How to travel to China on your own without a visa. Is it possible for Russians to enter China without a visa? What to take with you

How to preserve the psyche with two small children and the ubiquitous Chinese :)))

Why China and why now.
Reflecting on the topic of where to take children to the sea, I am leading the latest events: the terrorist threat in Europe and the Middle East and sharp drop ruble, it was quite unexpectedly decided to go to China. Moreover, at this time Aeroflot was running a campaign for air tickets, and for money, if earlier China was at least cheap, now it is certainly not expensive.

Flight Moscow - Beijing by Aeroflot.
Here everything went without incident. Our friends took us to Sheremetyevo, from where we flew safely to Beijing.

So we flew ...

A TV set with cartoons and programs and games was very welcome ...

Some have lunch .....
Although it is certainly difficult with children on the plane, they do not like to sit idle for a long time.
Upon arrival on the Aeroexpress, we got to our hotel - Dragon King Hostel (previously I had to hang around at the airport for about 4 hours, due to the time of check-in at the hotel and the cost of the night transfer to it, but the children slept well)

This was our number. Quite worthy, as for me :)

The hotel can be easily reached by metro (From the Zhangzizhong Road subway station (line 5) (exit C), walk 2 minutes to it, we did not know this, so we had to stray. Initially I thought that there are not such long distances in China, then I changed my opinion radically, so just the metro and don't even think)

In general, the place itself is very convenient, there is a store nearby with very cheap prices for China (in the photo below, the most unsightly entrance, where there are a bunch of boxes with goods - all the nearest stores are bought in this store (in bulk from 2 pieces), prices are actually an order of magnitude lower ) (not far from the 7 eleven store - it seems like that), opposite there is a bank with a round-the-clock ATM (across the street).

Here it is on the second floor (description and photos can be found further in the report)

Day 1. Beijing. Sky Temple...

The scale of the park and the buildings is certainly impressive, especially considering when it was all built. In the park you will always see groups of Chinese people who either dance or miditate, someone just walks and enjoys nature (in general, you will never be alone :)))). Somehow the following picture opened up to me: a grandmother is driving an electric wheelchair (as for the disabled), reaches the steps, gets up, lifts the wheelchair, sits down and eats further (my jaw dropped), in general, they take care of themselves :)

Previously, only emperors could enter this temple, and the road to them is long and with constant slight upward slopes, as if you were climbing into the sky. It is worth visiting the temple, the architecture and the park area are simply beautiful, the originality of the temple itself, I personally had doubts (but maybe I’m wrong), they arose examining it very closely :)

In this temple sacrifices were carried out (thank God, only animals) for a better harvest or rain, or something else. The interior decoration of the temples is identical.

This is another temple in the same park area. After passing this temple, only those close to the emperor went further, and only the emperor entered the Temple of Heaven itself (Temple of Heaven in the previous photos)

The main gate of the previous temple. Here our children were held in high esteem, everyone wanted to take pictures with them, especially with the Beehive (blue eyes). Lukyan was overwhelmed by such an abundance of attention to him :)

And this is another part of the park area. It's hard for me to say what she was responsible for, because I managed to peep through the crack a little, it seems to me that this is something like a barracks.

We didn't get there, it was already after 18-00, which means everything - everything is closed :)))) In China, if you got up at 12-00, then you were late everywhere :))) For this reason, we did not succeed a few days - I slept for a long time, I could not get involved :)

And some of our crew move quite comfortably, almost like emperors :)
So our first day in Beijing ended, on the way back we still managed to drop in shopping center for souvenirs, which we will blow up already upon arrival from China (wait ...)

For information:
If you leave the central entrance of the park (next to the metro) and walk to the left for about 30 meters, you can go along the overpass to the other side of the road. Here go to big store and buy some souvenirs. Do not forget to bargain, immediately lower prices 3-4 times. It's a very good place for buying souvenirs and snacks (the price / quality matches), further on other tourist sites of such choice and such a low price as here we did not find :)
The cost of visiting the park (Temple of Heaven) in 2016 is 34 yuan (I don’t remember if I was a student or not)

Well, in the evening we had local fruit .... Ripe mango is just super, especially after a hard day for the body.

