China


Dali, China
The Surrealist China of Dali
Embedded in a magical lakeside setting, the ancient capital of the Bai people has remained, until some time ago, a refuge for the backpacker community of travelers. The social and economic changes of China they fomented the invasion of Chinese to discover the southwest corner of the nation.
Bingling Yes, China
The Canyon of a Thousand Buddhas
For more than a millennium and at least seven dynasties, Chinese devotees have extolled their religious belief with the legacy of sculpture in a remote strait of the Yellow River. If you disembark in the Canyon of Thousand Buddhas, you may not find all the sculptures, but you will find a stunning Buddhist shrine.
Dunhuang, China
An Oasis in the China of the Sands
Thousands of kilometers west of Beijing, the Great Wall has its western end and the China and other. An unexpected splash of vegetable green breaks up the arid expanse all around. Announces Dunhuang, formerly crucial outpost on the Silk Road, today an intriguing city at the base of Asia's largest sand dunes.
Lijiang, China
A Gray City but Little
Seen from afar, its vast houses are dreary, but Lijiang's centuries-old sidewalks and canals are more folkloric than ever. This city once shone as the grandiose capital of the Naxi people. Today, floods of Chinese visitors who fight for the quasi-theme park it have become take it by storm.
Longsheng, China
Huang Luo: the Chinese Village of the Longest Hairs
In a multi-ethnic region covered with terraced rice paddies, the women of Huang Luo have surrendered to the same hairy obsession. They let the longest hair in the world grow, years on end, to an average length of 170 to 200 cm. Oddly enough, to keep them beautiful and shiny, they only use water and rice.
Lijiang e Yangshuo, China
An Impressive China
One of the most respected Asian filmmakers, Zhang Yimou dedicated himself to large outdoor productions and co-authored the media ceremonies of the Beijing OG. But Yimou is also responsible for “Impressions”, a series of no less controversial stagings with stages in emblematic places.
Lhasa, Tibet
The Sino-Demolition of the Roof of the World
Any debate about sovereignty is incidental and a waste of time. Anyone who wants to be dazzled by the purity, affability and exoticism of Tibetan culture should visit the territory as soon as possible. The Han civilizational greed that moves China will soon bury millenary Tibet.
Dali, China
Chinese Style Flash Mob
The time is set and the place is known. When the music starts playing, a crowd follows the choreography harmoniously until time runs out and everyone returns to their lives.
Huang Shan, China
Huang Shan: The Yellow Mountains of the Floating Peaks
The granitic peaks of the floating yellow mountains of Huang Shan, from which acrobat pines sprout, appear in artistic illustrations from China without count. The real scenery, in addition to being remote, remains hidden above the clouds for over 200 days.
Beijing, China
The Heart of the Great Dragon
It is the incoherent historic center of Maoist-Communist ideology and almost all Chinese aspire to visit it, but Tianamen Square will always be remembered as a macabre epitaph of the nation's aspirations.
Badaling, China
The Sino Invasion of the Great Wall of China
With the arrival of the hot days, hordes of Han visitors take over the Great Wall of China, the largest man-made structure. They go back to the era of imperial dynasties and celebrate the nation's newfound prominence.
Guilin, China
The Gateway to the Chinese Stone Kingdom
The immensity of jagged limestone hills around it is so majestic that the authorities of Beijing they print it on the back of the 20-yuan notes. Those who explore it almost always pass through Guilin. And even if this city in the province of Guangxi clashes with the exuberant nature around it, we also found its charms.
Lhasa a Gyantse, Tibet
Gyantse, through the Heights of Tibet
The final target is the Tibetan Everest Base Camp. On this first route, starting from Lhasa, we pass by the sacred lake of Yamdrok (4.441m) and the glacier of the Karo gorge (5.020m). In Gyantse, we surrender to the Tibetan-Buddhist splendor of the old citadel.
Resident of Dali, Yunnan, China
Dali, China

The Surrealist China of Dali

Embedded in a magical lakeside setting, the ancient capital of the Bai people has remained, until some time ago, a refuge for the backpacker community of travelers. The social and economic changes of China they fomented the invasion of Chinese to discover the southwest corner of the nation.
Boat on the Yellow River, Gansu, China
Bingling Yes, China

The Canyon of a Thousand Buddhas

For more than a millennium and at least seven dynasties, Chinese devotees have extolled their religious belief with the legacy of sculpture in a remote strait of the Yellow River. If you disembark in the Canyon of Thousand Buddhas, you may not find all the sculptures, but you will find a stunning Buddhist shrine.
Entrance to Dunhuang Sand City, China
Dunhuang, China

An Oasis in the China of the Sands

Thousands of kilometers west of Beijing, the Great Wall has its western end and the China and other. An unexpected splash of vegetable green breaks up the arid expanse all around. Announces Dunhuang, formerly crucial outpost on the Silk Road, today an intriguing city at the base of Asia's largest sand dunes.
Gray roofs, Lijiang, Yunnan, China
Lijiang, China

