How To Innovation A Trip To China

China alongside its rich 5000 twelvemonth former civilization has e'er been fascinating. We took the plunge this March in addition to had a fabulous xvi solar daytime vacation, March 16-31; 2018. All planning in addition to execution was on our ain without aid from whatsoever tour agent. We commonly acquire some go vocabulary for the countries nosotros visit; for Russia, nosotros learnt the cyrillic alphabet in addition to were able to read the signs in addition to acquire yesteryear easily. Chinese script posed a daunting prospect! We did acquire a few words though.

We had a lovely diverseness of experiences equally you lot tin watch from these pics.

Here's the Great wall at Badaling

Imperial Treasury at Forbidden city, Beijing

Jade at Forbidden City

Marble boat, Summer Palace, Beijing

Pingyao ancient urban nub temple

Following few pics are all from Pingyao ancient city

Pingyao, the Wall Street of ancient China

Wang theater unit of measurement courtyard close Pingyao

Xi'an Wild Goose Pagoda due north square

AWESOME jade all round

Terracotta Warriors

Drum tower, Xi'an

Grand Mosque, Xi'an

Temples were non crowded... this is the International department inward White Equus caballus temple, Luoyang, solar daytime trip from Xi'an

Luoyang Longmen Grottos alongside 100000 Buddhas carved into the colina side...

Guilin was non also rainy

Great wall was snowy though...

The variety Sunday did melt away the snowfall equally the solar daytime progressed..

Spring was inward sway...Flowers were inward total bloom

Suzhou Humble administrator garden

Peach blossom everywhere...with good manicured petunia bloom beds

Suzhou Humble administrator garden

West Lake, Hangzhou

Leifung Pagoda, Hangzhou

Shanghai People's Park

SHANGHAI Bund

Topiary at Elephant body park, Guilin

Longji Rice terraces presented a lovely sight

Lujia hamlet close Guilin looked picturesque in addition to nosotros were hence glad nosotros stayed there.

Suzhou was a petty underwhelming for us.

Water town Tongli...probably our expectation from the Unesco Heritage town was also high

West Lake at Hangzhou was great.

Shanghai Bund was shrouded inward mist on the terminal solar daytime nosotros could spare, but no complaints. We had had awesome conditions everywhere else!

Craftsmanship skills displayed through out were AWESOME, endure it ceramics, woods carving, jade piece of work or textiles

Shanghai Jade Buddha

WHEN TO GO?

April in addition to May, September in addition to Oct are recommended equally skillful months to see China. Spring in addition to autumn are the preferred seasons when most of the pop places get got their most tourism-friendly weather.

AVOID Chinese National Day opor-garai calendar week Oct 1–7 in addition to other Chinese holidays similar May Labor solar daytime week.

We planned for a May opor-garai in addition to looked at the actual temperatures for places of our involvement during that menstruum inward 2017. We constitute it quite hot. We constitute March to a greater extent than conducive.

China's wintertime low go flavor is from November to March. In the depression season, although the conditions is colder, you lot tin relieve money on hotels, flights, in addition to entry tickets, all our entry tickets were priced at one-half the common fares.

We decided to operate the Easter holiday, afterward realized Qingming Festival (also known equally Tomb-sweeping Day), falls on either Apr fourth or fifth of the solar calendar. 2018 Qingming Festival falls on Apr 5. We pushed our opor-garai frontward a fighting in addition to arrived at dates Mar 16-31

WHAT TO SEE?

The Golden Triangle: Beijing – Xi'an – Shanghai suggests itself to the offset timers.

Pingyao got tagged inward betwixt Beijing – Xi'an.

Guilin/Yangshuo added itself betwixt Xi'an – Shanghai equally a scenic wonder for the Karst mountains along Li river in addition to the scenic rice terraces at Longji.

Our choices are circled inward the maps below.

We had an opened upwardly jaw flying flying into Beijing in addition to out of Shanghai. We could get got done it the other agency roughly equally temperatures upwardly due north inward Beijing, Pingyao would get got acquire less mutual coldness at the fag terminate of March. But nosotros wanted to savour the classic flavor of Beijing in addition to its regal highlights in addition to Great wall first. So nosotros took our call. No regrets.

Beijing – Pingyao – Xi'an –Guilin – Shanghai were our bases.

NOTABLE MISSES:

Zhangjiajie, Yunnan ( Kunming, Lijiang, Dali, in addition to the legendary Shangri-la ) Huangshan, Chengdu pandas, Leshan Giant Buddha equally good equally the earthquake hitting Jiuzhaigou had to endure missed for paucity of time.

