factors, there can be serious differences between these eight varying schools of cooking.
Cantonese cuisine comes from the region of Guangdong. It is conservative in the use of herbs and spices, instead choosing to use modest amounts of very fresh ingredients. Dishes are often stir-fried or steamed. As a coastal province, it makes use of seafood alongside beef, chicken, and pork, but Cantonese cuisine is also famous for using almost anything that is edible, such as frogs’ legs, offal, chickens’ feet, and snails!
As Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, once infamously said: “If it has four legs and is not a chair, has wings and is not an aeroplane, or swims and is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it.” [Read more…]
This guide contains pretty much all the info that you’ll need to prepare your trip to China: VISA requirements, travel insurance, vaccinations, guidebooks, planes and trains, hotels, internet and phone cards.
Also, you’ll find tips on where to eat, what to bring to China, when to travel to China, how to avoid the most common scams and how to bargain.
You can jump directly to the section you’re most interested on by clicking on one of the items of this index: [Read more…]
This article is a fairly complete guide to getting a Chinese VISA in Hong Kong or doing a VISA run (in the event that you have a multiple-entry VISA and need to leave China every thirty or sixty days) while spending the smallest possible amount of time and money.
You’ll find the following information:
For more general information on Chinese VISA, I suggest you read Chinese VISA application: A complete guide.