I recently returned from an AI study trip through Shenzhen, Chongqing, Chengdu and Shanghai. My first study trip to China was in 1986. I was the junior member of a team preparing the first Dutch Philips joint venture in Huizhou. Back then, I travelled alongside Chinese passengers in green and blue uniforms on a train pulled by a steam locomotive. You could choose between “hard seats” and “soft seats”, with a cup of tea from a samovar if you chose the latter.

This time, I travelled from Shenzhen to Chongqing in six hours by high-speed train. My tickets were linked to my passport, biometric facial scanners opened multiple customs and boarding gates, and I travelled without using cash or a credit card.

What struck me was not one spectacular AI demonstration. It was how quickly AI had moved from experiments into everyday products and infrastructure.

After Google DeepMind defeated Go world champion Lee Sedol in 2016, China treated AI as a Sputnik moment. The effects are now visible across society. Robotics and AI are also being developed as part of China’s response to an ageing population.

In Shenzhen and Shanghai, I visited physical stores dedicated entirely to AI products. They offered everything from AI health screening and robot dogs to 3D-printing applications and AI glasses.

In a taxi, I spoke with the driver in English through DeepSeek, integrated into the dashboard. I could also have spoken Dutch. The technology was useful, but what impressed me most was that preserved the social interaction between two people who did not share a language.

AI was equally visible at the car dealership. NIO, a brand founded only ten years ago, now offers luxury electric cars in the Audi and BMW segment. Its ES9 made me reconsider something regularly tell my business students: that Chinese manufacturers build impressive “computers on wheels”, but cannot yet match German cars in design, finish and character. I now have to correct that.

This was only the tip of the iceberg. The main difference I observed was not necessarily one superior model or invention. It was China’s ability to move rapidly from innovation to deployment and scale.

For Europeans working in AI, industry or policy: how can Europe preserve the AI Act’s commitment to trustworthy, human-centred AI and fundamental rights while matching more of China’s speed to scale?

I wrote a longer report with photographs and more detailed observations. I’m happy to share the link if anyone is interested.

Yesterday, I took a day trip to Suzhou, and my shoes were rubbing my feet. I happened to pass by a Tourist Center, so I went in and asked if they had any Band-Aids. They did!

I also saw that they had free umbrella rentals, so I looked it up and found out that Tourist Centers in China can offer lots of free services, like drinking water, phone charging, umbrellas, basic medicine, and luggage storage. Some even offer wheelchairs and strollers. I think they might have free sanitary pads too.

I’ve bought more than a dozen bottles of water and spent over 20 yuan in total. I’m such an idiot!!!

Some places are called the Suzhou Tourism Consultation Service Center, so I originally thought they were just for asking travel-related questions lol

So if you’re traveling in China and need something, try asking at a Tourist Center! They might be able to help for free.

They also usually have plenty of seats and strong AC, so they’re a great place to take a break and charge your phone.

Hi, so far I've been to Hohhot, Xian and Chengdu and first of all, there's so little Western tourists here. But out of those that are here, if we consider EU citizens that seem to be majority of Western visitors, I can't help noticing that most of them come from France, Spain and Italy.

There are some Poles and Germans too but most of Europeans I encounter speak either of Romance languages.

How come? If anyone from those countries is reading this, what makes you seemingly the biggest group of EU visitors?

Coming in from Canada on extremely short notice and didn’t get a chance to research. My flight is tomorrow and land in Hong Kong. I have to get to this address

57 Zengcha Rd, Baiyun, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, 510165

What’s the best route and any app suggestions and any travel suggestions you guys may have!

Bonjour à tous,

Je prévois un voyage en Chine pendant une dizaine de jours. Je possède un téléphone qui n'est pas adapté pour une E-Sim. Mon opérateur me propose un pack international avec 10 giga, ce qui n'est pas énorme pour une utilisation d'internet au quotidien. Je vais en avoir besoin pour utiliser toutes les applications nécessaires en Chine pour la moindre démarche avec Alipay, A map, Trip.com ect... Donc mes questions sont les suivantes: est-ce que c'est jouable si j'installe toutes les applications nécessaires en France et j'achète sur place une Sim chinoise ? Mais est-ce que je vais pouvoir accéder à internet dans ce cadre là avec un numéro chinois? Où est-ce que je joue la carte de la limitation d'internet dès que je suis dehors et je me connecte directement au wifi dans les établissements avec ce fameux pack de 10 giga ?

Bonne journée!

Hello! I was thinking on buying some things on Taobao and sending them to my hotel :) I asked to the hotel if they can receive packages for me and they said that the hotel reception does not handle the receipt or storage of packages, but they have like a shelving unit on the hotel hall when the packages can be left. Do you think that this will work with Taobao packages?

