China's distances change how a trip is planned. Beijing in the north, Shanghai on the coast, Xi'an inland and Guangzhou and Hong Kong in the south are separated by hours of flying or high-speed rail, and each sits in a different climate zone — Harbin holds an ice festival through the winter while the far south stays subtropical.
The guides on this page cover Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Harbin and other destinations, with a countrywide overview of major landmarks. Practical planning is unusually front-loaded here: entry rules and visa arrangements change periodically and should be checked close to departure, popular sites including sections of the Great Wall and major museums use registration systems that fill days ahead, and everyday payments run through domestic mobile apps rather than cards.