Culture; that's the lazy answer people give when their motivation to travel the world is questioned. I'd have to claim it as my reason too because I want to challenge my perspective and live like the local where ever I go. I never traveled overseas before, so I satiated this desire by reading up Wikipedia, random forums and The Vice Guide to Travel. I still do.
But why China? It's got a beautiful landscape and rich cultural heritage. I first found out about China as a kid through Kung Fu Panda and marveled at it's beauty.
Jade Palace from Kung Fu Panda (kungfupanda.fandom.com)
Fanjingshan in Tongren, Guizhou (news.cgtn.com)
I really like their electronic music. Boiler Room on YouTube has lots of great sets done by Chinese artists in their cities.
Curiosity in culture is the main reason, but I'm also interested in thrills, tech and food. Additionally, it's quite cheap.
Frugality and liberty are my desired qualities for an adventure, so I decided to go backpacking. I knew I couldn't have as much fun by myself, so I invited a couple of like-minded mates in August 2022. A maximum amount of co-travelers would be ideally three, mainly because a taxi driver can take up to four fellas. The constraints of money, time and energy are real so I wanted to propose an idea, establish shared goals and collectively shape the plan to achieve our goals. The Model for managing complex change chart adapted from Knoster, T. (1991) best encapsulates the framework.
In the end, Daniel DeHaan was both able and willing to send it. We both have similar interests and were in the same situation: just finished high school, about to start Studying Engineering and were wanting to pay for the trip ourselves. The whole concept of the trip was quite precarious because for most of the time between inception and fruition, it simply was not possible.
The Plan
CoViD-19 restrictions made it impossible to travel in China until March 15, 2023 when the PRC resumed issuing tourism Visas. Plans were still being made before, then and after, but with so much uncertainty, where do you begin? Here's a list of questions you must answer.
1. How much time you have to travel?
Our time constraints were the mid-year Uni holidays, which gave us 3 weeks.
2. How much time are you willing to travel each day?
This will determine how far you are willing to travel. Night trains allowed Dan and I to spend most of the day at the destination and spend the time traveling whilst we sleep.
3. What do you you want to do?
We made a list of the things we wanted to do and attributed locations to where we could do them. I went to Google Map creator and created map with a collection of these destinations. We were optimistic and added every place that interested us and then culled them down later. This determined how long we stayed in a city.
4. What route will you take?
Use the information from the previous questions to create a route that threads through the most desired destinations.
This is the route we would have liked to take. We didn't end up going to Dandong because we decided that we wanted to spend more time in Beijing.
At the time of writing this (18/04/24) Google Maps is unsuitable for creating routes in China and especially for finding public transport. Instead, we found Baidu Maps quite helpful once we learnt how to use it. If you're not too sure what you'd like to see or you would rather discover things for yourself, feel free to be guided by the following route templates. They've got plenty more info.
So you've figured out what route you'd like to take? Now find what methods of transport would be most suitable. Quite simply use CTrip or Trip.com to find long-distance services. You won't be able to see the timetable months ahead, so find your desired train number and figure out the earliest date you have to buy the ticket for it. Be very careful with the T&Cs. For short distance, use Baidu Maps to find metro lines, bus route and hire bike hubs. Don't taxi, they're the easiest way to get scammed.
We had our layover in the Philippines for a couple of hours going to and from China. We found the cheapest flight using Google Flights.
5. Where would you like to stay?
Just keep it simple: focus on how well the location fits with your route and plans, and what level of facilities and utilities condition you find acceptable. If you want to save money and time, travel on night trains. If you're out of luck, you can just sleep at the train stations (many people do it whilst waiting for trains). Most of these train stations are like airports; heaps of space to walk around, get food and sleep.
Of course, it's mad fun staying multiple nights in the same place and really getting to know a location. Youth hostels and hotels are super cheap but you need to be aware that bugger-all hotels accept foreigners because they aren't certified to take on foreigners. Dan and I used Meitwan which came with lots of issues (most hotels don't accept foreigners and many didn't exist when we went to the address). You can use it if you know how to use the search filters (there's no English version). Instead, I would recommend you use trustworthy sites such as Trip Advisor to find cheap hotels.
