# China Proud China Proud is a field guide to Mainland China: fourteen cities, six rail routes, regional dishes, and what changes if you are traveling from Taiwan. China Proud 是中国大陆实地指南：十四座城市、六条高铁路线、地方菜，以及从台湾出发时真正不一样的地方。 Canonical home: https://travel.abitmore.today/ Simplified Chinese: add ?lang=zh to any page. ## Beijing / 北京 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/beijing 中文: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/beijing?lang=zh Coordinates: 39.9042, 116.4074 Best time: September to early November, then late March to May 最佳时间: 9 月到 11 月初，然后是 3 月下旬到 5 月 Courtyards, coal-scented lanes, and a palace that still sets the clock for the rest of the country. 四合院、还有煤味的巷子，以及一座仍在给全国对表的宫殿。 Beijing is not a single postcard of yellow roofs. The useful way to hold it is in layers: the palace and the parks inside the old city, the hutongs just north of Beihai where breakfast is still cooked on a drum griddle, and the ridgeline an hour and a half north where the wall actually climbs. Give the Forbidden City a morning, not a dash between tour groups, and book the timed ticket with the same document you will show at the gate. Evenings belong to roast duck or a bowl of zhajiangmian, not to another monument. 北京不是一张黄琉璃屋顶的明信片。比较有用的看法是分层：老城里的宫殿和公园，北海北面仍用鏊子做早饭的胡同，以及往北一个半小时、城墙真正爬上山脊的地方。故宫给一个上午，不要夹在旅行团中间冲过去，预约用的证件要和门口查验的是同一张。晚上属于烤鸭或一碗炸酱面，不属于再一座纪念碑。 Stay: Inside the second ring if you want to walk home. Qianmen is convenient and loud. A hutong courtyard near Beihai or Dongcheng is the stay that feels like the city. 住宿: 想走回家就住二环里。前门方便，也吵。北海或东城附近的胡同院落，才像这座城市。 Arrive: Capital Airport is far; the airport express plus a metro ride is predictable. Daxing is farther south. High-speed trains use Beijing South, Beijing West, Beijing Chaoyang, and Beijing North — read the ticket, not just the city name. 抵达: 首都机场远，机场快轨加地铁比较稳。大兴更靠南。高铁用北京南、北京西、北京朝阳、北京北——看车票上的站名，不要只看城市名。 Field: The palace ticket name must match your 台胞证 or passport character for character. A Roman-letter booking and a Chinese-character gate check is the classic way to lose a morning. 实地: 故宫门票上的姓名必须和台胞证或护照逐字一致。用拼音订票、门口按汉字核验，是最经典的浪费一个上午的方式。 Sights: - Forbidden City / 故宫: Timed entry. Closed Mondays. Enter from the south and leave north toward Jingshan if your knees allow the hill. 中文: 分时段预约。周一闭馆。从南边进，膝盖允许的话向北出、再上景山。 - Mutianyu Great Wall / 慕田峪: The calmest famous section. Cable car up, walk a stretch, toboggan down if you like. Skip Badaling unless your tour gives you no choice. 中文: 著名段落里最安静的一段。缆车上，走一截，想滑的话滑道下来。除非跟团别无选择，否则别去八达岭。 - Beihai and the hutongs / 北海 · 胡同: Rent nothing. Walk the lanes north of the lake in the morning, when deliveries and breakfast stalls are the traffic. 中文: 什么都别租。早上走湖北面的巷子，那时的交通是送货和早点摊。 - Temple of Heaven / 天坛: Go early for the park, not only the hall. The echo wall is a sideshow; the cypresses are the point. 中文: 早去是为了公园，不只为了大殿。回音壁是配角，柏树才是重点。 Eat: - Peking duck / 北京烤鸭: Order the bird, not a set banquet you will not finish. A known shop beats a hotel carving station. 中文: 点一只鸭子，不要点一套你吃不完的宴席。熟店比酒店片鸭台可靠。 - Zhajiangmian / 炸酱面: Wheat noodles, pork sauce, a pile of raw scallion and radish you fold in yourself. 中文: 小麦面条、猪肉炸酱，一堆自己拌进去的生葱和萝卜。 - Jianbing / 煎饼果子: Breakfast from a street griddle. Ask them to go easy on the sauce if you want to taste the egg. 中文: 街头鏊子上的早饭。想尝到鸡蛋，就让他们少放酱。 ## Xi'an / 西安 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/xian 中文: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/xian?lang=zh Coordinates: 34.3416, 108.9398 Best time: April to May, and September to October 最佳时间: 4 月到 5 月，以及 9 月到 10 月 An old capital that still eats lamb, wheat, and chili oil inside a complete city wall. 一座仍在完整城墙里吃羊肉、面食和油泼辣子的旧都。 Xi'an works because the ancient part is still a neighborhood, not a fenced ruin. The Ming wall is a bike loop at dusk. The Muslim Quarter is a dinner walk, smoky and specific, not a museum of Silk Road clichés. The Terracotta Army sits well east of town: go at opening, with a booked slot, and leave when the coaches arrive. One full day in the city and one morning at the pits is enough unless you are chasing museums. 西安好用，是因为古城还是街区，不是围起来的废墟。明城墙是黄昏的一圈自行车。回民街是一顿有烟火、很具体的晚饭，不是丝绸之路的陈列馆。兵马俑在城东很远：开门就去，先订时段，旅行团到了就离开。城里一整天、俑坑一个上午，够了，除非你专门追博物馆。 Stay: Inside or just south of the wall, near Yongningmen, so the bike loop and the quarter are walks. 住宿: 城墙里或墙南、靠近永宁门，骑墙和回民街都是走过去的事。 Arrive: Fly into Xi'an Xianyang, then the airport shuttle or metro toward the wall. High-speed trains arrive at Xi'an North, a metro ride from the old city — do not expect the station to be beside the wall. 抵达: 飞西安咸阳，再坐机场大巴或地铁进城墙。高铁到西安北，离老城还有一段地铁。别指望车站就在城墙边上。 Field: The warriors and the city are not next to each other. A booked car or a tourist bus takes the better part of an hour each way. Do not plan a wall sunset and the pits on the same tight afternoon. 实地: 兵马俑和城区不挨着。包车或旅游车单程就要大半小时。别把城墙日落和俑坑排在同一个紧的下午。 Sights: - Terracotta Army / 兵马俑: Pit 1 is the famous hall. The smaller pits and the bronze chariots are where you slow down. Book the morning. 中文: 一号坑是那座出名的大厅。小坑和铜车马才是你放慢的地方。订早上。 - City wall / 西安城墙: Rent a bike and ride the top late in the day. The south gate is the theatrical entrance; the ride is the actual pleasure. 中文: 下午租自行车骑城墙。南门是戏剧性的入口，骑本身才是乐趣。 - Muslim Quarter / 回民街: Walk in hungry, ignore the first ten shouting stalls, and eat where the locals are queued for bread and lamb. 中文: 饿着进去。前十家喊你的摊先忽略，去当地人排队买馍和羊肉的地方。 - Great Mosque / 西安大清真寺: A Chinese courtyard mosque tucked off the market lanes. Quiet, and a useful reset from the grill smoke. 中文: 藏在市场巷子里的中国式庭院清真寺。安静，适合从烧烤烟里缓一缓。 Eat: - Roujiamo / 肉夹馍: Chopped braised pork in a hard wheat bun. Eat it hot, standing up, before the bread softens. 中文: 硬面饼里夹剁碎的酱肉。趁热站着吃，别等饼软掉。 - Yangrou paomo / 羊肉泡馍: You tear the bread yourself. The broth should taste like lamb, not like a sweetened soup. 中文: 馍要自己掰。汤应该是羊肉味，不是加甜的汤。 - Biangbiang noodles / 油泼面: Belt-wide noodles under chili oil, vinegar, and garlic. Signs may show a character your phone cannot type. 中文: 皮带宽的面，浇辣椒油、醋和大蒜。招牌上的字，手机可能打不出来。 ## Shanghai / 上海 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/shanghai 中文: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/shanghai?lang=zh Coordinates: 31.2304, 121.4737 Best time: March to May, and October to November 最佳时间: 3 月到 5 月，以及 10 月到 11 月 A treaty-port grid that learned to cook, shop, and stay up later than the rest of the east coast. 一座学会做饭、逛街，并且比华东其他地方更晚睡的口岸城市。 Shanghai rewards people who walk a neighborhood instead of collecting skylines. The Bund is a twenty-minute look across the river, best early or after the tour boats thin out. The French Concession is the real half-day: plane trees, Wukang Road, small shops, and lunch. Yu Garden is a dense old core wrapped in a commercial maze — go once, then leave it. Eat xiaolongbao at a specialist, not as a side dish in a banquet, and remember that Shanghainese food is sweet, soy-dark, and braised more often than it is spicy. 上海奖赏的是走进一个街区的人，不是收集天际线的人。外滩是二十分钟看对岸，最好在早上，或游船少了之后。法租界才是真正的半天：悬铃木、武康路、小店和午饭。豫园是被商业迷宫包住的一小块老城，去一次就离开。小笼去专卖店，不要当成宴会里的配菜。上海菜偏甜、酱油深、红烧，辣不是它的性格。 Stay: A concession lane hotel if you want to walk at night. The Bund looks romantic and fronts a loud road. People's Square is the metro knot if you are only changing trains. 住宿: 想晚上走路，住租界弄堂。外滩看起来浪漫，门前是一条吵的路。只是换火车的话，人民广场是地铁结。 Arrive: Pudong is the long-haul airport; the maglev is a thrill and still leaves you in the east. Hongqiao handles many Taiwan and domestic flights and sits on top of the high-speed rail station — the easiest arrival in the country if your ticket matches. 抵达: 浦东是远程机场。磁浮好玩，下来你仍在东边。虹桥承接很多台湾和国内航班，而且就在高铁站上面——票对上的话，这是全国最省事的到达。 Field: Maglev, metro, and taxi all work. What fails is assuming one 'Shanghai station.' Hongqiao, Shanghai Station, and Shanghai South are different buildings. 实地: 磁浮、地铁、出租车都能用。会出错的是以为有一个“上海站”。虹桥、上海站、上海南站是三栋不同的楼。 Sights: - The Bund / 外滩: Cross from the west bank in the morning. Save the night view for a short walk, not a three-hour photo queue. 中文: 早上从西岸看过去。夜景留一次短走，不要排三小时拍照。 - Former French Concession / 法租界: Wukang Road, Anfu Road, and the lanes between. This is the day that makes the city make sense. 中文: 武康路、安福路，以及中间的巷子。这一天才让城市说得通。 - Yu Garden / 豫园: The garden is small and the bazaar around it is not. Enter when it opens. 中文: 园林很小，周围的市集不小。开门就进。 - Shanghai Museum or the river museums / 上海博物馆: People's Square if you want bronzes and painting. The West Bund if you want contemporary galleries and fewer tour flags. 中文: 要青铜和绘画去人民广场。要当代美术馆、少一点旅行团旗子，去西岸。 Eat: - Xiaolongbao / 小笼包: Pierce, sip, then eat. Nanxiang is the famous name; a busy local branch often beats the flagship queue. 中文: 先戳开、喝汤、再吃。南翔是出名的名字，热闹的分店往往比旗舰店的队值得。 - Shengjian / 生煎包: Pan-fried, thicker, soup inside. Breakfast or a late afternoon snack, not a delicate course. 中文: 煎过的、更厚、里面有汤。早饭或下午点心，不是一道精致的菜。 - Hongshao pork / 红烧肉: The city's home flavor: dark soy, sugar, fat that should not be dry. Order greens with it. 中文: 这座城市的本味：深色酱油、糖、不该柴的肥肉。配一盘青菜。 ## Suzhou / 苏州 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/suzhou 中文: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/suzhou?lang=zh Coordinates: 31.2989, 120.5853 Best time: March to May for flowers, October for clear light 最佳时间: 3 月到 5 月看花，10 月天最透 White walls, timed gardens, and an old town that is still a place people bike to work. 白墙、要预约的园子，以及一座人们仍骑车上班的老城。 Suzhou is the correction to Shanghai's scale. The classical gardens are small on purpose; two in a day is plenty, three is a blur of rocks. The Humble Administrator's Garden is the famous one and the most crowded. A smaller garden plus a long walk on Pingjiang Road, with tea and a canal, is the better shape. The city is close enough to Shanghai for a day trip, and better as a night so the lanes empty after the coaches leave. 苏州是对上海尺度的修正。古典园林故意不大：一天两座够了，三座就变成石头的糊。拙政园最有名，也最挤。一座小园，加上平江路慢慢走、喝茶、看河，形状更好。离上海近到可以当日往返，但住一晚更好，旅游车走了，巷子才空。 Stay: Near Pingjiang or the museum, so the gardens are walks. The industrial parks to the east are for business, not for this trip. 住宿: 住平江或博物馆附近，园林是走得到的。东边的工业园区是办事，不是这次旅行。 Arrive: High-speed rail from Shanghai Hongqiao or Shanghai Station is often under forty minutes to Suzhou Station or Suzhou North. Check which station your hotel actually faces. 抵达: 从上海虹桥或上海站坐高铁，到苏州站或苏州北常常不到四十分钟。先看酒店到底对着哪一站。 Field: Gardens use timed tickets in peak months. Book the day before on the official channels, with the same ID you will carry. 实地: 旺季园林要分时段门票。前一天在官方渠道订，证件和你随身带的那张一致。 Sights: - Humble Administrator's Garden / 拙政园: Book a morning entry. Go straight to the water courts before you photograph the first rock. 中文: 订早上的票。先去水院，再拍第一块石头。 - Pingjiang Road / 平江路: Canal street for walking, not for buying identical silk fans. Slip off it into the side lanes. 中文: 沿河走，不是为了买一模一样的绸扇。拐进旁边的小巷。 - Master of the Nets Garden / 网师园: Smaller, tighter, often the one people remember. Evening performances exist; the garden itself is enough. 