A Gray City but Little

Seen from afar, its vast houses are dreary, but Lijiang's centuries-old sidewalks and canals are more folkloric than ever. This city once shone as the grandiose capital of the Naxi people. Today, floods of Chinese visitors who fight for the quasi-theme park it have become take it by storm.
Women with long hair from Huang Luo, Guangxi, China
Longsheng, China

Huang Luo: the Chinese Village of the Longest Hairs

In a multi-ethnic region covered with terraced rice paddies, the women of Huang Luo have surrendered to the same hairy obsession. They let the longest hair in the world grow, years on end, to an average length of 170 to 200 cm. Oddly enough, to keep them beautiful and shiny, they only use water and rice.
Impressions Lijiang Show, Yangshuo, China, Red Enthusiasm
Lijiang e Yangshuo, China

An Impressive China

One of the most respected Asian filmmakers, Zhang Yimou dedicated himself to large outdoor productions and co-authored the media ceremonies of the Beijing OG. But Yimou is also responsible for “Impressions”, a series of no less controversial stagings with stages in emblematic places.
China's occupation of Tibet, Roof of the World, The occupying forces
Lhasa, Tibet

The Sino-Demolition of the Roof of the World

Any debate about sovereignty is incidental and a waste of time. Anyone who wants to be dazzled by the purity, affability and exoticism of Tibetan culture should visit the territory as soon as possible. The Han civilizational greed that moves China will soon bury millenary Tibet.
Dali, China

Chinese Style Flash Mob

The time is set and the place is known. When the music starts playing, a crowd follows the choreography harmoniously until time runs out and everyone returns to their lives.
Forested Peaks, Huang Shan, China, Anhui, Yellow Mountain Floating Peaks
Huang Shan, China

Huang Shan: The Yellow Mountains of the Floating Peaks

The granitic peaks of the floating yellow mountains of Huang Shan, from which acrobat pines sprout, appear in artistic illustrations from China without count. The real scenery, in addition to being remote, remains hidden above the clouds for over 200 days.
Mao Tse Tung, Dragon Heart, Tianamen Square, Beijing, China
Beijing, China

The Heart of the Great Dragon

It is the incoherent historic center of Maoist-Communist ideology and almost all Chinese aspire to visit it, but Tianamen Square will always be remembered as a macabre epitaph of the nation's aspirations.
Selfie, Wall of China, Badaling, China
Badaling, China

The Sino Invasion of the Great Wall of China

With the arrival of the hot days, hordes of Han visitors take over the Great Wall of China, the largest man-made structure. They go back to the era of imperial dynasties and celebrate the nation's newfound prominence.
Elephant statues by the Li River, Elephant Trunk Hill, Guilin, China
Guilin, China

The Gateway to the Chinese Stone Kingdom

The immensity of jagged limestone hills around it is so majestic that the authorities of Beijing they print it on the back of the 20-yuan notes. Those who explore it almost always pass through Guilin. And even if this city in the province of Guangxi clashes with the exuberant nature around it, we also found its charms.
Gyantse, Kumbum temple
Lhasa a Gyantse, Tibet

Gyantse, through the Heights of Tibet

The final target is the Tibetan Everest Base Camp. On this first route, starting from Lhasa, we pass by the sacred lake of Yamdrok (4.441m) and the glacier of the Karo gorge (5.020m). In Gyantse, we surrender to the Tibetan-Buddhist splendor of the old citadel.

Map


When to go


When it comes to meteorology, most of China is extreme. Avoid the summer months (May to end of September) if you don't get along with the merciless heat and the crowds of Chinese visiting the tourist places of your country while on vacation. Avoid the winter months (November to the end of February) if you don't get along with biting cold – except for Hong Kong and Hainan – but favor these months if you don't have a problem with the cold and prefer to avoid crowds in the places you visit. That said, in general, the best times to visit the country are considered Spring (March to May) and Autumn (September to early November).

Money and costs


China's currency is the Yuan (CNY) also called the renminbi. China was once a really cheap country until the gradual appreciation of the Yuan made the country more expensive. Western China and virtually the entire interior remain accessible, but more modernized and popular destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guanzhou and, of course, Hong Kong and Macau have become as or more expensive than many European destinations.

ACCOMMODATION

Doubles in backpacker guest houses start at €15 per night. In medium-sized hotels, the daily rate easily goes from €25 to €30. 5-star hotels charge around €250 for a double room in major cities.

FOOD

Meals remain relatively affordable throughout the country. It's possible to eat decently for €4 to €6 a day, especially if you bet on the specialties served on the street, including the divine Chinese kebabs (the Chinese grill and cook practically everything, from meat, tofu and vegetables, skewered on small sticks or separately otherwise). These snacks are charged per unit and are surprisingly tasty. A more composed meal in an average restaurant should cost around €4, €75 to €80 in the country's most sophisticated restaurants, these prices substantially increased in the more modern neighborhoods of Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau.

INTERNET

It spread quickly throughout most of the country and is usually provided free of charge by guest houses and hotels but is filtered by the government, which means that you will not always have access to several of the websites and applications you are used to. If you need to use an internet cafe, be prepared to pay around €0,20 to €0,50 per hour.