Day 2. Beijing. Peking duck
The next day somehow did not work out for us, and as a result - for the whole day we were able to see only half of Gugong and in the evening eat Peking duck. The duck itself somehow did not impress, no, of course it is delicious and all that. But its whole point is not so much in the duck as in the processing of its skin (so that it is crispy and juicy) and sauces while eating it.

This is what our restaurant looked like. The table had to wait for about ten minutes.

Ulya, as always, proved to be a maniac before eating ...

And so, Day 3
On this day, we went to what everyone associates with China - the Great Chinese Wall, to a site called Badalin.

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For information:

Student ticket price is 20 RMB (regular price is 40 RMB).
In principle, these are all costs (if you are a fairly athletic person), but if youdo not want to sweat and walk up to the wall (about 30-40 minutes) on foot, then you can ride on a special sled on wheels (it is difficult to name this device correctly).
Moreover, when you go downstairs, you will get a whole bag of positive emotions - a small attraction like this :))) We liked it, the issue price is 100 yuan (round trip) per person. Also, having reached the very top of the wall (one of the highest points, you will definitely not miss this place) you canwill ride (go down) on cable car

expensive, but I would recommend that you save this money for something else, becauseyou will not see beautiful views on the cable car, but it costs a lot, and I do not advise you to miss the attraction (on the sled) - it is very cool :) As far as I remember, this is an Italian attraction of some shaggy years :)))As elsewhere, it is better to take water and percus with you, because prices here will be 2 times more than usual and no one will bargain with you. At the exit there is an open-air cage with bears, and next to it is a sliced ​​apple on a plate so that you can feed the bear, but not from your hands, of course, but just throw food to him, this pleasure will cost 5 yuan :)Of course, it's a pity for the bears, it doesn't seem to me very much to spend all the time on the concrete floor :)
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The wall itself is certainly impressive, here are a couple of photos to represent the full scale. Then Lukyan met a group of schoolchildren who, as usual, wanted to take a photo next to him, so it is not known that the wall was a landmark or Lukyan, of course he really likes this attention :))))

Of course, there are a lot of people on this section of the wall, but it has several indisputable advantages: accessibility (direct bus), proximity (just an hour from Beijing), and of course the fact that it has been restored and certainly looks impressive (neither vegetation nor sea, no other features of the relief)

And on such a thing we climbed, and, accordingly, descended (I highly recommend it, especially the descent)

A small attraction to commemorate the wall, there is nothing extreme - but you remember it :) It was fun :)))
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How to get to the wall yourself:

The easiest way is to take the subway to the 积水潭 Jishuitan subway station, exit A. When you go upstairs and stand with your back to the steps of the subway exit, then you need to go exactly back (I mean the direction). As a landmark, you will pass a large bus station to the left of you (go along it, as it were). Buses can be seen just outside the Deshengmen Watchtower (you can't see her from the metro)and from there go by bus number 877 (tourist minibus, it is much more convenient) or 919 (regular bus, in not tourist season only he walks) the price of tickets in them is the same.

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In the evening, as usual, fruit on duty.

Day 4. Temple of Confucius.
Getting up early in the morning (on the fourth day, and even probably at 3, I somehow got involved in getting up at 6-00), we went to the Temple of Confucius, where Confucianism originated, a symbolic point (I always wanted to see).

And here is the monument to the very founder of Confucianism.

Park area of ​​the Temple complex.

Inner garden. Trees that are more ..., God knows how many centuries these trees are :))))

Inside the temple itself. The styles of decoration in the temples are very similar, so if you looked at one of the Chinese temples (well, maybe two), then you don't have to waste your time on the interior decoration anymore :)

This is the house that Emperor Confucius gave for teaching his son :)

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For information:
Price entrance ticket for an adult - 20 yuan.
Student acts only for students whose age does not exceed 24 years old, we were unlucky, we had 25 years written in ISIC. In general, this rule is quite common in China, so consider this fact.
I definitely recommend for viewing, just if you have time nearby, there isThe Lamaist Peace Palace (Yonghegong Lama Temple), and the quarter itself next to the temples, is very interesting.
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Then we went to Gugong (Forbidden City), but since we partially examined it the previous day, we went to Jingshan Park 景山, which is located immediately behind the Forbidden City and from high point which offers the best view of this very forbidden city(As a matter of fact, the name of the park sounds like this in translation from Chinese - "a view from the mountain" or "a mountain with a beautiful view").