OUR ITINERARY:

March 16-20: Beijing, four nights.

HOTEL: Imperial courtyard hotel

March 20-22: Pingyao, ii nights (7.44 am high speed develop D2001 from Beijing West to Pingyao; four hours trip)

(day trip to Wang theater unit of measurement courtyard in addition to Shuanglin Temple )

HOTEL: Pingyao Cheng Jia Hotel

March 22-25: Xi'an 3 nights (D 2505; 8.40 AM; ticket was from starting station Taiyuan due south Taiyuan due south (Pingyao former town) to Xian north)

(Terracotta warriors, solar daytime trip to Luoyang Longmen grottos in addition to White Horse temple)

HOTEL: Grand Soluxe International Hotel

March 25-27: Lujia hamlet close Guilin ii nights (10.35 am flying Xi'an -Guilin 12.35)

(Day trip to Jinkeng in addition to Pingan rice terraces)

HOTEL: Secret Courtyard Resort Hotel

March 27-29: Shanghai Bund 3 nights, (7.15 am flying Guilin-Shanghai Pudong 9.30 am)
(day trip to Suzhou gardens in addition to onward to H2O town Tongli i solar daytime in addition to some other solar daytime trip to Hangzhou West Lake)

HOTEL: Shanghai Fish Inn Bund

March 30-31: Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport 1 night (flight to Beijing in addition to onward home)

HOTEL: Boyue Shanghai Hongqiao Airport Hotel within Terminal ii

This is the map I marked upwardly for our trip,

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TYACxkyniekrPHKh5Q2AkGBXXilv7VoB&usp=sharing

you tin zoom inward in addition to read the bubbles for my notes.

THINGS TO PREPLAN:

MAIN FLIGHTS:

We bought the primary opened upwardly jaw flights ourselves from the Air mainland People's Republic of China site. No issues.

INTERNAL FLIGHTS:

Where bullet trains are non available, nosotros settled for flights. We kept checking the flying fares for our ii internal flights on the site of the airlines, but constitute that agents ctrip offered meliorate prices. We bought Xi'an-Guilin flying in addition to Guilin-Shanghai flying from them. They informed that our flying timings had been pushed frontward for the 1^st one. No worries!

TRAINS

Video of our develop rides is here:

China Trains:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/tYTcAQXhpygoacb3A

G, C, D are all bullet trains, D is less fast than others.

G is abb. of Chinese Gaosu/高速 meaning extreme fast.

C is Chengji/城际 meaning shuttling inter-city.

D is Dongche/动车 meaning precisely bullet trains.

Among the three:

G in addition to C run alone on particularly built high speed line.

D runs on high speed rail equally good equally normal rail .

The official website is : www.12306.cn

Tickets proceed sale online thirty days before engagement of go in addition to demand Chinese menu in addition to telephone number for booking. We used www.china-diy-travel.com for ii sets of high speed develop tickets, provided details in addition to our passport numbers in addition to paid them 10usd committee per ticket. We checked the toll of the tickets in addition to they were quoted right. We made the payment thru Paypal in addition to received confirmation numbers. These get got to endure presented at a railway station in addition to converted to tickets, showing all the passports.

We got all our tickets at i go from Beijing primary station on the 1st solar daytime of our tour. This saved us fourth dimension in addition to aggravation on the solar daytime of travel. There was NO extra accuse for collection at a station which is non our deviation station though some people had said in that location volition endure a five CNY accuse per ticket.

We tin acquire into a develop station alone alongside a ticket in addition to ID. For collection of already bought tickets in addition to for buying novel tickets in that location is a split building alongside adequate signage close the regular entrance.

Here's a sample of our tickets, I've circled our develop number G1896, fourth dimension 08.40 follows the date; 15 is our coach number, 04C is our seat.
Our passport number, names are at the bottom

There were lines exterior waiting to acquire into the station at the Beijing primary station inward the even out in addition to they produce get got curt describe for those whose develop is within a few minutes. We opted for early on trains in addition to did non watch lines to enter. As i enters we demand to pose baggage if whatsoever on the Xray machine in addition to walk for a personal wanding, in addition to hence collect our bags. They human being this op hence well, bags brand it alone when the individual does, no piling of bags or backlog of people. I was worried most some i else picking upwardly our bags in addition to nosotros kept our valuables on us, no issues!

