Things to see and do in China!

[MichaelJ]

Next year in May, June or July, I am planning a ten-day trip to China. About a week ago I picked up the Lonely Planet for China and have just started reading. So far I've read history, culture and now food and drink.

After reading 'The Best of China' page, I thought the Forbidden City, Army of Terracotta Warriors and the Great Wall looked quite interesting. Of course, the high speed railway is also high on the priority list with Alstom, Bombardier, Kawasaki-Hitachi, and Siemens rollingstock in the one place.

I have not made any plans yet. So, I have a few questions for you ... ?
- What airline would you use to fly to China via Japan from Brisbane?
- What sections of high speed railway would you travel on and/or photograph?
- What tourist attractions would you visit?
- Do you have any tips or tricks for saving money (food, accommodation, or similar)?
- Are there any must do activities or sights in China?
- Do you foresee language barriers knowing minimal/basic Chinese?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[John West]

I particularly enjoyed the Great Wall. I would strongly recommend the Badaling section over the more popular and easier to get to Mutianyu Gate, although both are interesting. The Imperial Palace and Tianamen Square are also very interesting, as is the summer palace. The problem with a lot of bus tours is you waste too much time at various "factories" and "outlet stores" where they want to seperate you from more of your money. You can avoid that by hiring a car and a guide, it costs more but you have a lot more time where you really want to be. If possible also try to spend a few hours in some small town off the beaten path....a very different China from the big cities. One of the advantages of chasing steam in China is we got to see a lot of China that most foreigners rarely see. Fascinating place.