Your hotel can arrange for a driver to take you wherever you want.
Definitely true.
Taxis are plentiful and cheap. Have your hotel write the name, in characters, of where you want to go.
Also definitely true in big cities. And even out in the boonies you can usually find some guy with a tractor or motorcycle to take you to the next town for a few bucks.
Except in the smaller towns, you will not be stared at because you are a foreigner.
I disagree. You will be stared at far less in the big cities, but you will still be stared at far more than you would in the US. Staring is not considered rude in China, and when people are curious about something or see something interesting, they stare. Foreigners are very common in the major tourist cities, so people don't stare as much, but if you do something interesting (whether it be hugging or playing hacky-sack or whatever), you can expect people to stop and watch in a way that would probably be considered rude in the US. Also note that it's not uncommon to be asked to pose in Chinese tourists' photos. Part of visiting Beijing for many Chinese is getting a chance to see foreigners in person--often for the first time. More shy Chinese won't ask you to pose, but will simply take pictures of their kids with you in the background. It took me several weeks of jumping out of the line of camera fire before I realized that these people actually
wanted me in their pictures (note: I am over 6 feet tall and have very red hair, so I stand out quite a bit).
In restaurants, if there isn't a picture menu (there will be in restaurants in larger cities), just look around you and if you see something good, point.
I agree with the strategy. But in my experience, the VAST majority of restaurants have menus only in Chinese. Picture menus mainly exist in fast-food joints and tourist joints.
Learn a few Chinese words (noodles are "mien").
"Mian-tiao" is the generic term for noodles in Mandarin. But different kinds of noodles have different names in Chinese just like different pastas have different names in Italian. You wouldn't order "macaroni" if you wanted penne, and you wouldn't order "mian" if you wanted chao-fan.
Excellent thread.
No one in China will track your comings and goings.
Depends on where you go. In the big cities, absolutely not. But if you get out in the boonies, you can bet the local officials will be aware of your presence. And don't even think about trying to travel solo around rural Tibet.
Public displays of affection are not part of Chinese culture. Fixing wedgies won't attract attention. Public hugging will.
Unless it's in a park or university garden late at night, in which case you'll fit right in with the students making out (Chinese students typically live in shared dormrooms with 7 other students, so the only privacy is outside).
I agree completely about avoided taking tours that include meals. China has one of the most interesting, varied cuisines in the world. Don't confine yourself to tourist restaurants.
Yep yep!
Themicah's experience sounds like a wonderful adventure! Anything that gets you away from tourist destinations for a while, and lets you see the countryside should be fascinating.
My thoughts exactly. In my fairly extensive travels around China, the most memorable experiences were always the ones way off the beaten path. The trip to Yunnan was amazing, as was a Spring Festival journey to visit my friend's family in northern Hunan. The major tourist sights (the Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors, Guilin, etc.) are well worthwhile, too, but you haven't experienced China if you stick to the beaten tourist path (just as a foreign tourist in the US hasn't really experienced the US if they only visited Manhattan and Disneyland). The contrasts between the big cities and the other 99% of China is extraordinary.