China Family Adventure Blog

Are Packaged Candy and Treats Safe?

2015-04-06T05:28:00.001-04:00

"Are packaged candy and treats safe to eat in China? We're going to avoid street food, but can we eat gum/candy/snacks that are packaged? "

Sandy
Boston

Sandy,

Yes, packaged goods are fine. In terms of food safety in the streets, i.e. restaurants, stalls, small stands, etc. our general rule is to stick with establishments that are well-frequented and food is well-cooked, fresh and piping hot. Food at five-star hotel buffets that has been sitting there for a while could go bad, while street food with people lining up ready to take it as it comes out from the flames would be fine. So rather than "avoiding street food" just avoid food that looks doubtful and has been sitting there with no takers!

Here's more on Food Safety

Have a great trip!

How Much Yuan Should I Bring?

2015-02-25T12:49:00.000-05:00

"How much Yuan should I bring for 10 days in Beijing, I will be traveling by train to nearby cities, such as Shanghai? I am traveling alone".

Clyde,
Temple Hills.

Clyde, if you have an ATM card, there is no need to bring lots of cash, you can withdraw money at the ATM's as you go, there are ATM machines at the train stations.

Here's more on changing money, exchange rates and using ATM cards: Chinese Money Questions

Chinese New Year Traditions - Putting Away Knives!

2015-02-18T02:58:00.000-05:00

"Is it permissible to prepare dinner on New years Day provided all the ingredients were pre cut the day before,so as not to use knives etc."

Roberto
El Salvador

Superstitions dictate that all food must be prepared ahead of time and all knives must be put away.

Using a knife during the first days of the New Year "cuts off" all the good luck for the coming year.

So yes, you can prepare dinner on New Year's Day when all your igredients have been pre-cut the day before!

More Chinese New Year Traditions

Feliz Año de la Cabra!

Hello Kitty Theme Park Coming to China

2011-05-30T03:34:00.000-04:00

Seems like a race for children theme parks in China. Following the news of the opening of a new Disneyland Park in Shanghai in 2015, Hello Kitty has announced their own grand opening of a new Hello Kitty Theme Park scheduled for 2014 to the delight of Chinese fans of this well-known character.

Construction is expected to begin in July on the 150-acre theme park in China’s Zhejiang province, about three hours west of Shanghai, according to China’s Xinhua news agency.

This would be the first Hello Kitty theme park outside Japan.

Suzhou Silk Factories

2011-05-23T07:30:00.000-04:00

In Suzhou city where they have the silk factories, do you think we can arrange a tour for our child to understand the silk making?

Elizabeth
UAE

Silk factories in Suzhou are great, they will show you from the beginning to the end, i.e. from silk worm cocoon until the finished beautiful silks made into dresses, carpets, embroideries, etc. it was really fun to watch.

Here are some pictures from our visit and you can follow the process:

Our visit was arranged through our tour company, I'm sure you can arrange one through your hotel/hostel, they should be able to point you in the right direction.

Can We Manage Without a Tour Guide in China?

2011-05-19T09:46:00.000-04:00

Do you think we can manage without a tour guide in China?
Elizabeth,
United Arab Emirates

Yes you can! Although traveling on your own in China really boils down to your own individual preferences and circumstances.

Traveling on your own in the bigger cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Xian is relatively easy as the infrastructure is there to cater to visitors. Once you go further away from the major centers it might be a bit more challenging and the level of English spoken there also decreases. But you also find that the people are warmer and eager to lend a hand. Just go with the flow and keep your cool! Everything works out in the end.

Here's a few tips for China Travel on Your Own

Riding Trains in China with Children

2011-05-12T02:40:00.000-04:00

Can a 9 year old child ride free of charge in the trains in China?
Elizabeth
United Arab Emirates

There have been some recent changes to China's Railway Policy. The last changes were effective December 1, 2010. Concerning traveling with children, the fares are determined according to the child's height rather than the age as follows:

Children that measure less than 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) ride for free with an accompanying adult. Only one child can ride for free per paying adult, additional children even if less than the stipulated height will pay half of one regular adult fare.

Children with heights between 1.2 - 1.5 meters (3.9 feet-4.9 feet) pay half-price of the regular adult fare.

