China Travel Tips

China Travel Tips are essential information and general ideas for you to get before you come to travel China. In this column, we provide practical travel tips and useful tour advice that you can look at when you plan your China tour. We have compiled a list of answers to frequently asked traveling questions in the following, including which kind of clothes should i take, how much tip i have to pay the guide and driver, how is the Medical service there and what if i travel with the child and disabled? We hope answers below will be helpful and you will enjoy your stay in China.

China Travel Clothing Advice, China Tour Tipping Advice, Medical Service, Travel with Children

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Beijing Capital International Airport

Beijing Capital Airport is the the gateway into Beijing. You will start your Beijing tour or China travel here. It is very convenient to transfer to your hotels in Beijing and travel attractions such as Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Summer Palace,etc.

When you get off your flight, you may get surprised about the large terminal. That is terminal 3. There are totally 3 terminals in Beijing Capital international Airport. It was first built in the year of 1958. The terminal 1 and terminal 2 were built in 1980 and 1999 respectively.

China Region

China is the third largest country in the word just after Russia and Canada, with a huge population of 1.3 billion. It was divided into 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 Municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Chongqing), and 2 special zones (Hong Kong and Macau). With more than 5000 years brilliant history, China is the cultural treasure house of East Asia. The most popular tourist destinations in China tours are: Beijing tour, Xian tour, Shanghai tour, Guilin tour, Chengdu tour, Kunming tour, Shangri-la tour, Tibet tour, and Hong Kong tour.

China has 33 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Great wall and the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Terracotta Army in Xian is world famous. Chinese food ranks among the world's great cuisines. From acrobatics to martial arts, calligraphy to Chinese opera, the distinctive China culture of this land is everywhere to be seen.

China History

Before your travel China, you'd better to know something like China history and Chinese Culture, I am sure that will make your China travel more convenient and make you better learn Chinese people. Well, it's known to all that China has a long history, as long as 5000 years. Now, I will give a bief introduction about China history. Hope that will be helpful.

Emperor Huang (Huangdi) is regarded as our Chinese people’s ancestor. He defeated the leader of the other tribe, Emperor Yan, and established the first country in China. So we Chinese often say ourselves: descendents of Yan and Huang.

Tibetan Taboo And Custom

Every ethnic minority has their special cultures and living-habits. Tibetans is an old and passionate ethnic minority. During the long history, Tibetans have formed their own customs and taboos. With unique culture and religion, Tibetans have different ways of behavior in many aspects. It will be good for you to know these taboos before your Tibet tour. The following advices might help you have a nice trip in Tibet:

Tibetan Customs and Taboos Related to Daily Life:

(A) Tibetan people do not eat horse, dog and donkey meat and also do not eat fish in some areas, so please respect their diet habits.
(B) Eagles are the sacred birds in Tibetan culture. You should not drive them away or injure them. Do not relieve yourself near any cattle pens, horse stables, or sheepfolds. On the outskirts, and do not drive or disturb the sheep or cows with red, green or yellow cloth strips on because these animals are the Tibetan sacrifice to worship gods.
(C) It is impolite to spit in front of or behind others or clapping hands behind others.
(D) Do not throw any bones into fire. Do not touch other's head by hand. Do not use paper with Tibetan characters as tissue to wipe off mess with the paper.

(E) Remember not to step on the threshold when entering the tent or house.
(F) Please add "La" behind the name when you call someday to express respect.
(G) If you are asked to sit down, please cross your legs, do not stretch your legs forward and face your sole to others.
(H) In the tent, men sit on the left side, and women on the right side.
(I) You should accept the gift with both hands. While presenting the gift you should bend your body forward and hold the gift higher than your head with both hands.
(J) When the host presents you a cup of wine; you should dip your ring finger in the wine and flick the wine into the sky, in the air and to the ground respectively to express your respects to the heaven, the earth and the ancestors before sipping the wine. The host will fill the cup, and you take a sip of the wine again. After the host fills your cup for the forth time, you have to bottom it up.
(K) Please keep quiet on the top of mountains. It is believed that loud noise will result in heavy snow, storms or hail.