中文: 更小、更紧，常常是人们记住的那一座。晚上有表演，园林本身就够。 - Suzhou Museum / 苏州博物馆: I. M. Pei's modern garden next door to the old ones. A good hour when you are gardened out. 中文: 贝聿铭的现代园林，紧挨着老园。园林看累了，这里刚好一小时。 Eat: - Squirrel fish / 松鼠桂鱼: Sweet-sour mandarin fish, deep-fried and lacquered. Share it. It is a banquet dish, not a snack. 中文: 甜酸的鳜鱼，炸过再淋汁。分着吃。这是宴席菜，不是点心。 - Noodle with eel or pork / 苏式汤面: A sober bowl of wheat noodles in a clear, soy-bright soup. This is the lunch that belongs here. 中文: 清爽的一碗面，汤清、酱油亮。这才是这里的午饭。 - Osmanthus and mung-bean cakes / 桂花绿豆糕: Buy a small box, not a kilo. The floral note should be faint. 中文: 买一小盒，别买一公斤。桂花味应该很淡。 ## Hangzhou / 杭州 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/hangzhou 中文: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/hangzhou?lang=zh Coordinates: 30.2741, 120.1551 Best time: March to April for blossom, September to November for clear air 最佳时间: 3 月到 4 月看花，9 月到 11 月天最清 A lake everyone has already seen in a painting, and tea slopes that earn the extra night. 一座人人都在画里见过的湖，以及值得多住一晚的茶坡。 West Lake is real, and it is also a loop of willows, causeways, and wedding photographers. Walk the Bai Causeway early, hire a boat only if the water is calm, and do not spend the whole day circling the shore. The second move is Longjing: a bus or taxi into the tea village, a tasting that is allowed to be ordinary, and a view back toward the city. Lingyin Temple is a worthwhile climb if you go at opening. Hangzhou's food is light, vinegared, and proud of the lake's shrimp and fish. 西湖是真的，也是一圈柳树、长堤和婚纱摄影师。白堤早走，水静再雇船，不要把一整天花在绕岸上。第二步是龙井：公交或出租车进茶村，试茶可以很普通，再回头看城市。灵隐开门时去，是值得的一段爬。杭州菜清、带醋，以湖里的虾和鱼为傲。 Stay: Lakeside if you will actually wake up and walk. Far west near the tea hills if you want quiet. The railway station district is for leaving, not for lingering. 住宿: 真的会早起走路，就住湖边。想安静就住西边茶山附近。火车站一带是离开用的，不是停留用的。 Arrive: Hangzhou East is the high-speed stop, about an hour from Shanghai Hongqiao. The lake is a metro or taxi from there, not a step outside the station. 抵达: 杭州东是高铁站，离上海虹桥大约一小时。湖在地铁或出租车之外，不是出站就到。 Field: Weekend crowds from Shanghai are real. If you can, take Friday night arrival and Sunday departure, or come midweek. 实地: 上海周末的人是真的多。能的话周五晚上到、周日走，或选工作日。 Sights: - West Lake / 西湖: Dawn on the causeway. The ten famous views are a poem, not a checklist. 中文: 堤上赶黎明。十景是一首诗，不是清单。 - Longjing / 龙井: Tea village in the hills. Spring pick is lovely and crowded. Taste before you buy a pretty tin. 中文: 山里的茶村。春茶好看，也挤。买漂亮铁罐之前先尝。 - Lingyin / 灵隐寺: A large working temple and a cliff of carvings. The commercial street outside is optional. 中文: 仍在使用的大寺，加上一壁石刻。外面的商业街可去可不去。 - Hefang Street, briefly / 河坊街: Rebuilt commercial lane. One walk for the architecture, then back to the lake. 中文: 重建的商业街。走一趟看建筑，然后回湖边。 Eat: - Longjing shrimp / 龙井虾仁: River shrimp with a breath of tea. It should taste clean, not like a perfume counter. 中文: 河虾带一点茶香。应该干净，不该像香水柜台。 - Dongpo pork / 东坡肉: A Hangzhou claim on braised pork belly. Share, and order a plain green vegetable. 中文: 杭州版本的红烧肚块。分着吃，再点一盘普通青菜。 - Vinegar fish / 西湖醋鱼: Sweet-sour grass carp. An acquired, very local plate. Try it once in a proper restaurant. 中文: 甜酸的草鱼。很本地，要适应。在正经馆子里试一次。 ## Chengdu / 成都 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/chengdu 中文: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/chengdu?lang=zh Coordinates: 30.5728, 104.0668 Best time: March to June, and September to November 最佳时间: 3 月到 6 月，以及 9 月到 11 月 A flat, green, food-obsessed city that would rather pour you tea than rush you across town. 一座平坦、发绿、痴迷吃的城市，更想给你倒茶，而不是催你赶路。 Chengdu is the easiest big city in the west to like, which is exactly why people under-schedule the food and over-schedule the panda. The research base is worth it if you arrive at opening; by mid-morning the animals are asleep and the paths are a queue. The rest of the city is teahouses in people's parks, a manageable old grid at Kuanzhai, and meals that are numbing before they are hot. Sichuan pepper is a sensation, not a dare. Say 微辣 unless you already know you want more. 成都是西部最好相处的大城市，所以人们容易把吃排少、把熊猫排满。基地值得去，但要开门就到；过了上午，动物在睡，路上是队。其余是人民公园的茶馆、宽窄那一小片还走得动的老街，以及先麻后辣的饭。花椒是一种感觉，不是胆量测试。不确定就说微辣。 Stay: Near Chunxi or the park if you want restaurants at the door. South toward Tongzilin is comfortable and a little quieter. 住宿: 想出门就是馆子，住春熙或公园附近。南边桐梓林舒服一点，也安静一点。 Arrive: Chengdu East and Chengdu South take most high-speed trains. Tianfu is the newer airport and farther out; Shuangliu is the older one. Check which airport your ticket actually uses. 抵达: 高铁多数进成都东或成都南。天府是新机场，更远；双流是老机场。看票上到底是哪一个。 Field: Panda tickets and the base's timed slots sell out on weekends and holidays. Book before you land, in the name on your ID. 实地: 熊猫票和基地时段在周末和假期会卖完。落地前就订，名字用证件上的。 Sights: - Panda base / 大熊猫繁育研究基地: At the gate when it opens. Book a timed ticket. Enclosures nap after the morning feed. 中文: 开门就在门口。订分时段票。上午喂完，园里就在午睡。 - People's Park teahouses / 人民公园: Ear cleaning is optional and theatrical. The tea, the chairs, and other people's card games are the point. 中文: 掏耳朵可看可不看，有点表演。茶、椅子和别人的牌局才是重点。 - Kuanzhai Alleys / 宽窄巷子: Restored lanes, partly commercial. Walk through, then eat nearby rather than in the busiest courtyard. 中文: 修复过的巷子，一半是商业。穿过去，在旁边吃，不要在最挤的院子里吃。 - Wuhou Shrine or a day toward Leshan / 武侯祠: The shrine is a compact Three Kingdoms stop. Leshan's giant Buddha is a separate day if you want the river. 中文: 武侯祠是紧凑的三国一站。想看江，乐山大佛是另外一天。 