Children taller than 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) pay full price.

Legally, a child in China is anyone under 18 years old. Children may not ride alone on the trains, must always be accompanied by an adult.

Traveling for a Month in China

2011-05-12T02:25:00.000-04:00

I have learned a lot from your web site, I need some ideas from you on budget family accomodations. Can you recommend places in Xian, Zhangjiajie and Guilin.

Do you think staying in China for a month is a worthwhile experience?

Thanks a lot

Hoping to hear from you soon.

Elizabeth
United Arab Emirates

Elizabeth,

Thank you for contacting us and your kind words regarding our site.

Although we cannot make specific recommendations for hotels, we have provided some general guidelines here:

Where to Stay in China - Accomodations in China

A month in China is definitely a worthwhile experience, it is such a big place you need several trips to see it all! However, it will really depend on your own travel style, sometimes traveling in China can get too chaotic and stressful, some people are able to take it easy and just go for the ride, a month passes quite quickly, other people are not too open to new things and attitudes and then the trip might turn out to be a bit stressful and a month will seem like a life time.

I hope you have a great trip, please come back to our site and tell us all about it!

Miriam

Effects of Japan's Nuclear Radiation on China Travel

2011-03-16T11:04:00.002-04:00

Are there any effects from Japan's nuclear fallout affecting China Travel?

According to a Central Weather Bureau (CWB) report, currently no nuclear radiation will travel from Japan due to a strong northeast monsoon. It will likely bring low temperatures and intermittent showers to Taiwan and the offshore islands today but there is no danger of nuclear radiation moving from Japan.

The CWB forecasts however that the wind direction might change on March 17. We will post an update regarding conditions of any radiation fallout then.

A State Oceanic Administration official has stated that the nuclear leakage in Japan caused by last week's 9.0-magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami would not affect the East China Sea in the near future. The administration has been monitoring radiation in the East China Sea area since Japan's nuclear leakage.

The Japan Earthquake and how we can help

2011-03-15T15:06:00.000-04:00

Our heart goes out to the people of Japan and will keep you in our prayers.

Here is a link to a Tokyo-based nonprofit NGO consultant with information on organizations that need our monetary support for their relief efforts: Help for Japan.

Would you help us celebrate Chinese New Year?

2010-11-10T08:28:00.002-05:00

A request to all our readers and friends:

My name is Lisa Matthews and I am the Special Projects Coordinator for the Robeson County Public Library System in North Carolina. We would love to continue to offer the patrons of our rural community fun and exciting programs.

Our rural community is the third poorest making us the poorest in North Carolina. Our patrons are suffering. We are planning on having an event for Chinese New Year and other programs for adults and kids. Would you consider donating any items to help us celebrate? If you have samples or any items even with defects we would gladly take them off your hands.

Thanks so much for your time.

Lisa Matthews,

RCPL

101 N Chestnut Street

Lumberton, North Carolina

28358

P.S. Tax letters will be sent.

Our Favorite Documentary about the Middle Kingdom: Wild China

2010-11-08T08:22:00.001-05:00

Our favorite documentary about the Middle Kingdom, Wild China takes you on a breathtaking journey of this land, its natural beauty and its people.

From the BBC Video series, if you enjoyed Planet Earth and Blue Planet, you will love Wild China!

The two-disc series includes 6 Episodes:

Heart of the Dragon
Shangri La
Tibet
Land of the Panda
Beyond the Great Wall
Tides of Change

This wonderful production is available from Amazon:

DVD - US$17.99
Blu-ray - US$24.99
Amazon Video on Demand individual episodes from US$2.99 each (USA only)

Watch a clip from Wild China.

Yangtze River Dam to reach full capacity for the first time

2010-10-26T09:27:00.001-04:00

The Yangtze River Three Gorges Dam Project is expected to raise the water level to its maximum target of 175 meters (575 feet) for the first time this week. Although it has worked at nearly full capacity for the past year, water levels had stopped short of the 175 meter maximum target due to droughts and other factors in the lower reaches.

More on our visit to the Three Gorges Dam and crossing of the locks.

