Hotels in China

Hotels in China run from high-rise city towers to spa retreats and quiet courtyard-style stays. Shanghai and Beijing put you within reach of major cultural sites and busy neighbourhoods, while Shenzhen and Guangzhou lean more toward parks, coastline, and modern business districts. Many hotels borrow from local design and serve regional breakfasts, so the stay itself gives you a sense of where you are. Note that Hong Kong and Macao have separate entry requirements and currencies, so factor that in if your trip crosses into either.

Beijing is the usual starting point, with the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and day trips to the Great Wall. Shanghai brings the riverfront skyline and 1920s architecture, Xi'an anchors the ancient end of the story with the Terracotta Army, and Guilin and Yangshuo deliver the karst peaks you've seen in photographs. Chengdu adds giant pandas and Sichuan cooking. Distances are long, so two or three regions usually make for a better trip than trying to see everything.

Spring (April to May) and autumn (September to October) are the most comfortable stretches almost everywhere, with mild temperatures and lighter crowds. Summer is hot and humid in the south and brings the heaviest rain, though it's also peak festival season. Winter is cold in the north but gives you the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival. If you can, avoid the first week of October and the Lunar New Year period, when domestic travel is at its busiest.

Regional cooking varies enormously. Cantonese food in Guangzhou and Shenzhen means dim sum and fresh seafood, Sichuan is built on chillies and numbing peppercorns, Shanghai does delicate soup dumplings, and Beijing is famous for Peking duck. The north eats more wheat in the form of noodles, dumplings, and flatbreads, while rice dominates the south. Local markets and small neighbourhood restaurants are usually where you'll eat best.

High-speed rail is the default for travel between cities and often beats flying once you count airport time. Domestic flights make more sense for long hauls, such as Beijing to Kunming. Within cities, metro systems are extensive and inexpensive, and ride-hailing is widely used. Carry your passport, since you'll need it to buy and collect train tickets, and set up a mobile payment app before you go, as cash is rarely used.