The entrance to the park is naturally paid, but we are rescued by international student pre-made ones, do not forget that the age in them must be up to 24 years old. In general, student wallets help a lot to leave a wallet thicker in China, so do not forget to use it (especially if you look young, I think there is no need to learn how to make a student wallet in our homeland).

View of the observation deck from which it opens good view on Gugun.

And here is the culprit himself - Gugun or the Forbidden City, in a different way. The view itself is impressive and very cool inside.
Then we went downstairs and decided to go through the googun in the reverse order. But as of April 2016, I can say for sure (100%) that the entrance from back side closed and the forbidden city can only be passed from one side - the central entrance, next to the metro. Because of this, we had to take a taxi to the main entrance, otherwise we would not have had time to inspect the entire palace (the taxi cost us 20 yuan) :)
Well, then just pictures - we look and get impressed :)

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For information:
The entrance fee to the Forbidden City is 40 yuan per person, for a student 20 yuan.
In time, count on about half a day (it took us a day, but we and the children, and we ourselves were a bit stupid at first), i.e. and the Temple of Heaven and Gugun can be viewed in one day if you get up early and leave late and if you are athletic enough for a long walk (and you really have to walk a lot).

Day 5. Amusement park and Summer Imperial Palace.

In general, with entertainment for children, I somehow did not work out in Beijing (the reality turned out to be very far from the original plans), during all the days of our stay in the capital of China, we went to the Cube water park 3 times, but all these times it was closed and only in On the third trip, I found a Chinese who, in English, told me that the water park was closed for a whole month - in general, we were somehow unlucky with him :)
By the way, we also went to this amusement park twice, because on the Internet it is written that it works until 21-00, but in fact it works until 18-00, like everything in China :))) Although for me this is so strange for an amusement park, there is of course also Happy Valey (he It definitely works until 22-00, but many attractions close after 18-00, and open only after 13-00 (be careful in general)), but it's still too early for us, that's why we were not allowed to ride everywhere: ) Looking ahead, I will say that Disneyland Paris (and this park in Beijing is an attempt to copy a park in Paris) I liked more, somehow everything there is more well-groomed and festive than here :)

We spent about 3000 rubles in it, which, in principle, is not small in itself (the ruble exchange rate, of course, was very depressing, earlier (2 years ago, before the crisis) all the pleasure would have stood at 1200 rubles). The kids, of course, liked it and in such a good mood we went to see the Summer Imperial Palace.

Many countries around the world have canceled such entry formalities as a visa for Russians. Under certain circumstances, our citizens can also visit China without a visa. The uniqueness of the Celestial Empire is that different migration rules operate in its different territories.

Residents of the border regions of Russia can enter some areas of China without a visa

If you are planning a trip to the largest state East Asia, first find out if it is possible to visit the areas you have chosen without first going to the country's embassy or visa center.

The Chinese side is loyal to Russians entering its territory. However, the availability of indulgences does not mean that you will be lenient if you break the immigration rules. Therefore, before you start packing your bags, carefully read the rules of the visit. different regions China, so that, being there, not to become a violator of the laws of the state.

The most popular for travelers is getting a visa upon arrival. This option is possible in cases when a pre-formed group is sent to the Celestial Empire. Travel agencies handle paperwork for groups. Even before the tourists are sent to the PRC, their lists are sent to the border areas. To get to China in this way, you need to travel in a group of more than 2 people.

This path is only suitable for Beijing and Hainan Island, where high-quality tourist services and the opportunity not only to relax, but also to heal are offered. As part of a group formed by travel agencies, you can stay on the territory of these parts of the state for no more than 21 days. You cannot leave them. You can leave, as well as arrived, only as part of a group.

Even if you do not plan to purchase a tourist voucher, it makes sense to contact a travel agency. Many of them include additional people in the formed groups for a fee.

If your area borders on China

Citizens can freely stay in China without a visa Russian Federation living in regions sharing the border with China:

• Amur region,
• Primorsky Territory,
• Irkutsk region,
• Khabarovsk Territory,
• Trans-Baikal Territory.

