You will find here the results of our backpackers' survey as well as comments on some aspects of China.
We asked backpackers who had traveled in China for more than three weeks already to answer the followings :
Do
you like China ? 97%
of the backpackers surveyed (75) say yes ! (same)
For various political
reasons, China and the Chinese are afflicted with a bad image. As a
consequence, quite a few westerners simply refuse to consider China as a
backpacker's destination. "Why
bother with China while Thailand is next door ?" The facts are : nearly
all the travelers who had the courage to come enjoyed it, would happily come
back and would recommend it... As a global travel experience, few countries can beat China !
Would you happily come back ? 96% of the backpackers surveyed (75) say yes ! (same)
China is such a huge country that it is difficult to see it all in one shot. You would require a minimum of 4 months and still miss some extreme parts... The travelers we asked would however come back mostly because they enjoyed it ! As simple as that.
Would you recommend China ? 95% of the backpackers surveyed (75) say yes ! (up)
Not only were most of the backpackers we asked happy with their experience but they were also willing to advertise for it !
We
also asked them to rate the followings :
The tourists attractions
Backpackers : 16.27 /20 (down)
An overall good rate for China’s sights. Considering its size and
unique culture, China is a tourist attraction in itself and arguably the
most interesting country to visit in Asia : beautiful scenery, delicate
temples, massive monuments, exquisite gardens,… China is so potentially
rich that it is expected to become the first country visited in the world by
the year 2020. It might be a good idea to go there before the crowd...
The city scenery
Backpackers : 11.20 /20 (up)
OK, so you basically do not go to China for its cities. With a
few exceptions, the idea behind the urbanism process has more to do
with efficiency (how to pack as many people as possible in the less possible
space) than aestheticism or ecology. The basic model is a set of depressing
concrete buildings with a People's Park and
some commercial centers. Fortunately, the busy streets and various cultural
shocks always add color and interest to the scene. And in some cases like
Chongqing, you might even be surprised to discover that ugliness actually
has got some charm…
The natural scenery
Backpackers : 17.35
/20 (same)
There is a misconception about China that this is a country to visit mostly
for its cultural heritage. In fact, while some people are disappointed by the cultural attractions, China’s
scenery usually
deliver well above the expectations. The choice is wide and the quality is
high : sand dunes (Dunhuang), snow peaks (Songpan), alpine lake (Tianchi),
rice terraces (Longsheng), karsts peaks (Yangshuo), deep gorge (Tiger
Leaping), grassland (Mongolia), mountains (quite a few places), caves,…
With the exception of tropical beaches or jungle, China could set
the reference for the rest of Asia...
The cultural opportunities
Backpackers : 14.74 /20 (up)
Being for
the monuments, temples, museums or the Chinese culture as a whole, China is
certainly worth a long visit. Still, China might leave some people
slightly frustrated. Here is a country which advertise more than 5,000 years
of history but whose population, being too busy trying to make
money, seem to care little about their cultural heritage.
The atmosphere is certainly better now than during the "Cultural Revolution”
of the late 60's (Chinese people climb on the monuments
only to make photos nowadays) but it remains somehow as superficial as
the flashy restored monuments designed to attract tourism all
over the country...
The
food Backpackers
: 17.17 /20 (up)
One of the great pleasure of
traveling in China ! Ordering it might be sometimes problematic but Chinese cuisine, with the exception maybe of its exotic extremes, is definitively
one of the best cuisine in the world. One of the most varied also thanks to
all the regional preferences. Sichuan dishes are particularly famous (and
spicy) with such specialties as Chicken with peanuts (gongbao jiding) which
you can order everywhere in China with various success. Prices, as you would expect for a developing
country, are very reasonable, provided that you avoid some ridiculously expensive
"delicacies"...
The
infrastructures
Backpackers : 12.53 /20 (up)
China is on the motorway to
development and is improving its infrastructures at the speed of its trains.
The roads that were considered bad and dangerous two years ago are likely to
be of acceptable standard by now and travel times are being shortened
accordingly. This does not mean that the roads are perfectly safe or that
traveling in some areas is less of an
adventure than before, but it means that you are most likely to easily find
a transport to your next destination, which is already a performance.
