I agree with this, to an extent. Trips like that can be tiring to the point that the term "vacation" doesn't really apply. On the other hand, if you have the ability to adapt your intinerary on a dynamic basis, the results can be fruitful.

I know lots of people that block off a month or more during the summer and use Beijing, Shanghai, or Hong Kong as a base, before heading west. Most have only a vague idea of where they want to go at the outset, but all end up doing interesting things.... and when their bodies break down, they simply come back to "developed China" and hang out till it's time for them to go home.

While the idea of setting out on a trip you know --beforehand-- is going to knock you out, the educational (and eye-openning) intangibles can be tremendous. You can see things and meet people that the PRC government would prefer that you didn't know about.

IMO, doing so provides a much better snapshot of China than the more common Beijing-Xi'an-Shanghai deal.