If you live in one of the listed regions, you will need one issued by the Chinese side to go through the border control. And you also need a passport and a document that indicates where you are registered. With these documents, you will receive a permit at the border checkpoint.

The term of stay on it in China varies from 15 to 180 days.

Before going to the Celestial Empire in this way, specify which points at that time have the right to pass Russians with invitations. There are intersection points at which no such permits are issued.

Transit travelers

Those who travel to other countries, but have purchased air tickets with a transfer in China, need to know the country's migration rules regarding transit guests.

Without visa documents, you have the right to stay in the state for 72 hours, provided that the place of transfer is the following international airports: Harbin, Guangzhou, Guilin, Chongqing, Xi'an and Shenyang. In Shanghai, Xiamen, Qingdao, Chengdu, Wuhan, Kunming, Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Qinhuangdao, Shijiazhuang and Shenyang, the transit time can be 144 hours in 2019.

It is important that you take off from the same airport you arrived at. This rule can only be bypassed in the following cases:

• Your flights are operated by one carrier.
• The airline changes airports due to the need to refuel the aircraft.
• You are negotiated by different companies, but you have a single booking form with one code.

Not all transit passengers are able to travel smoothly in China. For example, if your drop-off point is Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, or, you are allowed to admire the beauty of the city, but leaving it is strictly prohibited.

Whichever airport you arrive at, you cannot change to other types of transport, except for the plane, to continue your journey.

Where a visa is not needed

If you are thinking about how to travel to China on your own without contacting tourist agency to buy a package or join a group, consider visiting the country.

For example, you have the opportunity to go to Heihe without obtaining a visa. It is a city very close to Russian border... You can go to it from Blagoveshchensk, which is located just one kilometer away. It is enough to cross the Amur and you are in China.
On a trip, you need to take from the documents only a passport for presentation at the border. Since 2004, the migration legislation of the PRC has allowed Russians to stay in Heihe for 30 days.

The drive from Blagoveshchensk to Heihe takes 15 to 20 minutes. The choice of transport depends on the season. In the off-season, Puma ships equipped with air cushions are transported from Blagoveshchensk across the river to the Chinese side. Departure every 20 minutes. This method of crossing is relevant for December, November and April.

While in the region during the winter months, you can travel from Blagoveshchensk on one of the buses that run across the Amur on temporary pontoon bridges. Availability of this type of travel to the Chinese border is subject to weather conditions.

V summer period Once an hour, people are transported along the Amur to Heihe by a motor ship carrying 200 passengers.

The Annunciation Route is extremely popular, therefore, to pass the control, you need to stand in a rather impressive line. To go to the other side, you need to fill out a migration card, half of which is returned after verification. It should be kept for the return border crossing. There is a fee for going to the Chinese side.

Suifenhe city

The city of Suifenhe in Heilongjiang province is an excellent place to spend your vacation. Since 2013, Russian citizens can stay in it without a visa for 15 days.

Macau

Another attractive tourist spot for guests from all over the world is Macau.

This is a special administrative region of the state, where from the end of September 2012 Russians can come without a visa and stay here for about 30 days.

In order to travel to the listed areas without a visa stamp in your passport, you need to have return tickets and a passport with you.

Before traveling, check which areas at the time of your trip may request proof of financial worth and hotel reservations. But it's better to stock up on the first and second, just in case. This will guarantee you unhindered passage.

To visit China, Russians need to obtain a visa in advance. It takes a lot of time and effort, and not all of our cities have visa centers... Over the past decade, China and Russia have worked together extensively to simplify the visa regime for tourists crossing customs borders. Governments have formally designated a number of visa-free and visa-facilitated territories.

Allows a tourist to cross the state border, having only a passport and tickets for the return flight. Sometimes it is required to have a sufficient amount of money for the entire period of stay in the country, confirmation of hotel booking.

How to get to China without a visa.

