How to get to the Great Wall of China. How to travel and shop in China without knowing Chinese? Help from a person who knows Chinese

I’ll tell you separately about our railway experience and how we got food on this trip. We made all our movements between cities in China by trains.

These were our food requirements. It's good when the cafe has a menu with pictures. I generally like dishes with sweet sauces, although I can't eat a lot of them. But Lena did not like them.

In general, the Chinese have a special love for sweets - it is almost impossible to even find non-sweet bread. We did not find bread in our understanding there at all.

All the sausages that we tried, although they looked like ours, they tasted disgustingly sweet.

The potatoes are all sweet too.

By the way, we liked the Chinese beer.

As a result, we have developed our own set of requirements for dishes:

  • 不辣 - búlà - not spicy,
  • 不甜 - bùtián or 不加糖 - bùjiātáng - not sweet,
  • 没有豆腐 - méiyǒudòufu - without tofu.

Still sometimes you need to say that the dish is packed for us to go. We just showed this phrase written in Chinese. It's time for us to learn it already:

请把这到菜给我包 - Qǐng bǎ zhèdàocài gěi wǒ bāo.

Maybe you will need it on your journey.

One day we tried to order baozi. The menu had no pictures. We saw the familiar hieroglyph 鸡 - Jī - chicken. We were delighted - we decided to order baozi with chicken filling. They were delicious, but we didn't find any chicken there. There was 鸡蛋 - Jīdàn - egg. We knew how the word sounded, but we didn't remember how it was spelled.

A good review about Chinese food was written by the owner of the Way2China blog Anna in the article What and how the Chinese eat.

Made it 65 minutes before departure. I vowed to drive up to the departure on the train back to back in time.

LESSON

  • Before large transfers, flights, leave a day in the city of departure - after all, there is always where to take a walk there, and you will definitely not be late for the plane.

"Do you want to go to China alone, without a group of tourists?" - an employee of the Khabarovsk travel agency looked at me with undisguised horror. "You will get lost there, if only because you don't know the language!" "I assure you, everything will be fine, just help me get a visa!" I insisted.

The desire to see the Middle Kingdom was so strong that the instinct of self-preservation dulled, and the inner voice persuaded to fly, because "there are so many interesting things!" At the same time, I wanted to move around the country on my own, without the standard tourist "look left, look right." It turned out that this is not difficult at all. Moreover, in my opinion, this is the most correct way to see the country in all its diversity. Of course, it would be nice to have acquaintances in China - this automatically solves the most difficult question- with tongue. In addition, local knowledge and insider tips can significantly reduce not only your transportation costs, but also insure against financial losses, and in some cases save your stomach.

To the language barrier!

Before the trip, you need to be aware that in China everyone speaks only Chinese. English is used very little, mainly in big cities- Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong. At first, of course, it is difficult to get used to: all signs, announcements, schedules and menus consist of hieroglyphs, which are rarely duplicated in English. At first, a phrase book saved me, in which there was not only a transcription of Chinese words, but also their spelling. After long training, of course, I learned how to correctly pronounce basic expressions such as "hello" and "how much", but I realized for myself that it is better to show more complex phrases by pointing a finger at a book. The fact is that there are so many dialects in Chinese that a Chinese from the north will never understand a southerner, and vice versa. For example, "forty-four" in northern will be "si shi si", and the inhabitants of the south say "si si si" - something like "shorok setyre". The official language is Putonghua - translated as "common language". To teach its citizens to speak the same way, the government is making many efforts. You turn on some kind of radio, and instead of music, only Mandarin conversations all the way.

Where and how to go

Southern China is good at any time of the year. It is better not to go to the north in winter - the weather practically does not differ from our Central Siberian one. When choosing a route, you need to take into account your financial capabilities and the duration of the visa. For those who want to start their journey from Beijing, it makes sense to take a ticket for a direct air flight (about five hundred and fifty dollars round trip), and from there travel around the country by train. If you are limited in time, then you can fly from city to city and by plane - fortunately, in China they are affordable. I will tell you more about the railway communication. Tickets for any direction can be bought only at the railway station ticket offices. The only problem is explaining which ticket and where you need it. Moreover, it is desirable to do this in Chinese, because even if the station has a window with a sign "Foreigners" ("Foreigners"), it is not a fact that the cashier girl speaks English.

You need to arrive at the station 20-30 minutes before the train leaves - this way you will pass the control relatively calmly. The train will depart minute by minute, and as soon as you get into a "traffic jam" of the Chinese who want to leave with you, write wasted.