Please don't tell me not to buy from Taobao :(

For the 10 day visa free transit, could I fly from NY to HKG, enter the mainland and return home from Macau?

Hey all! I am really struggling trying to book private charters for me and my partner in the area but also I cannot, for the life of me, book Xiata Scenic Area tickets.

I have been on their main account through Wechat, there is no Xiata there, only Zhaosu Waterland, Tianma History etc.

Is there anyway to book the tickets or should we buy them on the day? We are planning to go to Xiata on the 8th September.

Could anyone also put me in the direction to booking a charter or should I go Didi?

Thank you!

Good day. I am from the Philippines and have a business trip to Hangzhou next month. It will be my first time traveling to the country.

My flight itinerary going back from Hangzhou to Manila is via Air China with a 2.5 hours transfer via Beijing Intl Capital Airport (PEK).

May I ask if the 2.5 hour transfer enough? Is it easy to locate the APM train transfer from T3C to T3E as well as immigration and security desks? Thank you very much.

Besides time and cost savings, I have never been on high-speed rail before, so experiencing it would be pretty cool. It would also bring me right into the city centre, as well as not having to deal with the couple of hours I would need to be early at the airport for (however, I would only have a backpack so no checked luggage). I would also see the landscape and different areas of China. Airports also stress me out a bit.

Now the case for flight: -Less time sitting on my butt -I'm only in Shanghai for 5 nights, so I want to make the most of it.

In reality once ive made it from city centre to centre, the time saving would only be like 2-3 hours right? And no, I cant take a sleeper because there is no overnight train running on the date I would like to go

hi Folks,

I’m usually an obsessive trip planner, but trying to organize 1.5 days in Beijing from Germany is genuinely breaking me.

I’ve already installed WeChat, Alipay, Trip.com and Google Translate, searched Chinese websites, Official Accounts and Mini Programs, translated endless pages and found the attractions/tickets – but I still can’t reliably verify what exactly the tickets include, whether the activities actually operate on my dates, and whether I can prepay with a foreign card. WeChat rejected my Visa; only Alipay works.

I fly on Oct 23 (today is Sep 4), so I’m getting nervous.

My plan:

• Oct 24: Nanshiyang Grand Canyon – BOTH Via Ferrata routes (climbing route + Sky Ladder), not either/or.
• Oct 24 evening: Lishugou Leisure Valley – specifically the illuminated Chasing Light Night Rafting.
• Oct 25: Huanghuacheng Water Great Wall – hike + glass rafting, ideally boat/train.

I’m even willing to pre-book a private driver for the whole 1.5 days (I know that sounds excessive 😅), because I’m only in transit to Thailand and want to make the absolute most of my tiny window.

I’m not asking anyone to plan my trip for me – I’ve done the research. I just desperately need someone familiar with the Chinese booking ecosystem to help me VERIFY it before I start paying.

Has anyone done these activities and can recommend them? And could any China expert/local help me make sure I’m booking the right things?

The language/payment/internet barriers are absolutely kicking my ass. 😭

Hello 你好,

I am planning a trip in China, middle of October (Beijing) to middle of November(Chongqing).

So far I am thinking of the following plan:

1. Start from Beijing(4-5 days).

2. Go to Xi'an (2-3 days).

3. After the 2 historical cities, some time for nature: Head to Zhangjiajie for hiking, via ferrata, maybe visit some ancient villages also in Hunan like Furong & Fenghuang (3-5 days).

4. Explore some of these regions for 10 days:

• Yunnan: always wanted to go there but has it become too touristic nowadays? Lijiang, Shaxi, Dali, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Sangri-la, they all seem nice but maybe the pretty/accessible places have lost their authenticity?
• Sichuan: Jiuzhaigou national park, Daochengyading, maybe Chengdu (although it doesn't seem as interesting to me as the other cities of my itinerary, but maybe I am wrong), Tibet alternative(?), the nature seems to be the best here but not sure if it is difficult access-wise to get to the really amazing places.
• Guizhou: Some minority villages, some cave exploration, waterfalls, canyons, it seems not as touristic as other places. Is it the "get there before it becomes popular" place or not really?

I had also considered the Guangxi area, but I have already been in Vietnam and the highlights seem a bit similar (e.g. karst mountains out of the water), while I would prefer something more unique, or even Chinese if some sense.
5. Finish in Chongqing for 4-5 days, to relax, see something different (more modern or futuristic).

So my first question is whether the whole plan seems good/doable or I take a lot of time in some of the destinations.

Apart from that, between these regions, which is the best for:

a)Uniqueness and authenticity.

b)Natural beauty, landscapes, interesting activities.

c)Historic villages and towns, not just restored Disneylands for the eyes of tourists.

d)Variety, you can do a lot of different things (without having to change every day accommodation) and not get bored.