There are five visa-free entry zones in the PRC:

• Hong Kong from July 1, 2009 is available to Russians for up to 14 days. If you need to spend more days, you will have to apply for a visa at the consular department of the PRC.
• From September 30, 2012, it became possible to visit a special administrative region - Macau for 30 days without a visa.
• It is possible to relax and heal on the island of Hainan without a visa for 21 days during a group trip through a travel agency (from two people - for Russians). In this case, tourists are prohibited from leaving the territory of the island, they are obliged to settle with the group in the hotel booked by the travel agency.
• Since December 2013, Russians freely come to the city of Suifenhe (Heilongjiang Province) without a visa and rest there for up to 15 days.
• Available since 2004 Russian tourists the city of Heihe, located a kilometer from Blagoveshchensk (across the Amur River), with only a passport for up to 30 days.

It is prohibited to leave the territory of these regions. But if necessary, it is possible to obtain a visa from the Chinese Migration Service.

Regions with a simplified regime of entry

A simplified visa regime is a case when obtaining a visa to visit a country is mandatory, but it is possible to issue it at the border or at the airport of arrival.

Just like in the visa-free regime, a foreign passport and return tickets are required.

• On October 21, 2013, a 30-day visa center was opened at the Hailar airport. Conditions for obtaining a visa within 10 minutes:
  • Arrival from Chita;
  • Prepared documents.

  In Hailar, only one-time visas are issued.

• Visa processing upon arrival to Hainan.
  If a tourist arriving on the island is going to visit other cities of the country, you need to immediately apply for a single-entry Chinese visa at the Phoenix airport (Sanya city):
  • Term - 15 days (14 nights);
  • The flight must be direct.
• Since March 17, 2015, Russians have been able to apply for an entry visa to the PRC for 30 days immediately after arriving at the Xijiao airport in the border city of Manchuria.

Transit through China

There are two types of visa-free transit with the right to leave the airport:

• For 24 hours - provided that it is an international airport in China (with the exception of Yanji) and there are tickets to a third country;
• For 72 hours - if these are international airports of the cities listed below:
  • You need to have air tickets to a third country;
  • The tourist is only in the city of arrival - and he has the opportunity to rent a hotel room, see the sights;
  • The time is counted from the moment of registration of the visa concession - from midnight of the day following the day of arrival (that is, the day of arrival is not taken into account);
  • Departure - only from the arrival airport;
  • During the first day, you need to get a registration at the police station.

Airports with 72-hour transit

• The first city in China to introduce a visa-free regime for foreign tourists was Beijing (since January 1, 2013).
• From January 1, 2013 registration transit visa available to passengers arriving at Pudong and Hongqiao airports in Shanghai.
• Guangzhou (since August 1, 2013).
• In September 2013, the city of Chengdu was added.
• Visa-free transit through Chongqing was introduced in November 2013.
• On January 1, 2014, a transit regime was introduced for Russians in the cities of Shenyang and Dalian, Liaoning province.
• In the summer of 2014, the city of Xi'an appeared on the list of cities for visa-free transit flights.
• Since July 28, 2014, tourists have been able to visit the city of Guilin, located in the southern part of China, without a visa.
• Since March 2015, Russians have been traveling without a visa to the capital of Hubei province, Wuhan, according to the Xinghua news agency.
• From April 1, 2015, the city of Kunming and the popular resort Xiamen, from southern province Fujian.
• Since August 1, 2015, Russians have the opportunity to visit the city of Harbin, located near the border with our country.

Entry from border regions

Russians living in Primorsky, Khabarovsk, Trans-Baikal Territories, Chita, Irkutsk and Amur Regions have the right to regularly visit China for a period of 15 to 180 days without the need for a visa at the consulates of this country - they will receive it during the border crossing at the checkpoint upon presentation of a document with registration, passport and invitation.

Crossing the border Blagoveshchensk-Heihe-Blagoveshchensk (across the Amur River):

• May - October: transportation by motor ships for 200 people 1 time per hour;
• January - March (depends on the thickness and strength of the ice on the river): transportation by buses on the pontoon bridge;
• Off-season (April, November and December): service every 20 minutes by hovercraft (Puma).

The distance between the cities is about one kilometer, the journey takes about 15 minutes.

On the Chinese side, they pay the entry fee to Heihe and fill out a coupon, at the passport control point they take half of the coupon. The other half of the ticket, like the return ticket, is kept for the entire trip!

Are there plans to completely abolish visas for tourists?

