CHINA

China is rebuilding itself very quickly. Everywhere you go will be construction works leading up to the Olympics, so guide books you take must be as new as possible (even then they'll be out of date!). New subways and streets are springing up and prices are rocketing, reaching western prices for some attractions. Don't be very surprised if tourist sites are closed for restoration.
If using trains and/or taxis to get about, read important notes below.

When to go:

August can be difficult as it's hot and humid (like Japan)with typhoons and incredibly busy with Chinese students and huge groups of European tourists.
Golden Week is the beginning of May in China too, so get your
bookings made early if you're going then. The major sights, especially in Beijing, will be full of tourists from other parts of the country, but that too can be an experience.

How to go:

Direct flights with Northwest Airlines - about ￥73,000(currently filing for bankruptcy)

Visas:

Get your travel agent to get it you when they book your tickets (about ￥7,500 including travel agent fee).
Alternatively, call the Nagasaki Chinese Embassy (095-849-3311 - Consulate General) and ask what info/forms (online) you need, then send them everything in a genkin kakidome (money envelope). You'll save ￥2000 or so and get your passport back in a week or two. Costs around ￥7000, possibly ￥6000 for non-US citizens. (The Tokyo or other embassies do NOT do visas through the mail.) They will provide a visa for you even if you live in a different prefecture. If you're concerned, ask the person on the phone when you call. (Note: you can leave the answer to question 18 blank if you don't have an official invitation.)
Chinese Consulate in Nagasaki:
Consulate General of the People's Republic of China
(在長崎中華人民共和国総領事館)
10-35 Hashiguchi-machi
Nagasaki-shi Nagasaki-ken
852-8114

Tel: 0958-49-3311
Fax: 0958-49-3312
http://nagasaki.china-consulate.org/jpn/ (only in Japanese/Chinese)

http://www.muztagh.com/chinese-embassy/japan.htm - for the address Chinese Embassies in Japan
http://www.visa4you.net/china-tourist-visa.html - to download an application form
http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/zgqz/t84248.htm - for full visa requirement details.

Money:

Yuan (Renminbi) You'll be told you can't get it outside China, but look around. Some exchange bureaux at Narita offer a rate so try! Exchange more money than you think you'll need at the airport when you arrive. The rates will be about the same but it's not always easy to get cash from ATMs using foreign cards and many hostels and independent hotels will refuse to change your Yen. (also see Tips below)

Places to go:

Beijing (Peking)

"Amazing city!" Modern and generally clean. Has good, cheap transport links - subway lines and buses.
to stay:
Beijing Ningbo Hotel - close to Forbidden City, subway lines, airport shuttle bus, good value with breakfast included (featured in Lonely Planet)
Worker's Stadium International Youth Hostel (Gongti Youth Hostel) - recommended in Lonely Planet. HOWEVER, the washrooms are very SHADYYYY . But the rooms are clean and spacious (however their door-card machine breaks a fair amount and you may end up having to run down 4 flights of stairs everytime you want to get into your room!). Can also book train tickets and hostels at very reasonable prices and a tour to the Great Wall (though transport to the Wall is very crowded).
Beijing Far East Hotel/International Youth Hostel - email to make your reservation, ask for a discount and they'll reduce the list price. You can always adjust the length of your stay once you're there. The location is great - close to Hepingmen subway station, and about a 20 min walk from Tiananmen Square. It's in a old hutong neighborhood, but just off a main road. The facilities are good, the staff extremely helpful, the building/rooms very nice and modern, plus good food in the 3 restaurants/cafes, free movies, free internet access, self-serve kitchen and laundry room available. Tours to all the main sites can be arranged for reasonable prices, as can airport pickup, about US$18.
A private room with bath is about US$25/night. If you're more on a budget, stay in the dorm rooms (6 people) for about US$4-6/night. http://www.fareastyh.com/eindex.htm

