r/chinaexplorer

I’m currently wandering around a mall in Hangzhou and I’m having a total choice paralysis moment. There are about 40 restaurants here, and I have no idea which ones are actually good. Back home, I’d just check Google Maps or Yelp, but here Google is useless (it literally shows a blank space where this mall is) and everything on Dianping or Xiaohongshu is a sea of Chinese characters and professional-looking food photography that may or may not be edited to death.

How do you guys find the real spots without walking into a tourist trap or a place that only serves lukewarm noodles? Do you just look for the longest queue and join it? Or do you trust the random walk-in? I’m solo today, so I also don’t want to end up in a place that’s strictly for big family banquets. Help me not starve!

I’m currently in a small restaurant in Changsha and I am staring at a menu . One dish is called ma yi shang shu (Ants Climbing a Tree) and another is Lion’s Head. I know for a fact I don't want to eat ants or lions, but I also have a severe peanut allergy and a very low tolerance for spice.

I’m honestly terrified of accidentally ordering a plate of organ meats or something that will set my mouth on fire. How do you guys navigate this ? I feel like even translation apps struggle with these names. Has anyone else ended up with something completely different than what they thought they were ordering?

I saw a student struggling to read a sign at a museum in Xi'an and I thought, Here's my chance to be a helpful tourist. I offered to translate, and he looked at me, smiled, pulled out his phone, scanned the sign, and showed me a perfect AR translation that was better than my English explanation.

I took an exit from the subway in Guangzhou thinking I’d be on the street, but instead, I entered a an underground city of fashion, bubble tea, and claw machines. I’ve been walking for 20 minutes trying to find the exit but every corridor just leads to more floors and shops.

I feel like my backpack has gone through more X-rays in the last week than I have in my entire life. I scan it to get into the subway, I scan it to get into a tourist site, I scan it just to walk into a large shopping mall. I am able to see that security is quite serious in China . Same as the surveillance in the area. This would definitely take some time for me to get used to it ……

Hello everybody! I've come out with a plan for my first trip to China. I'm kindly looking for some help because I am pretty sure that is too packed.

This is a 16-night trip in late August / early September. Note that the last night technically ends with a post-midnight departure, so the final day is essentially a travel day.

I feel the itinerary is getting tight, and I'm worried that having two domestic flights adds more stress than it seems on paper, once you factor in door-to-door time. I also realize in hindsight that it would have made more sense to fly into Shenzhen or Hong Kong and end the trip in Beijing – but it's too late to change that now.

I added Guilin and Longji mainly for the rice terraces, which I was keen to see. I originally considered Longjing tea fields but dropped them after reading that the season wouldn't be ideal. I also added Guiling to add another landscape/nature stop on top of Zhangjiajie.

I'm open to dropping either Guilin or Hong Kong and saving one of them for a future trip, if that would make the overall flow smoother. Any thoughts or suggestions are very welcome – thank you!

Day	Location	Notes
Thu	Arrive Beijing	Landing at 2:45 AM local time
Fri	Beijing
Sat	Beijing
Sun	Beijing
Mon	Beijing → Xi'an	4h 30m by train
Tue	Xi'an
Wed	Xi'an → Zhangjiajie	1h 30m by flight
Thu	Zhangjiajie
Fri	Zhangjiajie
Sat	Zhangjiajie → Fenghuang	1h by train
Sun	Fenghuang → Guilin	6h by train
Mon	Guilin	Day trip to Longji Rice Terraces
Tue	Guilin → Hong Kong	3h 30m by train
Wed	Hong Kong
Thu	Hong Kong → Shanghai	2h 30m by flight
Fri	Shanghai
Sat	Shanghai
Sun	Fly home from Shanghai	Departure at 00:40 AM

I just stepped off the subway at Shanghai Hongqiao to catch my train to Beijing, and my jaw is actually on the floor. I thought people were exaggerating, but this place is bigger than Heathrow. I’ve been walking for 15 minutes and I haven't even found my departure gate yet. Is it normal to need a 30-minute head start just to walk across a train station?