There are several classes of Chinese wagons:

The cheapest - no seats. In them, passengers stand or lie on the floor - on newspapers, on anything; Sedentary. It is better not to take risks if you go far, and your back is naughty; Hard-slippers, reminiscent of our second-class sleepers, only shelves in three tiers, the bed is already made, but there are no side seats; Coupes, which are similar to Russian ones, only the carriages are much cleaner, the beds are ruffled, there are carpets on the floor. Every train has a restaurant car - after all, the Chinese are constantly eating something. In all trains, the washstands are located in plain sight, separate from the toilet, and thus, the morning queue for the closet is a rare occurrence. But you can, for example, enjoy the spectacle of the morning washing of the false teeth, which an unfamiliar Chinese grandmother does with great care.

I traveled from Beijing to Jinan in a hard-slipper (about 6 hours), and the ticket cost me 73 yuan - in terms of our money, about 200 rubles. The price of a ticket from Beijing to Shanghai (a night on the road) is 250 yuan, that is, about 685 rubles. Inexpensive, but for example, it was difficult for me to get used to Chinese trains. Basically, due to the fact that passengers constantly smoke, eat Doshirak noodles, talk loudly and without hesitation - both men and women - walk around the car in underpants.

Where to live and what to take with you

A room with breakfast in a four-star hotel in the center of Harbin cost me 300 yuan per day (eight hundred and twenty rubles). The hotel was not bad, but only Chinese people lived in it, and the staff did not understand a word of English. Attempts to ask where they have a gym looked like helpless flickering with their hands - with the aim of gestures to show the "simulator", and requests to wake them up at a certain time caused confusion among the receptionist.

Hostels - youth hostels can become a more economical accommodation option for young people. One bed in a double room at the International Youth Hostel, which is located right next to central station in Beijing, it can cost 70 yuan (200 rubles) per day. Everything you need for life is available: a shower, a 24-hour bar and an Internet cafe. By the way, you can save even more if you stay in a "dorma" - a room with 3-12 beds and amenities in the corridor. Depending on the city, such accommodation costs 20-60 yuan (55-175 rubles) per night.

I will add one more to this standard set of hotel search tools - touts - the option to settle in private apartment. People offering "cheap apartments in the center of Beijing" huddle at train stations and ask for very little money. I have not tried it myself, but knowledgeable travelers assure that they should not be afraid - here, unlike, for example, in India, there is no danger that there will be any problems with these apartments.

When traveling, I advise you to take a comfortable backpack, good sports shoes - for long hiking, a thermos (boiling water is available everywhere and for free) and more of some small souvenirs such as nesting dolls - the Chinese love to receive gifts and can even help you somehow as a thank you.

What to watch in China

Of all the cities, the most impressive is, of course, Beijing. Or, as foreigners call it, Beijing. After I visited it, it's easy to understand Quentin Tarantino, who came here to shoot his film "Kill Bill", but could not leave. I bought an apartment in Beijing and, according to rumors, eventually plans to completely move to the Middle Kingdom. The city shocked me with its monumentality. I expected to see crowds of crazy-eyed Chinese rushing somewhere, crowds in the streets, traffic jams. But none of this happened. The flow of people moved smoothly and without hysterical hustle, as in Moscow.

In architecture, two main directions are connected here: eastern and western. The first is represented by pagodas, with easily recognizable upturned roofs and obligatory dragons as a design element. The second - skyscrapers, which here do not block the space at all.

Everyone who comes to Beijing for the first time begins their tour of the city from the famous Tiananmen - Heavenly Peace Square. It is the largest in the world, it can accommodate one million people! It is always crowded here - not only because of foreign tourists, but also because of the Chinese, residents of distant provinces, who come to be sure to take pictures at the mausoleum of Mao Zedong. Both adults and children fly kites in the square. Here you can also buy your snake - in the form of a shark, butterfly or other monster.

On the square, I noticed a small child - 3-4 years old, who had a hole in the back of his pants and his naked butt was blown by the wind. I thought it was an oversight of the parents. But then I saw a few more kids with the same strange cut of panties. It turned out that thrifty Chinese do not like to spend money on diapers. The child wanted to use the toilet, sat down - and you're done!

In the mornings, at six o'clock, the Chinese go out to the square and do group taijiquan - a melancholy exercise, the meaning of which is sluggish hand passes and careful stepping from side to side.