How to go


VISA AND OTHER PROCEDURES

Portuguese visitors must apply for a visa at the Consular Section of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China, at Rua de São Caetano Nº2, Lapa in Lisbon. One-entry visa costs €35; two-entry visa costs €53.

More information at Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Portugal

HEALTH AND SAFETY CARE

China does not require any vaccine to grant tourist entry into the country, except for yellow fever if arriving from a country at risk of disease transmission. You should be on guard against malaria especially if you visit Yunnan provinces, the island of Hainàn and, although the risk is substantially lower, Anhui, Ghuizhou, Henen, Hubei and Jiangsu.

Pay attention to the altitude habituation if you plan to visit the highlands (above 3.500m) mainly from Tibet, Sichuan and Yunnan. 

For more information on traveling health, see the Health Portal of the Ministry of Health and Tropical and Traveler Medicine Clinic. In FitForTravel find country-specific health and disease prevention advice (in English).

Check the social-political situation in advance if you plan to travel through the Xinjiang Autonomous Province. Avoid doing this if there are still outbreaks of instability.

TRIP TO CHINA

A TAP (tel: 707 205 700) flies to Beijing, with only one stopover in Munich or Frankfurt – flights from Munich to Beijing and Beijing to Munich operated by Air China – for around €800.

Must Do's


  • Great wall of China
  • Beijing
  • Xangai
  • Yellow River
  • Anhui Province, especially Huang Shan
  • ​Gansu Province based in Dunhuang
  • Yangshuo
  • ​Fenghuang 
  • Yunnan Province, especially Dali and Lijiang
  • Lijiang to Lhasa Land Route (Tibet)
  • Wuyuan
  • Macau
  • Hong Kong
  • Tibet

 

Explore


INTERNAL FLIGHTS

China is a country of great distances. If you don't have enough time to explore it, you'll either stick to a particular area or you'll need to fly.

The recent appearance of new airlines – national and regional – has caused a drop in flight prices, especially on the most popular routes such as Shanghai – Hong Kong and Beijing-Shanghai. Even so, the Beijing-Shanghai flight still costs around €250, and the Shanghai-Hong Kong flight can cost €150.

The main airlines are: Air China; China Eastern Lines; China Southern Airlines; Chunqiu Airlines

Some of these airlines have subsidiaries that increase the national and regional offer of flights.

TRAIN

The Chinese railway network is vast and dense. Covers practically the entire country, except for Hainan. With the country's population approaching 2 billion, it is not surprising that Chinese trains are often overcrowded, especially around Chinese New Year and other holidays and holidays. 

It is estimated that, at any given time, around 10 million Chinese travel by train in their country. Due to this influx of passengers, but not only that, if you do not plan to buy tickets well in advance, you may find yourself frustrated, at 5 or 6 in the morning (the time when ticket offices open at the stations), as the 356th buyer in a row which simply doesn't diminish because dozens of other buyers (many of them speculators) access the windows sideways, with the inexplicable complacency of disrespected compatriots.

Ticket prices depend on the distance of the route and the class in which you travel. The lowest class is the hard seater (yìng zuó) the most sought after by the population and, as such, very difficult to obtain on certain routes. It is usually pineapple and can prove to be traumatizing for any passenger in the First World, when it comes to hygiene.

Em hard sleeper You will travel in an open compartment with 3 beds stacked on each side, already equipped with sheets, blanket and pillow. The bottom bed is more expensive than the ones above. The tickets hard sleeper they are also very difficult to buy.

The most exclusive, comfortable and expensive class is the soft sleeper (roan wò), in practice, a bed with a mattress, in a bunk bed, in a compartment with doors for 4 people).

If there are vacant seats, if you board a train with an unreserved seat ticket, you can ask the conductor to change (bupiào) to a higher class.

Ticket purchase

In addition to ticket offices at train stations, you can try to buy tickets at the counter of the hotel where you are staying or at travel agencies such as CITS which, of course, adds a commission to the ticket price. 

Another hypothesis that may or may not work depending on the impositions of the Chinese authorities at any given time, is to buy online at sites like China Travel Guide

TRUCK

Over time, long-distance buses have become a good solution for traveling around China, especially if the journeys in question are not too long. Bus tickets are generally easier to buy than train tickets and often cheaper. Buses also stop in smaller towns where trains do not stop.

On the other hand, some itineraries – especially in the rural interior – are still made by roads in very bad condition traveled by drivers who do not know any traffic rules.

 

 

CAR RENTAL

To get straight to the point, it is simply not allowed by the Chinese government, except in Hong Kong and Macau. Apart from these territories with special administrative regimes, if you want to explore China by car or motorbike, you will have to hire a driver whatever. it can be done by the reception of hotels and guest houses or by travel agencies such as CITS

In any case, traffic in China is absolutely anarchic and poses risks of serious accidents at every intersection or corner, so any plan that involves self-driving should be considered reckless.