My husband and I are taking a trip to China with a tour for 18 days in July. Has anyone been there that can give me tips? What to pack or not pack, weather, what are things I should think about buying...etc
thanks

Why go to China a country where the people openly hate us and would love to annialate us from the planet? I would be nervous. Plus why give them your hard earned money to add to their economy and help make ours worse? Just curious!

Oh my,

Paige, I lived and worked in China, so tell me what areas you are visiting and I'll be happy to provide you with some information.
Chatty, having lived and worked there, I can honestly tell you most of the people do not hate us. In fact, many are doing everything in their power to get out of China and over here. (For a long time, the immigration wait was about 11 years, unless you came on a student visa. I don't know what it is now.) The "average Joe" in China is just like you and me. They want a decent life, their children cared for, and many are being quietly converted to Christianity. Just like in the U.S. the bad apples and government policy get the press, not the normal citizen. And just like in the U.S. many disagree with the official stance of their government on so-o-o many things. They just can't risk publicly opposing it. That's where the two nations definitely differ, if you oppose the government here, you might get outvoted or harassed a little by the other side, over there, you can be openly killed, or otherwise just mysteriously disappear.
Believe me, I know whereof I speak.

Sorry Paige and Fiftyand fine, for being so one-sided and I'm sure there is good and bad everywhere. I just know so many of their beliefs and customs and being an animal rights activist it urks me to no end the nonsense they (yes the commone man) believes in and does, things that cause so much suffering to innocent animals....I would never but if going there I would want to see the great wall of China and some of the Budest temples. One thing I do like alot is Chinese food, guess that kind of makes me a traitor to my beliefs of sorts...

Chatty,

"guess that kind of makes me a traitor to my beliefs of sorts" Nah, hon, that just makes you human!

Hugs,
Fifty

Dear Fiftyandfine,
Here is my schedule: We start out with 4 days in Beijing and yes we are visiting the Great Wall, then we fly to Zhengzhou where we visit the Henan Provincial museum, next to Dengfeng to a monastery to see a kung fu performance. We travel to Luoyang to see the White Horse Temple and the Longmen Grotto with the 100,000 carvings of Buddha. Next is Xian to see the Terra Cotta Warriors, Tang Art Museum, and a cultural show. Then we fly to Chongqing and Dazu. We spend the last 3 days in Shanghai. We are going with the NH Friendship Chorus so there will be a chance to hear and see several Chinese concerts, Shanghai Acrobats etc.

Hi Paige...

your trip to China sounds fabulous! I LOVE to travel and find it broadens the mind and makes me see the way we humans are alike as opposed to our differences. That's how the Komi Kids Yarn Project started and now the children really look forward to their boxes of yarn. If you're interested, details on my website under Special Projects.

Dave and I are thinking of taking a trip to China in 2006; we almost took it in '05 but circumstances didn't allow.

Dave has an acquaintence who travels to China about once a month on business and he's offered to arrange our hiring his tour guide. We'd also like to visit Xian --can you just imagine???!!!-- and Beijing, the Great Wall, etc. but want to exit the country by riding the Trans Mongolian Siberian Railway all the way to St. Petersburg.

BTW, you'll find some extraordinary buys in the market at Beijing...pearls and jade come to mind.

Traveling with luggage...on WHEELS...whatever you take! I really like backpacks on wheels...can stuff those suckers FULL of goodies :>).

It will be HOT --- consider buying one of those little neck wraps that can be soaked in cool water and then wrung out, placed around the neck and helps keep one cool. The feed store sells them, not sure where else. Make sure to either take or buy a hat...can get one that collapses in the market and doesn't take up much room. *Comfortable* shoes and socks that wick moisture away.

When Dave and I travel we find a *vest* is invaluable and worth its weight in gold. I take a smallish purse like thing in which I keep money, passport, etc. and hang it around my neck inside or outside my clothing. When going through airport terminals x-ray machines, I put this small purse inside my large backpack and then pass through the machine. If you wear the purse and try to go through the x-ray machine, they will stop you and make you take it off. I'm uncomfortable having my "life" traveling through the machine all by its little lonesome :>). Much, much better to be secured in the backpack and if the personnel want to look in the backpack they will while I'm standing there with them.

Like Lincoln said, "most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be." Likewise, if you expect to have a good time, you'll have a great time. Learn how to say, please, thank you, bathroom, beautiful...and people will love you for trying, don't worry about getting it perfect.

Just like not all Americans are ugly travelers not all Chinese hate us.

Hi Sandra,
Thank you so much for all your tips, I know it will be just a fabulous trip. I have a set of Mandarin tapes I am listening too and I have ordered Fordor's Exploring China.
My husband Dave and I love to travel too, we spent three years in Germany and traveled everywhere, We will both be retired as of June, then Watch our world, here we come!
Paige

I know for one thing, take care of your wallets and possessions, there are a lot of pick-pockets! My mum's mobile phone was picked when she last went, they don't only go for tourist but also the locals.

Am not too keen on their hygiene either. Personally I would rather choose other Asian countries to go to.

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner, Paige, but it looks like you've had some great input. A couple more hints:
1. Water is a problem throughout China. Even in some of the 5-star western hotels, it isn't potable. Most will provide you with a couple free bottles of water, but you'll need to buy it after that. (It's REALLY cheap.) Some hotels will have a hot pot that you can use to boil water. Once it's boiled, it's safe. Most people handle the drinking bottled water okay, but forget that this means they can't brush their teeth (or sing in the shower ) Take a couple baggies and rubber bands and cover up the taps in your bathroom, so you don't accidentally use it. I saw w-a-a-a-y too many people get sick from simply brushing their teeth! There's some controversy about whether ice is safe in hotels. I always retrieved it from the ice machine myself and never had a problem, but others have sworn they never drank the water, so it had to be the ice that gave them Mao's Revenge.
2. With the exception of the western-style bathroom connected to your hotel room, most are Asian-style hole-in-the-ground affairs, even at some airports, tourist spots, restaurants, and official government buildings. Keep a mentholated lip balm to swipe under your nose if you are forced to use these bathrooms. They can be overwhelmingly primitive. Keep some tissue in your purse to use, as there's often no toilet paper. Finally, keep a fold-up umbrella in your purse. That way, when there's no door on the stall (as is often the case) you can open it and use it as a barrier. (Place some of those tissues under the points that touch the ground.)
It looks like you'll be hitting a lot of the best spots to see. Personally, I found the condition of the Great Wall very sad, but I LOVED the Xian warriors, and Chongqing was one of the friendliest places I've ever been to.
One more thing. Shanghai flights are serviced by two completely separate airports. One services domestic China flights, while the other services the international, so make sure your Shanghai entry and exits are planned accordingly. I've had bunches of folks miss their flight home because their hotel was much closer to the domestic airport than the international airport!
Let me know if I can provide additional info.
And have a great trip!

Fifty