Not far from the mausoleum of Mao is the entrance to the Forbidden City - a huge complex of palace buildings where the great emperors of the Qing and Ming dynasties lived. Hundreds of pagodas, thousands of courtyards - the spectacle is striking in its scale. Previously, mere mortals were forbidden to enter here, but now you can - for only 10 yuan (27 rubles).

Leaving the Forbidden City, you find yourself in the wonderful Beihai Park (Park of the North Sea), where the crowned persons rested, apparently indulging in thoughts about the fatherland. Needless to say - the Chinese know a lot about landscape architecture. Half of the area is occupied by a lake, around which weeping willows of crazy beauty grow. This park is adored by couples in love and calligraphers. The first - because it is allowed to kiss quietly on the benches, the second - because you can draw hieroglyphs with water right on the pavement.

From the park you can walk to the famous Temple of Heaven. This is now China, probably the most unbelieving country in the world (ninety-five percent of atheists). And before they believed in the Sky and other deities. The road to the temple is already a test. It takes about half an hour to walk along a narrow stone path. It was very instructive when, panting and wheezing, at the last stage of the ascent, a wizened old Chinese woman overtook me, who overcame the path easily and naturally.

On the territory of the temple there is a Wall of Whispers. It is semicircular in shape, and this allows you to hear the interlocutor, even if he is standing a hundred meters from you and muttering something under his breath. The Chinese love to have fun, standing at the wall for hours at a distance from each other and talking.

Fewer discoveries awaited me in Shanghai. Maybe because it is very modern, or maybe because I did not stay there for long. As soon as they were not called in different time this city: both the "Paris of the East" and the "Chinese Whore" ... This is the city of adventurers, gamblers, sailors, opium dealers and opium addicts, the city of child prostitution and slave child labor, the city of socialists, communists and revolutionaries, the birthplace of the Chinese Communist Party, the cradle Revolutions and the birthplace of the Shanghai Commune. It is home to 6.5 million people - one of the highest population density in the world. There are a lot of skyscrapers here. And they, unlike Beijing, crush. Fashionable buildings easily coexist with old buildings, from which ropes with linen strung on them stretch in all directions. It’s not at all shameful to hang out old faded shorts and breeches for everyone to show off.

In the center of the city there is a wide paved space of the People's Square. Processions and demonstrations were organized here. In 1969, 2.5 million people gathered on the square to protest against the Soviet Union. And now the walkers peacefully feed the pigeons.

On the streets you can see both young yuppies and informals. During the walk I happened to meet real Chinese punks. They had a very worn look, despite the traditional hedgehog hair, spiked jackets, grinders and guitars on their backs. Themselves are skinny and unkempt. When they tried to play something from "Sex Pistols" in front of the department store, I wanted to go over and feed them a hot lunch.

Walking in Shanghai is a must. Better - according to Nanjing Lu, main street. Bright shop windows, neon signs everywhere. And shops, shops, shops. Nanjing Lu leads to the embankment of the Huangpu River. Once upon a time in colonial times, a famous sign hung at the entrance: "Dogs and Chinese are not allowed to enter." Today, crowds of Chinese and foreigners roam here, admiring the view of the night Band.

Rotten eggs and duck skins

It is often joked about the Chinese that they eat everything that flies except airplanes, everything that moves on land except a tractor, and everything that floats in water except a submarine.

Chinese chefs profess the principles of culinary art that have developed five thousand years ago. They love unexpected combinations of products: meat with sugar and fruits, seaweed with nuts, flower petals with hot peppers, hedgehogs with spices. In order to cook the broth, for example, they can take beef, poultry and fish at the same time.

There are about 14 culinary schools in China, the most famous of which are Shandong, Sichuan, Jiangsu-Zhejiang, Beijing and Guangdong. The latter is the most "extreme". It uses snakes, field mice, wild cats, dogs, fur seals, crocodiles, bear paws, monkey brains, bird tongues. The technology of some dishes is simply savage. "Kunming Lake Fried Carp" takes only four minutes to scrape off the scales, butcher, toast and serve. When the fish is served on the table, it still opens its mouth and the gills move for thirty minutes. This agony continues even when the fish is eaten to the bone. The secret of such vitality is that the head of the fish is not fried and the central nervous system is preserved. In general, Greenpeace is resting.

