China, a country rich in culture, though not often a popular destination for backpackers. Despite being on a 10-day transit visa, we really made the most of every second by reaching 3 cities.

So here are my top tips and tricks for backpacking through China!!

Visiting China as a tourist is so much easier than you might think, especially with the help of an app called WeChat - it combines WhatsApp, phone calls, Wallet and more into one place. More restaurants and shops accept payment via WeChat rather than by card or cash. A good translation app that you can speak into is also a necessity.

Buying an E-Sim for China is also straight-foward. heads up; you need to buy an E-Sim before you get to China, you also can't top it up once inside the country either! I would really recommend the Airalo and Nomad.

One thing that tripped us up a little bit was that Google Maps is not really used in China, so, if you are looking for a place to eat then your best bet is just to wander down a street and go into whichever restaurant takes your fancy! The usual backpacking practice of checking reviews on google no longer applies, as most of the restaurants won't even exist on Google Maps!

At some point whilst in China you MUST try a hot-pot. Cooking your meats, fish and veg in hot soup is such fun. The DIY sauce section is of course fab.

Tourist Tip: When visiting museums in China, be sure to keep your passport on you to scan upon entry; your tickets are linked to your passport.

Xi’An

Home to ancient artefacts, this city offers a glimpse into the dynasties that shaped China’s history.

Where to stay

The Bell Tower lies in the centre of the city, so any accommodation close to The Bell Tower will set you on the right track. We stayed in The ManXi Hotel, near The Bell Tower. It was incredibly well connected to the most popular tourist attractions.

Xi'An is a surprisingly walkable city too, but taxis are also incredibly cheap so there's no issue there!

Sightseeing Hot Spots

Culture is the name of the game in Xi'An.

It’s not out of the ordinary l to see girls and women dressed in traditional costumes taking photos at sites around the city.

The Terracotta Army

The Terracotta Army is Xi’an’s ultimate claim to fame, synonymous with China’s rich history of cultural traditions.

Under an hour outside of the city lies this archaeological masterpiece. Within the site there are 3 unearthed Pits and a great Museum. Each pit has something different to offer.

Capturing the sheer scale of these sculptures - their varies sizes and staggering number is near impossible.

The First Pit is the most famous; it was discovered first and holds over 6,000 soldiers, each totally unique. It is truly impressive from a sculpture point of view and also that most are in such good condition especially as they were sculpted over 2,200 years ago. The Second and Third Pits are full of more soldiers and horses all in an effort to protect Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife.

Tourist Tip: Get here early, around 8:30am to avoid the huge crowds.

The Ancient City Wall

The first emperor of the Ming Dynasty built this 13.7km wall to protect the city. Now that it has expanded past this ancient boundary and times have changed, the wall stands only as a reflection of the past. Walking along a section of the top of the wall is the best way to see it. At 12 meters high, you get a fabulous view of the city from a new angle.

There are lots of stalls along the wall too, I bought a gorgeous gold and turquoise enamel bangle for only £2!
China is so much more affordable than I had imagined, I really didn't know much about visiting this great country.
Taking the steps down wherever you fancy to explore another part of the city is easy too.

The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

This temple complex is in the south of the city. The 7-story pagoda was built as a Buddhist temple in the year 652. Whilst it is open all day, with no need for a ticket (unless you plan to go inside the pagoda), it is best to visit at night when the light and music shows are on.

From June to October the show is on Monday to Friday at noon and 9PM, on Weekends and holidays at 2PM, 4PM and 6PM as well.

From February to June and in October the show is on Monday to Friday at noon and 8:30PM, on Tuesdays only at 8:30PM and on Weekends and holidays at 2PM, 4PM and 6PM as well.

Where to eat

Ji Qi Xi Bakery

Fancying a sweet treat after a long morning of site seeing? This is THE place for you. Stroll around the bakery adding treats to your tray and then pay at the counter.

***The Best Matcha Spot***

Whilst you’re at it you may as well give the iced Oreo milk matcha a try. This is the best matcha I have ever had without a shadow of a doubt.

3rd Sister Dumplings

A short walk from The Bell Tower sits this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant serving the delicious and affordable food. We ordered their classic 20 pork dumplings plate for only £2.50 and their spicy aubergine dish, both were incredibly delicious.