Customs and Taboos Related to Religion:

(A) A monastery cannot be entered without permission.
(B) Once inside a monastery, don't smoke or take photos; do not touch, walk over or sit on any religious texts, objects or prayer flags in monasteries.
(C) Don't wear shorts or short skirts in a monastery. Take your hat off when you go into a monastery.
(D) Walk clockwise around a monastery, mani stones, pagodas, or other religious structures. Prayer wheels should also be turned clockwise.
(E) Keep quiet during religious ceremonies in the monastery.
(F) When meeting a lama, it is not appropriate to hug him or shake hands with him. The proper way is to hold the two hands upright, palms together in front of the chest, and lower the head. Don't talk with them on sensitive topics, such as marriage and the eating of meat.

With the fast developing tourism, the above rules are not obeyed as strictly as before. But it will be good for you to follow the advice during you travel in Tibet.

Tibet Barkhor Street

Barkhor Street，located in the old area of Lhasa City, Tibet, is a very ancient round street surrounding the Jokhang Temple and the Tibetan people are always proud of it. As a symbol of Lhasa, this street is also a must-see place tourists in your Tibet tour. There is more to Barkhor Street than just a place for pilgrims to walk. Barkhor Street, often called the "Window of Tibet" is famous for as a distributing center of Tibetan Handicrafts.

Even today there still many pilgrims hold the prayer wheels to walk clockwise there from dawn to dark. Some of them are teenagers or have experienced thousands of miles' walk to reach this sacred place. The way they express their piety make you understand the holiness of Tibetan religion.

Best Season For Tibet Travel

The climate in highland Tibet belongs to the typical downy special climate. Climates are much diverse in different areas and temperatures vary greatly within a single day. Generally speaking, it is suitable to travel Tibet from Apr. to the early Nov.. Except this period, the temperatures start to plummet. The peak season for Tibet travel is from May to Sep. and the best months are May, Jun., Sep. and Oct. as Jul. and Aug. are rainy months. But different areas have their own golden times:

(A) In Lhasa and the central part of Tibet, the climate is normal and nice for traveling. So if you only plan a Lhasa tour,

Tibet Travel -Tips For Photography Lovers

Tibet trip is regarded as a must to do in one’s lifetime. Tibet is famous not only for its religion culture but also for its awesome scenery. Thus it become a Photography destination besides the Buddhism pilgrim palace-Potala Palace. Tibet tour is somekind of venture due to its high altitude, and not everyone is suitable to travel there. Especially for Photography lovers who want to take the most beautiful pictures there. Here are some valuable tips for you:

(A) Due to the extreme temperature and harsh climate in Tibet, photographers need to take an essential technical precaution to protect their

Things Have To Know Before Travelling Tibet

Tibet Tour is full of mysterious and unique culture, attracting all the guests from the world coming to join. It is one of the most adventurous, scenically stunning and physically demanding tours in the world. Touring Tibet, meeting it's people, learning about its culture, visiting the majestic Potala Palace and beautiful Norbulingka Park, or trekking up to the Mt. Everest Base camp…all of these items made Tibet travel as one of dreams in one’s life. However, not everyone has the chance to fulfill their dreams.

The first and the most important obstacle is the Mountain Sickness. Acute Mountain Sickness is an illness that can affect mountain climbers, hikers,

Things To Do In Tibet

Tibet tour is regarded as a must do thing in one’s tour schedule. Tibet is famous for as the holy pilgrim destination for Buddhism and for the unique beautiful scenery. Despite the venture of Mountain Sickness, tourists never stop there Tibet tour.

Don’t worry about what to do in Tibet.