Need Advice for Beijing and Great Wall Toboggan

2010-07-06T03:16:00.002-04:00

I really enjoyed reading your blog. I am 9 and have moved to Bangkok for my Dad's work. My mother, my little brother and I want to go to Beijing to see the Great Wall. Do you feel safe in Beijing and is the tobbogan safe? Some people say it is dangerous but I REALLY want to do it! Do you have any tips for kids in Beijng? I would love your feedback.

Thank you,
Anna Olivia in Bangkok

Dear Anna Olivia,

I was 7 when I first went to Beijing, I remember my mom being all freaked out with the traffic and people not obeying the traffic lights. Beijing is a safe city but like all big cities, you always need to be careful, mostly with the crazy traffic and the pick-pockets that might try to get your money, and the vendors at the stalls that also try to get you to buy everything. The main tourist places and public transportation can get very crowded, so you need to take care of your little brother so he doesn't run around!

Beijing is one of my favorite cities, what I enjoyed most was zipping around the Hutongs in a rickshaw, seeing the Pandas at the Beijing Zoo, the Kung Fu Show, and of course the Toboggan at the Great Wall.

Regarding the Great Wall Toboggan, you need to go to the Mutianyu section of the wall, this is where the toboggan is. It is very safe and there is safety personnel stationed all the way the toboggan route, mainly telling the ones that were going too fast to slow down and the ones taking pictures to stop doing that. I wasn't tall enough then and had to ride with my dad, he let me operate the brake and it wasn't difficult. You control your own speed and can go slow if you want, just tell the person behind you to wait a while before going down, otherwise some people that want to go fast get very impatient behind you. So depending on your height they might let you go alone or you will have to go with an adult. It was a lot of fun and definitely you have to do it.

Hope you have a fun trip, please write back tell us all about it and send us some pics!

Christopher (10)

The Shanghai Expo 2010 has opened!

2010-05-01T05:12:00.000-04:00

With a final total of 189 countries participating in this great event and bringing their best to the world, the long-awaited Shanghai World Expo 2010 is finally underway.

Photo from the official site at expo2010.cn

In a spectacular ceremony with thousands of watchers and prominent international dignitaries, fireworks exploded and lit up the Bund, the waterfront promenade.

Performances featured world-renowned pianist Lang Lang and other international stars including Andrea Boccelli and Shinji Tanimura. And this is only the beginning! More than 100 cultural performances are planned throughout the Expo site every day!!! There are more than 20,000 events earmarked for the entire 6 month run of this World Fair.

What if you can't attend? Expo will come to you. For the first time ever, there is an interactive online version of the Expo. You can take a virtual Site Tour, Zone A is the center of the country pavillions. There are online games, puzzles, etc. Visit Expo Shanghai Online here.

Shanghai with 5-year Old Grand Daughter

2009-10-30T03:03:00.004-04:00

We are thinking of going to Shanghai at the beginning of next year. We have a 5 year old granddaughter who will be travelling with us and was wondering if this would be a good place to take her or do you think that she may be too young to appreciate it.

Please advise.

Sally from Wellington, New Zealand

Dear Sally,

Thanks for writing, I can only give you my opinion on whether traveling with a 5-year-old to Shanghai might be worthwhile. At this age, kids don't really have an appreciation for the historical/cultural aspect of the trip; however, what really counts is the overall experience, and they do start seeing the world with different eyes, not everything works like it does at home.

Here's a page that covers that topic and might be of help:

http://www.china-family-adventure.com/travel-to-china-with-toddlers-preschoolers.html

Personally, I started hauling my son since he was two months old and never regretted it. When he was five, I think we took him to London and Paris, he does remember "the big clock" and the "tall tower" where his ears got soooo cold, but at that age, not much sticks, and forget the Mona Lisa. So same goes for Shanghai, kids have the most fun at the markets not the museums!

Hope this helps, everyone you ask will have a different opinion, so do what feels best to you, have a great trip and come back and tell us about it!

Have you ever done a tour in China by train? If so, would it be suitable for our grand daughter, or should we just stay in Shanghai & do day trips?

How long would you stay in Chengdu to see the pandas?

