This document provides 10 tips for traveling in China. It includes recommendations on learning basic Chinese phrases, using language apps, focusing on popular tourist destinations like Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an and Guilin, planning trips around weather patterns, shopping tips, exploring Chinese cuisine, bringing essential supplies, using public transportation, and visiting top tourist attractions like the Forbidden City, Terracotta Army, Shanghai, Taipei 101, Suzhou Gardens, Potala Palace, and Li River.
2. Tip 1: Break the Language Barrier
Learning Chinese before you arrive in China. Few Essential Phrases for Tourists in China
Casual Greetings Buying Something Getting Directions
How are you?
Nǐ hǎo ma?
What is this? Zhè shì shén me
What is that? Nà shì shénme
Where is______?
__________Zài nǎr?
Thank you. Xiè xie Do you have_____?
Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu ______?
Where is the restroom?
Cè suǒ zài nǎr?
I am sorry. Duì bù qǐ
Don’t mention it.
Méi guān xī
How much money?
Duō shǎo qián?
I want to go to the
restroom.
Wǒ xiǎng qù cèsuǒ
Good bye.
Zài jiàn.
I don’t want it.
Wǒ búyào.
I want to go to________.
Wǒ yào qù ________.
3. Tip 2: Use Language Apps for traveler
Use the language apps for traveling will make everything a lot easier.
Pleco
English-Chinese dictionary Learn Chinese Mandarin
Google Maps China Travel Guide Uber
Drivers
Dianping
Restaurant review guide
China Metro
Subway maps
WeChat
Message service
China
Train Booking
Google Translate
4. Tip 3: Focus your Tourist Destinations
• For a first trip to China, the most recommended tourist
destinations are Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an and Guilin.
Tian An Men Square
Beijing
Pu Dong
Shanghai
Terra cotta worrier
Xi’an
Li River
Guilin
5. Tip 4: Itinerary designed for the Weather Patterns
China is a safe place but you should be aware of its notorious air pollution.
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Great Wall of China
6. Tip 5: Shopping in China
Bargaining in Chinese
No, thanks. (Búyào, xièxie. )
How much is this? ( zhège duō shǎo qián? )
It’s too expensive. (tài guì le.)
Cutting down price? (piányí diǎn.)
Don't buy everything in the first day or two. Each city
has its own specialty.
• Beijing: cloisonné; fresh water pearls
• Shanghai: silk carpets, qipaos
• Hangzhou: Dragon well tea, silk
• Suzhou: silk
• Guilin: scroll paintings, South China Sea pearls
• Tibet: thangka (tanka: sheep skin wall hangings)
• Xi'an: replicas of the Terracotta Warriors, antique furniture
Be Cautious of Fake Items
7. Tip 6: Tasting Chinese Food
Every region in China has a different style of cooking. Exploring
Chinese food includes street snacks and distinctive cuisine.
Learn How to Use Chopsticks
Restaurant Cuisine
Local Street Food
Cooking Chinese food
8. Tip 7: Kleenex paper reminder
Toilet tissue is rarely found in public restrooms. Restaurants
usually do not supply paper napkins.
Carrying your own supplies such as bring along small packages of
Kleenex and Wet ones will make your trip more pleasant.
Asian Style Toilet
9. Tip 8:Travel Safety
• China is a relatively low crime country, but petty crime is on the increase and tourists are
particularly vulnerable. A basic knowledge of potential risks and common scams are
useful to help you have a smooth and safe trip in China.
The Top 5 Biggest Scams in China
The Art School Scam
http://www.beijingabode.com/content/top-5-biggest-scams-china-
and-what-look
The Bogus Taxi Ride
Tea House Scam
Counterfeit Money Shopping Scams
10. Tip 9: Things to bring along
1) Vacuum bottle and cold water bottle
2) Tea, Coffee and small cone coffee maker
3) Scarf, jacket and hats according to the weather
4) Hand cream, nail clipper, and first-aid kit
5) Alarm clock, umbrella
6) A sturdy travel bag or backpack
7) Zip-lock bags
8) Personal food utensils
Joanne’s list of things to bring and you can make a similar list of your own
11. Tip 10: Use Public Transport
China’s public transport systems are extensive.
Traveling by train is one of the
Cheapest ways to travel on some
of the long distance routes in China.
China Train Travel Subways Bus
14. Forbidden City, Beijing
The Forbidden City was the
Chinese imperial palace from
the Ming dynasty to the end
of the Qing dynasty. It is
located in the center of
Beijing, China, and now
houses the Palace Museum.
The Palace Museum share
the same historical roots of
the Taiwanese National
Palace Museum.
15. TerracottaArmy, Xi-An
The Terracotta Army or the
"Terracotta Warriors and Horses"
is a collection of terracotta
sculptures depicting the armies of
Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor
of China. It is a form of funerary
art buried with the emperor in
210–209 BCE and whose purpose
was to protect the emperor in his
afterlife. They were discovered in
1974 by local farmers.
16. Shanghai
Eastern Pearl Tower
Shanghai is the largest Chinese city by
population and the largest city proper by
population in the world.
One of the four direct-controlled of PRC, with a
population of more than 24 million as of 2013.
A global financial center, and a transport hub
with the world's busiest container port.
Located in the Yangtze River Delta in East China,
Shanghai sits at the mouth of the Yangtze in the
middle portion of the Chinese coast.
17. Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan
Taipei is the capital of ROC (Taiwan). Taipei is
the main national, political, economic, military
and cultural center of Taiwan. it is considered
to be a global city.
Taipei 101 (Chinese: 台北101), formerly known
as the Taipei World Financial Center, is the
world's most technologically advanced
supertall skyscraper, with advanced cutting
edge electronics technology integrated into the
structure of the skyscraper.
18. Suzhou Garden (Wangshi Yuan)
Suzhou gardens are a group
of gardens in Suzhou region,
Jiangsu province
From the Northern Song to
the late Qing dynasties (11th-
19th century), these gardens,
most of them built by
scholars, standardized many
of the key features of classical
Chinese garden design with
constructed landscapes
mimicking natural scenery of
rocks, hills and rivers with
strategically located pavilions
and pagodas.
19. Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet
The Potala Palace in
Lhasa, Tibet
Autonomous Region,
China, was the chief
residence of the Dalai
Lama until the 14th
Dalai Lama fled to India
during the 1959
Tibetan uprising. It is
now a museum and
World Heritage Site.
20. Li River, Guilin, Guangxi
One of the world's "Top 10
Watery Wonders"
• Chinese: 漓江 Lí Jiāng /lee
jyang/
• Scenic Area: Guilin–
Yangshuo, South China
• Activities: the Li River cruise,
bamboo rafting, hiking,
cormorant fishing, watching
night show Impression Liu
Sanjie, photography