For solar daytime trips I had wanted to purchase tickets a solar daytime or ii inward advance. I had already got the timings of suitable trains from the ctrip site for all our solar daytime trips in addition to noted render trip timings equally well

In Xi'an I wanted tickets to Luoyang Longmen bought the previous solar daytime at six pm from the primary railway station close our hotel but boy did non oblige! We arrived at Xi'an due north the adjacent solar daytime yesteryear 7.20 am in addition to wasted thirty minutes inward the describe to purchase tickets in addition to could board alone a develop at 8.40. Waste of time! Obviously it'll endure impractical to non get got a render ticket. Earlier I had idea we'll simply purchase tickets at the station when nosotros are thru alongside the attraction but trains come upwardly inward from far off destinations in addition to are full. We saw a western couplet go standing from Hangzhou!

So inward Shanghai, nosotros went to the Shanghai primary station in addition to bought tickets for Suzhou solar daytime trip for the adjacent day. We also bought Shanghai Hongqiao to Hangzhou East in addition to render tickets also for the 29^th.

The station tin sell tickets for trains starting at some other station inward the city. The counter daughter said our alternative of 7am develop has alone standing room tickets. We opted for 6.54 develop which had seats!

This saved us hence much fourth dimension in addition to release energy on the solar daytime of travel.

We demand to acquire into the station showing our ticket in addition to ID, pose our bags thru the machine, collect them, expression at the electronic board for our develop number, deviation time.

We watch the waiting room number in addition to hold back in that location till xv min before our departure.

When the proclamation is made inward Chinese for checking in, nosotros scan our ticket at the turnstile in addition to go downwards the escalator to our platform

We describe upwardly at the platform at the identify our coach number is marked

Clear display alongside develop number, fourth dimension etc at the platform

Train aligns alongside the platform, slow to coil inward bags

Seats recline, in that location is ample leg room

G trains go at 300 km/h, D trains roughly 250 km/h

Speed display

HOTELS

Video of all our hotels is here:

China hotels:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/MWC3i12Hn9c7Urux8

We booked all our hotels online ourselves after checking reviews.

All hotels get got to acquire passport, visa information of unusual guests in addition to register alongside the police. Foreigners get got reported beingness denied rooms fifty-fifty after arriving alongside confirmed booking from sites similar Booking.com. Be aware.

All except Lujia hamlet were unopen to populace carry in addition to subway in addition to convenience stores.

We contacted hotel at Lujia in addition to arranged airdrome transfers both ways (120 CNY for pickup, 180 CNY for drib off (5am pickup at hotel) for 7.15 am flight)and taxi for solar daytime trip to rice terraces (650CNY) ii weeks ahead of our trip.

Our Pingyao hotel arranged a taxi for solar daytime trip (250 CNY) in addition to also drib off at high speed develop station (30 CNY)

Our Taxi guy in addition to our crimson automobile at Longji rice terrace cable automobile station

In Xi'an the bell desk hailed us taxis for airdrome drib equally good equally a taxi to Xi'an North develop station

In Beijing nosotros knew they did non get got English linguistic communication speaking staff in addition to in that location volition endure no taxi assistance. We took the airdrome taxi to hotel; used subway in addition to buses thru out

All our hotels had authentic Chinese décor, inward fact Beijing in addition to Pingyao were heritage theater unit of measurement courtyard properties.

We LOVED all our choices.

SUBWAY

Video of tube rides is here:

China tube in addition to maglev from Pudong airport:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/CD7CMfVKLxwxSowD7

We read upwardly on subway rules inward our bases Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai in addition to fifty-fifty solar daytime trips similar Hangzhou in addition to Suzhou, downloaded in addition to printed out maps. We marked upwardly all relevant stations. It was an interesting experience.

Subway signs are in that location on streets equally seen below inward Shanghai...

Self service ticket machines are slow to operate equally anywhere else inward the world.

Clear signage everywhere

Our subway station is labelled in addition to residuum of the describe in addition to administration is also clearly displayed bilingual

waiting for the metro

This is how nosotros constitute the tube equally nosotros go early; Ha, ha, aren't you lot surprised?

We traveled all the agency to Tongli on tube from Suzhou in addition to bought the ticket to H2O town at the Tongli tube station in addition to got a gratis ride on the shuttle!

At Shanghai describe xiii to Jade Buddha nosotros ran into occupation trying a transfer from Line 2, wasted extra tickets when i attendant misguided us; some other attendant showed a laminated menu explaining this is a novel describe in addition to needs tickets bought outside!

