https://chinatripcompass.com/ A free, in-depth English guide to travelling in China: visas, payments, trains, food, etiquette, itineraries and city guides written for first-time foreign visitors. en https://chinatripcompass.com/plan/first-time-china-travel-guide/ https://chinatripcompass.com/plan/first-time-china-travel-guide/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT A complete first-timer's guide to China — entry rules, mobile payments, connectivity, trains, language and culture, in the order you need them. https://chinatripcompass.com/plan/best-time-to-visit-china/ https://chinatripcompass.com/plan/best-time-to-visit-china/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT When to travel to China, month by month and region by region — the two good windows, the three weeks to avoid entirely, and where to go in every season. https://chinatripcompass.com/plan/china-trip-cost-budget/ https://chinatripcompass.com/plan/china-trip-cost-budget/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT What a China trip actually costs in 2026 — real prices for hotels, high-speed rail, meals, entry tickets and taxis, with worked budgets for 10 and 14 days. https://chinatripcompass.com/plan/china-packing-list/ https://chinatripcompass.com/plan/china-packing-list/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT A practical China packing list for foreign travellers — the things you cannot buy locally, the things you should not bother bringing, and the paperwork to prepare. https://chinatripcompass.com/plan/how-many-days-in-china/ https://chinatripcompass.com/plan/how-many-days-in-china/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT How long to spend in China and how to split the days between cities — realistic minimums for Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Chengdu and the scenic regions. https://chinatripcompass.com/plan/china-travel-mistakes/ https://chinatripcompass.com/plan/china-travel-mistakes/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT The avoidable errors that ruin China trips — from arriving without Alipay to booking the wrong Great Wall section, and how to avoid each one. https://chinatripcompass.com/guides/china-visa-guide/ https://chinatripcompass.com/guides/china-visa-guide/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to enter China in 2026 — which nationalities travel visa-free, how 240-hour visa-free transit works, and how to apply for an L tourist visa step by step. https://chinatripcompass.com/guides/money-and-payments-in-china/ https://chinatripcompass.com/guides/money-and-payments-in-china/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to pay for anything in China as a foreign visitor — setting up Alipay and WeChat Pay with a foreign card, fees, ATMs, cash, and what to do when a QR code fails. https://chinatripcompass.com/guides/internet-vpn-apps-china/ https://chinatripcompass.com/guides/internet-vpn-apps-china/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to stay connected in China — what is blocked, why a roaming SIM reaches the open internet, whether you need a VPN, and the apps that replace Google. https://chinatripcompass.com/guides/transport-in-china/ https://chinatripcompass.com/guides/transport-in-china/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to travel around China — booking high-speed rail with a passport, using city metros, DiDi and taxis, and when a domestic flight still beats the train. https://chinatripcompass.com/guides/accommodation-in-china/ https://chinatripcompass.com/guides/accommodation-in-china/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT Booking accommodation in China as a foreigner — which hotels can legally accept foreign passports, the best domestic chains, and police registration. https://chinatripcompass.com/guides/health-and-safety-in-china/ https://chinatripcompass.com/guides/health-and-safety-in-china/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT How safe China is for tourists, the scams that actually target foreigners, what to do in a medical emergency, and the health precautions worth taking. https://chinatripcompass.com/guides/shopping-in-china/ https://chinatripcompass.com/guides/shopping-in-china/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT What is genuinely worth buying in China, where to buy it, how bargaining works in markets, and the customs rules on taking antiques and tea home. https://chinatripcompass.com/guides/solo-and-female-travel-china/ https://chinatripcompass.com/guides/solo-and-female-travel-china/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT What solo travel in China is actually like — safety for women, meeting people, eating alone in a sharing culture, and the practical problems worth planning around. https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/beijing/ https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/beijing/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT A complete Beijing travel guide — the Forbidden City, which Great Wall section to choose, hutong neighbourhoods, food, transport and how many days you need. https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/shanghai/ https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/shanghai/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT What to do in Shanghai — the Bund, the former French Concession, museums, food, water town day trips, and how many days the city really needs. https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/xian/ https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/xian/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to visit Xi'an — the Terracotta Army without the crowds, cycling the Ming city walls, the Muslim Quarter food street, and the best museums in China. https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/chengdu/ https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/chengdu/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT A guide to Chengdu — the Panda Base done properly, Sichuan food beyond hotpot, teahouse culture, and day trips to Leshan and Mount Qingcheng. https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/guilin-yangshuo/ https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/guilin-yangshuo/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to visit Guilin and Yangshuo — the Li River cruise, cycling through karst countryside, the Longji rice terraces and where to actually base yourself. https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/zhangjiajie/ https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/zhangjiajie/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to visit Zhangjiajie — navigating the national forest park, the Avatar Hallelujah Mountain, Tianmen Mountain and the glass bridge, plus tickets and timing. https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/hangzhou/ https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/hangzhou/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT What to do in Hangzhou — walking and cycling West Lake, the Longjing tea villages, Lingyin Temple and the best day trip from Shanghai. https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/suzhou/ https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/suzhou/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to visit Suzhou — which of the classical gardens to choose, the Pingjiang Road canals, silk, and doing it as a day trip from Shanghai. https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/great-wall-of-china/ https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/great-wall-of-china/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT A practical guide to visiting the Great Wall — comparing Mutianyu, Badaling, Jinshanling, Simatai and Huanghuacheng, with transport, tickets and hiking advice. https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/yunnan/ https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/yunnan/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to travel Yunnan — the classic Kunming–Dali–Lijiang–Shangri-La route, Tiger Leaping Gorge, rice terraces, ethnic minority culture and altitude advice. https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/tibet-lhasa/ https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/tibet-lhasa/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT How foreigners visit Tibet — the Tibet Travel Permit and mandatory tour requirement, altitude sickness, the train to Lhasa, and what the region actually offers. https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/chongqing/ https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/chongqing/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT A guide to Chongqing — the vertical megacity, its hotpot, Hongyadong at night, the Dazu rock carvings and Three Gorges Yangtze cruises. https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/hong-kong/ https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/hong-kong/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT A guide to Hong Kong for travellers — separate entry rules from mainland China, the MTR and Octopus card, dim sum, hiking, and combining it with a China trip. https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/datong-pingyao/ https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/datong-pingyao/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to visit Shanxi's two great destinations — the Yungang Grottoes and Hanging Monastery at Datong, and the fully walled Ming city of Pingyao. https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/huangshan/ https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/huangshan/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to climb Huangshan — trails, cable cars, staying overnight on the summit for sunrise, and the Huizhou villages of Hongcun and Xidi below. https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/xinjiang-kashgar/ https://chinatripcompass.com/destinations/xinjiang-kashgar/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT What travelling in Xinjiang is like — Kashgar's old city and Sunday bazaar, Turpan, the Karakoram Highway, security checks and practical realities.