"Queen of the Chinese table" - Peking duck. Instead of a duck, however, they bring duck skins, which the tourists are very surprised at. But if you come to a fish restaurant, it’s hard to make a mistake here: everything swims in aquariums. You approach, you choose - and in ten minutes you are already being served a dish. True, it was difficult for me to come to terms with the fact that the selected fish was killed with a shoe in front of my eyes, which is why its insides are scattered throughout the restaurant.

The Chinese also love rotten duck eggs. To cook such an egg, it must be kept in lime for 30 days! Its yolk is black and has an indescribable taste. Protein - like rubber, almost transparent in appearance.

In a restaurant of an average level and below, the Chinese "of an average level and below" behave completely, from a European point of view, like a pig: they blow their noses and spit right on the floor, throw off napkins, bones and leftovers there, yell at the whole room, especially when will drink. By the way, they also expectorate on the streets - loudly, wiping their nose and mouth with their hands. Even women.

The Chinese love to put food on each other's plate. And when they bring the bill, a serious argument flares up between them: who will pay. Everyone strives to do this for everyone in order to prove their privileged position. Our compatriots are happy to go to restaurants with the Chinese ...

Behavior Observations

The Chinese are very noisy people. Their guttural voices are one of a kind. Once in the US there was an anecdotal incident. Two people from Guangdong province were having a peaceful conversation, but the Americans passing by thought that they were about to quarrel and called the police. The police demanded clarification, but two interlocutors replied that they spoke in a "whisper".

Why are they screaming? The Chinese believe that the stronger and higher his voice, the more convincing his arguments look.

In a country of nearly 1.3 billion people, more than a quarter of the population regularly participates in sports. Mass physical education covers all educational institutions, enterprises and institutions, villages, units of the People's Liberation Army of China, the elderly and the disabled. The Chinese habit of doing group exercises is known all over the world. Moreover, they do it at different times of the day. Many work in groups and to music, but there are also individuals. There are athletes with sticks. They wave them in the manner of Shaolin monks right on the streets.

It is very common to see people walking backwards. Probably, this is an exercise for the development of the vestibular apparatus. In every city there are courtyards equipped with shaping equipment, available to everyone, and free of charge. The old men famously throw their legs on the tall railings, and sometimes sit on the twine. And since millions of Chinese pedal their bikes daily to and from work, their legs are pumped up.

Against the background of the craze for sports, the Chinese smoke and drink a lot. Vodka and cigarettes are sold everywhere, although the quality is terrible. There are 320 million smokers in China, of which 20 million are women. Hence the large number of "nicotine deaths". But no one indulges in addiction on the streets - the Chinese prefer to do it in a calm environment: in a restaurant or bar.

In general, I am satisfied with my trip. Maybe I didn’t see this country from the most romantic and glossy side, but, in any case, the trip left a lot of impressions and memories.

Yes. I agree with the previous comment that Beijing has long faded before Shanghai and Hong Kong, and resembles Moscow in the 80s, where the author saw so many unusual things there, it’s incomprehensible, for me Beijing is always the other way around only a transshipment base, other Chinese cities are much more interesting, in this case I don’t have in mind cultural monuments, of which there are many in Beijing.
25.07.11 Natalia


indeed, the commentary is very detailed. but it seems that the author visited China 10 years ago (the description of Shanghai is exactly 10 years old, the spirit of communism does not hover there, definitely). although, perhaps, if you ride around the country in a reserved seat car, it will not even seem that way.
05.06.10 Olga


Good afternoon, thank you very much for such a detailed comment, because I myself plan to go without a guide and it was important for me to understand how it is possible at all and your feedback turned out to be more than decisive in favor of a trip without a guide, thanks again!
01.03.10 Yana

Despite the fact that China is becoming more and more popular with tourists from all over the world every year, the reviews on the Internet of our compatriots about trips to China are, to put it mildly, ambiguous, so let's talk about those features of the country that may be unacceptable for some travelers.

1. If your passport is valid for less than 6 months from the end of the planned tour, choose another country

The Chinese consulate strictly observes all documentary formalities, therefore, in order to avoid problems with obtaining a visa and disrupting the trip, it is better not to take risks and take care of a new passport in advance.

2. If you are not ready for the extra hassle of obtaining a Chinese visa

There is nothing fundamentally difficult in preparing documents for obtaining a Chinese visa - no extra certificates are required, only a passport, application form, copies of a Russian passport, a photograph and an invitation from the Chinese side. Consular fee under tourist trip- 1500 rubles. Moreover, if you are planning a vacation in Hainan, then when you take a direct flight from Moscow, you do not need a visa at all!

