The People’s Republic of China (中华人民共和国), commonly known as China (中国), is the largest nation in East Asia, both in land area and population being the 2nd most populated nation in the world currently. It has one of the most ancient history in mankind, and has significant influence in global affairs. It has some of the most unique and diverse cultures spanning 22 provinces (23 if you include Taiwan, but that’s debatable), 5 autonomous regions and 4 municipalities, as well as having 56 officially recognized ethnic groups (with the Han Chinese the largest making up to 92% of China).
I had the opportunity of spending around 6 weeks in China, but please know that despite spending this long vacation I only visited 4 to 5 cities, and my blogs is all but a miniscule fraction of what China truly has to offer. Here I have a collection of all my blogs, in case you want to read anything you missed, or you haven’t read it at all, but want to get started (also please rate my photography skills. I love feedback):
Part 1, The Flight: The Flight to the Middle Kingdom (Travel... vlog? Part 1)
Part 2: Wuhan, Hubei Province: Wandering Around Wuhan (Travel... Blog? Part 2) Rating: 7/10
Part 3: Shanghai, Direct-Administrated Municipality: Strolling Through Shanghai (Travel... Blog? Part 3)
Part 4: Beijing, Capital City: Being In Beijing (Travel... Blog? Part 4)
Rating: 5.5/10
Part 5: Shanghai again, but some sprinkles of Beijing: Strolling Through Shanghai... Again (Travel... Blog? Part 5)
Part 6: Nanjing, Jiangsu Province: Navigating Around Nanjing (Travel... Blog? Part 6)
Rating: 8/10
Part 7: Shanghai, and the finale: Strolling Through Shanghai One Last Time (Travel... Blog? Part 7)
Rating: 9.5/10
So now that I have got my blogs out of the way, I now present to you:
SwitchbladeAdrenaline’s Substantially Advantageous Sabbatical Advice
Written and fact-checked by yours truly: SwitchbladeAdrenaline. Designed for the ultimate ease of travel.
So! I hear you now have the urge to visit the People’s Republic of China! Wonderful! Then allow me, my dear forumer, to share with you some of my advice, to make your journey a bit more convenient.
Before we begin, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with China’s emergency phone numbers. Memorizing them is essential so that you can quickly dial the correct number in case of an emergency. (If you can’t speak Chinese… sorry.)
For urgent Police Services, please dial 110
For Medical Emergencies and Paramedics, please dial 120
For the Fire Department, please dial 119
Please familiarize yourselves with these numbers, and we shall continue.
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Just be Chinese: Being Chinese will make everything a lot more easier to understand, and if you are, then you can completely skip the advice section. (joke)
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Grab a Chinese friend, or a Chinese tour guide: If you can’t speak Chinese, then it ill-advised to go alone. Bring a friend that is mostly fluent and confident in Chinese, or get a tour guide. I have seen many western tourists in China, all accompanied by Tour Guides.
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Bring your passport everywhere you go: Most cities, especially cities like Beijing, will require identification to book places, tickets and so forth. Since you don’t have an ID card if you are not a Chinese citizen, you will need your passport.
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Always plan your way of getting around: In China I got around by walking, taking the taxi (plentiful), or the underground subway (available in every city). The underground metro/subway was arguably my favorite. Some stops need identification to pass. Of course, how you go is up to you.
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This goes without saying, especially for China, but follow the orders given by authorities without question. If they tell you to leave, leave. If they tell you to stop taking photos, stop taking photos. Usually at attractions and taking the metro you will need to place your bag through a baggage scan. Do not try to negotiate.
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Be aware of your surroundings: There are A LOT of Chinese people working as delivery drivers (on bikes), and if you aren’t paying attention, injury may happen. Also, if someone approaches you offering you something, don’t take it, just politely decline.
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Watch your step: Unfortunately, the elder generation of the Chinese (elder generation only) likes to spit. They don’t care where they spit (usually the ground), or who they spit in front of. The prime definition of uncivilized. This is not a problem at all in rich cities like Shanghai. Goes to show that the wealthier a place is, the more civilized people are. I really don’t wish to write this as it shatters the reputation of the Chinese, but unfortunately I have to. Also there’s a lot of wild animals so look out for that.
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Please do not be offended: If Chinese stare or do other actions that may seem unusual, please remember that 92% of China is one ethnic group, and the lack of western tourists often gives them less opportunities to meet westerners. Don’t offend them too of course. Also, what you may think of Chinese yelling in frustration, is just them talking normally. I could go on about cultural differences.
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Expect the smell of cigarettes… everywhere: If you have been with me from the start, you may have remembered that I said that the Chinese love to smoke. So please do not be surprised if you smell the scent of a cigarette, even if the place says not to smoke. (Some restrooms use smoke to mask the smell).