Do the Pray. Since it is the holy destination of the Buddhism, just do the pray whatever your belief is Buddhism or not. You will not miss the masterpiece of Tibet Monastery: the Potala Palace, Jokhang, Tashilunpo Monastery and Sakya Monastery.

Tibet Discovery

It is true that any China tours without Tibet tour is incomplete.

Tibet Autonomous Region is located in the southwest China, the main part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.Famous for the "Roof of the World", the Tibet has an average elevation of more than 4,000 meters with various complex landforms, such as: high and steep mountains, deep valleys, glaciers, bare rocks and Gobi deserts.
Tibet can be divided into three major parts - north, south and east. The eastern part is forest region, Virgin forests run the entire breadth and length of this The population is 2.3 million, 92.2% of whom are Tibetans. Besides Tibetans, it also has other ethnic groups, such as: Han, Hui, Monba, Lhoba and Enditem. The region is administratively divided into one municipality and six prefectures. The municipality is Lhasa, while the six prefectures are Shigatse, Ngari, Lhaoka, Chamdo, Nakchu and Nyingtri (kongpo). The People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region exercises the highest administrative authority in Tibet.
With the strong influence from the geography of the Himalayas, and the neighboring civilizations of India and China, Tibet is famous for its imposing scenery, culture and history, which firmly rooted in Tibetan religion. As soon as you step onto this mysterious land and follow the tracks of the pilgrims, you will not only be immediately attracted by the snow-clad peaks, the wonderful mountains and rivers, but also the brilliant Tibetan culture and the unique, mysterious customs of the highland.

China Tour-Beijing Station

Beijing, the capital of China, has become one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. Having served as the capital of the country for more than 800 years, Beijing is the nation's political, cultural, scientific, international trade and communication center as well as a key transportation hub. The long history and profound culture have endowed Beijing with incomparable charm. Beijing, a fascinating mixture of old and new, is so attractive for travelers with many must-see places of historic interest and scenic beauty.  

The Forbidden City was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), the largest and the most magnificent and splendid intact palace complex in the world. As one of five world-famous palaces, it shares the honor with the Palace of Versailles in France, The Great Wall of China is one of the largest defensive projects ever constructed and a symbol of Chinese civilization. This impressive wonder has witnessed the up and down of the earth, yet still remaining in the world.The Summer Palace is the largest and most famous imperial garden in China. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value.The Temple of Heaven was built in 1420 AD Ming Dynasty and enlarged in the Qing Dynasty, three times larger than the Forbidden City. The temple was for emperors of the two dynasties to worship heaven and pray for rich harvest.

China Visa

China Visa is a permit issued by Chinese visa authorities to non-Chinese citizens for entry into, exit from and transit through China. American citizens and citizens of most countries are required to obtain a China visa before entering China. There are eight categories of ordinary Chinese visas, which are respectively marked with the letters C, D, F, G, J-1, J-2, L, X and Z.

Itourschina.com is engaged in various kinds of China Visa and China Tours. With the excellent quality and competitive price, We are ready here to provide anything you need.

Below are the types of China Visa.

China Tourist Visa or L visa: it is the most popular type of Chinese visa, issued to those who visit China for tourist purposes, family visit or other personal matters.

China world Cultural Heritage List

China has 40 world Cultural heritage, ranking third in the world. Among the 40 of them, 28 are cultural heritage sites, 7 are natural heritage sites, and 4 are cultural and natural (mixed) sites. These sites comprise the most essential parts of China tours. And Beijing ranks the first in the world with six of world cultural heritage-the Ming Tombs, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, and the Peking Man site. Besides, China has a rich non-material cultural heritage, which several of them are inscribed on UNESCO's list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Here are some other famous World Cultural Heritage Sites in China.

Terra-cotta warriors-Burial tombs in Xian, Shaanxi
Mogao Caves-Dunhuang,Gansu Province
Mt. Taishan, Shandong Province
Mt. Huangshan,Anhui Province
Huanglong, Sichuan Province