Understanding Culture Shock During Your First Trip to China “I Already Want to Go Home.” While browsing a travel community recently, we came across a heartfelt post from a solo female traveller. She had travelled to ten countries before and had been looking forward to visiting China. But only a few days into her journey, she admitted something many travellers are afraid to say aloud: “I already want to go back.” She...
Everything You Need to Know Before Your First Bullet Train Journey “Can foreigners really travel around China by high-speed rail on their own?” When Elaine and I first planned to travel between Chinese cities by high-speed rail, we had plenty of questions. Do we need a Chinese phone number? Which app should we use? Is our passport enough? How early should we arrive? Where do we put our luggage? If you’re visiting...
“Do I need a Chinese phone number before I travel to China?” It’s one of the most common questions asked by first-time visitors. Many travellers worry that without a Chinese (+86) mobile number, they won’t be able to use WeChat, order a DiDi taxi, or even pay for things. The good news? For most tourists, the answer is no. If you’ve already registered WeChat (微信 Wēixìn) or Alipay (支付宝 Zhīfùbǎo) using your home country’s mobile number,...
A First-Timer’s Guide to Paying in China with a Foreign Credit Card You have just arrived in China. You walk into a convenience store, place a bottle of water on the counter and reach for your wallet. The cashier does not point towards a card terminal. Instead, she points towards a square black-and-white code. In Chinese, it is called: 二维码 — Èrwéimǎ — QR code She may even say: 扫一扫 — Sǎo...
Planning a Hong Kong to Macau day trip is easier than many first-time visitors imagine. The two cities are well connected, and you have two excellent transport options: the traditional TurboJET ferry across the Pearl River Delta, or the modern Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge (HZMB) Shuttle Bus, which crosses the world’s longest sea-crossing bridge. The question is: Which one should you choose? During our recent Hong Kong holiday, we decided not to choose at all. Instead, we travelled from...
First Time in Hong Kong? Here’s Exactly What We Did from Landing to Checking into Our Hotel Landing in Hong Kong foe the first time is exciting. It’s also the moment when most travellers feel a bit uncertain. After months of planning, you’re finally here—but suddenly practical questions take over. Where do we buy transport tickets? Should we exchange money? How do we get into the city? Is the Airport Express worth...
We Weren’t Looking for Dumplings on Our Chengdu Trip The funny part is… We weren’t on a food adventure. We were on a mission. Elaine was fourteen. She enjoyed travelling in China… …but she wasn’t ready for Sichuan chilli. So every morning I found myself quietly surveying the streets around our homestay in Jinniu District. No spicy noodles. No bowls swimming in red chilli oil. No hotpot. Just somewhere she could enjoy...
“Want to understand Chinese food? Don’t start in a restaurant. Start in a market.” We Didn’t Expect a Morning Market to Become One of the Highlights of Chengdu When people think about Chengdu, they usually picture giant pandas, spicy hotpot and the famous giant panda climbing the IFS shopping mall. Those places are wonderful. But they don’t necessarily tell you how Chengdu actually lives. Elaine and I have developed a little travel habit...
Ask almost anyone planning their first trip to Chengdu (成都, Chéngdū) and you’ll hear the same list. See the giant pandas. Eat hotpot. Visit 宽窄巷子 (Kuānzhǎi Xiàngzi). Walk 春熙路 (Chūnxī Lù, Chunxi Road). Take a selfie with the famous panda climbing out of the IFS shopping mall. We did all that too. But strangely enough… One of my favourite memories of Chengdu wasn’t any famous attraction. It was simply walking back to our homestay every evening through Jinniu District...
“Sometimes the city that changes your understanding of a country isn’t the one you planned to visit most.” If you’ve been reading ChinaTravelBug, you’ll probably notice something. We write a lot about Beijing (北京, Běijīng). We write even more about Xi’an (西安, Xī’ān). Those two cities have become the anchors of our China journeys. Beijing tells the story of imperial China, while Xi’an takes us back to where many chapters of Chinese civilisation first began....
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