First Time Visitors to China

First Time Visitors to China
Sep 26, 2009 03:21
RICPOLETTI Points: Join Date: Sep 26, 2009 Status: offline	My wife and I would like to plan a 15 day trip to China, but don't know the best time to go (we think Sep/Oct) or the type of tour to do. We are both in our late 50s, but are fit and keen walkers and I am a keen photographer, so the tour should be a mix of more old and traditional than new China. There is so much information on this site that it can be bewildering for us, so what we need is guidance on what the expert travellers have experienced. Is there anyone out there that can help?

Sep 26, 2009 03:21

RICPOLETTI
Points:
Join Date: Sep 26, 2009
Status: offline

My wife and I would like to plan a 15 day trip to China, but don't know the best time to go (we think Sep/Oct) or the type of tour to do. We are both in our late 50s, but are fit and keen walkers and I am a keen photographer, so the tour should be a mix of more old and traditional than new China. There is so much information on this site that it can be bewildering for us, so what we need is guidance on what the expert travellers have experienced.

Is there anyone out there that can help?

Sep 26, 2009 21:54	#1
HERBEAT Points: Join Date: Mar 17, 2009 Status: Offline	If you want to have some walking tour, coastal cities will be a good choice
HERBEAT Points: Join Date: Mar 17, 2009 Status: Offline	Last edited by HERBEAT: Sep 26, 2009 22:03

Sep 26, 2009 21:56	#2
HERBEAT Points: Join Date: Mar 17, 2009 Status: Offline	Photograph? Which kind do you prefer? people? natural sightseeing? architecture?
HERBEAT Points: Join Date: Mar 17, 2009 Status: Offline	Last edited by HERBEAT: Sep 26, 2009 22:04

Sep 26, 2009 21:56	#3
HERBEAT Points: Join Date: Mar 17, 2009 Status: Offline	somehow the replies went crazy and I found it just now... Have to edit them all... sorry
HERBEAT Points: Join Date: Mar 17, 2009 Status: Offline	Last edited by HERBEAT: Sep 26, 2009 22:05

Sep 26, 2009 21:57	#4
HERBEAT Points: Join Date: Mar 17, 2009 Status: Offline	But at least one thing for sure is that you are welcome to China
HERBEAT Points: Join Date: Mar 17, 2009 Status: Offline	Last edited by HERBEAT: Sep 26, 2009 22:06

Sep 26, 2009 22:00	#5
HERBEAT Points: Join Date: Mar 17, 2009 Status: Offline	I' m sorry that I sent so many replies by accident. I don't know which kind of things do you prefer? For example, ancient traditional Chinese buildings? Royal or Private Gardens?Mountains?Coastal city? I think I need the detailed informations to give a better answer~~~
HERBEAT Points: Join Date: Mar 17, 2009 Status: Offline	Last edited by HERBEAT: Sep 26, 2009 22:07

Sep 27, 2009 20:56	#6
IVYYW Points: Join Date: Sep 24, 2009 Status: Offline	You can go to Chongqing,and Hangzhou.

Sep 28, 2009 02:28	#7
ANNYHUYF Points: Join Date: Apr 12, 2008 Status: Offline	In fact, I think , different time for different city. If you plan to visit Beijing, the best time is Spring(about Mar.- May) and Autumn(About Sep.-Nov.). Because the weather in summer is too hot to walk around and winter is too cold. And another suggestionis that you'd better avoid the crowded holiday in China, for example Tomb-Sweeping Day（about Apr.4 to Apr.6),Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival(about May.28 to May.30), National Day (about Oct.1-Oct.7)and Mid-Autumn
ANNYHUYF Points: Join Date: Apr 12, 2008 Status: Offline	Last edited by ANNYHUYF: Sep 28, 2009 03:05

Sep 28, 2009 03:07	#8
CHAICHAI Points: Join Date: Dec 18, 2008 Status: Offline	YOU CAN TRAVEL TO NORTHWEST CHINA, FOLLOW ING THE SILK ROAD ..

Sep 28, 2009 18:53

BEAVER001
Points:
Join Date: May 4, 2009
Status: Offline

Yes, there are too different options, but for personal preference I would recommend the following ancient cultural heritage route:

Beijing – The Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Great Wall (the Jin Shan Ling section, if you are seasoned hikers), numerous old temples and mansions, plus modern architectures like the National Theater, the main Olympic stadium, etc;
Datong – A short train journey from Beijing, go see the Buddhist Grottoes in Yungang, built around 500 to 600 AD;
Taiyuan – heading south 200km from Datong, the historic Pingyao County has its impressive classical architectural mansions, made famous by the 1991 movies "Raise the Red Lantern";
About 400km south of Taiyuan, the ancient capitals of Kaifeng, Luoyang, Xi'an, and Xianyang lie in a roughly east-west corridor.

You will probably need to give yourselves 4 to 5 days for each of Beijing and Xi'an, and 1 to 2 days for each of the other places, plus allowing for rest times for recovering from stress and strain that are likely to result in a first-time trip to China.

I think due to the diversity of culture and large number of place of interest, 15 days may not be sufficient, especially if you want to pause here and there to take some serious pictures. You can basically take your trip all year round except avoid the national holidays, and this part of the country can be quite hot in summer and very cold from mid-winter right up to around Chinese New Year time late into February.

Have a good trip!

Oct 9, 2009 18:56	#10
ELLYSE Points: Join Date: Oct 30, 2005 Status: Offline	What would be your points of entry and exit? Would you be more interested in traditional architecture, or scenery/mountains as well? Any daily budget to keep to?

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