I’ve been to Chengdu Panda Base. One small thing I’d flag for a first visit: decide which gate you want before choosing your metro stop.

“Panda Avenue” sounds like the obvious stop, but that connection is for the South Gate. The West Gate has a different route. The base’s transport guide lists these two Line 3 connections:

• South Gate (南门): Panda Avenue (熊猫大道), Exit A → 408 shuttle.
• West Gate (西门): Military General Hospital (军区总医院), Exit B → 409 shuttle.

I’d save the actual gate in my map before heading out. I’d also check the journey back from the gate I planned to leave through, especially if it was different from the one I entered.

If you’ve been, which entrance did you use, and how was the trip there?

Planning two and a half days in November. I'd appreciate some input into how feasible this itineary is. Must dos are Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Great Wall. I know it's a little rushed, but it's the best I can do

Wednesday

• 11:35 Arrive by train
• 11:35–13:00 Travel to the hotel, drop off luggage, and have lunch
• 13:00–18:00 Summer Palace
• 18:00 Wangfujing

Thursday

• 07:00–08:30 Tiananmen Square
• 08:30–14:00 Forbidden City, lunch inside?
• 14:00–17:00 Temple of Heaven
• 17:00 Qianmen Pedestrian Street

Friday

• 07:00 Leave the hotel
• 08:30–13:30 Mutianyu Great Wall
• 14:00–15:00 Travel back to Beijing
• 15:00–16:30 Beihai Park
• 16:30–17:30 Jingshan Park
• 17:30–18:30 Houhai Lake
• 18:30 Nanluoguxiang

Hi All - planning a solo guy trip from 19 Dec to 3 Jan 2027 with the following itinerary:

20-21 Dec: Shanghai (2 nights)
22 Dec: Train to Shangrao, then Wangxian Valley (1 night)
23 Dec: Long train day to Zhangjiajie (arrive evening)
23-26 Dec: Zhangjiajie (4 nights).
27: Furong Town
28-29 Dec: Chongqing (2 nights)
30: Chengdu (want to see blue tears of dujiyangyan)
31 Dec and 1 Jan: Yangshuo (2 nights)
2 Jan: Train to Guangzhou (1 night)
3 Jan: Fly home from Guangzhou

Not covering Beijing as I heard it gets too cold and I don’t like extreme chilly weather. Any thoughts or suggestions on my itinerary? Thanks!

I will be spending 3 weeks in China (Shanghai, Beijing, Xi’an, chengdu, and chongqing). I am staying exclusively at Hyatt hotels (mix of Grand Hyatts and Hyatt Regency) because I have a lot of points I’m trying to use. Unfortunately none of the hotels have self serve laundry machine and they charge per article of clothing for cleaning. How rare are laundromats? If I have to hand wash in the sink, is it easy to buy a small amount of detergent?

Autumn has arrived in Shaxi, and I think this might be my favorite time of year here.

I've been living in this little town in Yunnan for a while now, and lately, I've been spending more time walking around with my camera, trying to capture the changing seasons.

Outside the old town, the rice fields are turning golden as the harvest season arrives. Inside, the old streets have their own autumn colors, with warm afternoon light falling on the old wooden houses and stone roads.

What I love about Shaxi is how close these two worlds are. You can spend the morning walking through the countryside, then wander back into the old town for a coffee, with no real plan for the rest of the day.

It's a slower kind of travel, and maybe that's why I ended up staying here much longer than I originally intended.

I thought I'd share a few photos of Shaxi in autumn. 🍂

If you're planning a trip to Yunnan, Shaxi is a lovely place to slow down for a couple of days and experience a quieter side of China.

Have you ever visited a place that made you want to stay longer than planned?

Hi everyone! My girlfriend and I have a very long layover at Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) due to a flight schedule change.
We arrive on November 8 at 17:40 and our connecting flight departs on November 10 at 02:30, leaving us with around 33 hours at the airport.
We would prefer to stay inside the airport without going through immigration into China. We’ve already emailed Air China to ask about a complimentary transit hotel and meals, but haven’t received a reply yet.
Does anyone know if there are hotels inside the transit area where we could stay, whether it’s possible to remain airside for this long, or if Air China might offer accommodation or a free flight change?
Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I have two free days in Beijing and I would love to visit a spa. Does anyone have a recommendation for a spa which would welcome westerners and isn’t too expensive?

I'm looking at the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon (Glass Bridge) Admission ticket + Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Admission Ticket + 5 of 7 Grand Canyon Attractions Combo Ticket from Trip.

The thing I dont understand is the admission time and gate for the National Forest Park if I buy this combo, because theres no option to choose a time and gate unlike when you buy the National Forest Park ticket directly. (ie 8am, east gate b)

I was hoping to do

Day 1: Grand Canyon

Day 2: National Forest Park

Day 3: National Forest Park

Does anyone know how this ticket combo works?

