Shanghai, Xian and Beijing

[Cioccolato]

Hi everyone. My mom and I are going to Shanghai, Xian and Beijing in late March. Neither of us have been. Give me some recs please on must-sees, things to avoid, what to eat, etc if you've been! TIA

[thebulldog]

I have never been but we hope this type of trip is in our neat future.
I have started with some china tour operators i fpind using google to get a sense of what is possible in the amount of time you have.

i be typing from me phone. typos and grammer dont count.

[GilliC]

Sept 8, 2013 16:20:32 GMT -5 neeps said:

1. Xian - take the overnight train down from Beijing ( soft sleeper, of course ). A good hotel to stay at is the Bell Tower Hotel ( I used to stay there all the time ) as it is in a great location right between the central bell and drum towers, and a block away from the muslim quarter with fantastic shopping markets and muslim hot pot that you eat out on the street. Good times, good times.

When you get to Xian ( have you been there before? ) check in at your hotel and drop off your bags behind reception ( the train gets in uber early in the morning and you probably can't check in until 11 ). Just bring your day packs with you and go do some exploring. I quite like the White Goose Pagoda park for a nice early morning stroll.

All. Of. This.

We typically did the soft sleeper out and then flew back, but we were battling work schedules and had to fit it into a weekend (did this twice - once with my parents and once with XH). It's worth asking at the Bell Tower hotel if you can get a room facing the tower. China can be great for free room upgrades if you ask.

In additions to the usual hotel booking sites, you might check out elong and ctrip, two of the domestic Chinese travel sites.

When I went with my parents, we went to the Tang Dynasty Noght Show. It was touristy, but I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. We also went for the dumpling dinner at the show. It wasn't quite as tasty as the dumplings at the famous spots in Xian, but the artistry was a little better in making some of the dumplings look like other things. For this reason, I actually enjoyed it more than the famous dumpling joints (went later with XH), because aside from the presentation, I had far better dumplings in Beijing.

Yang rou pao mo (a mutton soup with bread that you have to tear up first) in the Muslim Quarter is typically the must-have food for travelers from Beijing. I don't know if they make it elsewhere, but a lot of people associate this dish strongly with Xian, and despite Beijing's culinary diversity, I don't recall ever running into it there in any of the regional Chinese restaurants.

The Shaanxi province museum in Xian is pretty good, but since you're going to Shanghai, I'd skip it and just go to the Shanghai Museum. Best in China, IMO and the only museum really worth visiting (unless you count The Forbidden City as a museum).

As much as I love hiking around The Great Wall, I think it's still enjoyable as a day trip, so if you want to do some serious hiking, check out Hua-Shan outside of Xian. It's one of the sacred mountains, and there are plenty of pathways. We took the cable car up for a day hike, but there are very low-frills places you can stay if you want to hit multiple summits (or of you're on a pilgrimage). The scenery is wonderfully dramatic and unlike anything you'll see in the big eastern cities. It looks just like a Chinese watercolor with craggy stone peaks and sheer cliffs. Well worth the effort if you have the time and don't suffer from vertigo. But definitely better in clear weather when you get the views. We went in December and had to turn back when it started to snow, because the stone steps became too slippery.

For Beijing, I could write a small book, so I will just point you here:
www.tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i17565-An_Unofficial_Travel_Guide_to_Beijing.html
That contains most of my recommendations, perhaps with the exception of Bodhi spa at Gongti Ximen (Workers Stadium west gate). Hands-down my favorite foot & body massage place. Though Dragonfly is nice, and I've been in both Beijing and Shanghai and been pleased.

For Shangai, the YuYuan Gardens in Old Town are worth visiting, as is the aforementioned Shanghai Museum.

Skip the paid rides to the top of the skyscrapers and look into hotel lounges if you want a nice view. A few of them have cafes or bars where you can enjoy a drink for the same price as an observation deck elevator ride. Check around the internet, because new buildings are always going up, so I don't know what the best option is right now.

Catch a bus out to one of the water towns. We went to Wuzhen, but Tongli and Zhujiajiao are a bit more common among foreign tourists. These are the adorable little canal towns that tend to pop up as scenery in films (though they use recreation film sets). This was my must-see while we were in China, and in spite of the high expectations, I was very happy! Charming, adorable, and picturesque.

Obviously if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask me and I'll do my best to answer!

[Cioccolato]

thanks ladies!

[Deleted]

Riding bikes on top of the city walls in Xian is probably one of the most fun things I've done traveling. It's so simple, but I had a blast doing it.

In Shanghai you have to go get these dumplings. It's nothing fancy, but they're the best soup dumplings I've ever had. www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g308272-d1533218-Reviews-Yang_s_Fry_Dumpling-Shanghai.html

In Bejing this hot pot place is awesome. The wait can be really long, but they offer free hand massages, games, internet, snacks, etc while you wait. They also do this thing called the dancing noodle that kinda kitschy and fun too. I'm not sure if they still offer it, but when we were there (2010) they had a sauce at the sauce bar called "Bacteria Wang Sauce" and we were too scared to try it.
www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g294212-d1193046-Reviews-Haidilao_Hot_Pot-Beijing.html

Bu yao was a phrase that we ended up learning really fast. It just means "don't want" and I felt like we were saying it all of the time because of the vendors and other various people approaching us.