Mountain lake in China

3. If you basically fly only on charter flights, then - alas!

You can get to China only by regular flights of Hainan Airlines, Aeroflot, etc. Airplanes fly from St. Petersburg to Beijing on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Accordingly, the duration of the trip should be "customized" to the schedule of the airline. Flight time is about 7 hours.

China

4. If when traveling by train you are used to buying a full compartment to feel comfortable, then in China you will have to fly by plane

In China, it is impossible to redeem a compartment in whole or in part, that is, if the tour program includes train travel between cities, then you will have to share a four-seater compartment either with tourists from your group or with the Chinese. There are no double compartments. As a rule, transfers between cities are overnight and last about 12 hours, for example, between Beijing and Xi'an.


One of the entrances to the Forbidden City

If this issue is fundamental for you, there remains the option of moving on domestic flights. By the way, China has a very developed air service and a fairly high level of flight safety. Baggage rules in hand luggage even more stringent than those accepted worldwide.


China

5. If you cannot tolerate tobacco smoke, choose another country or stock up on a respirator

The Chinese smoke a lot. Accordingly, almost everywhere it smells of tobacco, smoky rooms come across in hotels, and guests also smoke in hotel lobbies. It is forbidden to smoke in train compartments, in restaurants you can choose a room for non-smokers.


Chinese outback

6. If you are on a special diet or are very selective about food, take your favorite (preferred) foods with you

A lot has been written and told about the fact that Chinese cuisine is very peculiar, but how much it suits you personally, you will understand only, so to speak, “on the spot”. Someone lacks meat - indeed, the basis of the Chinese diet is steamed, boiled, stewed vegetables, noodles and rice. Someone does not tolerate spicy and salty. If in Beijing, Shanghai and other major cities you can still find food adapted for a European, then in the provinces this will be a problem. You will find cutlery familiar to us only in large cities, in the outback you will have to eat with chopsticks. Of course, in China there are places chosen by the British and Americans, where both the cuisine and other amenities are at the highest level, for example, nature reserve pandas, but this is rather an exception.


Giant Buddha statue, Leshan

7. If you experienced culture shock when visiting public restrooms in the former Soviet Union (or in modern India) and no longer want to see them again, then choose another country to travel

All public toilets in China are free. Tourists who have found Soviet "conveniences", seeing Chinese ones, think "scoop". Indeed, very similar: two soles and a metal bowl at floor level, no toilet paper and a corresponding smell. So for those tourists who still go to China, advice is to take toilet paper and wet wipes with you.

8. If you prefer silence and solitude, and your personal psychologically comfortable space is one and a half meters - choose another country

There are many people in China. Even not so - there are VERY MANY PEOPLE in China! This fact actually entails a wide variety of consequences, namely: everyone constantly touches each other with elbows and other parts of the body, they talk quite loudly, therefore very noisily, they look at everything interesting and unusual with sincere, but completely unceremonious curiosity, for example, you


Against the backdrop of the Great Wall of China

9. If the budget of your trip involves an amount of less than 50 thousand rubles per person, then you need to choose another country or take a loan

The most budget option for exploring China is a week-long tour to Beijing. Today it costs from 50 thousand rubles per person. If you want to see more Xi'an (terracotta army) and Shanghai within a week's stay, count on the amount of at least 70 thousand rubles per person. In order not only to see the main cities, but also to relax on Hainan Island for a week, budget from 100 thousand per person. Treatment in China is very popular among the stars of domestic and international show business - both in the central part and on the island of Hainan.


In order to feel comfortable when planning a tour and directly on a trip, you can use the installment payment service offered, for example, by our company for up to 7 months at 0% per annum.


Village with rice fields, China

10. If your vacation falls during the Republic of China Day or Chinese New Year celebrations, go to another country

In China, there are two grandiose holidays - this is the day of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese New Year. During these periods - from 28.09 to 04.10 and the last decade of February-early March (celebrated on lunar calendar, so there are no exact dates) - China has official public holidays, and all Chinese begin to travel in droves within the country. Hotel prices are tripled, and pandemonium begins at tourist sites. So it is better to plan a trip for other dates. Perfect time, especially for combined tours- this is spring and autumn, when it is warm on the mainland and it is still not very hot on Hainan Island.


Among other tourists, China

In conclusion, I want to say: I am sure that a trip to China will not leave anyone indifferent. Our tourists return from this diverse country with invariably positive impressions.