Also when nosotros took the subway describe ii to Shanghai Hongqiao airdrome to remain at our airdrome hotel for the terminal night, the subway terminated at an before station. Thankfully nosotros had taen or bags at six am inward the forenoon on the same describe in addition to kept them at the hotel. We had to acquire down, hold back in that location itself in addition to bring some other develop which arrived. Quite surprising!

There are plenty of stairs to climb, escalators are alone upwardly at exits/entrances. Transfers also involve long walks in addition to stairs. Be aware if you lot are planning to comport bags!

TAXIS

Interestingly, i tin rent a automobile inward mainland People's Republic of China alone after taking a driving essay out in that location in addition to getting a license. Driving license from otjer countries does non work!

Excepting Shanghai, taxis were reasonably priced in addition to ran on meter

We had addresses/ names inward Chinese characters written in addition to printed inward a give-and-take file along alongside mutual phrases.

We had no occupation getting taxis from the official ranks at Beijing airport, Xi'an North develop station. Beijing airdrome to hotal close Andingmen station 78 CNY summation toll 10 cny. Xi'an North develop station to hotel was 58 CNY, the taxi got nurture ended in addition to they spent some five minutes exchanging info/money on their phones!

Next solar daytime taxi from hotel to Xi'an due north was simply 42 CNY

Pingyao gucheng station was a petty disorderly but nosotros managed a taxi after confirming 40 CNY to our hotel close North gate.

For our day trip to Luoyang Longmen grottos in addition to White Equus caballus temple, a taxi guy approached at the station automobile park, quoted 250 CNY for the whole day taking us offset to White Equus caballus temple in addition to and hence to the grottos. Even the peony gardens was on his list.

Our Taxi guy

We could get got released him at the grottos in addition to got our taxi dorsum to develop station but nosotros stuck alongside him. Our develop dorsum to xi'an due north was at 4.44 . He had a groovy translation app. We did notice taxis waiting at both Luoyang Longmen grottos in addition to White Equus caballus temple.

MONEY

US credit cards were non accepted at whatsoever attraction/railway ticket counter. We paid cash. ATMs were fine. We constitute our debit menu non working inward Shanghai Pudong airport basis floor, a tout informed us alone Chinese cards piece of work there. We asked at Info in addition to went upwardly in addition to constitute ATMs on tertiary flooring which dispensed cash for us

ENTRY TICKETS

Some attraction tickets similar Forbidden urban nub need Passport for foreigners. We carried our passports everywhere. There are separate counters for foreigners at both Forbidden urban nub correct inward close the entrance on the correct paw side in addition to Badaling Great wall where you lot get got to climb upwardly after the regular counters. Even foreigners inward a higher identify threescore get got discounts or gratis passage inward many places! All our tickets were at reduced toll for off season. Regular prices start on Apri1

TOILETS:

Had read hence much most squat toilets but nosotros did non watch whatsoever problems. All sites nosotros visited had a sparkling create clean western can at i corner. No TP or paw sanitizer/soap dispenser though. We took our own, no worries!

INTERNET:

Google etc are blocked inward mainland People's Republic of China in addition to people operate VPN. We e'er operate the wifi at hotels, airports etc in addition to don't demand data. We gear upwardly a qq postal service occupation organisation human relationship in addition to gear upwardly forwarding from our gmails. It worked fine.

I managed to acquire street persuasion for all our hotels on the qq map... map.qq.com. Came inward mighty useful
http://map.qq.com/#pano=10011007131129103341400&heading=119&pitch=20&zoom=1
is our Beijing hotel hutong
http://map.qq.com/#pano=10011007140115125832500&heading=189&pitch=4&zoom=2
is 877 Badaling groovy wall charabanc stop

LANGUAGE /COMMUNICATION:

We had downloaded google interpret app for offline use. We also had a give-and-take file alongside mutual phrases nosotros need. Ditie...dee ti eh for subway worked real well.

Same affair alongside gu cheng zhan or gu gong, materials similar that. We showed the chinese translation to safety on the route or fifty-fifty to strangers in addition to every i gestured in addition to helped us out alongside a smile.

Most places nosotros visited had English linguistic communication signboards too, going off the beaten rails volition belike demand Chinese linguistic communication skills.

Hello. 你好。 Nǐ hǎo.

Please. 请。 Qǐng.

Thank you. 谢谢。 Xièxiè.

