Traveling to China, any Itinerary and Sites Suggestions?

[Rod Hagen]

Picking up the Visas today in Chinatown, and THEN getting breakfast at Langers, the best Pastrami in America, yes even better than Katz's, objectively

Three weeks in October:  Hong Kong, Yangzhou, Beijing, Xian, Shanghai and Hangzhou.  Excited and also glad to get it done, China is such a BIG trip I've put it off for years.   Suggestions?  Advice?  

THANKS!

Edited August 4 by Rod Hagen

[Rod Hagen]

Was planning on spending two nights in Hangzhou, but I hate changing hotels, what's lost by just seeing Hangzhou as a day trip from Shanghai?

 

[nomad]

1 hour ago, Rod Hagen said:

Was planning on spending two nights in Hangzhou, but I hate changing hotels, what's lost by just seeing Hangzhou as a day trip from Shanghai?

 

Hangzhou is most beautiful at night when you walk along the waterways with all the paths lit by lanterns and string lights.  A lot of the picture perfect photos you see of it are from the nighttime.  Qiandao Lake (Thousand Islands Lake) is stunning if you're willing to endure a long taxi ride.  I remember being in a canoe and literally having a whole part of the vast lake to myself.  So much so that the two Canadians I was traveling with decided we would all go skinny dipping off the canoe.  The water was crystal clear and glass like for as far as your eyes could see.  Stunning pictures.  Back then, the only hotels built along the lake were for mainland Chinese guests.  That may have changed by now.  To this day, it is one of the great memories I have of backpacking through China.  The Great Wall, Summer Palace, Forbidden City, etc are all definitely worth seeing.  I find moments like see a mountain of winter cabbage or watermelons are ones that are still very much fresh in my mind to this day so many years later.

The terracotta soldiers are amazing.  Hopefully, they have created some rooms to stop the colors from fading from being exposed to the air.  If you are the adventurous in your food tastes, find a place in Xian that serves steamed turtle in tea leaves.  I had it in a hole in the wall place and sat on stools that are more suited for kids.  One of the best dishes I ever had of Chinese food.  So unexpected and delicious.  The fresh snake blood in cognac is a taste I wish I had never tried.  The deep fried snake from it was pretty tasty though.  Definitely pass on the monkey brain if you're offered the chance to partake.  The texture was just weird.  Firmer than congealed blood that is sometimes eaten with congee which I don't mind at all.  And I don't mind eating different types of offal at all.  

The McDonalds at the Shangri-la in Xian is massive and was at that time the IT place for people to have dates and be seen.  I'm sure that isn't the case now, but it was shocking to see a McDonalds with over 100 tables.  There was even a string quartet playing for the customers each night.  You will have a fantastic time and collect many of your own memories to cherish.  

[nomad]

If you have the time, take the train from Shanghai to Hong Kong to end your trip.  You see some amazing landscapes during the ride once you get out of the big city areas.  Ride in the first class cabin.  I rode in the cargo class and took a nap on huge bags of coal.  Don't recommend that experience.  

[Rod Hagen]

14 hours ago, nomad said:

If you have the time, take the train from Shanghai to Hong Kong to end your trip.  You see some amazing landscapes during the ride once you get out of the big city areas.  Ride in the first class cabin.  I rode in the cargo class and took a nap on huge bags of coal.  Don't recommend that experience.  

Thank you very much for all that.  I'm very grateful.  We'll be flying home out of Shanghai, so that's not possible, but we will be visiting Yangshuo, above I wrote Yangzhou by mistake, so we will see some of that amazing landscape you're talking about. 

A friend of mine who worked and traveled around China for 10 years also mentioned how beautiful Hangzhou is at night.  We are going to be changing hotels so often on this trip, maybe there are trains back to Shanghai at night so I still get to see Hangzhou at night.  Or maybe I'll just stay there overnight.  I wanted to eliminate our two nights in Hangzhou so I could put one extra one in Hong Kong, which I'm expecting to absolutely love, and one more night in Shanghai.  

Edited Thursday at 02:16 PM by Rod Hagen

[nomad]

Hong Kong isn't what it was anymore.  The curbs on things has really been bad.  Both from a business perspective and personal freedoms.  Propaganda was the only gay club for decades.  The government crack down even forced it close from fear alone.  A lot my gay friends are waiting for their parents to pass away so they can leave too.  So many major firms have shifted their Asia HQ to Singapore cuz they need to operate in a place where the rules are known and don't change on a gov whim. HK used to be this magical oasis where anything could happen.  Those days are long gone.  Some of that magic dust has shifted to Vietnam now.  I don't think we will ever see another place like the peak HK period.