China Travel Guide

Some facts about China

China is one of the world's oldest civilisations, with written history dating back over 3,500 years. In that time they've come up with important inventions from papermaking to the compass, as well as arguably the most impressive architectural feat ever – the Great Wall of China. While reports that it can be seen from space with the naked eye aren't true, it's still pretty huge and stretches to around 21,196km long if you count up all of its branches.

With all that history there's plenty of ancient landmarks to explore, including the Terracotta Army. Discovered in the 1970s in Xi'an, the Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. The site is part of a much larger necropolis which features over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses, none of which are identical.

Practical Info

Important things to know before you visit China

China ranks 137th in our Good Trip Index, our guide to travelling ethically, sustainably and well. To help make travelling responsibly less of a hassle, we pulled together seven of the definitive country-level indices that cover the main ethical issues UK holidaymakers told us were important to them when deciding where to go on holiday, including women's rights, LGBTQI+ rights and quality of life.

China is generally safe for tourists to visit, as long as you're aware of local laws and cultural differences. China is ruled by a single political party, who keep a close eye on foreign influences. Some websites are censored, including Google, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube, news reporting is controlled and public surveillance is quite common. You should avoid demonstrations or large gatherings, as public order is enforced strictly and you could get arrested. You could attract more attention from the authorities if you're travelling to 'sensitive' areas, particularly when taking photos or engaging with political groups, charities or ethnic minority populations.

Culture and etiquette

Religion

Religion in China is very diverse, and most people either aren't religious at all or practice a combination of Buddhism and Taoism, known collectively as Chinese folk religion.

China is officially an athiest state, and the government controls which religions can be practiced and how they are practiced. Five religions are formally recognised (Buddhism, Catholicism, Islam, Protestantism, and Taoism), and only officially registered religious organisations can carry out religious activities.

Tipping

Tipping isn't very common in China, and can even come across as rude, but it is becoming a little more common. Some restaurants in tourists areas might add a service charge to the bill.

Smoking

Smoking is banned in most indoor public places, including bars, restaurants and public transport.

Personal ID

Make sure to always carry your passport with you, as you could be fined or arrested if you don't. It needs to be the original document, not a photocopy.

Jabs, visas and other advice

You'll need a special permit for travel to Tibet and the Tibet Autonomous Region, which you'll need to visit as part of an organised tour. In this region, as well as Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and the China-Myanmar border, there's an increased risk of violent protests and conflict and a large security presence.

For up-to-date advice on jabs, visas, safety and other foreign advice, we recommend following the government's website.

Emergency numbers

Ambulance: 120. Fire: 119. Police: 110. Traffic Police: 122. Maritime Search and Rescue Centre: 12395.

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Getting to China

The quickest and easiest way to get to China from the UK is to fly. Flights from London to Beijing take around 10 hours.

You'll also find cruise terminals in Shanghai, Qingdao and Tianjin if you fancied visiting the country as part of a cruise.

Getting around China

You've got a few options if you wanted to travel around China. Most people make use of China's excellent train network – trains are cheap and comfortable, but can take a fair while depending on where you want to go. Long-distance coaches are even cheaper and a good way to visit more remote parts of the country. Internal flights are available too. They connect major cities and are the quickest option, but are a bit more expensive.

You need a Chinese driving license to rent a car in China, so car hire isn't an option for most tourists. It's possible to hire a car with a driver though, which is another good option for visiting remote areas.

If you're staying in a city, the public transport is likely to be excellent. You'll find everything from subways, trams and buses to taxis and bike-shares in most major cities.

Is China safe for LGBTQI+ travellers?

While same-sex relationships are legal in China, same-sex couples can't get married or adopt children and there aren't any laws protecting LGBTQI+ people from discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. Same-sex relationships are heavily censored by the government, attitudes towards the LGBTQI+ community in China tend to be less tolerant than in the UK, and displaying public affection could attract unwanted attention.

If you'd prefer to visit somewhere that's more welcoming of the LGBTQI+ community, take a look at some of our favourite destinations for LGBTQI+ travel.

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