China Journals

Planning China

Best of IgoUgo

A travel journal to China by SeenThat

Quote: How to plan a trip in a continental country? Trying to cover as much as possible or concentrating on a single area? Is a compromise between the two possible? Roughly a round country, China’s shape hints to a radial solution to the problem.

17 Photos

1. Planning the Visit

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I planned visiting China for years. For a while, I planned a bicycle tour through the country, but selecting a feasible path which would include all the sites I wanted to visit was not a real option and I dropped the plan.A few years afterwards, I found myself in a long trip to South East Asia. The blend of people that migrated from China and a Hindu-...Read More

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2. Yunnan: The Southern Axis

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Entering China:Entering a country from a gate few know about it and even fewer have crossed is an exciting experience and promises to transform the rest of the adventure into a winner event. This is the case of the Boten-Mohan cross between Laos and China. The best deals to South East Asia are to Bangkok. From there it is inexpensive to continue overland to ...Read More

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3. The Silk Road: The Western Axis

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Mao Zedong Statue Photo - Kashgar, China

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Entering Central Asia:Unless entering China from Central Asia, placing the western axis of the visit to China second in the list is natural. One of the main attractions in Western China is the Silk Road.Beyond the predicted tours arranged by travel agencies across China, it is possible to travel along the road independently while stopping at its main stops: Lanzhou, Urumqi and the semi-mythical Kashgar. The regional markets in these cities offer unique sights which transfer the traveler a few centuries back in time. Nowadays, old flying carpets are used for covering the seats of decrepit motorcycles.During most of the year there is no choice but to ret...Read More

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4. Beijing & Shanghai: The North-Eastern Axis

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Xian is connected to Beijing and Shanghai by trains of excellent quality and the trip is a pleasure; Beijing – the northernmost between the two – is the best choice to start with if the planned exit point from the country is Hong Kong. The night trains are planned in such a way that they arrive early in the morning, providing thus an interesting experience, saving a night in ...Read More

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5. Hong Kong: The Southeastern Axis

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The way from Xian to southeast China passes through the provinces of Hubei and Hunan.Wuhan, Hubei’s capital, is an industrial city with little to offer but the sights of the Yangtse River which divides it in two. Changsha is Hunan’s capital and next to the birthplace of Mao Zedong, many key events in his life happened here, and as a result the town is an open museum for the Communist Era.If short in time, skipping these two cities is not a disaster; in such a case, Guangzhou can be reached directly from Shanghai - some valuable time would...Read More