Amy

(Explanatory interrupting note here: my first trip to China starts next Friday, July 1; I'm getting that nervous/excited/jumpy way that tends to happen when I go somewhere new! I'd love to hear from you on what you wish you had known, had taken, had done while there...any or all of the above.

As some background, I'm travelling solo, from Beijing to Xi'an, then staying--hopefully--at Three Beaches Moon Canyon eco-lodge on my way to Chengdu, then to Tibet and fininshing in--and flying home from--Hong Kong. My first six nights in Beijing are booked at Marco Polo, and I plan to take the overnight Beijing-Xi'an train; other than that, I'm on my own completely.)

Amy

Anyone with some helpful hints?

OJudy

I've been to Beijing twice. It'll be a wonderful and exciting experience for you. No need to worry. No need to get nervous. Just enjoy yourself!

glorialf

Pollution can be a problem if you're not used to it so you may want to bring something for allergies or upper respiratory issues. Also bring a lot of anti bacterial handi wipes. Beijing and Xian are wonderful-- you'll have a great time.

cf5657

Take some packages of Tissue. Trust me you won't regret it. I also second the advice about anti-bacterial wipes or hand sanitizer.

Amy

Thanks to you all! I'm packing up the tissues and hand sanitizer right now....the shuttle for the airport has a 3:15AM pickup time, for some reason, so I'd better get a move on, eh?

Langdon_Alger

Amy, you'll have a great time. I just posted some thoughts on my honeymoon in China last October, which was our first trip. Safe travelling (and yes, bring dust masks).

CFW

Gloria, I am familiar with your posts on Thailand -- and took a lot of your advice on our trip there in January. You seem to have many of the same interests that we have in experiencing the culture and the people as well as enjoying the history and architecture. We're now just beginning to look into our first trip to China. What are some of your recommendations. We never travel with group tours. Will we be able to enjoy China on our own without knowing the language? I may only be able to take two weeks and we were thinking of Beijing, Xian, Shainghai, Shouzou. Also, which is better for weather/gardens in these areas- May or October? Most appreciative of any help from you or oters. Thanks!

Langdon_Alger

CFW - you definitely can travel on your own in China in the places you're considering. My wife and I spent our honeymoon in China last October, and we did it entirely on our own (Shanghai [1 day trip to Shuzhou], Beijing, Xian, Yangshou, Hong Kong). In fairness, you'll definitely notice the language barrier far more than you would in Europe - be prepared for some misunderstandings, whether it be in restaurants, on public transportation, etc. For instance, we always had the concierge write out our destinations in Chinese lettering for cab drivers, yet we still got lost several times in cabs (while a few were trying to rip us off, it was usually just a product of miscommunication). Nonetheless, we find that these misadventures are often blessings in disguise which result in us either meeting some interesting people, discovering some fantastic out-of-the-way place, or just having a good laugh, and that was very true in China. You just have to be a bit patient, and accept that you might not make every possible site you intended to see on a given day. For example, I found Beijing to be a somewhat spread-out city, and with small misunderstandings along the way, things just took a bit longer than expected. Still, in Beijing, the subway signs were in both Chinese and English (the subway is a great way to get around), and given that the Olympics are coming in a few years, I'm sure they're trying to make the city even more Western friendly.
Anyway, let me know what other questions you may have about the places we went to. We're certainly no experts, but maybe we can provide some insights as you're also 1st-time travelers to China.

Neil_Oz

We found the readily-available Beijing Tourist Map" invaluable, especially as streets and major attractions are written in both Chinese characters and the Roman alphabet (pinyin) - very useful for cabbies and for just hoofing it around town.

I would also get a phrasebook and at the least familiarise myself with approximate Mandarin pronunciations, common words for street, road, the compass directions as well as a few phrases such as "hello", "thank you", "excuse me" and the like - more for courtesy's sake than as meaningful communication, admittedly. (I certainly wouldn't rely on this when giving directions to taxi drivers, as I found to the great frustration of both parties one night.)

A couple of times in Shanghai we ended up at the wrong hotel, but in both cases the cabbie was embarrassed (even though it was more my fault) and didn't try to charge the full metered fare.