Travelling in China at Christmas

Old Aug 25th, 2014, 12:26 AM
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Travelling in China at Christmas

Hi there

I wonder if anyone can help me? My daughter is going to Shanghai university this September for a year and we (two more children aged 15 & 17 and my husband) are thinking of going to see her for two weeks at Christmas. I dont want to stay in Shanghai the entire time, and was thinking of maybe renting an apartment for a week, and then travelling somewhere else the second week. I'd really appreciate any ideas. The dates we have are 19th December - 2nd January. Thanks so much!!
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Old Aug 25th, 2014, 04:46 PM
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Beijing and Xi'an are obvious possibilities, but it sounds like you, your husband, and your children would do well to sit down with some good guidebooks (or go to your local library to see them) to decide what most intrigues you. I generally find the National Geographic Traveller, Eyewitness, and Insight guides most useful for inspiration; Fodor's and Frommer's most useful for identifying priorities; and the Rough Guide and Lonely Plannet most useful for detailed planning.

Enjoy!
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Old Aug 26th, 2014, 03:04 AM
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Well, Tibet in the winter may be less fun. Sure it's different but the rulers are all the same.
OP, housing as you desire i have never heard of. Foreigners, aka aliens, in china are highly suspect, by the govt. Must register place of lodging, and hotels take photo of passport and send to police. You might try airbnb for shanghai.
Some christian stuff in shanghai and region but also highly unwanted by govt so lots of hassles. Train travel at that time should be ok. Lunar new year in mid feb. And don't forget, no heat in buildings in shanghai or region as below the arbitrary 'no frost' line as dictated by the govt. So bring warm nightgowns and wooly socks.
Xinjiang also interesting if non-han is your cup of tea. The han culture is massive and super dominating in all of china but remnants of others remains. Both Tibet (a forbidden word in china) and xinjiang are a loooong way from shanghai.
By december the daughter should have made some local contacts and be speaking some mando so let her help you too.
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Old Aug 26th, 2014, 04:30 AM
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At that time of year I would go south, although there are several places worth seeing around Shanghai: Hangzhou, Suzhou, water towns, and if you want something a little different, Putuoshan. Going south, maybe the area around Kunming, maybe Hainan island, maybe Hong Kong. But kja is right, you need to spend some quality time with the picture guidebooks.
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Old Aug 26th, 2014, 08:05 AM
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If this is your first trip to China it seems obvious that you would take the high-speed train to Beijing, which would keep you busy for a week. The Great Wall and the Forbidden City look particularly attractive under snow, although admittedly Beijing doesn't get a lot of that.

If you'd prefer something more rural and less travelled by foreign visitors you could consider taking the world's longest bridge (for now) over to Ningbo and visiting Shaoxing, then returning to Shanghai via (admittedly over-hyped) Hangzhou.
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Old Aug 26th, 2014, 06:35 PM
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Research the serviced apartments in Shanghai, there are many in all price ranges, it'll be more comfortable and less complicated than renting an apartment.

Exactly which university in your daughter going and the location of the campus?
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Old Aug 30th, 2014, 06:28 AM
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THanks everyone for your replies. Shanghainese, sorry, I do actually mean a serviced apartment and yes, I have researched some and they sound perfect, but actually, I think we're going to meet in Bangkok and travel to a beach resort. Much as Id love to see China, the weather sounds a bit too much like what Im already used to, but without any heating!
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Old Aug 31st, 2014, 08:14 PM
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Unless you are staying in a 2-star hotel or something, there is always heating.
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