China / 中华人民共和国 – Let’s explore here

China is a massive, diverse and stunningly beautiful country in East Asia. It contains the planet’s second largest population, after India, and the world’s most populous city, Shanghai (around 30 million people live there). It also has one of the longest histories of civilisation anywhere on earth. There are deserts in the North and tropical rainforests in the South, as well as a number of the world’s highest mountain ranges. As the world’s third largest country, it shares its border with 14 others – only Russia has as many neighbours.

What currency do they use in China?

In China they use the Renminbi. Cash is widely used. The use of credit / debit cards is widely accepted in cities, though not so much in rural areas. Traveller’s cheques are not readily accepted. There are many ATMs in cities and towns throughout the country.

You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.

What language do they speak in China?

They speak Mandarin in China, although there are almost 300 languages in China. English is increasingly widely spoken in cities, in particular amongst the younger generations.

What time zone is China in?

Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in.

Do I need a visa to visit China?

We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!

What’s it like to drive in China?

We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂

Current travels

We haven’t finished our planning for driving though China yet. When we do though, we’ll post it here, and in the blog. 

Hopefully our journey will improve our knowledge of this intriguing and beautiful country, and enable us to meet some interesting people. We’ll be updating this page at that time – don’t forget to check back 🙂

Is wild camping legal in China?

Yes, wild camping is fine in China.

If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know! 

And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!