China
Visa: Most nationalities require a tourist visa (L visa) arranged in advance from a Chinese embassy or consulate. Free Visa Check
Language: Mandarin Chinese is the official language. English is not widely spoken outside major hotels and tourist landmarks. Download Pleco (dictionary app) and Google Translate (offline Chinese pack) before your trip.
Currency: Renminbi (CNY / RMB). Mobile payment is king -- WeChat Pay and Alipay dominate. International credit cards can be accepted in hotels and larger restaurants. Cash is increasingly rare, but keep a small amount for emergencies.
Internet: Google, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are blocked. Get a VPN before arriving, and buy a local SIM card from China Mobile or China Unicom. Wi-Fi is available in most hotels.
Transportation:
High-speed rail: China's 12306 network is world-class -- Book tickets online. It's fast, clean, and incredibly efficient.
City transport: Subway systems in Beijing, Shanghai, and other major cities are excellent and cheap. Didi is the local ride-hailing app -- download it before your trip.
What To Expect
China is a travel experience so vast that you could spend a lifetime and still barely scratch the surface. Begin in Beijing, where the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven anchor the nation's imperial past, and a day trip to the Great Wall puts the scale of Chinese history literally beneath your feet.
But China's soul is in its contrasts. In Shanghai, the futuristic Bund skyline faces art deco lanes where old ladies still hang laundry. In Xi'an, the silent army of Terracotta Warriors stands guard after two millennia. Further south, the karst peaks of Guilin and Yangshuo look like classical ink paintings come to life. And for something completely different, Chengdu -- where you can hold a baby panda and eat mouth-numbing hot pot in the same afternoon.
The food alone is worth the trip: delicate xiaolongbao in Shanghai, smoky Peking duck in Beijing, fiery mala in Sichuan, and the endless dim sum carts of Guangzhou. China doesn't hold your hand -- it throws you in, and yes, it can be overwhelming. But for those willing to embrace the chaos, it's the most rewarding trip you'll ever take.