China Travel Guides
Handpicked resources from bloggers, forums, and locals
China Visa Policy: The Complete Overview
Most up-to-date source on visa-free transit, unilateral entries and every visa type.
Traveling to China? 50 Things to Know
A Beijing-based American expat compresses everything β visas, payments, VPNs, transport β into 50 tips, updated yearly since 2023.
How to Link Your Foreign Bank Card to Alipay & WeChat Pay
Screenshot-by-screenshot binding walkthrough for Visa/Mastercard β the single most important setup step before you land.
Booking China High-Speed Trains as a Foreigner
Route maps, seat classes, 12306 vs Trip.com booking paths compared.
Trains, Hotels & Flights Bookable in English
The fallback most foreigners end up using β English support, foreign cards OK.
The Ultimate 3-Day Beijing Itinerary
Written by an expat who actually hosts visiting friends: Forbidden City day, Great Wall day, temples day β with booking links and timing.
Which Section of the Great Wall Should You Visit?
Mutianyu vs Badaling vs camping on the wall β compared by cost, transport and crowds by someone who has done them all.
Wikivoyage: Chengdu
Community-maintained Chengdu guide β two airports, 11 metro lines, every museum with prices and hours. Openly licensed, constantly updated.
Wikivoyage: Xiβan
The community guide to the ancient capital β city wall, warriors, Muslim Quarter, with honest food listings and transport detail.
Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop: A Tested 9-Day Roadbook
Open-source self-drive roadbook for the Qinghai-Gansu loop β daily routes, real costs and lodging from an actual trip, maintained on GitHub.
Karakoram Highway (China Side): The Complete Guide
From the longest-running English blog on Xinjiang β logistics, permits and stops for driving the KKH out of Kashgar.
How to Stay in a Uyghur Homestay in Xinjiang
How to find and book family homestays in southern Xinjiang, etiquette included. An accommodation experience no hotel matches.
What (and Where) to Eat in Beijing
Long-running English city magazine β restaurant listings written by locals.
Chengdu Food Scene: An English Database
Expat-run listings of hotpot, skewers and everything spicy β search by dish.
Best Bars in Beijing 2026
Updated August 2026: craft breweries, natural-wine bars, hutong cocktail dens and rooftops β the city after dark, organized by type.
r/TravelChina: Ask Real Travelers in Real Time
The most active English community for China travel β visa changes and app workarounds surface here days before anywhere else.
Original In-Depth Guides
Written by our on-the-ground team, updated regularly
3 Days in Xi'an: Terracotta Warriors, City Walls & Street Food
First time in Xi'an? This 3-day itinerary hits every must-see sight, takes you to the best street food spots, and includes practical transport tips. Follow it step by step.
Beyond the Postcards: 5 Days of Real Beijing
There's way more to Beijing than the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. This guide takes you into the hutongs, hidden museums, and the food streets where locals actually eat.
The Chengdu Food Guide: From Street Stalls to Time-Honored Classics
Hot pot, skewers, dan dan noodles, rabbit heads... 20 local-favorite spots from hole-in-the-wall stalls to century-old restaurants. Eat your way through Chengdu the right way.
First Trip to China: The Complete Planning Guide
Visas, payment apps, SIM cards, transport β everything you need to know before your first trip to China, all in one place.
When to Visit China: A Season-by-Season Guide
Spring flowers, summer mountains, autumn foliage, winter festivals. Here's when to visit every corner of China for the best weather and fewest crowds.