Eat: - Mapo tofu / 麻婆豆腐: Beef or pork mince, doubanjiang, and enough Sichuan pepper to make your tongue hum. This is the baseline. 中文: 牛肉末或猪肉末、豆瓣酱，加上让舌头发麻的花椒。这是基准。 - Dan dan noodles / 担担面: Small bowl, preserved vegetable, chili oil. A snack between teahouses, not a challenge. 中文: 小碗、芽菜、红油。茶馆之间的点心，不是挑战。 - Hotpot / 火锅: Chengdu's version is serious. Order a split pot if anyone at the table is unsure, and a round of plain noodles at the end. 中文: 成都的锅是认真的。桌上有人不确定，就点鸳鸯，最后来一碗白面。 ## Chongqing / 重庆 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/chongqing 中文: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/chongqing?lang=zh Coordinates: 29.563, 106.5516 Best time: March to May, and October to November. Summers are a steam room. 最佳时间: 3 月到 5 月，以及 10 月到 11 月。夏天像蒸房。 A mountain port where the map lies, because the street you want is eight floors above you. 一座山城码头。地图会骗人，因为你要去的街在你头顶八层。 Chongqing is Chengdu's louder cousin and should not be folded into the same day. The city is vertical. Stations, hotels, and restaurants that look adjacent on a flat map are often a cliff apart, which is why the Yangtze cable car and the Hongya Cave night view exist — and why taxis sometimes refuse a 'short' hop that is actually a spiral. Eat hotpot here if you eat it once: the broth is fiercer, the beef is the point, and the late sitting is normal. Give it two nights, not an afternoon layover. 重庆是成都更吵的亲戚，不该塞进同一天。这座城市是垂直的。平面图上挨着的车站、酒店和馆子，常常隔着一道崖，所以才有长江索道和洪崖洞的夜景，出租车也才会拒绝一段看起来很近、其实在盘山的路。火锅只吃一次的话就在这里吃：汤更猛，牛肉是重点，晚场很正常。给两晚，不要当下午过境。 Stay: Yuzhong, near Jiefangbei or the upper side of the river, if you want to walk the night views. Confirm the hotel's actual entrance floor. 住宿: 渝中，解放碑或江的高一侧，方便走夜景。先确认酒店真正的入口在哪一层。 Arrive: High-speed trains from Chengdu take roughly an hour to an hour and a half into Chongqing West, Chongqing North, or another terminal. Read the station name. Jiangbei airport sits north of the ridges. 抵达: 从成都坐高铁大约一小时到一个半小时，进重庆西、重庆北或其他站。读站名。江北机场在山脊北边。 Field: Navigation apps will suggest staircases and elevators that a taxi cannot follow. Screenshot the hotel entrance in Chinese before you get in a car. 实地: 导航会建议楼梯和电梯，出租车跟不了。上车前先把酒店入口的中文截图存好。 Sights: - Hongya Cave, from across the river / 洪崖洞: The interior is a mall with a costume. The view from the far bank at dusk is the photograph. 中文: 里面是穿了戏服的商场。黄昏从对岸看，才是那张照片。 - Yangtze cable car / 长江索道: A short, useful ride between cliffs. Book or queue early. It is transit with a view, not an amusement park. 中文: 悬崖之间一段短而有用的车程。早订或早排队。这是带风景的交通，不是游乐园。 - Liziba monorail / 李子坝: The train that passes through a building. Watch one pass, then leave. The platform is a crowd by design. 中文: 穿楼而过的那班车。看一列过去就走。站台按设计就是挤的。 - Ciqikou / 磁器口: An old river town swallowed by the city. Go in the morning for tea and alleys before the snack street peaks. 中文: 被城市吞进去的江边老镇。早上去喝茶、走巷子，赶在小吃街最吵之前。 Eat: - Chongqing hotpot / 重庆火锅: Beef, tripe if you want it, a lot of chili and pepper. 微辣 is still hot. Share a split pot. 中文: 牛肉，想吃毛肚就加。辣椒和花椒很多。微辣也辣。分一只鸳鸯锅。 - Xiaomian / 重庆小面: Breakfast noodles, alkaline, spicy, fast. This is the bowl that explains the city better than a banquet. 中文: 早饭面，碱味、辣、快。这一碗比宴席更能解释这座城市。 - Grilled fish or late barbecue / 烤鱼: A whole fish in chili oil is a night meal. Come hungry and expect the room to be loud. 中文: 一整条鱼泡在红油里，是晚饭。饿着去，屋子会很吵。 ## Zhangjiajie / 张家界 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/zhangjiajie 中文: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/zhangjiajie?lang=zh Coordinates: 29.117, 110.479 Best time: April to June, and September to early November 最佳时间: 4 月到 6 月，以及 9 月到 11 月初 A national park of quartzite spires that should be walked, not collected from a single glass lift. 一座应该走、而不是从一台玻璃电梯收齐的石英岩峰林。 Zhangjiajie is the landscape people mean when they say the mountains look invented. Wulingyuan's pillars, and the separate Tianmen Mountain above the city, are different parks with different tickets. Do not attempt both properly in one day. Inside Wulingyuan, choose a route — Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain are the classic high views — and ride the park buses between gates instead of backtracking on foot. Mist is not a failure; it is half the picture. Book park entry and the more famous elevators ahead in holidays. 张家界就是人们说山看起来像被发明出来时指的那片风景。武陵源的石柱，和市区上方的天门山，是两座公园、两套票。不要试图一天把两边都好好走完。武陵源里选一条线——袁家界和天子山是经典的高处——在门口之间坐景区车，不要用脚原路折返。雾不是失败，是画面的一半。假期提前订门票和出名的电梯。 Stay: Wulingyuan town if the park is your only aim, so mornings start at a gate. Zhangjiajie city proper if you also want Tianmen and the train station. 住宿: 只进公园就住武陵源镇，早上从门口开始。还要天门山和火车站，就住张家界市区。 Arrive: Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport is the practical arrival from Chongqing, Changsha, or farther cities. High-speed rail reaches Zhangjiajie West via the regional network; it is not a casual hop from Guilin or Chengdu. 抵达: 从重庆、长沙或更远的城市来，荷花机场最实际。高铁到张家界西，要经过区域铁路网，不是从桂林或成都随手一跳。 Field: Park buses stop running in the late afternoon. Your last cable car down is a hard deadline, not a suggestion. 实地: 景区车傍晚停。最后一班缆车下山是硬截止，不是建议。 Sights: - Wulingyuan / 武陵源: The main park. Pillars, park buses, and a lot of stairs. Pick one loop and stay with it. 中文: 主园区。石柱、景区车、很多台阶。选一个圈，跟着走完。 - Yuanjiajie / 袁家界: The avatar-famous platforms. Go early. Cloud is a gift, not a reason to demand a refund from the weather. 中文: 因为电影出名的观景台。早去。云是礼物，不是向天气索赔的理由。 - Tianmen Mountain / 天门山: A separate day: long cable car, glass walkways, a gate in the cliff. Not inside Wulingyuan. 中文: 另外一天：长缆车、玻璃栈道、悬崖上的门。