Here's the truth about China and how you should visit the world's most populous country. Here's my simple tip: AVOID Shanghai and Beijing. Once you have escaped the realms of those two, then China suddenly becomes more real, more authentic and more rewarding. To be honest, visiting Shanghai and Beijing isn't really visiting China. I'll give you you a rundown on how to really travel in China...and remember almost everywhere in China is "off the beaten track" for the non-Chinese.
First up, by China I mean for the most part mainland China. I don't include Macau, Hong Kong or Taiwan in that. I also respect Tibetan freedom and don't include Tibet as part of China. These are what I class as 4 Chinese countries, but not part of China. So as well as avoiding Beijing and Shanghai, you need to avoid those 4 places too in order to really see China. Rather than bore with the reasons why, I'm just going to tell you that I've been to China 10 times and the worst two places I have been so far have been Shanghai and Beijing. And by a long way. Beijing and Shanghai are almost on a par with Hong Kong and Singapore as being global cities these days, therefore their Chinese-ness is being phased out (there are loads of foreigners living in those two cities!). They won't stop to notice though as the money flows in...
Until you have sat down in an unknown village, eaten food that you don't even know what it is, stranded miles from any city you have even heard of and with no foreign writing in sight, or any foreigners, then you really haven't yet experienced China!
Get yourself off the beaten track in order to see the real China. Here are a few things you will do that proves you have really seen China:
1. No-one is sight speaks a word of English, some of them only speak a local dialect which isn't even Chinese Mandarin!
2. You cannot understand the bus timetable and end up in the wrong village.
3. You see more chickens than cars in the village you are in.
4. There is absolutely no internet anywhere, nor computers, nor mobile phones!
5. You don't see any other language than Chinese written anywhere!
6. You eat food without ever knowing (or wanting to know) what is in it!
If you've ticked those 6, then congratulations you have seen the real China! If you haven't, please grab a bit of what you're missing, you will love China. China is the world's largest country by population and the travel possibilities are completely and utterly endless. China surprises me on every visit. It actually astounds me that in the list of the world's leading travel bloggers, loads of them either haven't been to China, or have only been to Beijing, the Great Wall or Shanghai. Get out and see China - it's an amazing place.
First up, by China I mean for the most part mainland China. I don't include Macau, Hong Kong or Taiwan in that. I also respect Tibetan freedom and don't include Tibet as part of China. These are what I class as 4 Chinese countries, but not part of China. So as well as avoiding Beijing and Shanghai, you need to avoid those 4 places too in order to really see China. Rather than bore with the reasons why, I'm just going to tell you that I've been to China 10 times and the worst two places I have been so far have been Shanghai and Beijing. And by a long way. Beijing and Shanghai are almost on a par with Hong Kong and Singapore as being global cities these days, therefore their Chinese-ness is being phased out (there are loads of foreigners living in those two cities!). They won't stop to notice though as the money flows in...
Until you have sat down in an unknown village, eaten food that you don't even know what it is, stranded miles from any city you have even heard of and with no foreign writing in sight, or any foreigners, then you really haven't yet experienced China!
Get yourself off the beaten track in order to see the real China. Here are a few things you will do that proves you have really seen China:
1. No-one is sight speaks a word of English, some of them only speak a local dialect which isn't even Chinese Mandarin!
2. You cannot understand the bus timetable and end up in the wrong village.
3. You see more chickens than cars in the village you are in.
4. There is absolutely no internet anywhere, nor computers, nor mobile phones!
5. You don't see any other language than Chinese written anywhere!
6. You eat food without ever knowing (or wanting to know) what is in it!
If you've ticked those 6, then congratulations you have seen the real China! If you haven't, please grab a bit of what you're missing, you will love China. China is the world's largest country by population and the travel possibilities are completely and utterly endless. China surprises me on every visit. It actually astounds me that in the list of the world's leading travel bloggers, loads of them either haven't been to China, or have only been to Beijing, the Great Wall or Shanghai. Get out and see China - it's an amazing place.
About the Author:
For more authorative articles like Backpacking in China visit Jonny Blair's global travel site Don't Stop Living - a lifestyle of travel for more tips and stories.
