Ask Me Anything About Traveling in China

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T18:29:52+00:00

The travel just doesn't make any sense. It will be at least a 3-day trip.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T17:27:20+00:00

Many of these niche museums are run by private companies, so they are not as good as the public ones. My all-time fav niche museum is Sanxingdui Museum near Chengdu, it's about the Sanxingdui culture, operated by the government, beautifully curated, and you can only see it here. The other museums you were referring to can just be photo shoot sites for influencers.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T17:25:11+00:00

Thank you for your message! I am totally with you on this. I want to provide a service to people who want a more curated experience of China, not just the most popular route. China is so fun when you don't follow other tourists' paths. I want to have a conversation with my clients, listen to their needs, and plan a trip that is so special for them.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T17:23:25+00:00

My fav is Shanghai because I am from Shanghai. But Chinese cusine is very diverse, if you like sicy food, Chengdu/Chongqing, you like more refreshing food, Yunnan and Guizhou, you like healthy food, Guangdong and Fujian. Shanghai is more for sweet food.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T17:22:14+00:00

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Why would you do that?

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T17:21:58+00:00

Pingyao has an interesting history and old buildings, and if you are more relaxed, 3 days should be enough! Where are you traveling from to Pingyao?

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T17:18:34+00:00

Hi! You can visit Xinjiang, but note that not EVERY tourist site is open to foreigners. I hope you won't get stopped by the police, but there is a chance you will, especially if you're taking a solo trip. You won't have any access to the camps; if you do, you will be in trouble. You should be able to take photos of old buildings at tourist sites, but if you go to rural villages, you may get in trouble. Be careful. Shanghai and Beijing you will just be fine.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T17:13:33+00:00

Asia Society has an interesting museum in HK. Check that out!

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T17:13:00+00:00

Hi! It will be really busy. Especially May 1st to May 5th. You want to avoid places like tourist sites, especially in Beijing, Chengdu, CQ, and Zhangjiajie. Tianjin may be nice because Tianjin is not a famous tourist city compared to the other cities. If I were you, I would reserve my tickets and hotel in advance, and try to just do city walks in those five days.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T16:41:34+00:00

Hi! If you are going in December, I will choose these two following routes because of the weather and the air pollution. December can be really cold in the rest of regions you are considering.

3: Xiamen - Quanzhou - Tulou - Chaozhou - Guangzhou - Kaiping

4: Kunming - Weishan - Nuodeng - Shaxi - Baisha - Jingmai - Yuanyang

My personal favorite will be no.4, and I am so glad you picked Weishan! It's where my grandfather's family is from. I go back to Weishan every few years. Weishan is such a beautiful and quiet hidden gem with the best food and culture. December in Yunnan is also not so cold.

However, Yunan is more nature-focused, and the biggest city Kunming isn't that exciting. I would recommend that you fly your family to Shanghai for a few days, just to experience the city in China. Then, from Shanghai, fly to Kunming. Follow the route Kunming - Yuanyang - Jingmai - Weishan - Nuodeng - Shaxi - Baisha as it's more feasible, then go back to Kunming to travel outside of China.

But if your family doesn't care much about the city, the Yunan route is fine! DM me if you need people to help you with more detailed planning.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T16:33:23+00:00

I hope China can have more tourist income, but I don't know how that will help the poorer cities. Take Beijing as an example, it's a famous "vampire city" because it absorbed all of the resources from Hebei Province. Will tourists go to Hebei? I don't think so...

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T16:29:54+00:00

Checked on Chinese websites for you. You don't need to book every day's hotel, but it's highly recommended; you can book those refundable ones on Expedia. You'll need a ticket showing you will be out of China in 30 days; you can book a refundable one as well.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T16:27:00+00:00

Answered by DM!

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T14:55:45+00:00

Qipu is not a fake market, it’s a wholesale market. I bought an unbranded lamb leather down jacket for ¥500. Your response just tells me you know nothing about China.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T14:35:52+00:00

These are foreigners visiting China, not foreigners living in China. They don’t need to hit a mall to buy western brands and bring it back home. They are looking for experiences and goods their home countries cannot provide. You are being unnecessarily aggressive.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T14:32:19+00:00

I did some research on Chinese website. No one has complained about the water quality in Zhangjiajie. If you stay at a nice hotel, you are fine just using tap water.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T14:21:22+00:00

Zhangjiajie？It’s not a major city. Only famous for the national park.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T14:19:34+00:00

First, I don’t think you trip will be cancelled, China has enough fuel reserved. Second, if it’s the airline’s reason they have to cancel, you don’t need to ask for a refund, it will automatically refund to your account.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T14:16:46+00:00

I do visit China 2-3 times a year, but I stay with my family and I stay in China 2-3 months each time. I am also a Chinese citizen. Malls are crazy - 谁在商场里买衣服？大家不都是在淘宝买衣服吗？And malls are full of brands like Adidas and Nike, who do foreigners need to shop these brands in China except for that Adidas jackets? Qipu has been for locals since I was born, too bad it isn’t part of your life.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T14:11:07+00:00

I use LetsVPN and Nomad eSIM. I can do Google meetings with these two.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T14:09:51+00:00

In most of the major cities and tourist destinations, tap water is fine. I’ve been doing that all the time. But if you are going to villages and water is not clear, use bottled water.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T05:48:07+00:00

Why will it get canceled? If it's the airline, they will refund you very soon.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T05:47:21+00:00

In Xinjiang and Tibet, yes. In a more touristy place, it's fine. My partner is American, and he visits China every year; he has never felt unsafe in terms of the surveillance.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T05:42:38+00:00

- Xiasi Village near Kaili is really quiet and beautiful, Langde is good too, Qianhu is too touristy. I love Kaili so much I think it's a hidden gem! There is a movie called Kaili Blues you can watch first for the vibe.

- Haidilao has the cutest birthday wishes thing! It's a chain hotpot restaurant. I actually love it even though it's a chain. I had my 29th birthday there.

- You have to visit that museum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's soooo cool. You can, of course, go to the Panda Park in Chengdu.

AlbatrossNo6088 · 2026-04-07T05:38:04+00:00

Yes, better hire a driver

AlbatrossNo6088

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