Forget Iraq or Pakistan: the biggest culture shock was in China. It was also by far the most difficult country to organise independently. While we probably saw no more than a dozen Western travellers during our 2 months there, we seemed to be constantly surrounded by an incredible horde of local tourists. And yet, the effort was well worth it, as China offers an immersion in a millenia old history, breathtaking natural landscapes and contrasting cultural diversity (depending on the provinces you visit).
Population: 1.4 billion
Area: 9,600,000 km2
Capital: Beijing
Travel budget: China remains a generally very inexpensive country. A 3-star hotel room can be found for €15 (outside Beijing, Shanghai, etc), a meal in a local restaurant for €2, and a short taxi ride for €3. Two things are more expensive: entrance fees to some tourist sites (up to €20 for some nature reserves) and train fares (Beijing to Xi’an €65 for a 4,( hour high speed train journey).
Main places we have visited:
Beijing, Xi’an,
Sichuan province: Chengdu, Danba, Tagong, Yadin nature reserve, Litang, Leshan, Songpan, Huanglong
Gansu province: Tianshui, Labrang, Langmusi, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang
Xinjiang province: Turpan, Quiemo, Hotan, Kashgar, Tashkurgan
Favourite places:
- The Yadin nature reserve in western Sichuan offers a breathtaking glimpse of the Tibetan mountains. The hike around the sacred mountain of Xiannairi (2 days) involves crossing 2 passes at an altitude of over 4,600 metres. The air is scarce, but the scenery fully justifies the effort. Although there may be a lot of people on the first part of the route, you’ll be absolutely alone once you’ve passed the part accessible by electric bus…
- The west of Sichuan Province is mountainous and inhabited mainly by Tibetans. The region therefore allows you to discover this population and its culture without the administrative burden associated with a trip to the neighbouring province. Our stay with a semi-nomadic yak-breeding family near Tagong was undoubtedly one of the highlights of our trip.
Getting organised: Organising your trip to China on your own is no simple task, and you’ll have to get to grips with local technology – not always translated or compatible with international bank cards – whether you’re paying at the market, booking a museum or a train ticket. Western tourists are rare (this is likely to change with the new visa policy) and there is little will to make things easier for them. Add to this the language barrier (apps are not very effective) and China was the country that gave us the most trouble getting organised. On the other hand, the rapid development of rail and road infrastructure in recent years has made it much easier to visit every corner of the country, even the formerly remote regions.
Noodles or rice? Contrary to popular belief, not all of China eats rice. Broadly speaking, the country is divided into a noodle-eating north and a rice-eating south. While Chinese restaurants in Europe mainly serve the classics of Cantonese and Peking cuisine, China is characterised by great diversity, with at least 5 major regional culinary traditions. China was without doubt the most exciting country we visited from a culinary point of view, each day offering us authentic dishes and flavours that were constantly new and incredibly varied.
When to go? Weather-wise, the country is far too vast and has too many different climates to answer this question in a comprehensive way. It all depends on the region you want to visit. There are two points to bear in mind:
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The first week in October is China’s bank holidays. Hundreds of millions of locals take the opportunity to travel. Trains and tourist sites are fully booked, hotels triple their prices and roads are jammed. To be avoided at all costs if possible.
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If you want to travel to or from Pakistan, be aware that the border – the highest land border in the world at 4,693m – is closed (because of the weather) from November to May. The exact dates depend on the weather.