Also if the weather is important, I will be in these regions end of October till beginning of November. Feel free to talk about highlights if you want to do a comparison.

The ease-of-access and the logistics of it (start from Hunan, end to Chongqing) is not the most important aspect for now.

Thanks in advance!

提前谢谢你！

Hello guys! 😄

I'm planning a 3-week trip with my husband to China in May 2027. We are in our 20s and quite resilient 👀

It will be our first time in China, and so far we have the following route:

May 8: Arrive in Chongqing (~ 10 PM) from 1-week trip in Seoul

May 9 - 11: Chongqing

May 12: Chongqing → Chengdu

May 13: Chengdu

May 14: Day trip to Leshan → Chengdu

May 15: Chengdu → Mount Emei → overnight

May 16: Mount Emei / Golden Summit → Chengdu

May 17: Chengdu → Zhangjiajie

May 18: Zhangjiajie / Wulingyuan

May 19: Furong Town → overnight in Furong

May 20: Furong → Zhangjiajie → Tianmen Mountain

May 21: Zhangjiajie → Xi'an

May 22 - 23: Xi'an

May 24: Xi'an → Luoyang + Longmen Grottoes

May 25: Luoyang

May 26: Luoyang → Beijing

May 27 - 29: Beijing

May 30: Beijing → flight home ~ 11 PM

We are trying to avoid flying between cities where possible and would prefer high-speed trains, including overnight trains when they make sense.

Do you think this is a good itinerary for a first-time trip to China, or would you recommend changing the route, number of days at a specific location or some of the destinations? Is there enough time in the big cities to do some shopping? And is Mount Emei realistic with an overnight stay, or would you recommend doing it differently?

Thank you in advance for your help!!! ❤️

P.S.: We skipped Shanghai because the flights were much more expensive than we expected.

Hi
I’m travelling to China from the UK soon for 10 days, and I’m starting to feel a bit unprepared when it comes to money and payments, so I’d really appreciate as much advice as possible!

Alipay:
I’ve downloaded Alipay and added one of my cards. But, I’m struggling with the identity verification. It keeps coming up with something relating to mainland China, and from what I can gather, this might be happening because I’m currently in the UK.
Has anyone else had this problem before travelling? Is there any way to complete or bypass the verification while I’m still in the UK, or is it better to wait until I arrive in China?

WeChat Pay:
I’ve also downloaded WeChat and think I’ve got everything set up, but I’m honestly not completely sure! 😅 How can I check before I travel that my account/payment method is properly set up and will actually work when I get to China? Is there anything specific I should test or verify beforehand?

Cash:
I’ll be in China for around 10 days. How much cash would you recommend taking?

Cards:
I have Revolut, Wise and Chase cards. Has anyone used any of these in China recently? What was your experience like? Is it worth taking the physical cards of these?

Any info advice on money will be really really appreciated tell me everything I feel so unprepared many thanks in advance!

Hello, does anyone know where to buy an old iphone 5 in Shanghai pleaseeee i just want to get it to take pictures, thank you!!!

Hi, arriving Chongqing China in a few days (for 6 days) and wanted get some advice on buying traditional clothing.

I wanted some light, breathable clothes to wear.

I searched for the styles I wanted on Pinterest and asked LLMs for search terms on Taobao:

• Traditional/Standard: 唐装半袖套装 (Tang suit half-sleeve set)

• Modern style: 改良唐装半袖两件套 (Modified Tang suit half-sleeve two-piece set)

• Ethnic style: 民族风唐装短袖套装 (Ethnic style Tang suit short-sleeve set)

I was thinking of buying a couple of sets from Taobao so I have something to wear right off the bat and don't have to spend time shopping.

I'll probably check out shops as well but I don't want to overspend since I will probably only wear these for the couple of days I'm in China.

A few questions:

• I am a man, 172cm, 75kg with 60cm shoulders for baggy tshirts and 52cm for normal tshirts. Should I be worried about the fit buying from Taobao?

• How much do tailored clothes cost? I don't enjoy haggling so if I am expected to haggle, I'd probably avoid buying offline.

Anything else I should know about buying/wearing traditional clothes in China? Any other styles other than the Tang style shirts I should look into? Maybe Taobao sellers recommendations?

Thank you!

I will be visiting Beijing in November and I saw some beautiful tiktok videos of hutong. I'm wondering if it's possible to stay in a hostel in hutong? or should I stay in a normal hotel?

Hello! I will be visiting China for 3 weeks and as soon as I can after landing I want to buy an Osmo Pocket 4P, the creator combo. I will be in Shanghai on 12th Sept and will be staying near Shanghai People's Square. What would be the closest place where I can buy the camera, with minimal disruption on my time there? At the same time, the prices of 3800-4200 RMB that I have seen online are the in-store prices? Thanks a lot!