Kids love trains, specially the overnight ones, my son thought it was a real adventure. Keep in mind Shanghai is gearing up for the Expo in 2010, the entire infrastructure is getting an overhaul, new metro lines being added, high speed rail construction everywhere, etc. so there might be delays and a bit of confusion with train schedules but not much different than it has been in the past, it seems the entire country, but specially the big cities have been under construction permanently. Trains run reliably well, sometimes a bit too crowded but overall, an easy and economical way to get around.

If you have the time, definitely go to Chengdu, there is more to do here for kids than Shanghai (in my opinion) there are several places to see the pandas and lots of day trips or overnight trips from here. You could easily spend a week in the area. These pages will give you an idea of things to do:

http://www.china-family-adventure.com/chengdu-with-children.html

Again, thanks for writing!

Beijing and Hong Kong in the Spring, Tibet with Children

2009-10-28T04:30:00.005-04:00

We are traveling whit family kid's 9 and 10 in Beijing Feb 27 and Hong Kong March 07. Can you give us recommendations for hotels, restaurants, activities?

Is it possible to go to Tibet with kids?

Bélanger,
from Canada

There is plenty to do in both Beijing and Hong Kong with kids. For our recommendations on things to see and do, check out these pages:

Things to do with kids in China

As far as hotels and restaurants, we cannot give specific recommendations since it will depend on your personal preferences and budget. Generally speaking, we like the Wang Fu Jing area in Beijing, as it is very pedestrian friendly, with lots of restaurants, food markets, shopping, etc. The kids like walking around the night markets and trying all sorts of new foods.

In Hong Kong, it's also a matter of preference whether you stay in the mainland or island areas, as transportation is easy, cheap, and accessible. We like the Tsim Sha Tsui area, for some, this might be too congested, but that's what Hong Kong is all about!

To book hotels, we like using Hotels Combined, which lets you search all the different hotel offerings for the time you are planning to travel.

Who has the best hotel deals?


AUSTRALIA		SPAIN
	MALAYSIA
GREECE
	BRAZIL
GERMANY

Compare 30 sites at ONCE!

Regarding Tibet with kids, specially your ages 9 and 10, it is possible, but there are some precautions you need to take, altitude sickness, food, are some. You can find more information here:

Tibet with Children

as well as some recommendations in some areas in Sichuan Province where you can also enjoy Tibetan culture, at much lower and less harsher conditions.

Enjoy your trip!

Kung Fu Show in Beijing

2009-07-06T02:54:00.007-04:00

We want to see the Kung Fu show when we are in Beijing this month. could you please provide info about the address and contact phone number.
Nancy

The Show we attended was "The Legend of Kung Fu", at the Red Theatre.

The address is: 44 Xing Fu Da Jie, Chongwen District, Beijing.
Phone numbers: 67142473, 67103671, 67148691.

Check it out on our Beijing Map here. It's just around the corner from the Temple of Heaven.

There are daily performances at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary depending on seating preference, they start at around 180 yuan.

For more info, you can check out their website: www.legendofkungfu.com

A Year after the Sichuan Earthquake

2009-05-07T07:47:00.004-04:00

The first anniversary of the Wenchuan Earthquake is just around the corner. Many have written us to ask what the conditions are like now at the main areas.

The Wolong Panda Reserve which was destroyed remains closed. Most of the pandas were relocated to the Bifengxia Reserve in Ya'an. You can learn more about the Bifengxia Reserve here. Just this month, re-construction of the Wolong facilities, with a number of projects by the Hong Kong and Chinese Governments was announced.

And at the Jiuzhaigou Valley, tourism is slowly returning to the area. I spoke to Keiran Fitzgerald, a representative of the Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve:

"Sichuan tourism is still quite low. The May holiday was our busiest time since the earthquake last year with over 6 thousand arriving on Saturday the 2nd. Hopefully the numbers will continue to rise during the year. The local people who rely a lot on tourism have had their income reduced a lot but people are hopeful for a good year.

Also, he remarked that on June 1st, Children's Day, all children under 14 will enjoy free admission into the park, so if you are planning to be in the area next month, it would be a great opportunity to enjoy this beautiful park along with many families and support all those who have been affected by last year's earthquake.

If you are planning a trip to Sichuan, this is a good time to go. Infrastructure is in place and most tourist areas are accessible, attractions will not be as crowded and you might find better deals on hotels and facilities.

What is the status of Swine Flu in China?