6. How much money would you like to spend?
Just because you're spending more money, doesn't mean you're gonna have a better time. I'm glad Dan weren't priss in our modes of transport; we met so many chill people by choosing hard sleepers over soft sleepers. Dan and I combined our finances and the total cost of the trip was $9,396.20 ($4,698.10 each) for 3 weeks. Your cost depends on your circumstances. I'm not gonna tell you how much you should or shouldn't pay. Handle Chinese money in China to avoid high transaction fees. I'll talk more about the money in the apps section.
Book everything you want to do in advance (this is especially important for anything in the cities). For example, I booked the bungy jump for the 3rd of July 2023 when it was the 12th of May 2023.
Be aware of your surroundings: securing belongings, and being cautious in crowded areas.
Be incidentally prepared with vaccinations, travel insurance and medication with it's documented approval by your doctor. Also, read into whether your medication is banned in China.
Learn the language. A little bit of knowledge of the basic Mandarin phrases and vocabulary can go a long way. I used Duolingo for a year before the trip as well as listening an reading vocab lists. Learning recreationally got me to a basic level enough to get by, but to have a decent conversation I found the "Conversation" feature absolutely amazing.
Do your research. If you just rely on what I say, you will get stuffed over. I'm not putting Visa info here because that can change at any moment. Check your local travel advisory such as Australia's Smart Traveller..
Gear & Services
Here's the link for each app, along with a brief description:
HelloTalk - A language exchange app for practicing languages with native speakers.
Blocked in China - A website for checking if a website or app is blocked in China.
Google Translate - A translation app for translating text and speech between languages. The conversation feature allows for fluid conversation.
WeChat - A multi-purpose messaging, social media, and mobile payment app. You can't use the payment feature unless you have a bank account opened in China.
Alipay - A mobile payment app widely used in China. I used the "Tourist Wallet". It enabled me to pay by my phone for pretty much everything. Barely anyone uses card and cash over there. Mind you, 62% of money spent was by app payments and 38% was by cash.
TripAdvisor - A platform for travel reviews, hotel bookings, and planning itineraries.
Reddit - A surprisingly helpful place to get local information and tips from others on specific activities, locations and processes.
This is the list of Physical Gear I brought:
On person:
Clothes
Boots
Hat
40L Backpack
Bum-bag
In Back-Pack:
Water bottle (able to withstand boiling water to make water safe to drink).
Cooking utensils
Food and snacks
Tuppaware
Zip-lock bag
First aid kit and medication
Sunscreen
Toiletries
Hoodie (travel towel, blanket, pillow)
In Bum-bag:
Portable charger/power bank
Identification and travel documents
Money and currency exchange
Travel insurance
Phone with all apps
SD card and Sim Cards
Olympus Trip 35 & GoPro Hero 7 Black.
It should be said: don't over-pack.
Summary
Individual Preparation:
Ensure your passport is valid for at least 6 months with 2 blank pages.
Obtain a visa with a 90-day validity for a 30-day stay.
Secure an International Driver’s Permit (IDP) if needed.
Purchase travel health insurance.
Check for necessary shots and immunizations.
Money and Transactions:
Notify your bank of overseas transactions.
Handle Chinese money in China to avoid high transaction fees.
Utilize mobile payment apps like Alipay or WeChat.
Exporting and Importing Items:
Research Chinese regulations for medication importation.
Carry prescriptions and supporting documents for medication.
Declare medications upon arrival in China.
Plan any necessary vaccinations and health check-ups.
I shot 355 GB (382,214,215,284 bytes) of GoPro video and 3 rolls of 35mm film footage for the trip. I focused on shooting the moment rather than "momenting" the shot.
San Mao is a legend we met in Fenghuang. We joined him for his B'day dinner. Great chats were had. We're truly brothers from other mothers.
Dan DeHaan is a legend for partaking in and making the shenanigans possible.
Zhang is such a cool dude. He shouted us lunch and dinner and drove us in his Audi to Fanjingshan and Tongren. We all had fantastic chats.
That's it.
Galatians 3:28-29
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
