Straight answers to the questions people ask before a trip to China, checked against official sources and dated.
Planning · 30 Oct 2026China travel tips: 30 practical tips for a first tripSet up your entry rule, payment apps and mobile data before you fly, carry your passport everywhere, book trains and big sights in advance, drink bottled or boiled water, and expect little English outside hotels and major sights.
Getting aroundBeijing to Shanghai train: times, fares and how to bookThe fastest Beijing to Shanghai train takes 4 hours 18 minutes, from Beijing South to Shanghai Hongqiao, and about 19 of the 44 daily G trains do it in under 5 hours. Second class costs roughly ¥500–662 (about $75–100), first class up to ¥1,060.
PlanningCan Americans travel to China? Visa rules for US citizens in 2026Yes. Americans can travel to China, but the US is not on the 30-day visa-free list, so US citizens need a tourist (L) visa or must use the 240-hour visa-free transit with an onward ticket to a third country or region.
Great WallCan you see the Great Wall of China from space? What NASA saysNot from the Moon, and almost never with the naked eye from low Earth orbit. Astronauts on the International Space Station, about 400 km up, have photographed the wall with long telephoto lenses, and even they were not always sure it was in the picture.
Great WallCan you walk the Great Wall of China? Records, rules and hikesYou can walk on any section of the Great Wall that is open to visitors, but not the whole thing: most of it is ruined, and organized walks on closed sections are banned. A handful of people have walked its length, including Dong Yaohui's team in 508 days in 1984–85.
PlanningChina in winter: weather, where to go and what to expectWinter in China runs from December to February. January averages range from lows of about −22°C in Harbin to highs of about 26°C in Xishuangbanna, so you can choose ice festivals in the north or mild weather in the south.
PlanningChina or Japan: which is better for a first trip in Asia?Japan is the easier first trip: visa-free for 90 days, cards and Google work, and everything runs to plan. China is bigger, cheaper per kilometer and less visited, but you need to set up its payment apps and data before you go.
Great WallGreat Wall of China facts: length, age, height and who built itThe Great Wall is not one wall but a network built by Chinese states and dynasties from around the 7th century BC to the 1600s. China's 2012 survey measured every section at 21,196.18 km; the Ming wall most visitors walk on is 8,851.8 km.
Great WallGreat Wall of China map: where it starts, ends and runsThe Great Wall runs across northern China, from the North Korean border in Liaoning to the Gobi in Gansu. Its Ming dynasty line measures 8,851.8 km from Hushan to Jiayuguan; the walls of all dynasties total 21,196 km across 15 provinces.
Getting aroundHong Kong to Shenzhen: train, MTR, bus and ferry comparedThe fastest way from Hong Kong to Shenzhen is the high-speed train from West Kowloon to Futian: 14 minutes and HK$79 in second class. The cheapest is the MTR East Rail Line to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau, about 45 minutes from Admiralty for HK$52.20, then a walk across the border.
PlanningHow many days in Beijing? 2- to 5-day plans for a first tripPlan 3 to 4 days in Beijing for a first trip: two days for the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the hutongs, and one full day for the Great Wall. A fourth day adds the Summer Palace and leaves room for Monday closures.
PlanningHow much does a trip to China cost? 2026 daily budgetsA trip to China costs about $40–45 per person per day on a budget, $70–90 mid-range and $135–180 or more for comfortable travel, excluding international flights. A 10-day mid-range trip to Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai comes to about $980 per person before flights.
SightsTerracotta Warriors facts: numbers, pits and how they were madeThe Terracotta Warriors are an estimated 8,000 life-size clay soldiers buried near Xi'an more than 2,200 years ago to guard China's first emperor. Only about 2,000 have been excavated since farmers found them in 1974.
CultureTipping in China: when to tip, how much, and how to pay itTipping is not customary in mainland China: restaurants, taxis and most hotels do not expect it. The exceptions are tour guides and drivers, porters at international hotels, and the 10% service charge in many Hong Kong and Macau restaurants.