The Genuine China Travel Guide

planning a trip to

China

Here is what you need to know: China Travel Guide

China is the land of extremes. Everything in the country is unbalanced and that is what makes it an amazing place to visit.

China is also home to one of the seven wonder, the great wall of China, or at least one the great walls of China as there are many of them.

This huge country has many faces and being in a coastal city is unlike being in a central city and unliked being in Tibet or Taiwan. The population and its cultures differ from place to place!

你好, we spent 3 years living in central China, in a 2nd level country of over 11 million inhabitants. For us China is like a home and a place full of memories.

About

China is the most populated country in the world with 1.43 billion inhabitants but being the most populated country ain’t a problem. China is in term of size as big as the European continent with 9 596 961 km². From this point of view, it changes quite a lot.

China is the 3rd or 4th largest country in size, after Russia, Antarctica, and Canada.

The capital city is Beijing (Pekin).

Lots of daily life items such as Gunpowder, paper, printing, and the compass have been invented in China

Also known as the Five-starred Red Flag. The red represents the revolution; the five stars and their relationship represent the unity of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China

China in Chinese is Zhong Guo. Which literally translates as “middle kingdom”

According to historical books, Zhongguo had five connotations: fist, the capital city; second, the state ruled by the emperor; third, the Central Plains; fourth, the upland region and last, the region dwelled by Han and Xia nationalities.

Panda, also called giant panda or panda bear or simply the panda, is a bear native to south central China. It is characterised by black patches on its eyes, ears, and across its body. The name “giant panda” is sometimes used to distinguish it from the red panda, a neighbouring mustelid.

China is also home to many monuments and even one of the ancient world wonder. The great wall of China is in fact only one of wall that were built in China across the age.

The Terracotta warriors may not be a world wonder but are most probably the first industrialization in the world. The Terracotta Army held more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses, all guarding the 1st emperor.

What to expect?

Language: The official language in China is Chinese Mandarin. More than 70% of the Chinese population speaks it, but there are also several other major dialects in use in China: Yue (Cantonese), Xiang (Hunanese), Min dialect, Gan dialect, Wu dialect, and Kejia or Hakka dialect. English will be helpful is you follow the touristic roads.

Food: You will find food for every taste! China has thousands of dishes and each province has its own specialities. Meat lover or vegan, all can be found in China. It’s also the dream land of plant-based diet. Do try the local food sitting at a round table in a fancy restaurant but also around the corner for some street foods.

Transportation: To reach the main cities plane will be the best mean of transport. China is gigantesque. From there, train can be taken to nearby main city and buses to smaller one.

Money: The currency in China is the Yuan. Rates changes, but at the time we were there 1€ was worth 7 Yuan, now it is about 8 Yuan. Most place accept credit card; smaller place prefer Union pay credit card. The whole country also accepts mobile payment, from the small shops to the big market.

Plugs: The plugs in China are mostly multi type and USA and EURO plug can be used. The standard voltage is 220V with a frequency of 50hz.

Safety: China is SAFE. We walked alone at night in big or small cities and we always felt safe. People respect and follow the rules. The most common thievery could be pickpocketing but again that never happened to us.

VPN: Most of the internet access are blocked in mainland China. In order to connect to Google, Google map, Facebook, WhatsApp, you will need to use a VPN.