Also, no one prepared for this, so I felt shocked seeing it for the first time, but in China they have (what I called) Free Range Children. They put their small kids in these split, crocheless pants and let the kids go where ever they want. Just watch out of random puddle and piles. Or coming around a corner and seeing a kid being held over a garbage can to pee. www.chinese-traditions-and-culture.com/chinese-toilet-training.html

And, the thing that really got tiring for me is that no one forms a line for anything. Just be prepared to push your way to the front or be pushed.

We went in mid April and it was still kinda cold and rainy, so make sure you pack a light rain jacket.

It was a very interesting and eye opening trip for me. I'm sure you'll have a blast too!

[Cioccolato]

Sept 9, 2013 6:58:08 GMT -5 @uwhuskygirl said:

Riding bikes on top of the city walls in Xian is probably one of the most fun things I've done traveling. It's so simple, but I had a blast doing it.

In Shanghai you have to go get these dumplings. It's nothing fancy, but they're the best soup dumplings I've ever had. www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g308272-d1533218-Reviews-Yang_s_Fry_Dumpling-Shanghai.html

In Bejing this hot pot place is awesome. The wait can be really long, but they offer free hand massages, games, internet, snacks, etc while you wait. They also do this thing called the dancing noodle that kinda kitschy and fun too. I'm not sure if they still offer it, but when we were there (2010) they had a sauce at the sauce bar called "Bacteria Wang Sauce" and we were too scared to try it.
www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g294212-d1193046-Reviews-Haidilao_Hot_Pot-Beijing.html

Bu yao was a phrase that we ended up learning really fast. It just means "don't want" and I felt like we were saying it all of the time because of the vendors and other various people approaching us.

Also, no one prepared for this, so I felt shocked seeing it for the first time, but in China they have (what I called) Free Range Children. They put their small kids in these split, crocheless pants and let the kids go where ever they want. Just watch out of random puddle and piles. Or coming around a corner and seeing a kid being held over a garbage can to pee. www.chinese-traditions-and-culture.com/chinese-toilet-training.html

And, the thing that really got tiring for me is that no one forms a line for anything. Just be prepared to push your way to the front or be pushed.

We went in mid April and it was still kinda cold and rainy, so make sure you pack a light rain jacket.

It was a very interesting and eye opening trip for me. I'm sure you'll have a blast too!

Ah, thanks for the tip about the kids!

Biking on the great wall sounds awesome!

[msamyfarrahfowler]

I did this trip a few years ago and loved it.

Remember to pack a small roll of toilet paper and a bottle of purell in your crossbody bag. They will come in handy.

[Deleted]

Definitely bring toilet paper or the small packs of tissues. You might also want a small pack of moist wipes for after eating and such. Many places don't have napkins. And bring more than 1 depending on how long you'll be here. Most bathrooms will not have toilet paper or soap. And prepare yourself for squat toilets. Peeing on yourself is a great way to put a wrench in your day. You might also consider bringing a pack or two of Ciprofloxacin (antibiotic) in case of food poisoning/traveler's diarrhea. The food here just does funny things in general to your body. Be prepared for gas, bloating and bowel issues.

Shanghai: If you arrive at Pudong (PVG) Airport I'd recommend taking the Maglev part of the way into town - it is 40 CNY a person and goes about 301 km/hr and gets you really far really fast. If you like shopping make a trip to the fake market at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. I can give you some numbers about what to pay for things as well as the names of some shops I frequent that don't charge ridiculous prices. Definitely go on a weekday if you can.
Shanghai has some great Xinjiang restaurants (food from near Urumqi in north western China). It is very different from other types of Chinese food. Lots of roasted meats with dry rubs and delicious noodles.
Yu Garden (YuYuan) is really neat and fun to walk around. It's also better on a weekday - less crowded. The shopping is really overpriced though.
Lujiazui has some of the tallest buildings. If you like Thai food I can recommend a restaurant here. A trip up the Pearl Tower is worth the money and there is a museum in there as well.
And you have to walk along the Bund at night and along the river in Lujiazui for a view of the Bund.
If you use taxis, make sure they agree to use the meter right away. The starting rate is 14rmb. If they won't agree to meter, find another one.
I'll still be living here in March and am happy to help with whatever you need. I know my way around the city pretty well.

Beijing: We stayed in a hotel in a hutong near the Huaihai Lake(s). It was pretty nice and reasonably priced and a short walk from a metro station: Shichahai Shadow Art Hotel - www.shadowarthotel.com. I think we booked it on hotels.com There are a lot of restaurants on Huaihai Lake and taking a paddle boat on the lake was a lot of fun. We also ate some really good street food around the lakes (and didn't die).
Mutianyu is a great place to go to see the Great Wall. If you get there early in the morning (7 am or so) there are few to no people there. You can walk/climb to a point after which the wall is unrestored which was amazing to see. We hired a driver through the hotel, but I have friends who know of a driver and if you are interested I can get the contact info and prices for that driver for you. There is also a fish farm nearby Mutianyu where you can go and net or catch your own fish and have it cooked or filleted and eat it at the fish farm. It was really good, but a little hard to navigate with minimal Mandarin skills. Again I can give you further details if you're interested.
We had to negotiate for a lot of taxis. Just know how much you are willing to pay and start lower.

Xi'an: Definitely go to the Muslim Quarter and the Big Goose Pagoda. And of course the terra cotta warriors. They are amazing. Great city to walk around and just look around at things. The Drum Tower is neat too and worth paying to go up.

Feel free to ask if you need any other recs.