Panda

If you have any questions, write to: [email protected]

The Chinese were driving, they lost the eggs. The girls thought - raspberries, bit off half (folk ditty)

suburban train Yaroslavl direction. Sat down. One brow at the window. Noses in phones, headphones, respectively, in the ears. Everything as usual. Now there will be a full carload of us - castle-dwellers working in the capital of the Motherland, the hero city of Moscow. Somehow, unexpectedly, the train jerked and slowly, creaking and swaying on the arrows, began to move into the region. I look around: there are surprisingly few people, they sit, looking around sleepily, and, habitually meeting eyes with fellow travelers, they don’t even look away, but simply look through; this is how all the inhabitants of large cities look at their own kind. Apparently, for this indifferent look, the rest of the population of our vast Motherland does not like Muscovites, without even realizing why. Well, what to do, you won’t be forced to be nice ... but we love you, who have come in large numbers, very much, with all our hearts. Such is our adaptive reaction to the forced daily rotation in the countless human mass. We survive as best we can, do not blame me.

So, we are moving home as usual, so that tomorrow morning again in the same train, pushing and swearing, look at each other “through” ... We drive up to the Moscow 3 platform. And then my attention is drawn to a group of passengers, compact, but with huge luggage from checkered "shuttle" bags, located in one of the six-seat "compartments". The guys are not ours - Asians, they are shouting somehow anxiously, poking their fingers at the window, the phrases are intonationally interrogative, although, perhaps, in "their" language they are not interrogative at all, but affirmative or even imperative. I look closely at them and even listen somewhere. And the guys are more and more excited, they begin to helplessly turn their little heads, looking for a reciprocal look. "Help mi, pliz!" I read in their narrowed eyes the only foreign phrase I know. I get up, come closer, loudly and with an accent, to make it clearer, I ask what, they say, happened, how can I help? In Russian, the stump is clear, I ask. Because I'm not very good at other languages. And with their nationality, not everything is clear yet. And it would be clear what's the point? Then one of my counterparts, the most brainy, began to stick some papers up my nose. Look, the papers are in Russian. Well, thank God! Tickets! To Beijing! Yes, and this one, brainy, murmurs something like "Xiao, Liao, we are Chinese, Xiao, Liao, we are Beijing." And he asks with gestures: why is Beijing, they say, now a completely, completely different side? Illumination has come from Above! This, therefore, a team of Chinese migrant workers or whatever, after working their shift on tailoring “branded” local clothing somewhere in the near Moscow region, returns to their homeland, judging by the ticket, to Beijing. By and large, I have great respect for the Eastern mentality, but these guys, like a campaign, were recruited by bad people somewhere in the remote villages of the Celestial Empire, promising a lot of money for work in Russia, and, cashing in on their gullibility and cheap labor, they put on the train to Moscow and slipped Moscow-Beijing tickets without bothering to explain that in Moscow you need to transfer to the train long distance. The train, approaching Moscow, moved in short dashes, stopping at each post, then, after standing for several minutes at the Yaroslavl station, went back to the region, toli to Aleksandrov, toli to Zagorsk, or rather, to Sergiev Posad. I don’t care, I won’t slip past my native Mytishchi for any reason, but the Chinese can’t get to the house on this shaitan cart. But they didn't know that! Well, their benefactors-employers did not tell them about the transplant, they forgot, their mother is so ... I look at the tickets, then at the clock, it turns out that there are 20 minutes left before the departure of their train. This is where the train stopped. The doors opened, and on the opposite side stands, also with open doors. I grab the checkered bags and drag them to the exit, throw them onto the platform. I shout to the Chinese: "Go there quickly, coolies!" The language barrier collapsed itself. The boys, who were smoking in the vestibule of the oncoming train, quickly realized what was happening and pulled the “stop tap”, which, by the way, is not “stop” at all, but blocks the closing of the doors, and began to drag numerous bags along with numerous Chinese into their car . I shout after them, so that the "checkered" people will be dropped off at Yaroslavka and escorted to the first tracks, from where the trains to Far East go. But, probably, no one hears me, our and their doors were closed and the trains went each in their own direction.

I'm going home to Mytishchi. To the northeast. The Chinese are also going home, but in the other direction, to the southwest, although China is in the east, even much east of Mytishchi ... It’s a paradox, however ... I’ll come home and look in a geographical atlas, it should be gathering dust somewhere on a shelf. In the meantime, you can take a nap for about forty minutes, pressing your forehead against the rattling glass. Yes, no, all the way, everything is fine ... The earth is round ... I hope the Chinese will have time for their train. Then they will reach Beijing in a week or two ... probably ...

