Thoughts on Beijing/Xian/Guilin/Hong Kong
 

Planning on visiting Beijing/Xian/Guilin/Hong Kong in October. Would like to hear about your experiences (good or bad). Thanks!

Jay - it sounds like a great itinerary. We visited all those cities last year plus Shanghai and a cruise on the Yangtze. Each city offers something special. BeiJing and Xian have the obvious things - Great Wall, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, terra cotta soldiers, Ming tombs, etc. Hong Kong is just exciting - it makes New York look lethargic. We were told that Guilin was the "small town" on our trip - with only 700,000 people. We really enjoyed the scenery there. The only negative thing I can say about any of the cities is that the traffic in BeiJing was terrible and ate up a lot of time, but it was worth it. Enjoy.

Just returned from Beijing, Xi'an, Yangtze and Shanghai. Go and have a wonderful time. We were with a group and mostly ate in restaurants that served groups, so food not anything to write home about; but the times we were able to eat in a good Chinese restaurant the food was very good. Take anti-bacterial handwipes, and use them frequently, especially before handling any food. I'd go back in a minute! The people are friendly, and curious about westerners, in a friendly way. They've had immense changes in the last 10 years, mostly for the better in material ways. Not one bad experience in 13 days.

If going to Guilin you MUST make it to Yangshuo - a short distance from Guilin. The scenery is much better and the town much more relaxed than Guilin. Recommended: take a boat trip down the scenic Li River to reach Yangshou. It will probably be the highlight of your trip!

We just got back from there. We didn't get to Hong Kong, but did have a Yangtze cruise and ended up in Shanghai. It was a wonderful experience. The people were friendly and curious. The sights were thrilling. <BR> <BR>You can see our digital pictures at http://www.peacham.com/china <BR> <BR>Fritz

Hello Fritz, we are planning our first trip to China in Oct. I have seen your postings here and on LP and have just checked out your webpage! Fabulous - Thanks!

Hi Jay,<BR>In Oct. of 1999 we did your exact itinerary (Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Hong Kong). It was a wonderful experience.<BR>We would like to go back to China in the future and see more, but this was an excellent first time sampling.<BR>We travelled on our own, but hired guides where needed, like to go to the Terra Cotta warriors.<BR>We enjoyed just walking on our own in these cities, visiting the local shops and markets. People were friendly, and many times would stop and walk with us for a few blocks to practice their English.<BR>Scott is right, the trip down the Li River to Yangshuo is magnificent!<BR>If you have any specific questions, I'd be glad to help.<BR>

Just got back from a 12-day China Focus tour to Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Canton, Hong Kong, Hangzho, and Shanghai. A great trip! The people are warm and the sights amazing from the Great Wall to the skyscrapers of Hong Kong and Shanghai.