不在武陵源里面。 - Golden Whip Stream / 金鞭溪: The flat walk for a slower morning if the stairs of the first day were enough. 中文: 第一天台阶够了的话，第二天可以走这段平路。 Eat: - Cured pork with chili / 小炒肉: Hunan home cooking: smoked pork, fresh chili, no Sichuan pepper haze. This is a different heat. 中文: 湖南家常：烟熏肉、鲜辣椒，没有四川花椒的雾。这是另一种辣。 - Sour and spicy rice noodles / 酸辣粉: A cheap bowl between park gates. Add vinegar if it arrives shy. 中文: 园门口之间的一碗便宜粉。不够酸就自己加醋。 - Wild mushroom dishes, in season / 菌子: Order them in a proper restaurant, not from an unlabeled grill. Pretty fungi are not automatically dinner. 中文: 去有名字的馆子点，不要在没标签的烤架上点。好看的菌不一定是晚饭。 ## Guilin / 桂林 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/guilin 中文: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/guilin?lang=zh Coordinates: 25.2736, 110.29 Best time: April to May, and September to November. Summer storms are part of the green. 最佳时间: 4 月到 5 月，以及 9 月到 11 月。夏天的雨是绿色的一部分。 The painting of limestone peaks is a real boat ride — and a town downstream where you should sleep. 画里的石灰岩峰是真的船程，下游还有一座你应该住下来的镇子。 Guilin city has the river, the peaks, and a useful airport and rail station. The landscape people came for opens up on the Li toward Yangshuo. Take the boat one way, not as a round trip you will resent, and sleep in Yangshuo so the evening is bicycles and beer fish instead of a coach back to a city hotel. Longji rice terraces are a separate night if you want villages and stepped fields; they do not fit after a Li River morning. Guilin rice noodles are breakfast, every morning, without discussion. 桂林市区有江、有峰，也有能用的机场和车站。人们来看的风景在去阳朔的漓江上展开。船坐单程，不要坐一个你会怨的来回，住在阳朔，晚上才是自行车和啤酒鱼，而不是大巴赶回市区酒店。龙脊梯田要另住一晚才值得；漓江上午之后塞不进去。桂林米粉是每天早饭，没有讨论余地。 Stay: One night in Guilin if you land late, then Yangshuo. Staying only in Guilin and day-tripping the river makes the best hours into a commute. 住宿: 晚到可以在桂林住一晚，然后去阳朔。只住桂林、白天赶河，会把最好的钟点变成通勤。 Arrive: Guilin Liangjiang Airport is the usual flight arrival. High-speed trains use Guilin North or Guilin West more often than a tiny downtown halt. Yangshuo is a bus or private car south, a bit over an hour. 抵达: 两江机场是常见的飞行到达。高铁多用桂林北或桂林西，不是一个很小的市中心站。阳朔在南边，大巴或包车一个多小时。 Field: Li River boats sell out and run on a water-level calendar. In dry months the route can shorten. Book the boat with your Yangshuo hotel night, not as an afterthought. 实地: 漓江船会卖完，而且跟着水位日历走。枯水季航线会缩短。订船要和阳朔的酒店夜一起订，不要事后再想。 Sights: - Li River to Yangshuo / 漓江: The classic cruise is a one-way downstream ride. Sit on the open side and watch Xingping's peaks assemble themselves. 中文: 经典航线是顺流单程。坐开敞的一侧，看兴坪的山自己排好。 - Yangshuo and the Yulong River / 阳朔: Rent a bike or a scooter you are licensed and willing to fall off. West Street is optional; the river paths are not. 中文: 租自行车，或租一辆你有资格、也愿意摔的电动车。西街可去可不去，沿河的路不可不去。 - Longji terraces / 龙脊梯田: A night in Ping'an or Dazhai if the terraces matter to you. A day trip from Guilin is a lot of winding road for a short view. 中文: 梯田对你重要，就在平安或大寨住一晚。从桂林当日往返，弯路很长，景色很短。 - Reed Flute Cave, if it rains / 芦笛岩: A lit cave near the city. Fine in bad weather. Skip it if the river day is clear. 中文: 市区附近一座有灯的洞。坏天气合适。河上的天是晴的，就跳过。 Eat: - Guilin rice noodles / 桂林米粉: Breakfast. Chili, sour bamboo, peanuts, a choice of toppings. Point, or ask for 微辣. 中文: 早饭。辣椒、酸笋、花生，配料自己选。指，或者说微辣。 - Beer fish / 啤酒鱼: Yangshuo's river fish braised with beer and tomato-chili. Order it with greens and rice, for the table. 中文: 阳朔的河鱼，用啤酒和番茄辣椒炖。配青菜和饭，给一桌人。 - Stuffed snails or taro / 田螺酿: A local snack with a slow pace. Share a plate if you are unsure. 中文: 本地小吃，吃得慢。不确定就分一盘。 ## Guangzhou / 广州 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/guangzhou 中文: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/guangzhou?lang=zh Coordinates: 23.1291, 113.2644 Best time: November to March. Summer is long, wet, and hot. 最佳时间: 11 月到 3 月。夏天又长又湿又热。 The city that invented the long breakfast, and still takes it more seriously than sightseeing. 发明了漫长早餐、并且至今把早餐看得比观光更认真的城市。 Guangzhou is a food city that happens to have a skyline. The correct first appointment is dim sum while the steamers are still energetic, ideally before nine. Shamian Island is a short, shady walk of colonial arcades when you want architecture without a mission. The Canton Tower and Pearl River cruise are night decorations, pleasant once. The heat and the pace are real; plan indoors at midday and a second round of tea rather than a monument march. Cantonese cooking here is cleaner and less sweet than the export version many travelers expect. 广州是一座刚好有天际线的美食城。第一场约会应该是早茶，蒸笼还有劲的时候，最好九点前。想看建筑又不想赶任务，沙面是一段短而有荫的殖民骑楼。广州塔和珠江游船是夜景装饰，一次就好。热和节奏是真的：中午待在室内，再喝一轮茶，不要游行纪念碑。这里的粤菜比很多旅行者预期的出口版本更清、更少甜。 Stay: Yuexiu or Liwan if you want walking access to tea houses and Shamian. Tianhe is newer, vertical, and better for malls than for morning markets. 住宿: 想走路去茶楼和沙面，住越秀或荔湾。天河更新、更高，适合商场，不适合早市。 Arrive: Baiyun Airport is a metro ride from town. High-speed trains use Guangzhou South, a large station south of the center — budget the metro time. Guangzhou East handles some other services. 抵达: 白云机场有地铁进城。高铁用广州南，在中心南边，很大，地铁时间要算进去。广州东承担另一些车次。 Field: Dim sum before 9:30 is a different meal from dim sum at noon. The famous rooms sell out of the good shrimp dumplings, not of seats. 实地: 九点半前的早茶和中午的早茶不是同一顿。有名的店卖完的是好的虾饺，不是座位。 Sights: - A serious dim sum house / 早茶: This is the sight. Go early. Point at carts or order from a sheet, and stop before you are proving a point. 中文: 这就是景点。早去。指蒸笼或看单点，在你开始证明自己之前停下来。 - Shamian / 沙面: A small island of shaded streets and old trading houses. An hour, not a day. 中文: 一小片有树荫的旧商行。一小时，不是一天。 - Chen Clan Ancestral Hall / 陈家祠: Carved wood and ceramic ridges. The best indoor architecture stop in the city. 中文: 木雕和陶脊。城里最好的室内建筑一站。 - Pearl River at night / 珠江: A short ferry or a walk on the promenade. You do not need the loudest cruise. 中文: 短渡或沿江走。不必上最吵的游船。 Eat: - Har gow and siu mai / 虾饺 · 烧卖: The test of a kitchen. Shrimp should be sweet, wrappers thin, and the tea hot enough to reset your palate. 中文: 考验厨房的两样。虾要甜，皮要薄，茶要热到能把嘴重置。 - Rice noodle rolls / 肠粉: Silky sheets, often with shrimp or beef. Breakfast, or whenever the steamer is still patient. 中文: 滑的粉片，常配虾或牛肉。早饭，或蒸笼还耐心的任何时候。 - Claypot rice / 煲仔饭: Evening food. Wait for the crust. Soy chicken or cured meat are the classic lids. 中文: 晚饭。等锅巴。豉油鸡或腊味是经典的盖头。 ## Xiamen / 厦门 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/xiamen 中文: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/xiamen?lang=zh Coordinates: 24.4798, 118.0894 Best time: October to December, and March to April 最佳时间: 10 月到 12 月，以及 3 月到 4 月 Fujian's relaxed port, with Gulangyu's villas a short ferry from the downtown waterfront. 福建放松的港口。鼓浪屿的别墅离市区码头只一渡。 Xiamen is the soft landing in the south: a working harbor, a university ridge, seafood that tastes like the coast rather than a sauce, and Gulangyu just offshore. The island is the excursion — colonial villas, banyans, piano-museum kitsch, and lanes that are better before the ferries stack up. Sleep on the main island unless you specifically want a quiet Gulangyu night, which means watching the last ferry. Nanputuo Temple sits under the mountain behind the university and is an easy morning. If you are coming from Kinmen, this is also the short crossing, paperwork included. 厦门是南方的软着陆：还在工作的港、大学后面的山、尝起来像海岸而不是酱的海鲜，以及就在岸外的鼓浪屿。岛是出游：殖民别墅、榕树、钢琴博物馆的套装，以及渡轮还没叠起来时更好走的巷子。除非你特别想在岛上过一个安静的夜——那意味着盯着末班船——否则睡本岛。南普陀在大学后面的山下，是容易的一个上午。从金门过来，这也是短的一渡，手续算在里面。 Stay: Downtown near Zhongshan Road or the ferry piers if Gulangyu is the plan. The island itself is quieter at night and less convenient for trains. 住宿: 计划去鼓浪屿，就住中山路或码头附近。岛上夜里更静，对火车不方便。 Arrive: Xiamen Gaoqi Airport is unusually close to town. High-speed rail uses Xiamen or Xiamen North. The Kinmen ferry is a separate port process — follow the current boat schedule, not a blog from five years ago. 抵达: 高崎机场离市区近得少见。高铁用厦门或厦门北。金门船是另一套码头流程，跟现行船期，不要跟五年前的博客。 Field: Gulangyu ferry tickets are timed in peak season. Buy the return when you buy the outbound, or you will be negotiating with a crowd at sunset. 实地: 旺季鼓浪屿船票是分时段的。去程一起买回程，否则日落时你在跟人群谈判。 Sights: - Gulangyu / 鼓浪屿: Ferry from the waterfront. Walk the inland lanes, not only the souvenir spine. Vehicles are mostly banned. 中文: 从海滨坐渡轮。走里面的巷子，不要只走纪念品那一条。车大多禁止上岛。 - Nanputuo / 南普陀寺: Temple at the foot of the mountain. Combine with a short climb if the heat allows. 中文: 山脚下的寺。天不热就加一段短爬。 - Eight Market or a local wet market / 八市: Seafood on ice, breakfast stalls, and a better sense of the city than another viewpoint. 中文: 冰上的海鲜、早点摊，比另一个观景台更能说明这座城市。 - Ring Road at dusk / 环岛路: A bike or a slow bus along the shore. The beaches are for walking more than for swimming. 中文: 沿岸骑车或坐慢公交。海滩是走的，不是游的。 Eat: - Shacha noodles / 沙茶面: A peanut-chili-seafood broth, customized with fish balls and offal if you want them. The local breakfast. 中文: 花生、辣椒和海鲜的汤底，想加鱼丸和内脏就加。本地早饭。 - Oyster omelette / 海蛎煎: Fujian's version of a dish many Taiwan travelers already love. Sweet potato starch, small oysters, peanut sauce. 中文: 很多从台湾来的人已经喜欢的那道菜，福建版本。地瓜粉、小海蛎、花生酱。 - Peanut soup and spring rolls / 花生汤 · 春卷: Street sweetness and a crisp roll. A pause between seafood meals, not the whole dinner. 中文: 街上的甜和一卷脆的。海鲜之间的停顿，不是整顿晚饭。 ## Lijiang / 丽江 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/lijiang 中文: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/lijiang?lang=zh Coordinates: 26.8721, 100.2299 Best time: April to June, and September to early November 最佳时间: 4 月到 6 月，以及 9 月到 11 月初 A Naxi old town that is overcrowded at the center and calm two streets away — if you sleep high enough to feel it. 纳西古城中心太挤，离开两条街就静——如果你住得够高，能感觉到。 Lijiang's old town is both genuine and over-visited, which means your hotel choice is the whole trip. Stay just off the main canals, walk at breakfast, and treat the night-time bar street as something you pass, not something you owe. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is a high, cold, ticketed day; skip it if you dislike cable cars and altitude, and go to Baisha village or a lakeside hour at Lashi instead. The town sits near 2,400 meters. The first afternoon is for tea and a slow walk, not a summit. Dali and Erhai are an easy rail add-on if you want two more nights of water. 丽江古城既是真的，也被拜访过度，所以酒店选择就是整趟旅行。住在主水道旁边一点，早饭时走，把夜里的酒吧街当成路过，不是欠它的。玉龙雪山又高又冷，还要票；不喜欢缆车和海拔就跳过，改去白沙，或在拉市海边待一小时。古城大约 2400 米。第一个下午喝茶、慢慢走，不要登顶。想再要两晚水，大理和洱海是容易加上的火车。 Stay: Inside the old town but off the main bar square, or just outside the gates if you want sleep. Ask about stairs; many lanes do not allow cars to the door. 住宿: 住古城，但离开主酒吧广场；想睡就住城门外。先问楼梯。很多巷子车到不了门口。 Arrive: Lijiang Sanyi Airport is the normal way in. High-speed rail now links the region toward Dali and Kunming, but Chengdu and everywhere east is still a flight for most itineraries. 抵达: 三义机场是通常的进法。高铁已经把这一带连向大理和昆明，但从成都和更东边来，多数行程仍是飞机。 Field: Altitude is the silent itinerary item. If you flew from the coast the same morning, do not book the snow mountain for that afternoon. 