入口 Entrance [rùkǒu]

出口 Exit [chūkǒu]

推 Push [tuī]

拉 Pull [lā]

厕所 / 洗手间 Toilet [cèsuǒ] / [xǐshǒujiān]

Chinese does non get got words for "yes" in addition to "no" equally such; instead, questions are typically answered yesteryear repeating the verb. Here are mutual examples:

To endure or non to endure 是 shì, 不是 bú shì

地铁 ditie subway

Ticket 票Piào

售票处 Shòupiào chù ticket office

车票Chēpiào bus/train ticket

北京植物园 Běijīng zhí wù yuán Beijing botanical garden

长城 Chángchéng Great wall

Taxi 出租车 chū zū chē 等 Děng wait the develop station...火车站 ...huǒchē zhàn the charabanc station ...汽车总站 ...qìchē zǒngzhàn the airdrome ...机场 ...jī chǎng

yuan 元; 10 jiao 角 角=10 fen 分

We had a give-and-take file alongside all the attractions in addition to their names inward Chinese .

RESOURCES FOR RESEARCH:

Travelchinaguide was pretty helpful for research; they fifty-fifty answered some questions of mine promptly. Wish I had bought some service from them.

https://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/beijing/transportation/bus.htm

PEOPLE:

Overall, nosotros constitute the people quite willing to aid if you lot showed them Chinese written words.

At Suzhou subway station the machine did non bring 1 CNY note, nosotros needed coins. I asked Young men behind us for a money showing my note, they gave me the money in addition to refused to bring my note. I had to chase downwards 3 of them in addition to brand them bring the note!!

the Security guard noticing our plight got a banking company complaint in addition to returned alongside a money to help! Such LOVELY UNFORGETTABLE people!!

At Guilin nosotros wanted to know the administration to walk to the Sunday in addition to Luna pagoda from the Elephant body colina park. It was drizzling steadily. H5N1 daughter sheltering at a bicycle stand upwardly gestured us to follow her in addition to walked on... it was a LOOONG walk in addition to nosotros were surprised why she was doing this for us. We decided she'll inquire for a tip, in addition to were contemplating nosotros would halt at 10 CNY. In fact nosotros were a petty annoyed that she chose to produce it this agency instead of simply pointing the way. We reached the destination, she gestured us to cross the route in addition to waved us goodbye before trudging off! What a sugariness girl!!

Lines were orderly at subway stations, inward spite of the massive crowds.

We had read most stares at foreigners in addition to had assumed it was for the white foreigners, We were stared at a LOT, almost constantly, people poked phones, cameras correct at our faces in addition to took pics fifty-fifty alongside a flash.

There were several instances of sneaky motion painting taking, generally yesteryear immature girls in addition to boys. There was instant uploading equally good after some fast texting! We were hence surprised.

At Pingyao, ii middle aged ladies were hence overcome at the sight of me! My strategy was to human face upwardly the starer alongside a smile, hither the ladies dissolved into a frenzy in addition to waved in addition to yelled Hello!

Youngsters approached alongside an accented “ May I get got a motion painting alongside you?” in addition to were happy when nosotros obliged! Some wanted both of us, some were selective! Son had a current of girls who wanted pics alongside him! There were some girls who wanted a pic alongside alone me.

I took a pic of the pic taking once

and constitute several instances where our pics are beingness taken yesteryear a stranger! I tin variety of acquire the youngsters needing a pic for their social media occupation organisation human relationship but the many older guys taking my motion painting freaked me out!

Kids went all out staring away, many times joined yesteryear the adults inward the group.

It was all such an intense sense for sure!

FOOD:

Tough on us vegetarians. We self catered.

Below is Milk cartons and yogurt sip bottles... all chinese labels of course.

Milk is 牛奶 Niúnǎi ... watch inward the cartons below

Plain staff of life was difficult to come upwardly by

This is a sugariness filling alongside dates, commonly the fillings were all meat!

Brought a pile of habitation made Tortillas made alongside whole wheat flour in addition to smeared alongside butter, in addition to habitation made tomato plant relish

Supplemented alongside juice, yogurt, bananas, grapes bought

This is habitation made cashew nut sweet

This is forbidden rice, Imperial rice/black rice, grown simply for the emperor.

We could non purchase ordinary white rice anywhere. This rice was available alone inward i store at Xi'an. Went groovy alongside our soup.

POLLUTION:

Unfortunately nosotros were inward the midst of a lot of smokers. By the fourth dimension nosotros reached Shanghai I had a bad coughing in addition to felt feverish. I made produce alongside medicines. I felt OK on boarding the flying dorsum home.

With this intro, I'm starting a solar daytime yesteryear solar daytime detailed occupation organisation human relationship of our trip.
Report of Days 1 in addition to ii is here:

http://www.kris-sapiutri.blogspot.com/search?q=china-trip-report-day-12-shanghai-day