China Travel Forum

[jessica]

My husband and I are looking to travel in China with our two children. One will be 4 the other 9 when we go. If anyone has done this and can share tips or things we need to be aware of, I would greatly appreciate it. Cheap accomodation places that are child friendly would be a help too. Any info on whether we should book flights before we go or just do it there would be great too. We want to see Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, the three gorges and are willing to go overland if it's reasonable to do so to save money. Thanks in advance

[Wilson]

Yangshou is a good place to go with children, rafting, cycling, caving, hot air balloons, all sorts for them. I took my 4 and 8 year old girls, they loved it.... Qingdao has nice beaches and so does Sanya if that is what you like... I know you didn't put this in your itinary but just a thought!

[yagmur]

Probably out of your way, but the kite museum and the kite factories in and around Weifang (Shandong) are great. Big cities are not exactly that what children like, but things like science museum (lot of hands-on exhibits) and wildlife parks are great.because the tour interest of child and addult is diffefent.
For the sake of the 4 year old, realize that the child is not yet fully adapted to the "tap" water of china--as one of the other posters have indicated. So, to play it safe with a child of that age on the road, buy bottled water--even to brush his teeth. Bottled water is very inexpensive in china. (I read in a guidebook that the tap water of China has more flouride than in western countries. And that for some western born children it can be harmful--in the long term.) In a restaurant I was given a glass of water, and told it was bottled, which I found out that it wasn't after I took a gulp and tasted it, and within an hour I almost came down with a stomachade. It's fine to drink tap water if your system has already become accustomed to it. In order to neutralize the effect of the tap water that I drank, I had to drink coca-cola. That helped. (It's something that I learned from "folk" medicine in South America. It worked nevertheless.)
In Xi'an, check to see if you can afford to stay at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. It's very child friendly. Even if you can't afford to stay there, check out the lunch or dinner buffet. Food is very fresh and good, and prices are affordable . And, while you might be eating, they have a child's play area, and someone watching after your child. There is no charge for that while you are eating. (To eat in any Western hotel in China, you don't have to be a guest there. You simply pay at the end of the meal.)
If time permits, you can take a side trip by train from Shanghai to Hangzhou. It has a nice park with a huge lake, and a nice pagoda. You can rent a bike for the day, or take a boat from one side to the next.
The flight per adult person from Beijing to Xi'an is approximately $83 dollars. From Xi'an to Shanghai it's about $85 per person. The flight takes approximately 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. Whereas the train can take 12+ hours. I know about the flights because I had to take them. (I have heard that if you pre-book from abroad, rather than in China, it can be a little bit more expensive.)
Have a great time. Hope that helps.

[ailn]

I wouldn't discount a bus entirely, my 7 year old has done fine. Many routes now have the big clean tour type buses and even have a bathroom in the bus. Very comfortable and my son has fallen asleep quickly on two of the four rides so far. I do agree that the train is a better option when it is available and isn't going in a very straight path to your destination. Some places require a lot of rerouting to get around mountains or following rivers and then the bus can be quicker.
Have them learn to wash their hands frequently, don't eat anything that drops to the table, don't drink any water unless you know it has been boiled or comes from a good bottle of water, bring children's medicine you know they will take, expect to have the runs, bring dental floss if you use it, you can purchase computer games and gameboy cartriges very inexpensively, and have them brush their teeth and rinse with bottled water not the tap water. Never drink the tap or shower water unless it has been boiled.
Have a great tour. Have the children look around in a restaurant for what looks appealing to them and order those dishes. There are also lots of fried chicken places if that is the last resort. You can also purchase peanut butter, jelly and bread in many stores in China.

[caspransy]

China as a whole is very friendly towards children. As for the travel details, I agree with all of the above. I must add though, if you can go by train, do it. By sleeper. Its just getting 4 tickets that could be the problem if you are travelling peak time.
However, I feel I must say something from my personal experience. My wife is Chinese and we have 2 kids, we spend half of every year in China. Our girl is nearly 4 and a our boy is 1.
You must prepare yourself for the 'potential' of some very close attention (as in 'up close and personal, in your face' as well as some rather than personal questions and comments - personal from a western point of view that is).
This said, before I go on, my kids are half Chinese and we all speak Chinese. Exactly how people treat purely western kids who cannot engage a non-english speaker in the same way - I am presuming here - I cannot be 100% sure about. What I am about to say not apply.
Beijing and probably Shanghai (I've never been to Shanghai) are far more multicultural now. Seeing western kids is not such an unusual event there. But off the beaten track at all, and WILL be quite a novilty.
I'll give you an example. Me and my wife were sitting down in a park in Chengdu recently (June). Our daughter was playing in the flowers about 20m away. A group of 3 ladies saw and immediately ran over to her and scooped her up in their arms - much to the annoyance of my daughter - so they could all have a go at holding her and to see her properly. This is extreme but it was not the first time. I you say something they will put her down. Also, many people will come up close to have a good look at her. Close in China means close, personal space does not have the same meaning here. Or, they may pull on your 4 year olds arm while he/she is playing to make him/her turn their face (so they can have a proper look at them).
At the very least you will be stared at, as a family, more than most
It can all seem threatenning at times, but let me assure, it absolutely is not meant in a threatenning way at all. It is friendly, but just takes a little getting used to. Especially for the child who is attracting the attention. My daughter is used to it, but still does not like it -she is going through a shy phase at the moment
This said, Chinese people love children. Adore them. They will be very accomodating towards you. We have had people give up seats for us on trains and buses, bus drivers and train staff often let us board first so we don't have to join the mellee that the rest of the population has to push through, we have been allowed to go straight to the front of queues because we are with children, tickets have been found where there were previously none so the children are not put in any discomfort, your 4 year old should get in most places and on all forms of transport except planes for free (unlesss she is particularly tall) - just be aware this means that she may have to sit on your knee if the bus or train is busy and sleep in your bed on the train if you go sleeper, we often get the best seats in restaurants, we have been allowed in 'VIP' waiting rooms at the train station because the main waiting room is standing room only, and it goes on. Oh yes, my wife says people seem to want to rip us off less when we are with the children. Just make sure you deal with the female staff if there is a choice and all this is more likely to happen. Men often don't have the same sympathies.
You should really enjoy yourselves, and so should the children. China is a great place to bring kids. You will be admired for your 'bravery' in bringing the 4 year old. It is very unusual for a Chinese family to travel on holiday with their small kids, even older ones are often packed off to grandparents. They usually think it is too difficult or too dangerous for children. Despite what many people say, it is not. My daughter has done nothing but love travelling through China. Most people are astonished we even contemplate bringing our kids away with us. But they really will think you are the greatest people on earth for bringing your kids so far from home.
Sorry for the lecture. I'll leave you alone now.

[Ben]

Don't waste too much of your time in Shanghai. It's more like a American city. People enjoy Shanghai for its nightlife and club scenes. Two cities within 2 hours of Shanghai are actually much more fun. They are Schuzhou and Hangzhou.