moondog

I didn't mean to be that much of a downer. Sanya will be too crowded for my tastes, but at least there's a finite number of hotel rooms there. So, if your determined to go there, and can secure accommodation, don't let me stop you. It's just that my personal approach to travel during CNY and National Day is to focus on destinations that aren't popular among Chinese people. Xinjiang seems to top this list; Gansu and Qinghai can't be far behind. In my previous post to this thread, I suggested that non-Sanya Hainan might also fall into this category, though I haven't been to the west side since HSR made it so easy to access.

Since you mentioned that you're starting in Beijing, I would advise you to avoid downtown if possible. I'm at a loss for words as to how to describe it, but some visitors from the hinterlands cherish rare opportunities to harass foreigners.