2009-04-29T03:55:00.002-04:00

There are no confirmed cases of Swine Flu in China so far and no reports of the virus being found in pigs in latest control tests. There are however, no guarantees that China will not be affected.

With a population of 1.3 billion people, and the world's largest pig population, the consequences would be disastrous if the virus took hold in the country. Preventive measures are being stepped up such as enhanced inspection at entry points, advance sterilization of passing vessels, closely monitoring of regions with large numbers of pigs and a round-the-clock working plan at all medical departments ordered by the Health Ministry.

We hope lessons learned from the SARS outbreak in 2003 will help better prepare China to deal openly with any possible effects of the Swine Flu.

Here's the complete Xinhua News Report

How much money should we bring?

2009-02-26T04:54:00.002-05:00

Your site is wonderful and gets better the more I read. :) We have about 10-12 days for our China trip at the end of June/beginning of July. We are a family of 4 and we want to see and do as much as we can but we are also probably average spenders nothing too extravagant as far as eating, etc.

Can you give me some idea of about how much money is needed for an average trip of two weeks? I know it all depends on personal spending, but for hotel we will use a credit card I am sure, but for all else I would imagine we would pay in local currency.

I guess I just want to have an idea of costs of entering the zoo, a boat ride, or a museum. Are things comparable to the United States as far as cost? Thanks again so much for your wealth of information and your wisdom.

J.K. from California

How much money to bring? China is considerably cheaper than the U.S., Shanghai is probably the most expensive city. Boat rides, entrance fees, etc, are reasonable, allow on average $5 each per activity, some will be less, some a bit more. For example, entrance to the Beijing Zoo was about US$2, to the Forbidden City US$8, the Terracotta Warriors were a bit more US$12, the boat ride to the Summer Palace less than a dollar, renting bikes at the Xian Wall about $2 each.

For food, with $3 - $4 per person you will eat really well, with $5 per meal you will eat like kings, except in Shanghai, there is everything here, like in California, there is a great variety of food... and prices.

Regarding transportation, taxis are inexpensive, metro and buses even more. A single ride in the Shanghai Metro for example is only a few cents (Rmb3-8) Here's more on transportation in the cities.

So I still haven't answered your question of how much money to bring. The easiest answer is, there are ATM's everywhere, specially at airports and train stations, so there is no need to bring too much cash. You can always make a stop at the ATM if you are running low.

When exchanging money, the rates at the hotels, banks, etc are all the same, but you get a slightly better exchange rate with traveler cheques rather than cash.

China Cruise Land Excursions

2009-02-22T06:41:00.006-05:00

We are going on a cruise and will call on Xiamen - 10.00-18.00 and 2 full days in Shanghai. Would we be able to see the Great Wall and Terracota Army. Can you recommend best places to see within this limited time?

Sindy from the U.K.

Unfortunately your cruise itinerary is very tight. Xiamen is in the southern part of China, the Great Wall is in Beijing, in the north. The Terracotta Army is inland in Xian. You would have to fly to both places, so I don't recommend seeing either of them on this trip. You can easily spend two days in Shanghai, there is a lot to see and do here, there are some recommendations in our Shanghai page:

Things to do in Shanghai

In addition, you might want to visit the Shanghai Museum, we didn't since we were with the kids, not their thing, but it is one of the best ones in China.

I haven't been to Xiamen and can't give you any recommendations, but check out the tripadvisor.com forums for things to do for a day:

Activities in Xiamen Fujian

On the other hand, if you would like to give it a try, it is technically possible to do either the Great Wall or the Terracotta Warriors in one day from Shanghai, but it would mean sacrificing one of your Shanghai days.

There are flights early in the morning and returning late in the evening, check www.ctrip.com or www.elong.net for flights.

Once you land, I would recommend hiring a guide ahead of time so you can make the most of your short trip and visit a few other places. The Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, Tiananmen, Hutongs etc. are all close to each other, and you could choose one of the wall sections nearest Beijing, either Badaling or Juyongguan.

You can check the forums in Tripadvisor.com there are a few guides recommended by travelers and they have their own cars, will pick you up at the airport and drop you off at the end of the day. Other way to find excellent guides is through concierge services at hotels.