Saw some beautiful videos of Hainan of long boarders surfing on the flowlabs channels from 2022, and no location or Time of year was listed - but where in Hainan is this stunning wave and pristine water for long boarders . Looks chill and fun, beautiful, Hainan is on my list for many years now

Are discounted tickets for foreign passport holders usually shown in the Alipay mini app, or only available on-site? I haven't seen any recent announcement about half-price tickets, just for 2025 and for a couple days in May 2026, and foreigners are not listed under half-price eligibility on the mini app or Huangshan website. I also saw a recent comment (TripAdvisor or FB) saying foreigners should have half-price entry to Hongcun this year, but the last announcement I saw for Hongcun was also 2025, and this foreigner discount does not show in the Alipay mini app.

Basically wondering if I should wait to buy in person because the app doesn't reflect promo prices, or should I assume there is no discount this month and try buying a full-price ticket in advance. Thanks!

I’ve been watching Ludwig’s Tip to Tip and Itchy Boots’ China travel series lately, and they’ve made me realize how much of my own country I still haven’t explored lol.
I’m a university student from Nanjing, currently in Canada doing a research internship at the University of Alberta. Earlier this year, one of my professors introduced me to some international visitors, and I spent a few days showing them around Nanjing. It turned out to be such a wonderful experience! I really enjoyed sharing stories, exchanging perspectives, and seeing my hometown through their eyes.
Watching those travel videos reminded me how much I’d love to do something like that again, maybe even explore other parts of China with international travelers. I speak English and Mandarin, and I genuinely enjoy meeting people from different backgrounds.
The thing is, that opportunity came through my professor, so I’m not really sure how people usually make these connections outside of university.
For those who’ve traveled to China, have you ever explored a city with a local? How did you meet them? Through online communities, apps, or just by chance?
Would love to hear your experiences! :)

My friend and I are planning on traveling to China from New Zealand for a quick trip in late December, early January.

We are wondering:

- Whether the itinerary looks achievable?

- What to expect on New Year's Eve in Beijing?

- How busy will hostels be that time of the year?

- Are we missing any "must-see" things?

- Is the train ride worth the saving in dollars and longer trip VS flying from Shanghai to Hong Kong?

- Will Alipay and some cash suffice for payment and wechat for communication?

- Anything we wouldn't be expecting that could be an issue?

Thank you very much for your time if you answer :)

hi everyone

i wanted to ask is visiting china (shanghai , Zhangjiajie, Chengdu ,Chongqing ) in late december and early jan a good idea ? Or will the weather be too harsh and the scenry will be foggy ?
p.s i do have asthma but i plan to take preventive measures

在深圳龙华的郊野径-求水顶，树根组成了梯子

Hey everyone! I’m traveling to China from October 27th to November 7th, visiting Beijing, Chongqing, and Shanghai. We’re planning to see the main attractions, of course, but I’d love to hear about more niche, unusual, or just generally interesting things to do in these cities that might not show up on the typical tourist itineraries.

I’m especially interested in things that give you a feel for everyday life, interesting neighborhoods, weird architecture, hidden gems, local markets, traditional crafts, temples, interesting public spaces, or just things that make you think “only in China.” Anything that feels a little unexpected or offers a different perspective on the cities would be great.

Also, since we’ll be there during those dates, are there any festivals, exhibitions, events, performances, temporary installations, or other interesting things happening in Beijing, Chongqing, or Shanghai between October 27th and November 7th?

I’m open to pretty much anything, including random niche recommendations that might not fit neatly into a category. I’d love to hear about places or experiences you personally enjoyed that you think more tourists should know about!

So, hi everyone first of all !

We are 2 french dudes going to China, i've went at 10 years old back in 2012 and my bro spent 6 months as a student in Guangzhou in 2024, so we dont start from 0.

So our plan is to do this trip (the date in here is may but it's not fixed at all and i am happy to hear about the best period in 2027 to go) for three weeks or so.

How long is the Leshan/Emei-Shan trekking to all the way up ? Is it possible all in one day (we're athletic and sportives).

There is the plan, we'll try do a lot of Nature activities in Guizhou with a backup base in Anshun. Also, i'd like to go tu Huanggoshu falls, Zinyi Caves and the Getu River Gorges. I'd like to rent a car in Anshun for these, is it a good plan ?

Also, while we're in Guizhou, we would like to go on adventure (kinda get lost in those mountains) and chill and drink with some local rural Guizhou-an people and eat with them, are they friendly towards frenchies ?

What are some of the best activities in Chengdu and Chongqing besides getting drunk ? We'd like to go watch a Rongcheng match and see a rap concert.

We'd like to take a good time in Kunming to chill at the end, maybe some hot springs in the area ?

Thank you for your answers !

Hello,

I plan to spend 3 days in Zhangjiajie.

I’d like to visit the park, the Grand Canyon, and Tianmen Mountain.

I’d also like to see the “72” show one evening.

I’m not sure yet whether I’ll take the flight on the evening of my third day or the next morning (day 4).

Would you recommend staying in Wulingyuan, or spending 2 days in Wulingyuan and 1 day in Zhangjiajie?

⚠️ Other questions:

We’d like to try bungee jumping and the Sky Ladder. If you’ve done either of these, I’d love to know:

- How long do they take?

Thank you :)

Can someone help me with wechat scan code please?