Originally Posted by Peter N-H
Everyone visiting China should try to include some kind of rural experience away from places with high foreign tourist volumes. It's not hard--at least 70% of China remains completely undiscovered by foreign tourists.
Quite possibly the wisest bit of advice ever posted on this forum.
And it doesn't even have to be particularly rural - any little town will do. Pretty much all towns have some tourist attraction or other. A tower to climb, hot springs to visit, a pagoda type thing to look at, etc.
I got stopped in the main square of my little provincial town about a month back. A guy interested in the sheer oddity of seeing a foreigner and wanting to practice his English. Had a chat, had a beer. Next day and he's arranged a car and is taking me to an amazing bit of countryside 50km out of town followed by lunch in one of his (countryside) relatives homes. Then back to town and out for dinner. Admittedly he nearly broke my arm when wrestling me out of the way as I tried to pay the bill - but such is Chinese hospitality.