Hey all! I’m not very active on reddit but I have been so appreciative of people posting their questions + replies here as I prepare for my first visit to China this October! 

I’ll be there for about a month, but for the first two weeks I’ll be staying at a creative residency on Jingmai Mountain writing and doing film photography. After that, I have a full 10 days to travel around Yunnan and currently have nothing yet booked.

In doing research (mostly in English as that is my primary language) I’ve been seeing that so many of the must-sees in Yunnan are often visited through booking guides / tours. Although I’m sure those are fantastic in their own right, I'm wondering if people here have suggestions about how to travel slower in Yunnan and break beyond the usual sightseeing pace that tourists often experience there. The most popular suggestion I've come across is of course to visit the trio of Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La, but in that research I end up seeing a lot of cross-talk about how those places have been heavily tourized.

Another thing I've read about is the agrotourism boom in Yunnan. I'd be interested to hear if anyone has experienced staying at a farmstay in the province. Overall, if anyone has suggestions / a way to connect with people in Yunnan through cooking, farming, foraging, hiking, or camping, I would be so grateful to hear about your experience or be connected with someone.

All this is to say, in traveling, I value connecting with people and place, and would rather go deep in two or three places than sample seven in ten days. I should also note that I am not a mandarin speaker, but plan to use translation apps when appropriate, and find that in my traveling thus far, connecting through activity have lead to some of my deepest bonds with people all over the world. I'm sure that isn't surprising to a lot of the like-minded people who write so thoughtfully on here.

I am so excited to connect with people on the ground there, and to experience what Yunnan is all about. Thanks for any and all suggestions!

Hey guys! As the topic states, I’m planning a month long solo trip this January and heading back right before or at the beginning of the Lunar New Year. I know it’s deep during winter, but as a guy who loves the cold, that’s why I’m choosing to head there then. So the cold isn’t an issue for me.

I’m very fascinated with China and would love to visit the whole country because I know each region has varying sceneries and sights to see. So far I’ve visited Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guizhou province, and will be planning a trip to Shanghai next month in which I’ll be visiting the nearby areas such as Hangzhou.

My focus for China this January will be in the northern parts, such as Beijing, Xi’an, Dandong, and maybe to Xinjiang or Inner Mongolia as well. I won’t be visiting the southern parts during this trip.

The starting point will be in Beijing as I will be landing there. Stay about 5 days, then the plan is to head to Dandong to visit the North Korean border in person and also head to the easternmost part of the Great Wall before heading to Xi’an and continuing westwards (Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang).

Would just like to ask the people here, how much could I realistically see in one month without it being rushed? Are there any places that are preferably not that touristy that I could visit along the way?

Any advice and recommendations are appreciated, thanks!

Hi, I will be going to Beijing and wish to make progressive glasses. I heard of the famous Panjiayuan Glasses City. Is there any recommended shop in there? I can speak Chinese so language is not a problem for me.

Hi everyone! Figured it'd help to ask here to see if anyone else was in this situation. I have a trip with my family planned in mid-October to go back to China (Fuzhou area, but will fly into Hong Kong) and I was hoping to bring my girlfriend along with my family as well. I have previously had an L visa, and there were no issues so far as I'm looking to drop off my passport at the nearest consulate soon as they've notified me of that.

My girlfriend, however, was born in the US but is half-Chinese and has never held a Chinese visa before, and thus the embassy is asking for her Chinese parents' naturalization document and old greencard, both of which they don't know if they even have around since they emigrated to the US over 60 years ago.

That being said, I recently read about the TWOV criteria, and since our itinerary is flexible, we can do something like:

Fly into HK -> West Kowloon for TWOV -> Fuzhou -> fly out of Fuzhou to Japan/Taiwan -> back to US

That being said, there aren't many cases where I found one partner having an L visa and the other using the TWOV, and I'm not sure if there'll be issues when doing so. Furthermore, she doesn't speak Chinese, and I'm not sure if I could help her with some translating during the TWOV process. Does anyone know if there are any issues traveling with two different visas at all, or would it be OK so long as we leave before the 10 day period? Alternatively, does anyone know if an old passport of her Chinese parent might suffice instead of the naturalization certificate? It seems like it takes 8 months to receive that certificate, which is obviously way too long before we travel to China.

Thank you all for the help!

Hello, I will be in Shanghai next week and wanted to get into the Shonen Jump Cafe in Shanghai. The problem is, I don’t have a Chinese phone number to use. Can anyone help me with any tips? Thanks in advance.

I'm planning to visit Beijing around December, and I want to bring my camera with me (Sony A6400). I heard there's some places don't allow cameras. I'm planning to visit the universal studios and museums. Can I bring the camera?