The government of the People's Republic of China is committed to introducing visa-free regime throughout the country to increase tourist flows, develop cultural and trade ties. This was stated on November 10, 2015 by the head of the Department for European and Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Gui Tsunyu, according to the Interfax news agency.

In conclusion, a summary table with information about cities in China with visa-free and simplified visa regimes:

Behind dozens of Chinese cities. The road from the border with the Russian city of Zabaikalsk, which I crossed by train, to Laos, where I entered on foot. (Don't worry, then took the bus.)

It was experimentally found that, firstly, China is a wonderful country for independent travel, and secondly, it is possible to travel abroad without even knowing the language, although it is still not clear how I managed it. The golden rule of any business "take and do" also works for free travel "take and go".

Don't let the language factor bother you (they don't speak English in China), but you shouldn't relax either. Phrasebooks, travel guides, the basics of English (at least in order to communicate with other foreign travelers) will come in handy. And the rest is details.

How to travel to China on your own?

Visa

Personally, I made a Chinese visa through an agency, simply giving my passport to specially trained people, while still in Russia. I will not say that it was very difficult to submit documents myself (although at that moment I lived in Kamchatka and the agents, among other things, sent documents to Vladivostok, to the representative office), but I had one rule - the start should be easy. China is the first country of the first trip, and even independent, also alone. I decided to free myself in some way. Therefore, a passport, photo and money are all that it took for 30 days in China. People's Republic... But she extended it on her own, on the spot. The next 30 days were marked by the filing of the same documents.

Weather

China is a country so big that you can't get off with generalized conclusions about the weather. Decide on the exact location, and then check with eyewitness testimony for that region. Where are you planning to: the Himalayas or Hainan? By the way, I have been to Hainan twice, and both times in October. Rumors about local typhoons are not exaggerated. I witnessed flying coconuts and uprooted palms the next morning. Although, if now someone asks whether it is possible to go to Hainan in October, I will not dissuade. I had a great rest both times. The hardworking Chinese planted all the palm trees in place literally the very next day after the hurricane.

Where to live

In hostels. This will provide you with pleasant (read "low") checks for accommodation, excellent acquaintances from among foreigners from all over the world and people who do speak and understand English, which is very important during a long stay in the country. According to my personal observations, hostels in China are some of the best in Asia, with the right atmosphere of the general drive of life and new discoveries. Stories like “I worked as a lawyer and then decided to change everything” or “we sold the car and drove around the world” are the norm in them. Plus, your travel colleagues have missed white faces and English as much as you do. In China, a white person is a close friend, if not a relative, to a white person. And do not even worry about nonsense in the style of "how to live in a room for four?" I guarantee.

Popular destinations

Also a limitless topic, so I will highlight my TOP places in the "other" Asian country: Beijing and Shanghai - a look at the world from the top floors of skyscrapers sets you in the right mood; (Huangshan and others), Hainan is the same banal tropical island, which is so dreamed of from home; Guilin and Yangshuo with their karst hills and lulling rivers, as well as the entire Yunnan province.

Transport

Driving experience Chinese trains can be inserted into your resume as proof of courage and fortitude. How on Chinese, namely, hieroglyphs, read where your train is and when it departs, if you are at a Beijing railway station the size of a small city and the wrong direction can lead you very far not only from the place of departure, but also from the truth in general? One fact - you can travel on Chinese trains no matter what, I would even say: in spite of it. Each time I was the only white face for the whole car and they constantly brought me some kind of food, trying to somehow satisfy my curiosity and gawk at the white girl, without being able to compensate for the language barrier in any other way.

To survive

In order to survive in China, and by survival, as you guessed it, I mean getting to the required station and the required train, you need to clearly remember the rule of "three people", which sounds like this: "If you ask a Chinese how to get to the place you need (and , it doesn't matter if he suddenly answers you in English or reads your phrasebook and shows with gestures), do not go in the indicated direction until at least three people point in the same direction. " Simply put, ask at least three people "how to get through", even if the first one knows exactly where you need to and is ready to take you personally. To say “I don’t know” in China means to lose face, this is a traditional feature. It is better to show it incorrectly, especially to some foreigner, than to go wrong and show your ignorance. Ask again always and in everything, especially if you are in a hurry.

Otherwise, the safety rules are no different from other countries - stay vigilant and you will be happy on Chinese soil.