The
cost of living and traveling
Backpackers : 14.29 /20 (down)
A fair
rating : the east coast & big cities are expensive but
the minorities or remotes areas are dirt cheap, the
tourist attractions are expensive but the food is
excellent value, transportation between places is not
cheap but local beers cost nearly nothing... Avoid the
expensive places, save your money for what is really worth
seeing and China will become an economical place to
visit !
The
safety Backpackers :
16.80 /20 (down)
From a western perspective,
China is a fairly safe country to visit. Still, the usual precautions
prevail, in particular in the big cities and around the busy places : watch
your bags and keep your valuables out of sight. Physical aggressions are
uncommon with foreigners and fights are usually reserved for the locals
after a traffic accident...
The
cleanliness Backpackers
: 9.28 /20 (up)
If you arrive from India,
you might be impressed by the cleanliness of China's streets. Otherwise, it
is as you would expect from a developing country... Actually, tourists
areas are usually well maintained and the main streets of the big cities are
quite clean but as soon as you
leave the crowd or take a small alley, you discover real dirty China !
The
pollution Backpackers
: 7.03 /20 (up)
The lowest rate of all the
survey ! Yes, China is polluted ! According to the World Resources Institute in Washington, 9 of the 10 most air-polluted cities in the world
are in China ! Globally, air pollution accounts for 300,000 deaths every
year. This is due to the sad fact that China rely at 75% on coal for its
energy. Those scary statistics should however be more of your concern if you
plan to work in China than just traveling through a few dirty cities on
your way to a mountain area...
The
Shopkeepers' attitude Backpackers
: 11.59 /20 (up)
An average
rate for a very average behaviour. Chinese shopkeepers are usually not
agressive but they can be pushy (when you wish to have a look) or sleepy (when
you wish to buy something). In addition, they usually try to overcharge their
customers (Chinese or foreigners alike). This is certainly annoying but part of
the game of shopping in Asia...
The
Minorities' attitude
Backpackers : 14.98 /20 (up)
A difficult question with a
big scale of answers. Indeed, how to rate the 55 ethnic minorities of China
which represent 7% of the population ? Some
are friendly (most of them actually) while some are primarily interested by
your money... As a whole, minorities areas offer some of the best experience
/ cost ratio of China : wild countryside, charming villages, colorful
costumes, ancestral traditions, specific dialect,... But some of those areas
also have their downside : lack of hygiene, poverty, bad transportation,
very basic accommodations,... To go there is sometime an adventure. But what an
adventure !
The
Chinese people's attitude Backpackers
: 14.22
/20 (up)
No, the Chinese people are
not as highly civilized and sociable as some writers would like us to
believe. But on the contrary, they also do not qualify as "spitting
dog eaters with a fondness for destroying temples" ! Actually, most of
the backpackers reckons that, despite communication problems, the Chinese people are fairly friendly and helpful. Still, any amount of time spent in
China will at one point or another play on your nerve : the Chinese people
live naturally and pay little attention to the disturbance they might cause
to other peoples... If you can read French, see the
section culture shocks for more
details.
Entertainment
Backpackers : 10.47 /20 (down)
Backpackers do not usually
go to China for the fiesta and this is better that way as they are less
likely to be disappointed. In the big cities, discos and bars provide some
kind of distractions but in the rest of the country, going out means singing
at one karaoke parlor or watching a kung fu movie.
The best places for partying are backpackers' paradises like Yangshuo
or Lijiang but, then, this is not
real China...
Shopping
Backpackers : 14.61 /20 (same)
China's made products are
cheap so it's tempting to buy quite a few things. Bear in mind however that
the "made in China" label is not yet synonym of quality. It is therefore usually better to stick to what China does
best : traditional Chinese products. When shopping, always negotiate as it
is part of the game for the shopkeeper to try to overcharge you. As for
souvenirs, China boost what is probably the widest (and wildest) choice of kitsch stuff in the
world !
Generally,
the country Backpackers
: 16.43 /20 (up)
A good overall rate for
Great China : numerous tourists sights, great scenery, intriguing culture,
welcoming locals, available transportation, tasty food and reasonable prices,
all spiced with a lot of culture
shocks... A guaranteed change from the old routine
!
Value
for money
Globally, China
remains a good
travel bargain. But it is a big country and the
state of development and costs vary according to the area.
If you
are money cautious, spend more time in the remote parts than on the east
coast...
Give your opinion ! If you have traveled in China for more than 3 weeks, please participate to our surveys !
Compare China with the other countries and see the evolutions in the Asia Section.
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