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Tips for Restroom breaks: First of all, always bring a roll of toilet paper on you. In China, with such a large population, it’s practically impossible to continuously supply toilet paper (also thievery concerns), so they just don’t have toilet paper in the stalls, rather a dispenser outside that dispenses little bits by little bits. You never know how much toilet paper you need, just bring your own.
Secondly, it’s actually somewhat difficult to find regular toilets in public bathrooms. Most public bathrooms uses squatting pans built into the floor. The only time I saw normal toilets were at malls, theme parks etc. Needless to say that I barely went to the public bathrooms. If you can’t use squatting pans (like me), you’ll have to go to disabled restrooms. -
Practice your bargaining skills: I won’t elaborate further.
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For Non-Binary people: You’re going to have to pick a gender. In China, if asked for your gender, the option “other” does not exist. It’s either Male or Female.
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Tipping doesn’t exist: If you offer someone a tip, they will awkwardly reject the tip kindly.
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Do NOT drink tap water: Bring bottled water. I strongly recommend water from hotel rooms or other outlets be boiled first. This isn’t Australia.
Ok, I’m done with the tips (well I’m not really done), if you have any questions, queries, doubts or points you want to ask, please ask away.
As you are most likely very well aware of, in China there exists the infamous Great Firewall. A series of internet restrictions that is placed both on Citizens and Foreigners alike. But don’t worry, here are some apps that will either get you over the wall, or make travel easier.
- VPNs: It would be VERY unwise to not install VPNs in China. I have to remind you that they are not going to arrest you for using a VPN. The VPNs I’m about to recommend to you are free and mostly reliable (sometimes they take seconds or tens of minutes to connect).
For computer devices:
Proton VPN was my go to. It works and can connect to numerous nations for free.
For mobile devices:
Get Hotspot shield VPN. It usually works.
These were the VPNs I used. Hotspot doesn’t work on laptops and Proton doesn’t work on mobile. Of course, what VPN you use is ultimately completely up to you. It is important to note that if you have chrome installed on your laptop, you can open it and search up websites by typing in their links, but not search for something. The rest of the apps I will list is mobile.
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Amap. Or 高德地图 in Chinese. This is probably one of the most useful maps to use to replace google maps. It can book taxis as well. Though it is only in Chinese, and the narrator will continuously blare out the navigation guide. But it is the best, and better than Baidu maps.
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WeChat or Alipay (微信 and 支付宝). The use of cash in China is basically non-existent, as people use these two apps to pay for everything now. I’m pretty sure that non-Chinese bank accounts can link to the international versions of the apps, but I’m not certain.
Many of your travel bookings are done and proven on WeChat as well, so keep it. -
Didi Chuxing: (滴滴出行) For taxi hailing. No need to elaborate further ( formerly named Didi Dache (嘀嘀打车)
These are basically all the necessities. Again, questions, queries, doubts or points please ask away.
Ok these are the apps and tips, I’ll move on:
Conclusion
It is difficult to give encapsulate the essence of China with a mere numerical ranking, but if I had to, I give it a SOLID 7.5/10. But honestly, numbers fall short in capturing the beauty of this incredible nation. Despite its undeniable significance in the modern world, China is often overshadowed by other East Asian nations and is perhaps one of the most criminally underrated places of travel.
The Middle Kingdom, with its rich and ancient history and unique, and diverse culture deserves so much more than just a ranking out of ten. And it is disheartening to see it covered in stereotypes and smothered by unfair, and often hostile biases.
This was the reason why I wrote my series of blogs. It was a heartfelt and passionate attempt to finally shine some light on its true nature and challenge the stigma surrounding it. This blog was born from the desire to showcase the beauty, tear down stereotypes and an attempt to create a genuine and true understanding of a nation which holds a special place in my heart.
But this could not have been done without you. The forumer that is currently reading this right now. There were numerous times during my travels where my motivation waned and thoughts to quit writing my blogs all together emerged.
But your silent support and engagement kept me carrying on. Either through the likes of reading, liking or responding, even the smallest of activities on my blogs gave me a new sense of purpose and a fresh wave of motivation to keep hopping back on when I have the time and document my travels. The joy of knowing that people really read the blogs singlehandedly kept me carrying on.
I know that the conclusion sounded really cringe, but I genuinely have an appreciation towards all of you. China is the first nation that I have ever written a travel blog series on, but with your support, it most certainly will not be the last.
So once again, from the bottom of my heart:
Thank you.
Proton is my go to VPN for everything, works great even on their free plan. It’s also available for mobile so that’s my recommended for mobile devices as well.