The purpose of this book is to answer two questions: "How to travel independently in China without knowing Chinese?" and “Why is China interesting?” The author uses a non-linear way of presenting information familiar to the Internet user, which makes it possible to show China in all its diversity.

* * *

The following excerpt from the book Traveler's Guide to China (Dmitry Finozhenok, 2015) provided by our book partner - the company LitRes.

We are going to China

How to travel in China on your own

Idea independent travel in a country whose language you do not understand seems pure madness. But if a Chinese peasant from a remote village can easily cope with this, then is it worth giving in to a resident? big city? Moreover, the transport system of China is designed for huge passenger flows, and therefore is well thought out and surprisingly friendly to passengers.

According to the visa regime for Russian citizens, the territory of China is divided into two unequal parts: mainland China and special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau).

About Mainland China

Formally, this term is not quite correct: two districts of Hong Kong (Kowloon and New Territories) are located on the mainland.

To visit mainland China, Russians require a visa (the most popular visas are tourist visas for 15 and 30 days), Hong Kong and Macau allow visa-free entry for a period of up to 14 and 30 days, respectively. Remember: when you visit the Special Administrative Region, you leave the main Chinese visa area. Therefore, if Hong Kong or Macau is an intermediate point of your trip to China, then you will need a double-entry Chinese visa.

Large international airports China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Shenyang, Harbin, Guilin) ​​offer visa-free transit with the ability to enter the city for up to three days. It is important to remember that when making transit visa e-tickets in Russian are not considered documents confirming departure.

A tourist visa to China is the only thing that cannot be done without the help of a travel agency. Even if you are applying for a visa yourself, you will need an invitation letter from a Chinese travel agency or hotel. Everything else in preparation for the trip can be done by yourself.

Route selection

Despite the huge leap that China has made over the past thirty years, only a small percentage of the Chinese own English language and even less so for Russians. All the tourist can hope for is globalization. The more modern chinese city, the friendlier it is to foreigners and the easier it is to live in it.

How to find out modern city

The American sociologist Richard Florida, the author of the concept of the creative class, established a direct relationship between the level of tolerance and the innovative potential of the city. The modern city creates an environment open to change that attracts not only creative people, but also bohemians, migrants, various subcultures and minorities. Therefore, the easiest way to find a modern city is to follow them. If you want to find bohemia - look at night satellite images (the brighter the city glows, the more intense night life); if you want to find geeks, look for Comic-Con venues, etc.

The second limiting factor in choosing a route is the climate. In most parts of China, it is quite hot in summer. Therefore, cities are a reasonable choice. east coast where the proximity of the sea softens the heat. It should be remembered that in the very south of China, not only tropical showers are possible, but occasionally typhoons.

You should also pay attention to the level of air pollution in the cities you are going to visit. Try not to stay long where the pollution index exceeds 100 points. Air pollution data is updated daily and is available at http://aqicn.org.

The farther south, the more diverse and brighter nature becomes. Anyone who had to return home from southern resorts, remembers the depressing impression of the gray and lifeless, compared to the south, city. Therefore, it is better to start the journey from the north of China and move to the south.

between cities

In terms of size, China ranks third in the world, its area is only half the size of Russia. Nevertheless, the country's transport system is built in such a way that almost every corner of the country is separated from the capital by a day's journey.

Cartographic illusion of grandeur

If you look at the usual political map world, it may seem that four or five Chinas will fit on the territory of Russia. But this is just the result of distortions that are inevitable when transferring an image from the surface of a sphere to a plane. The closer to the pole is the territory, the stronger this effect. For example, China is five times the size of Greenland, but on a map they appear almost identical.

There are two main types of transport: plane and train. High population density in South-East Asia allows many low-cost airlines to operate efficiently. Unfortunately, with my height of two meters, a plane with front seats supporting my knees is not the most convenient way to travel, I prefer trains, especially since the shelves in them are noticeably longer than Russian ones, and I have to spend the night only once.

CHR (China High-Speed ​​Railroad)

Thirty years ago, the main type of locomotive in China was a steam locomotive. The first high-speed train appeared in China in 2007. Today, the length of high-speed lines (200 km / h and more) is 16 thousand km, which is more than in all other countries of the world combined. High-speed trains of the next generation, which are currently undergoing test trials, are already accelerating to 500 km/h. Trains have become serious competitors to airplanes and have practically replaced them on short routes(up to 500 km).

