China tours & vacations

From the rugged mountain interior of Emei Shan to the glittering coastal city of Shanghai, China is home to diverse landscapes and climates. Depending on what time of year you visit China and where you go, you can experience unrelenting heat and humidity in summer and thick snow cover throughout winter.

China’s northern regions have hot and dry summers, while destinations on the eastern coastlines and in the south are more humid and have a greater chance of monsoon rains and typhoons. There’s a chance of snow across most of the country, but it's more likely in the northern reaches (Beijing and surrounding areas).

Late winter and early spring can often bring a dust storm rolling in from the Gobi Desert to Beijing and northern China. Rainfall in Shanghai and the east coast is abundant between April and September but almost non-existent for large chunks of the year in Central and Western parts of the country.

Tourism generally peaks in summer, so if you’re not into crowds, you may want to avoid June, July and August. If you’d still like the weather to be somewhat warm, a shoulder season month like November or May might be best – you’ll usually only need a light jacket or fleece, but the bulk of the crowds are gone.

Learn more about the weather in China

Learn more about the best time to visit China

China's early history was full of dynastic rule and imperialist expansion. Each dynasty contributed something different to the history books from the Great Wall during the Qin and Ming dynasties to the Tang Dynasty’s artistic expression. The Republic of China was formed in Nanjing in 1912 after a military uprising. Mao Zedong became Chairman of the People's Republic of China in 1949 and society was systematically converted to communism. Dramatic population, cultural and economic changes led to mass starvation and famine, the impact of which rippled for years. 

More recently, China saw Hong Kong and Macau returned from foreign rule and enjoyed a period of rapid economic growth. It basked in the international spotlight as the host city of the 2008 Summer Olympics, and with a growing global influence, China is now a global superpower. 

China’s cultural identity is dominated by the Han, but there are another 105 million people who identify from over 50 other ethnic minorities, including the Zhuang (southern China), Hui (northwest China) and Uyghur (Central Asia) – each with unique traditions and customs. 

As one of the world's oldest civilizations, China has gifted the world everything from martial arts to mah-jong. Not to mention its world-famous cuisine! Mythology and spirituality are infused in dance, art, music and literature, and many contemporary customs are also attributed to its ancient past. 

Despite its modernization, much of China clings to age-old traditions, including the Five Elements theory of wood, fire, earth, metal and water; the yin and the yang; the Chinese Lunar Calendar and Zodiac. This culture clash is strong in large cities like Beijing where hutongs and temples stand alongside modern skyscrapers. 

China is the third-largest nation in the world (by total land area) after Russia and Canada. It shares its border with 14 countries including Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia in the north, and India, Laos and Vietnam in the south.

Soaring peaks, high plateaus and deserts occupy the western half of this vast country. In the southwest, Mount Everest and the Himalayas form the border with India, Nepal and Bhutan. In the north, the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts stretch from west to east along the Mongolian border. The terrain slopes into broad plains and deltas in the east. Two major rivers flow through central China – the Yellow River in the north and the Yangzi in the south – where rice paddies flourish. 

Along with 16 other countries, China is known as ‘megadiverse’ – a grouped classification of biodiverse countries that contain over 70% of the world’s endemic flora and fauna. China itself is home to over 550 species of mammals, 1221 species of birds, 146,000 types of flora and 10,000 species of fungi. 

Whether it’s slurping down a mouth-numbing Sichuan hotpot in Chengdu or waving down the dim sum trolley at a yum cha, you won’t go hungry in China. 

While nearly every region has its own cooking style, it has traditionally been categorized into eight major schools of cooking: Anhui, Cantonese, Fuijan, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan and Zhejiang. These styles are also grouped into northern, southern, western and eastern. 

Rich and hearty northern cuisine – flavored with lots of salt, ginger, garlic and soy sauce – fed the emperors. Southern cuisine – particularly from the Cantonese school – is what you’ve likely sampled at your local Chinatown, such as dim sum. Western cuisine brings the heat thanks to Sichuan peppercorns, and Eastern cuisine tends to be sweeter in flavor and features a variety of vegetables and seafood. 

Dishes to try in China

1. Sichuan hot pot

Taste a bit of Chinese history by dipping into a fiery Sichuan hot pot filled with meat, vegetables, noodles and chilli. While each region in China has different varieties, Sichuan claims the spiciest. 

2. Cantonese dim sum (yum cha)

Sitting down to a dim sum banquet is one of Hong Kong's great culinary experiences. Bamboo baskets of salty dumplings and pots of cleansing tea change hands in this traditional feast that will fill your bell for hours. 

3. Green tea

China is home to one of the world's largest tea-drinking cultures, with most locals sipping a few cups daily. Green tea may have recently become popular in Western societies, but it’s been used as a medicine in China for thousands of years. 

4. Peking duck

This famous roast duck dish from Beijing dates back to Imperial China. It has to be one of the best flavor combos in the world: succulent slices of duck served between delicate pancakes with green onions and a sweet hoisin sauce. 

5. Street snacks

Much of Asia's best food is found in markets, hole-in-the-wall restaurants and street-side stalls. Think baozi (steamed stuffed buns), jiaozi (dumplings), jianbing (fried chive pancakes), yang rou chan (lamb kebabs) and so much more. China may be famous for giant feasts served on a lazy susan, but don't forget to check out its budget bites. 

Learn more about Chinese food

Find out what to drink in China

Credit cards are accepted by most hotels and big vendors in major cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. They’re less likely to work in smaller cities or towns.

WeChat and Alipay are the most prominent payment methods in China. We strongly suggest you set up either WeChat or Alipay on your phone before arriving. You'll need to link a credit or debit card to the app and set up a data roaming package so that you can make payments locally. A transaction fee may also be charged for foreign accounts. Please check the terms and conditions when setting up an account.

ATM access is most widely accessible and reliable with Bank of China or HSBC. That said, it's rare to make cash payments in China nowadays, and even if vendors accept cash, they may not have the right change.