Do you want to confess? I still don’t understand how I managed to drive through the whole of China with a backpack on my shoulders. Subsequently, the longer I lived in hospitable countries South-East Asia, the more mysterious this Chinese "phenomenon" became for me. It's just that everything in life is easier than it seems. But this can only be found out experimentally. Good luck!

So, you are about to go to China. And they did the right thing! This country is famous for its centuries-old culture, inventions, natural landscapes, food and much more. Now there are many offers on the tourist market, but they are all of the same type and follow the same well-trodden routes. In addition, they do not give freedom: look to the right, look to the left ... How about entering the country where they look at you with genuine childish interest, like an alien, where the whole carriage gets up when it sees you)). Or chat with locals and get to know the life of the country from the inside. All this is provided by independent travel.

Below are the main practical issues related to independent travel in China.

1. Visa to China

The first thing you need for such a trip is a PRC visa. There are several types of visas, respectively, they require different documents, different cost... The simplest one is a one-time tourist one. You can register at a travel agency, which will naturally take an additional fee for its work. You can make a visa yourself by taking the documents to one of the consulates of the PRC: in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Khabarovsk and Vladivostok.

2. How to get to China and travel within the country?

There are several ways to get to the Middle Kingdom from Russia: by plane, by train or by bus, or by hitchhiking. It all depends on your budget, where you are going from and which places in China you are going to visit. China, as you know, borders Russia on Far east, from there the path to Beijing is the closest. You can cover this distance by train. The easiest way to fly from Moscow, St. Petersburg and the European part of Russia is by plane. There are both direct flights and with a transfer in Astana, Almaty, Dubai, depending on the airline. Cheap tickets can be found on the website .

Within China, you can also move in different ways, which is more to your liking. We traveled by train, bought tickets ourselves at the box office a few days before departure.

3. How much money to take to China?

It is difficult to give an unambiguous answer - everyone has their own requirements and preferences. I can only give a link to our

It is better to exchange cash in advance in Russia for dollars, since rubles are not changed in China. Dollars to yuan are changed mainly by the Bank of China, the exchange rate in the spring of 2013 was 6.1 yuan per dollar. You can also use bank cards Visa and MasterCard. For withdrawing money from the card, a commission will be charged. It is different for different banks, check with your bank before traveling.

Anya and I issued ISIC youth cards, and in some places they give good discount... For example, we saved 90 yuan (450 rubles) on Mount Emeishan.

4. What to take with you to China?

Experience is the son of difficult mistakes)) We did not understand why we were dragging sleeping bags with us, but it turned out that China is full of cheap and comfortable housing.

When packing, pay attention to what the weather will be like in China. For example, in spring, the southwestern regions have a lot of rain and dampness, while Xinjiang can be cool but dry. From here and choose what to take. For independent travel a backpack is an irreplaceable and convenient thing that must be =).

In extreme cases, buy what you need in China, all the same, all the clothes are made there!

5. Accommodation in China - where to sleep?

As mentioned above, the choice of accommodation is huge, especially in places that are popular with tourists. And competition makes prices acceptable. You can book a hotel or hotel in advance - it is easy to do on the website. If you prefer to improvise, you can decide on the housing already on the spot. But I strongly advise against doing this if you are traveling on holidays: in early May and in the first half of October.

If you want to stay in an apartment or rent a room from the owners (often it is cheaper than a hotel) - try Airbnb (go to and get a gift for your first booking - $ 25).

6. Where to go in China, attractions

The choice is endless here, China amazing country! At every step, opening is waiting =).

We visited 4 provinces, or rather , and the province , Yunnan and Manchuria. They just drove past the rest of the districts by train.

7. Food

They love and know how to eat in China! Locals adopted the rule "War is war, and lunch is on schedule")). The choice of food is very large, although the main products for the Chinese are rice and noodles, as well as additives to them. You can grab a bite to eat at local chifans or by purchasing groceries at the market or supermarkets.

It should be noted that Chinese food is very spicy - be careful, especially in the early days.

When organizing an independent travel, mobile applications are very helpful. We wrote .

That's all I wanted to say about traveling to China on my own. Come to the Celestial Empire, you will definitely be satisfied! Easy roads!