China has always been a country that I knew very little about. Having read and learnt facts about China from western media, I can’t deny that my biases and caution about travelling there had affected my decision in visiting the country.

I have been so fortunate to travel to over 80 countries in my lifetime and frankly China until now, had not been on my radar. Having just returned from a three week adventure from North to South China using trains, Didis (China’s answer to Uber), buses and rafts – over 3500kms, I now have a better understanding of this incredible country.

This China trip took many hours of research and preparation as we travelled independently. If you do not feel as adventurous as we were, I advise you talk to me first and we consider the other options like using a specialist tour operator to help with the travel arrangements. There were times when I felt very out of my depth with the language and making myself understood. ‘Google Translate’ is a must unless you are a proficient mandarin speaker. There are other apps you will need before you go to China which I can tell you about too.

Touching down in Beijing after a ten hour direct flight with China Southern, we started our epic journey. We visited the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall in the short time we were there. The Forbidden City is the imperial palace complex in the centre of the city. It was the residence of 24 Ming and Qing dynasty Emperors. This is where the rulers operated from for over 500 years from 1420 to 1924. We hired a local guide for the afternoon who navigated us through the Forbidden City. I learnt that the Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 by UNESCO. Tiananmen Square is huge! I was reminded of the history of the square, especially as I remembered the student protests and demonstrations in 1989. As a twenty something back in the late 1980s, I was alarmed at what happened.

Travelling to China in late December and early January meant that the crowds at the Summer Palace were non-existent. In fact, everywhere we travelled had minimum visitors due to it being low season. I saw some hearty individuals breaking the ice and swimming at the Kunming Lake, by the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace is a wonderful area of open space with the lake, gardens and palaces in Beijing. It was an imperial garden during the Qing dynasty. This again is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.

The Great Wall was a defence project of successive Chinese Empires. The total length of it being more than 20,000kms. The wall is interspersed with watch towers and shelters as well as fortresses and passes. This was the only place we experienced crowds. It is a sight to behold.

From Beijing, we had our first train journey. You don’t need to have a train ticket on you as China’s transport system is so ahead on technology, the seamless check in is similar to using your boarding pass for a flight. Flash your passport and the gates open to allow you through. The trains and train stations run very smoothly and efficiently. Fifteen minutes before the departure time, the platform is announced and you are allowed to head to the platform. You have a designated seat so there is no danger of overcrowding on the network. It puts our UK train system to shame. We travelled at speeds of up to 300kms an hour, through Wuhan on the 5th anniversary of the WHO announcement of the coronavirus pandemic. It was a pinch me moment. After our eleven hour train journey, we arrived at Zhangjiajie. This national park, China’s first has to be the highlight of our trip for me.

If you have heard of the Avatar film, you will know that the mountains in that film were inspired by the real ones in Zhangjiajie. There are hundreds of peaks and mountainous spires within the national park. You can hike around once you have an area pass as the region is serviced by shuttle buses, cable cars and the Bailong elevator. Be alert for monkeys. As we walked down the stunning Golden Whip Stream, I had a monkey jump on my back, trying to grab some of my snacks from my rucksack. He was a brazen near thief which was a tad alarming!

As we travelled in the low season, it offered a totally crowd free experience. This time of year can be colder, yet at the same time, the park is at its quietest.

Next stop was Yangshuo. Renowned for its majestic karst mountains and the stunning scenery of the Li River, it has become one of the most popular destinations for visitors in all of China. We hired some bicycles from our hotel to take in the beautiful natural landscape of the area. We followed the river, cycled out of town in the countryside, where we found ourselves in peaceful countryside with a few locals around. Before leaving Yangshuo, we took bamboo rafts up the Li River. These traditional fishing rafts are a bit of a tourist trap but I thought the forty minute river experience was well worth it.

Heading on another train to the region of Guangzhou province enabled us to visit the Gulong Gorge near Qingyuan. The gorge is located about 70kms from Guangzhou. We were keen to see this national attraction as it has many “world firsts” to its name. This is the world's first glass sightseeing combination that integrates a suspended glass platform, a glass suspension bridge, a glass plank road, a glass mirror, a glass live broadcast room, and a glass sky mirror. The six glass projects are suspended at the top of the mountains and waterfalls. I built up my courage to walk across the glass platform – spanning over 70 metres. The waterfalls are beautiful, with the vertical drop of over 200 metres, this is not for the faint hearted.

I feel I have only scrapped the surface with China. The people are incredibly friendly and helpful. They are courteous, respectful and law abiding. I felt extremely safe to travel around as an independent visitor. After three weeks of enjoying noodles, dumplings, tofu and buns, I am pleased to enjoy some more western foods. It’s been a real cultural immersion, challenging my comfort zone but as a friend advised, that’s not a bad place to be at the beginning of the new year.

(This blog has been written by Karen, CEO & Founder. She visited the China in December 2024.)

From Beijing to Guangzhou...Travel Matters discovers China