It can be done but know it won't be a relaxing day, so try to get your rest on the other days of the cruise!

If I had to choose between the Wall or the Warriors, I would go with the Wall. Sometimes the Warriors go on tour and you might be able to catch them by your place, they were in London a couple of years ago.

Flights to China

2009-02-22T05:18:00.001-05:00

We are a military family with two kids the same age as yours. We have traveled Europe extensively all on our own and thoroughly enjoyed it. We were initially going to take a tour for our upcoming trip in June/July but after reading through your site we are doing it on our own.

Your trip and advice is priceless and I just wanted to thank you for such a wealth of information.

Do you personally recommend flying into Shanghai or Beijing or no preference? We are flying from Los Angeles. Also, we have about 10 days or so. Do you recommend just Beijing or do you think it is worth trying to get a few more cities other than Beijing? How easy is travel within China?

Jill from L.A.

With 10-12 days I would definitely try to see a few cities.

Flying to Beijing and flying back to the U.S. from Shanghai (or viceversa) to avoid going back to the same place to catch the flight home. There should not be any big difference in the airfare.

With 12 days you could try: Beijing 4, Xian 2, Guilin/Yanghsuo 2-3, Shanghai 3. It is very easy to travel within China, you can check flights in advance at either elong.net or ctrip.com

Even though it is cheaper to book your flights while in China, I would recommend having them ready before you arrive because with only 12 days, you don't have much room to play with. You could also try the overnight train from Beijing/Xian, saves on one night hotel and the kids love the adventure.

About Vegetarian Food in China

2009-02-22T05:17:00.000-05:00

Hi! Miriam. Your website is very helpful. I'm planning a trip to Beijing and Shanghai for my family next month. I would appreciate if you could give more information on family friendly restaurants, where to get Muslim or Vegetarian food in both cities. Thanks so much.

Sri from Malaysia

Vegetarian restaurants in both Beijing and Shanghai are becoming more popular. Shanghai being more of an "international city" will have the most options. It is hard to recommend specific restaurants because it will depend on the areas where you will be, both cities are spread out, you might find yourself traveling for an hour before you can reach a specific restaurant.

What I can recommend is taking a look at the "Happy Cow" website, which lists several options, you can look them up on the interactive map, and they also have reviews where other people comment on the restaurant. Here are the links:

www.happycow.net/asia/china/beijing/index.html

www.happycow.net/asia/china/shanghai/index.html

As far as "family firendly" all restaurants in China are family friendly and love kids, this is not a problem.

To be honest, we never really purposely looked for a vegetarian restaurant, we just found ourselves eating in the area we happened to be, instead of looking for specific restaurants. If the restaurant passed the "people test" (full of patrons which would assure freshest food) then that’s where we headed to.

Chinese food is generally very "veggie-friendly", but that being said, "vegetarianism" per se is not that common. You will find that many Chinese that call themselves "vegetarians" also eat fish and dairy products. Also, the vegetables might be cooked in lard. So when eating at a "regular" restaurant you are better off having your veggies steamed or boiled.

Have a wonderful trip, let us know how your trip went and specially how you got along with the food!

Transportation in the Cities

2009-02-22T05:15:00.003-05:00

I have read people are spending $600 on cab rides to go visit the wall. Are they serious or are they just not bargaining or is that really the rate? We would like to be able to fly into Beijing then take trips to all the places you recommended and is it realistic to be able to take buses, metro, cabs, etc

Jill from L.A.

US$600 for a cab to the wall? Maybe they meant Rmb 600? That is about US$80.

There are different places to go see the wall, one of the further sections, the one at Simatai/Jinshanling is about a 3-4 hour ride, a taxi there would cost approx US$80-100 for the four of you.

I'm not sure how much prices have changed after the Beijing Olympics, but can't imagine going up that much!

Regarding transportation in the city, Metro and buses can get VERY crowded, I would recommend sticking with taxis, they are inexpensive. The ride from Beijing airport to the hotel for example (about 30-40 min.) was about US$12. Since you have 4 in your group, easier than trying to figure out public transport.

Remember to have all your addresses written in Chinese. You don't bargain with the city taxis, they use the meter.

You only bargain for places like the Great Wall, where they will bring you and WAIT for you to bring you back.