Activities that need booking? Advice needed

In most cases, advance booking is not required. That said, attractions in a few cities must be booked ahead of time:

1. The Forbidden City and the Great Wall in Beijing **2. Zhangjiajie
2. The Terracotta Army in Xi’an

You can buy tickets on‑site for all other sights. These suggestions account for official venue rules as well as visitor crowds. Advance booking is still recommended when there are large numbers of tourists.

A quick reminder: wherever you go in China, always bring your original passport**. It is essential for smooth travel throughout your trip.

-------------------------------------- **发贴用户名：Tonight3690
标题：Is it ok to use another phone to get a china phone number
正文：So I have my trip to China soon and I was planning on bringing two phones.

1. The one I use currently and get a esim on it so I can access western apps

1. A second older phone just to get a sim card so I have access to a chinese phone number

Would the number work ok for things like didi and ordering takeout even though the sim card is on another phone? Like I would do everything on my own phone but just use the second phone as access to the number like receiving texts and calls.

If anyone has done this please share your experience!

回贴从已有虚拟用户中随机挑选一个
回贴：Your approach will work and you won’t run into any issues. That said, I’d like to remind you there is no real need to go through all that trouble. If you only need services for ride‑hailing and food delivery, just get familiar with Alipay+ and AMAP ahead of time. They can handle most day‑to‑day situations you will encounter while in China.

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发贴用户名：quinquin93
标题：Planning without map apps- what’s your workflow?
正文：I am well travelled and never had issues anywhere: I always manage to plan my logistics and activities, enjoy the sights / restaurant I visit etc.

With China it’s just impossible. Every time I come across something that looks good, a recommendation or something I’d live to save for later, it becomes useless because there is no way to find it, pin it on a map etc. even my hotels location is wrong on map apps (and amap won’t work outside China).

I am going in a few weeks and still can’t make sense of geography, see where most stuff are clustered or even find key shops and restaurants I want to visit.

I’ve been before and once you’re there it’s sort of easier because amap search is working; but how do you manage this?

回贴从已有虚拟用户中随机挑选一个
回贴：Well, I have to say you’re not using the right app. Amap has an international version called AMAP**. Just download AMAP and your problem will be fully solved. Google Maps simply won’t work in China, since the underlying mapping algorithms for the two services are entirely separate systems.

-------------------------------------- **发贴用户名：Evenlocks
标题：First time visiting China: should I skip the famous tourist spots?
正文：Hi everyone, I’m planning my first trip to China and I’m trying to decide my itinerary.

Many travel guides recommend Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai, and other famous cities, but I’m not sure if that’s the experience I’m looking for. I prefer quiet places, beautiful scenery, and slower travel. I would rather spend a few days exploring one small town or natural area than rushing between crowded attractions.

Would you recommend visiting the classic destinations first, or going somewhere less famous?

回贴从已有虚拟用户中随机挑选一个
回贴：Absolutely, my friend. First off, do visit those spots recommended in most travel guides. There is a good reason they are so widely‑suggested — they genuinely deliver great value and are well worth your time.

That said, there are far more destinations suited to your preferences, so many I cannot possibly list them all here. I will just name a few other highly‑renowned places: Dali and Shangri‑La in Yunnan, Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan, and Yangshuo near Guilin.

I also keep recommending this route: Nanjing – Wuxi – Suzhou – Hangzhou – Shanghai**. Here is why I highly endorse it. Stretching from Nanjing to Shanghai, this chain of cities is stunning. Each boasts famous historical landmarks within city limits, plus scenic spots and ancient towns in their surrounding areas, which should fit your tastes perfectly.

Crucially, Shanghai is a common departure point for leaving China. Ending your trip there saves you the hassle of backtracking. High‑speed rail connections between these cities are extremely well‑developed. There are more train departures than local buses in many places. More often than not, you do not even need advance tickets; you can simply show up and hop on the next available train.

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这篇要发到WIKI，且配一张拥挤的景点或车站的图
发贴用户名：Materrial Curve2375
标题：Planning a China trip over the next year or so? Avoid these dates if you can
正文：If this will be your first trip to China sometime over the next year or so, timing makes a much bigger difference than you might expect.

China has a lot of people. During public holidays and school breaks, popular cities and attractions get much busier, high-speed rail tickets on popular routes can sell out, and domestic flights and hotels can cost two or three times their usual price. The biggest exception is the Spring Festival travel rush, which affects far more than just the official holiday itself.

Here are the dates I would try to avoid.

September 25 to 27, 2026: Mid-Autumn Festival
This is a three-day break. High-speed rail tickets on popular routes get harder to find, hotels cost a bit more than usual, and attractions are somewhat busier.