Most train numbers in China begin with a letter indicating the train category. There are six main types: C, D, G, K, T, Z. Category K is assigned to fast trains, there is a certain irony in that it is currently one of the slowest trains in China (maximum speed is 120 km / h). Category T stands for express, these are the same ambulances, but with fewer stops. Category D is intended for high-speed trains, their speed reaches 250 km/h. Categories G and C are assigned to bullet trains with a maximum speed of 350 km/h. For safety reasons, trains of the last three categories run only during daylight hours, at night these tracks are used by category Z trains, night expresses of increased comfort.

beautiful far away

If the bullet train ran along the Vladivostok-Moscow route, the travel time would be only 32 hours. Now Russian Railways needs more than six days for this.

Life on wheels

In high-speed trains (D, C, G), as a rule, there are only seats, in category Z night trains - only compartments. And only in fast trains and ordinary express trains have compartments, reserved seats, and seats.

Access mode

Train tickets are required to enter the platform and exit the station. Don't throw away your tickets until you leave the station building.

The numbering of seats in Chinese trains is different from the Russian one, the shelves on one side of the compartment have the same number. To distinguish between them, the type of place is indicated: lower, middle and upper. The third, upper shelf is only in reserved seat cars. It is located high enough to comfortably stretch your legs, but since the distance to the ceiling is not great, you have to literally crawl on it. The lower the shelf is, the more expensive the ticket, so the passengers of the lower shelves feel like wealthy people.


So on the tickets, the lower, middle and upper places are indicated, respectively.


During a trip on the train, a plastic card is issued - a substitute for a ticket. It is your pass to the car if you want to go out for a walk at the bus stops. If you lose this piece of plastic, you will have to buy your ticket again. Half an hour before the passenger arrives at their destination, replacement cards are collected and tickets are returned, so don't be afraid you'll miss your station.

How to find your train

Chinese stations are designed for a huge passenger flow, so it’s easy to navigate them. After passing the entrance control, find on the main board the number of the waiting room for your train (if there are several waiting rooms at the stations), in the waiting room - by the train number, find the exit to the platform. 20-30 minutes before boarding, the gates open, the stairs lead only to your platform. If you are not sure about your decision, just show the ticket to any employee of the station, he will definitely help.


Riding in a Chinese train is quite pleasant. All long-distance trains are air-conditioned, soft traditional Chinese music creates a calm atmosphere, and large windows allow you to admire the scenery.

It is not necessary to take food with you on the train, carts with hot food regularly travel around the carriage. The food is Chinese oriented, but the lunch box contains five or six courses, of which perhaps three or four will be delicious. You will have to prepare tea and coffee yourself, at the end of the car there is a tap with boiling water, and in each compartment there is a thermos.

Bed linen is not sold on trains, one set of linen is used throughout the entire train route. Therefore, never buy tickets with landing at intermediate stations. The towel is not included in the linen set.

The Chinese produce a lot of garbage, but it is regularly cleaned up. Every couple of hours the guide cleans up the mess, including wet cleaning. If you do not want your suitcases to be walked on with a floor cloth, do not put them under the seat, use special luggage racks.

In China, you can buy train tickets no earlier than 20 days before the departure date, so when you go on a long trip around this country, you will most likely not have a full set of tickets on hand. How to solve this problem with the least expenditure of vacation time?

The most comfortable option is to book tickets in advance with delivery to the hotel. The advantages of this approach are obvious: all that is required of you is to pick up tickets from the porter. The main disadvantage is that delivery works only in large cities. In addition, since you are ordering the delivery of a ticket on a date and not a specific time, you will have to stay at the hotel for at least two nights. Of the several delivery ticket services I've used, http://www.chinatripadvisor.com has been my best experience.

One country, one time

Since 1949, a single time, GMT +8, has been in effect throughout China (except for the autonomous regions of Xinjiang and Tibet). This greatly simplifies travel planning, but the farther east, the more daylight shifts. In the summer in Shanghai, the sun sets at seven in the evening.

If your trip is away from big cities or if you just don't feel like wasting a day in some city, you can pre-order your purchase. electronic ticket eg via http://www.china-diy-travel.com. All you get is your booking number. After printing the document sent to you, you go to the station, and at a special box office you get a regular ticket. If you need help finding this ticket office, find any station attendant and just show him your printout, he will tell you where to go - verified by his own experience.

End of introductory segment.