Need some help here as we plan a China trip.
Don't know if we can handle all three of these major cities what with all the other stops we're thinking of (Lhasa, Yangtze R., etc.) Which two would you recommend?
We're not big shoppers but do like museums.
Thanks!

Some varied opinions in this thread -

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34667119

My vote goes for Beijing and Shanghai. The Shanghai Museum is excellent and Beijing is filled with historical sights. And whatever you do, don't skip Lhasa.

Beijing without question. As to the other two, what time of year are you going? What activities do you like beyond shopping and museums? Hong Kong has so much more than shopping if you like hiking, walking, boat trips for example. You really have to get beyond the shopping hype as 40% of the city is national park. I am not a fan of Shanghai other than to see really modern architecture. Yes, they have a good museum, but Hong Kong has several as well, including two village musueums located in outlying territories showing early Chinese village life.

You might also consider Xian which is almost a museum in itself.

Hi
I'd have to agree with Cicerone - definitely Beijing and then much prefer Hong Kong over Shanghai.
For me, Shanghai is a city that has lost its soul...

Thanks for your input.
Yes, Xian is included in our plans -and for more than just one day.
Patty, When were you in Lhasa? Did you fly directly there from a low altitude? How did altitude affect you? Some folk have recommended ginko biloba -did you try that?
Re Hong Kong - yes, we do like the outdoors. So, sounds tempting.
And what about Guilan? You can see, I'm pretty greedy!

We were in Lhasa July of last year, flying directly from Chengdu so didn't have a chance to acclimatize slowly. My husband and I both took ginkgo (starting 5 days prior to arrival and during our stay) and felt that it helped with our altitude adjustment. However, altitude affects everyone differently and what works for one person may not work for another.

There's also a prescription medication called Diamox and we ran into some people who were taking that. With Diamox, there are a few side effects (generally minor I believe) that you should be aware of.

The hotel we stayed in sold portable oxygen bottles as well as having an in room oxygen tank. Take it very easy the first day or two and stay well hydrated. Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of altitude sickness. If you have more than just mild symptoms or start to feel worse, be prepared to fly to lower altitude as soon as possible.

I had some very slight dizzyness on arrival which went away after an hour or two and no problems after that. I've been at similar altitudes previously and experienced problems such as trouble sleeping, nausea, headache, etc. and didn't this time.

Hope this helps.

NGail, I just finished a very, very funny book called "The Hotel at the Top of the World" about a young man who worked at the Holiday Inn in Lhasa for a couple of years.

LynnieD, I checked on Amazon.com for that book and couldn't find it. Do you have an author? Was in published in Europe perhaps? Thanks.

It's "The Hotel on the Roof of the World"
by Alec Le Sueur, and it is very good.

Thank you LynnieD and someotherguy. I look forward to reading The Hotel at the Top of the World.

Whew!
Found it on-line.
It's "Hotel on the ROOF of the World".

I was in Shanghai in April this year and have been to Hong Kong several times in the past 20 years + . Beijing is the place for museums etc. I agree with others that Shanghai is interesting but I did not find it a compelling city . Lost its soul ? A tad strong perhaps but then again it is reinventing itself in ways that are less attractive to many .It certainly is not a HK .HK is to me the New York of the East and with that comes the excellent cultural aspects , food , street life and not forgetting the lovely outer islands that can be visited on a day trip by ferry .So do Beijing and HK is my tip .I am envious.