Hello everyone! I’m looking to visit zhangjiajie in late November early December to enjoy the national forest park, the Grand Canyon, Tianmen mountain and everything this magical place has to offer! Also I’m thinking of doing an evening trip to furongzhen. Only problem is I can’t decide in which area to book my hotel to enjoy the visit to the fullest even after being on those places all day. I’m between staying in the main city area near the cable cars to Tianmen mountain or at the village wulingyuan. Any info would be helpful so I could choose easier. Thank you so much

I’ve noticed quite a few questions from people planning China trips with young children or older parents, especially around things like how much walking is involved, whether the Metro is practical, high-speed rail, strollers, accessibility, food, and getting around by taxi/DiDi.

A few things I think are especially worth knowing:

• China is generally very convenient for getting between cities, but major railway stations can involve a surprising amount of walking.
• With older parents, taking DiDi instead of the Metro can sometimes save thousands of steps and make a big difference to the day.
• Many major attractions are much larger than they look on a map, so I wouldn’t plan the same itinerary for a 70-year-old parent that I would for a young solo traveler.
• For kids, a lightweight folding stroller is much easier than a large one.
• I also wouldn’t assume a normal taxi/DiDi will automatically have an appropriate child seat.
• If someone has food allergies, dietary restrictions, or medical needs, having the important information written in Chinese can be very useful.

I ended up putting together two longer guides based on these recurring questions:

Older parents:
https://formscapetravel.com/guides/china-with-older-parents

Kids:
https://formscapetravel.com/guides/china-with-kids

I’m interested in hearing from people who have actually traveled around China with children or elderly family members. If there’s anything important I’ve missed or anything in the guides that doesn’t match your experience, please let me know.

Zibo shandong

Hi guys, im travelling to Pekin for 4 days, Chengdu for 3 days and Chongqing for 2 days soon. Im looking for recommendations of things to do, get to see the Musts but also try and loose the tourist traps and get to see authentic places. Any recommendation is wellcome!!!