实地: 海拔是行程里沉默的一项。早上刚从海边飞来，下午就不要订雪山。 Sights: - Old town, early / 丽江古城: Canals, stone lanes, Naxi roofs. Be out before the tour groups finish breakfast. 中文: 水道、石巷、纳西屋顶。赶在旅行团吃完早饭之前出门。 - Baisha and Shuhe / 白沙 · 束河: Villages at the edge. Baisha is quieter. Shuhe is pretty and more arranged. Choose one. 中文: 边上的村子。白沙更静。束河好看，也更被安排过。选一个。 - Jade Dragon Snow Mountain / 玉龙雪山: Only with a booked ticket and oxygen awareness. It is high. Clouds cancel views without apology. 中文: 只在订到票、并且知道氧气的情况下去。很高。云取消景色，不道歉。 - A day toward Dali / 大理: About two hours by rail if you want Erhai Lake. Worth adding nights. Not worth a frantic out-and-back. 中文: 想看洱海，火车大约两小时。值得加夜。不值得匆忙来回。 Eat: - Crossing-the-bridge noodles / 过桥米线: A Yunnan ritual: hot broth, rice noodles, raw slices you cook in the bowl. More Kunming's fame, widely served here. 中文: 云南的仪式：热汤、米线、生片在碗里烫熟。昆明更出名，这里也到处有。 - Naxi baba and yak snacks / 纳西粑粑: Griddled wheat bread with savory or sweet fillings. Breakfast from a stall you can see cooking. 中文: 煎的面饼，咸的或甜的。在你看得见制作的摊子吃早饭。 - Wild mushroom hotpot, in season / 菌火锅: Summer and early autumn. Eat mushrooms at restaurants with a reputation, not from a basket on a curb. 中文: 夏和初秋。菌子去有口碑的馆子，不要买路边篮子里的。 ## Dunhuang / 敦煌 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/dunhuang 中文: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/dunhuang?lang=zh Coordinates: 40.1421, 94.6619 Best time: May to early June, and September to October. Winter is brutally clear and very cold. 最佳时间: 5 月到 6 月初，以及 9 月到 10 月。冬天极清，也极冷。 A Silk Road oasis where the art is rationed by ticket and the dunes are best at the edge of the day. 丝路绿洲。艺术按票配给，沙丘最好留在一天的边上。 Dunhuang is a small city attached to two serious places: the Mogao Caves and the Mingsha dunes with Crescent Lake. The caves require a reservation, a timed tour, and lowered expectations about photographing inside — the point is the murals, many of them closed on any given day, plus the replica caves that show what the lights are protecting. The dunes are a late-afternoon trip: walk or ride to the lake, stay for the color change, and leave the camel lineup if it feels like a circus. Sand gets into everything. Two nights is the minimum worth the flight. 敦煌是一座小城，连着两个认真的地方：莫高窟，以及鸣沙山和月牙泉。石窟要预约、分时段，并且降低在里面拍照的期待——重点是壁画，任何一天都有很多窟关着，加上说明灯光在保护什么的复制窟。沙丘是下午晚些的行程：走到或骑到泉边，留下看变色，骆驼队像马戏团就离开。沙子会进所有东西。值得飞来的最少是两晚。 Stay: In the city center, near the night market and taxi ranks. The dunes and caves are both drives, in different directions. 住宿: 住市区，靠近夜市和出租车点。沙丘和石窟都要开车，方向相反。 Arrive: Fly. Xi'an is the usual connection, around three hours in the air plus airport time. The rail alternative is an overnight slog and burns the short stay you came for. 抵达: 坐飞机。常见中转是西安，空中大约三小时，再加上机场时间。火车是一夜的苦差，会烧掉你来这里的短停留。 Field: Mogao tickets open on a schedule and disappear. Book before you book the flight mood. Passport or 台胞证 name must match. 实地: 莫高窟门票按时间放，然后消失。先订票，再决定飞行心情。护照或台胞证姓名必须一致。 Sights: - Mogao Caves / 莫高窟: Official reservation only. Daily visitor caps. The digital exhibition is part of the ticket and worth the hour. 中文: 只能官方预约。每天有人数上限。数字展示是票的一部分，那一小时值得。 - Mingsha and Crescent Lake / 鸣沙山 · 月牙泉: Go late. Climbing the dune is the experience; the lake is the reward, not a swimming stop. 中文: 晚去。爬沙丘是体验，泉是奖赏，不是游泳的地方。 - Night market on the main street / 沙洲夜市: Apricots, noodles, and souvenir stalls. A walk after the dunes, not a reason to come. 中文: 杏、面，和纪念品摊。沙丘之后走一走，不是来的理由。 - Yumen Pass, only with time / 玉门关: A long, empty drive west. For people who already love desert roads. Skip it on a two-night stay. 中文: 往西很长、很空的车程。给已经喜欢沙漠公路的人。两晚就跳过。 Eat: - Hand-pulled noodles / 拉面: Northwest wheat: clear broth, chili oil on the side, beef if you want it. Lunch between sites. 中文: 西北的面：清汤，辣椒油在旁边，想加牛肉就加。景点之间的午饭。 - Lamb skewers / 羊肉串: Cumin, fat, charcoal. Share a dozen, not a pile of dried-out ones from an empty stall. 中文: 孜然、肥、炭火。分一打，不要在空摊买一堆烤干的。 - Apricots and dried fruit / 李广杏: Dunhuang's famous apricot in season, and nuts the rest of the year. Buy a small bag. 中文: 季节里的李广杏，其余时间是干果。买一小袋。 ## Harbin / 哈尔滨 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/harbin 中文: https://travel.abitmore.today/places/harbin?lang=zh Coordinates: 45.8038, 126.535 Best time: Late December to February for ice. June for a mild, green visit without the festival. 最佳时间: 12 月下旬到 2 月看冰。6 月是温和的绿，没有节庆。 A northeastern winter capital that justifies the coat you do not own yet. 一座东北的冬天都城，值得你去买一件还没有的大衣。 Harbin in January is a decision, not a detour. The Ice and Snow World is an evening ticket and a real cold — minus twenty is ordinary — and Central Avenue's stone buildings make more sense with snow on them than in July. Outside festival season the city is a pleasant, hearty, less-visited stop for dumplings, smoked meats, and a riverfront, but it is no longer the reason to fly this far north. Dress as if you will stand still for an hour, because you will. Two nights covers the ice, the church street, and a long breakfast. 一月的哈尔滨是一个决定，不是顺路。冰雪大世界是夜场票，也是真冷——零下二十很普通——中央大街的石头房子在雪里比七月更说得通。节庆季之外，这里是饺子、熏肉和江边的一座愉快、少被拜访的城市，但不再是飞这么北的理由。衣服要按你会站着一小时来穿，因为你会。两晚够冰、教堂街和一顿很长的早饭。 Stay: Near Central Avenue so you can walk back from the cold. The ice park is a taxi or shuttle, not a stroll. 住宿: 住中央大街附近，冷了能走回去。冰雪大世界是出租车或班车，不是散步。 Arrive: High-speed rail from Beijing is roughly five to six hours to Harbin West. Flights are shorter in the air and still a winter operation: leave buffer for delays. 抵达: 从北京坐高铁大约五到六小时到哈尔滨西。