to see:
The Great Wall of China - at least a day trip. The wall at Mutianyu is not too far away but can be very peaceful (travel details in 'Lonely Planet'). Many hotels can arrange tours to other areas of the wall. If you're feeling energetic do the 10 km great wall hike if possible - far fewer tourists, great photo-ops.
The Forbidden City (The Palace Museum) - again give a full day. The area is full of beautiful buildings, intriguing history, peaceful gardens and Starbucks!
Chairman Mao Mausoleum - a real dead pickled famous person! This is the only time chinese people queue. No photos are allowed and you have to sign your bags in across the road before you join the queue. (in Tiananmen Square)

eating, drinking and clubs:
Beijing is a great place to party.
Wudaokuo is mostly aimed at college students since there are a lot of universities in the area -
Propaganda - usually pretty good crowds and not too expensive prices more of a club style
Blah Blah Bar - actually inside a university and more of a chill bar.
Bus Bar near the workers stadium is an acutal bar made out of a bus.
Highway - if you really want to splurge. They've a cover charge and the drink menu is pricy for Beijing. The bartenders are mostly female wearing Japanese school girl uniforms and most of the ladies in there are amazingly hot (hookers?)
Chaoyang Park area is more for the international business crowd so they have a lot of great places but they cost more.
Pick up That's Beijing magazine - it's all in English and they have address and info of all the places to go.
Xizhimen - great for restaurants.

Shanghai

Shanghai is cheaper to fly into than Beijing. Another Modern city.

to stay:
YHA - it feels like you're staying in a hotel and the staff are so nice. The dorm room is so clean and beds really big compared to the average bunk bed.

to see:
The Bund - European style area with historical buildings and fantastic views of Pudong New Area across the Huangpu River. Also good at night. Take a boat trip along the river.
Bund Sightseeing Tunnel - impossible to describe! Like a bizarre trip through a time tunnel! interesting and quick way to get from The Bund to Pudong
Yuyuan Gardens and Bazaar - shopping area with traditional buildings, good for gifts. Experience tea ceremony Chinese style (__totally__ different from Japanese) at Yuyuan Theatre. The gardens are full of temples, give at least half a day.
Jinmao Tower - in Pudong - fantastic views over the bay. Also look down the middle at the Grand Hyatt hotel nestled inside.
In the evenings, look out for the crowds that gather at parks to dance, play games, chat and generally hang out. It has a great safe, family atmosphere and many people go there in their pyjamas!
trips out:
Suzhou is a good day trip but the river is a bit dirty. The gardens are really nice and it is a change of pace from Shanghai.
Houngzou has most beautiful giant buddhist temple ever and a gorgeous lake. You can do Houngzou in a day.

Xi'an (she-an)

Famous for being a good base for the Terracotta Warriors, but so much more besides! It is one of the few Chinese cities which has a complete (albeit largely rebuilt) city wall.

to stay:
Ludao Binguan - really the best place to stay! Featured in the Lonely Planet but still rooms available on the spot. Has a hostel feel due to loads of mainly European tourists staying and hanging out there. Dorm beds and private rooms. The owner, Jim Beam is helpful and cheerful. Tours, laundry, internet, small cafe, train bookings all available at a cost. (Editor's note - I would avoid check out the guide before you take a tour - they can really vary)

to see:
There are many tombs surrounding Xi'an. Lots of tours are available but check that they go to where you want first!
Army of Terracotta Warriors - take the bus from outside the train station and spend as long as you like. 2000 year-old life-size statues, marvelously preserved. A must see.
Qian Tomb - huge burial mound with fantastic statues and views.
Famen Temple and Pagoda - contains four Buddha finger bones alongside loads of perfectly preserved relics forgotten about for over 1000 years.
In the city:
Forest of Steles Museum - full of inscribed and carved stone tablets, along with other changing exhibitions.
Drum Tower - surrounded by drums and performances given regulary

Nanjing (Nanking)

Most famous for being the site of The Nanking Massacre in World War II when Japanese soldiers ruthlessly murdered thousands of citizens. But there is much more to Nanjing than that. It is a large and spread out city, although there may now be a subway.

to see:
Zijin Shan (Purple Mountain) - at least a day trip. There are tombs and temples but they are far apart. Buses travel some routes but be prepared for some long walks.
Memorial Hall of the Nanjing Massacre - built on the site of one of the mass graves.