September 30 to October 8, 2026: National Day Golden Week
The official holiday runs from October 1 to 7, but the departure rush usually starts on September 30. The last two days are the big return rush.

This is one of the busiest travel periods in China. I would avoid visiting Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Chengdu, Zhangjiajie, Huangshan, Jiuzhaigou, Sanya, or other major tourist destinations during this week if possible. Train tickets are hard to get, flights and hotels get much more expensive, and your photos may end up featuring a wall of people instead of the actual sight.

January 22 to February 23: Spring Festival travel rush
Chinese New Year falls on February 6, 2027, but the holiday itself is only part of the problem.

Around two weeks before it, huge numbers of people who live and work away from their hometowns begin traveling back to their hometowns for the holiday. After the holiday, many do not return to work immediately, so the return rush continues through the Lantern Festival period.

If your trip involves high-speed rail, tickets on popular routes can be basically impossible to get. Domestic flights can become much more expensive, sometimes double on high-demand routes. Long-distance buses may get caught in serious traffic too. In smaller cities and counties, family-run restaurants, guesthouses, and small shops may close for the holiday.

There is one possible exception. If you are only stopping in one big city on a visa-free transit stay and do not need to travel between cities, Spring Festival may still work. Many local residents leave the city and return to their hometowns for the holiday, so everyday traffic can be lighter.

Major attractions may still be busy, especially during the first few days of the holiday. Many restaurants, shops, and service businesses also close, so you will have fewer food and activity options.

April 3 to 5, 2027: Qingming Festival
Qingming is a short holiday, similar to Mid-Autumn Festival. It is not as intense as Golden Week or May Day, but popular mountain destinations and places near major cities still get crowded.

April 30 to May 5, 2027: May Day holiday
May Day is one of the busiest domestic travel holidays in China. At the most popular destinations, the experience can feel a lot like Golden Week.

Book attraction tickets, hotels, and train tickets early if you have to travel then.

July 1 to September 10, 2027: summer school break
This is not an official public holiday, but family travel picks up sharply once schools close for summer. It is not as concentrated as Golden Week, though flights and hotels are still more expensive.

Primary and secondary schools usually reopen between late August and early September. Some universities start later, so prices on routes with lots of student travel may not ease until mid-September.

The Forbidden City in Beijing, Shanghai Disneyland, the Terracotta Army, Chengdu's panda bases, Zhangjiajie, Huangshan, and coastal destinations all get busier. It is also hot across much of China, and southern areas can have heavy rain or typhoons.

Summer is still a perfectly workable time to visit. It is just easier if you choose less obvious cities or nature destinations.

Quick version
Best avoided: Spring Festival travel rush, May Day, and National Day Golden Week

Still doable, but busier and more expensive: summer break

Moderate impact: Qingming and Mid-Autumn Festival

If you must travel during one of these periods, avoid starting your trip on the first day of the holiday or doing your longest return journey on the last day. Book trains, flights, and hotels early.

The date ranges above are wider than the official days off. They also account for the departure rush before a holiday, the return rush afterwards, and school breaks, which is closer to what travel actually feels like.

回贴从已有虚拟用户中随机挑选一个
回贴：YES! you are right!

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发贴用户名：Cowlllustrious483
标题：Where did you all learn about the things needed for traveling to China?
正文：For example, how to make a payment, how to book a hotel, how to take a taxi, how to take the high-speed rail, and how to book tickets for attractions.

回贴从已有虚拟用户中随机挑选一个
回贴：There are plenty of travel guides like this all over the internet. Take chinatravel.wiki for example. Just open a few articles on the site and you will get a clear picture. It’s really straightforward. Sometimes, a single website or app can answer most of your questions. Alipay+, for instance, can solve a wide range of practical problems.

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发贴用户名：Striking lead9989
标题：Social life in the below - meeting english speakers & Hostels. Chengdu v Shenzen
正文：Hi guys

I am coming to china soon in October AFTER GOLDEN WEEK and just want to know how the social life will be in each place and where to go

my itinerary currently is looking like

Shenzen/Guanghzou
Yangshuo
Zhangjiaje
Chongqing

Which ones should i definitely book hostels for and which ones do we have recommendations for?

Also i wanna ask, what’s better to visit for first time: Shenzen or Chengdu? I’ll have 4 nights and I would want to split between shenzen and guangzhou if it’s worth it, or just chengdu.

回贴从已有虚拟用户中随机挑选一个
回贴：Social life in the below - meeting english speakers & Hostels. Chengdu v Shenzen