Cafe and Meal

I know, the translation is a little be bizarre, but trust me, this little cafe in the old town is perfect for lunch. I had the most delicious salmon and rice bowl with a pistachio latte. The food was so fresh.

The old town is wonderful, full of boutiques and even a little market selling knick knacks and jewellery.

Beijing

What to do for a slice of culture

The Great Wall of China

It needs no introduction, or reason to persuade you to go here. If there was one icon of China as a whole it would be The Great Wall.

The wall is over 21,000km long, but there are only a couple of spots that you can visit from Beijing. We visited the section at Bandaling where we walked about 7km along the wall.

I was surprised at how much elevation there would be, the wall of course follows the landscape so it does make a lot of sense. Some of the stairs along the wall are incredibly steep to climb and we were totally out of breath at some points!

The photo opportunities are endless up here; the view is breathtaking!

The Summer Palace

This stunning imperial palace set on a lake is probably one of the most serene places I went to on my entire trip. We spent about 2 and a half hours here, wandering through the different halls named after different values. We strolled up to the pagoda and through the gardens before settling down by the lake with an ice cream.

This was so calming, and such a great arvo activity after trekking the great wall.

In almost every tourist site in China that we have visited so far, they sold ice creams in the shape of the place. We found this totally hilarious - from a soldier in The Terracotta Army to a piece of The Great Wall, the options seemed endless.

The Forbidden City/The Palace Museum

The Forbidden City is another temple complex in Beijing, and includes The Palace Museum. Teeming with decadent halls - all of which are named after different values and beliefs in Tibetan Buddhist and Taoist culture. No surface is spared by some gold or tiles, it’s incredible.

Some of the halls are as they always were, and others are used as exhibition spaces for artefacts from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Imperial Garden is a brilliant place to relax.

The Temple Of Heaven

Best Places For A Bite

Furongju

This local outpost within the Hutongs of Beijing is where local families go for classic cantonese dim sum. We tried lots of different small dishes, our favourite was the stewed beef rice rolls. They were unlike anything we had ever had before and totally tasty.

British Cuisine Bakery

Another fabulous self-serve bakery, with a strangely translated name. We visited a few times - first for a sweet treat to have alongside a movie after an intense day being tourists, and secondly to take for dinner on our train to Shanghai. They have every baked good you could imagine, from bagels and croissants to pistachio and dark chocolate custard tarts and tiramisu.

Puzzles

Another Hutong hideaway; this restaurant sports European fusion home cooking, which was very welcomed after being on the road for so long.

Shanghai

The best way to travel from Beijing to Shanghai is by bullet train - it takes around 4-5 hours, which ends up being a lot faster door-to-door than flying, and there’s no hassle with baggage and security. It is such an efficient way to travel and offers great views whilst enjoying plenty of leg-room.

Tourist Tip: you will need to pick up your train tickets in the station so make sure you leave enough time for that too!

What to See

Shanghai Tower

Shanghai is home to the third-tallest building in the world, The Shanghai Tower. It is worth taking the lift up to the 119th floor for its panoramic views of the city; including views of The Bund and The Pearl Tower.

On its ascent, the lift travels at 18 meters per second, and 10 meters per second on the way back down.

The Marriage Park

Features in this year’s Race Across The World, The Marriage Park is unlike anything I have seen before. It feels like you have transported a hundred years back in time. Lining the paths of this park are thousands of ‘marriage resumes’ presented by the parents of single adults in an aim to find a suitable match for their children. It is like real-life tinder - only lead by your mum and auntie.

We read a few of these resumes and they included everything. From the man’s height, to distance from their flat to the metro, their salary and if their block of flats had a lift… It was very amusing.

Tourist Bus

Like in many popular cities, Shanghai also offers a hop-on-hop-off tourist sightseeing bus, with lots of different routes. This is a great way to see lots of the city, whilst also saving your legs!

The French Concession

These french-inspired streets are lined with posh boutiques and boujie cafe’s just like in France. From the pavings, to the trees they nailed it all. It felt like a slice of home (for a few hours at least!)

At first, visiting China felt like a mission, and a real culture shock. But, soon enough we fell into a groove and it really is one of the most interesting places I have ever been. I can’t wait to experience it all again.

Wandering China: A trip to the Middle Kingdom