Qingdao

By the seaside an overnight train ride from Beijing. Beautiful beaches, old German/Russian villas, postmodern skyscrapers - but best of all, Tsingtao beer is brewed here! Delicious straight from the source and really cheap at little sidewalk cafes.

Chengdu

The food is fabulous and there are some great food markets to see a strange variety of things, anything from eels being skinned on the side of the street to tiny turtles stacked 30cm high in boxes. Recommended just for the food alone.

Zhengzhou

The city is OK, but the main reason to go is about 40 minutes outside the city. There is great hiking around the Pagoda Forest and tons of Shaolin temples. The hiking is amazing, but one ALT found a dead body (!) on the trail so be sure to hike in a group and bring water if you go.

useful links:

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/index.html - you can review flights, train information and hotels here, as well as find out loads of info on china.
http://www.cnto.org - tourist office website
http://chinahighlights.com/china-airline/china-flights.htm - book internal flights, accommodation, tours and airport transfers. Cheap, reliable and helpful.

TOP TIPS:

• people will seem very rude and to have a 'me, me, me' attitude. This means being on the roads can be a terrifying experience as people weave in and out of the traffic at alarming speeds. This also means they have no concept of queuing (standing in line). You can be infront of a ticket booth with your money in your outstretched hand but people will just shove in front of you. It is very frustrating.
• the nicest people are the ones on buses! If you write your destination down in Chinese characters and show the conductor they will always look out for you. Also other people will look over your shoulder at it and tell you when to get off!
• outside of the cities and at tourist attractions (such as the Great Wall) before you get in a cab get the driver to WRITE DOWN the fare. They play a game of 'let's rip off the tourist' and will add zeros onto the fare they quoted you. Written Chinese numbers are the same as Japanese so make them write it and if they refuse don't get in! In the cities they have meters.
• don't expect people to speak english - expect it to be like Japan. Learn your kanji!
• bargain when you shop - go as low as you can, 1/4th the price (or more!) as they will grossly inflate it for the western tourists. If you don't like the price just calmly walk out the store and they'll likely chase you down the street and beg you to come back and offer another price. People will shout at you in alley ways and say "hello! Come look, you like!" over and over to get you to buy things. Just be firm and say, "bu yao xie xie" - "no thank you", if you're not interested, otherwise they won't stop!
• "almost all" menus are in Chinese so write down in chinese a couple of regular dishes or combine a couple words with pictures. Go to a dumpling dinner (dim sum)- phenomenal! Every kind of dumpling you can imagine from sweet, to vegetable filled to meat filled.
• ALWAYS bring toilet paper and your own soap. Their bathrooms NEVER have either. In fact only use the toilets if you are desperate - they are truly the worst in the world. Many have no doors and just a channel in the ground for you to squat over. And so dirty, even at major tourist sites. There are many public toilets in the street which cost a very small fee. They're slightly better and you can often buy paper at the entrance.
• Winter: There is moderate snowfall in Beijing but it can be over 32 Fahrenheit in Shanghai (not cold enough to snow). Dress in lots of layers, because even if you don't think 40 degrees is cold, you're walking in the streets or markets, or even some quasi-indoor places like the Forbidden City and you will get cold. Dress for proper winter weather. Also, the buildings aren't always as heated as we're used to (kind of like Japan) so sometimes it's still cold even when you're inside!
• Be careful exchanging travellers' cheques. Though there should be no fees if American Express is exchanged at an office that receives them, staff can be quite keen to add on extra fees at leisure. Always ask for a receipt and check the amounts match. You may have to argue a bit to get the full amount.

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