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I’m an idiot and left my travel adapter plugged into the wall at home. My phone is at 12% and my laptop is dead. I’m in a mid-range hotel in Nanjing. Do most hotels have universal outlets, or do I need to go on a hunt for a tech store before my phone dies and I lose my maps?

My hotel doesn't have a guest laundry room and I refuse to pay 40 RMB ($6) per shirt for the professional dry cleaning service. I washed my socks and tees in the sink, but nothing will dry! The humidity is so high that my clothes just smell like a damp dog now. I'm currently using the hotel hair dryer on my jeans like a crazy person. Any better ideas?

I just entered my hotel, went through a subway gate, and paid for a vending machine snack using nothing but my face. I didn't even have to take my phone out of my pocket. It’s incredibly convenient but also... kind of terrifying? I feel like I'm being tracked by a (I hope?) AI 24/7.

I was walking through a park in Chengdu last night and saw about 50 women synchronized-dancing to techno-remixed Chinese folk music. I stood there watching and one of them literally grabbed my arm and pulled me into the formation. I had no idea what I was doing, but they were all cheering for me. I’ve never felt more welcomed in a foreign country. Has anyone else done this?

I’m from the US, so tipping is literally hardwired into my brain. I just finished a beautiful meal and the service was incredible. When I tried to leave an extra 50 RMB on the table, the waiter literally chased me down the street to give it back, thinking I’d forgotten my money. I felt like I was offending them Is it really that strict of a no tipping rule?

I’ve mastered the subway systems in Beijing and Guangzhou using Apple Maps, but sometimes the subway doesn't go exactly where I need to be. The local buses seem so much faster, but all the scrolling signs are in Chinese. Is it too hard for a tourist to figure out?

I’m currently in a hotel in Xi'an and I’m literally melting. Every time I ask for water at a restaurant, they bring me a glass of literal boiling water. I get the cultural health benefits, but I’m a sweaty American who just wants a glass of ice. My hotel room only has a kettle, no fridge. How do I communicate that I want my water at sub-zero temperatures without being that tourist?

I know you are supposed to haggle aggressively at places like the Silk Market, but what about small street food stalls or fruit vendors? Do I try to negotiate the price of a skewer or a bag of lychees, or do I just pay what they ask?

Hey, I’m planning on travelling to China this year and was wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the accessability.

Im 19 with a spinal cord injury. With that I’m wondering if there are some places i shouldnt visit. I can walk about 1km non-stop and 10km a day. Stairs arent a problem and neither are small hiking trails (in moderation). I was also wondering about how easily can one find a bathroom in the big cities.

My initerary consists of Nanjing, Beijing, Shanghai, Zhangjiajie, Furong town and Chongqing.

Any info about how accessible those cities are? Or any tips to make it easier. Im travelling with two friends so they can easily help. Ive heard you can easily get taxi or a metro for longer distances. Is that right?

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I’m on my third day in Shanghai and I’m honestly so embarrassed. I didn’t get my Alipay linked properly before I landed, so I’ve been trying to use 100 RMB notes. Every time I pull out cash, the shopkeepers look at me like I’ve handed them a relic from a museum. They spend five minutes digging through drawers for change, and I feel like I'm holding up a line of twenty people. Is it even worth carrying cash anymore, or am I just making my own life harder?

I’m stuck in my hotel room in Shenzhen because of a massive thunderstorm. I figured out how to use the Meituan app (with some heavy help from a translation app) and I just ordered a full hotpot set, three bubble teas, and a replacement iPhone cable. Everything arrived at the hotel lobby in 25 minutes for like a $2 delivery fee. Is this real life? Why isn't every country this efficient?

My Airbnb host in Chengdu is incredibly sweet and invited me to a family dinner. He mentioned he bought a special bottle of Baijiu to celebrate. I've heard this stuff is basically rocket fuel. I'm honored, but how do I drink it politely without embarrassing myself or passing out?