飞机空中更短，冬天仍是冬季运行：给延误留缓冲。 Field: Phone batteries die fast in this cold. Keep one in an inner pocket. Download the hotel pin before you leave the warm lobby. 实地: 手机电池在这种冷里掉得快。一块放内袋。离开暖和的大堂之前，先把酒店定位下好。 Sights: - Ice and Snow World / 冰雪大世界: Night visit. Tickets are pricey and the site is huge. Hand warmers and real boots matter more than a cute coat. 中文: 夜里去。票贵，场地很大。暖手宝和真靴子比一件好看的外套重要。 - Central Avenue and St. Sophia / 中央大街 · 圣索菲亚: The historic main street and the brick cathedral. Daytime, when your face can feel itself. 中文: 历史主街和砖砌教堂。白天去，那时脸还能感觉到自己。 - Siberian Tiger Park, if that is your interest / 东北虎林园: A drive-through park. Know what you are visiting: it is not a quiet sanctuary walk. 中文: 车行的园。先知道你在看什么：这不是安静的保护区散步。 - Songhua riverfront / 松花江: Winter ice, summer promenade. A short walk from Central Avenue when you need to move again. 中文: 冬天是冰，夏天是步道。需要再动一动时，从中央大街走一段。 Eat: - Dumplings / 饺子: The northeast boils them by the dozen. Order a mixed basket and a vinegar-garlic dip. 中文: 东北按打煮。点一笼混合的，配蒜醋。 - Guobaorou / 锅包肉: Sweet-sour crispy pork. Harbin's version is the one other cities are imitating. 中文: 酸甜酥的猪肉。其他城市在模仿的是哈尔滨这一版。 - Sausage and smoked platters / 红肠: Russian-influenced red sausage from a counter on Central Avenue. Eat it outside, quickly, before it freezes. 中文: 中央大街柜台上的俄式红肠。在外面快吃，趁它还没冻住。 ## Route: The first circuit / 初巡回 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/journeys/first-circuit Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai — the route that teaches the rail map, the document checks, and three completely different dinners. 北京、西安、上海。这条路线教你铁路地图、证件核验，以及三顿完全不同的晚饭。 - Day 1 Hutongs, not the palace: Land, drop the bag, and walk a neighborhood. Jianbing or noodles, an early night. The palace is a bad idea on arrival legs. 中文: 落地，放行李，走一个街区。煎饼或面，早睡。到达当天去故宫是坏主意。 - Day 2 The palace, slowly: Forbidden City on a booked morning ticket. Jingshan or Beihai after. Peking duck at a normal dinner hour, not at 9 p.m. after a forced march. 中文: 用订好的上午票进故宫。之后景山或北海。烤鸭放在正常晚饭时间，不要行军到晚上九点。 - Day 3 The wall: Mutianyu for the day. Cable car, a real walk, back in town for a simple noodle dinner. Do not add a museum. 中文: 慕田峪一整天。缆车、真正走一截，回城吃一碗简单的面。不要再加博物馆。 - Day 4 Rail to the wall city: Morning high-speed train from Beijing West to Xi'an North, then the metro in. Bike the city wall at dusk if you arrive in time. 中文: 早上从北京西坐高铁到西安北，再地铁进城。来得及的话，黄昏骑城墙。 - Day 5 Warriors, then lamb: Terracotta Army at opening. Muslim Quarter in the evening for roujiamo and noodles, not a shopping list of snacks. 中文: 开门去兵马俑。晚上回民街吃肉夹馍和面，不是把小吃当购物清单。 - Day 6 The long train east: Xi'an to Shanghai is most of the day on a G train. Arrive, walk a short concession loop, sleep. This day is the train. 中文: 西安到上海，G 字头要占掉大半天。到了，在租界短走一圈，睡觉。这一天就是火车。 - Day 7 Plane trees: French Concession on foot. Xiaolongbao for lunch. One museum if you still want a gallery, not a second skyline. 中文: 步行法租界。午饭小笼。还想看馆的话只进一座，不要再收一条天际线。 - Day 8 River and garden: Bund early, Yu Garden once, then back to the lanes. Night view from the west bank for twenty minutes. 中文: 外滩早去，豫园一次，然后回弄堂。西岸看二十分钟夜景。 - Day 9 Suzhou and back: A day trip by high-speed rail: one garden, Pingjiang Road, a noodle lunch, evening train to Hongqiao. 中文: 高铁一日：一座园、平江路、一碗面，晚上的车回虹桥。 - Day 10 Leave from the right station: Hongqiao if you are flying domestic or to Taiwan from there. Pudong if the long-haul ticket says so. They are not interchangeable. 中文: 国内或从这里飞台湾，用虹桥。远程机票写浦东，就去浦东。两者不能互换。 ## Route: Water towns / 江南水程 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/journeys/jiangnan Shanghai, Suzhou, and Hangzhou on short hops. Gardens, a lake, and enough train rides to feel easy rather than epic. 上海、苏州、杭州，都是短途。园林、一座湖，以及刚好让人觉得轻松而不是史诗的几次火车。 - Day 1 Arrive at Hongqiao if you can: Concession walk and soup dumplings. Save the Bund for tomorrow morning when you are not hauling a suitcase. 中文: 租界走走，吃小笼。外滩留到明天早上，那时你不再拖着箱子。 - Day 2 The city, then a short rail: Morning in Shanghai, midday train to Suzhou. Pingjiang Road in the late light, when the day-trippers thin. 中文: 早上在上海，中午火车去苏州。平江路留到天晚、一日游的人少了。 - Day 3 Two gardens, not four: A famous garden at opening and a smaller one after lunch. Museum if it rains. Noodles, not a banquet. 中文: 开门进一座名园，午饭后再进一座小的。下雨就去博物馆。吃面，不吃宴席。 - Day 4 Toward the lake: Train to Hangzhou East. West Lake on foot before dinner. Stay near the water if you can. 中文: 火车到杭州东。晚饭前步行西湖。能住近水就住近水。 - Day 5 Tea hills: Longjing or Lingyin, not both at a sprint. Longjing shrimp for lunch if the kitchen is known for it. 中文: 龙井或灵隐，不要两个都冲刺。厨房有名的话，午饭吃龙井虾仁。 - Day 6 Back through Shanghai: Train to Hongqiao and fly, or one last Shengjian breakfast if the flight is afternoon. 中文: 火车到虹桥再飞，或航班在下午的话，再吃一次生煎当早饭。 ## Route: Chili and cloud / 辣与云 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/journeys/chili-cloud Chengdu's teahouses, Chongqing's cliffs, then a short flight to Zhangjiajie's pillars. Three textures of the interior. 成都的茶馆、重庆的悬崖，然后短飞到张家界的石柱。内陆的三种质地。 - Day 1 Tea, not pandas: Arrive and sit in People's Park. Mapo tofu at dinner. The panda base is a morning thing, so do not land and race there. 中文: 到了就在人民公园坐下来。晚饭麻婆豆腐。熊猫基地是早上的事，不要落地就冲过去。 - Day 2 Pandas at opening: Research base first thing, back in town for a late lunch. Kuanzhai only if you still want to walk. 中文: 第一件事去基地，回城吃晚午饭。还想走，再去宽窄。 - Day 3 A slow food day: Noodles, a market, an optional Wuhou hour. Hotpot only if you are not eating it in Chongqing tomorrow night. 中文: 面、市场，武侯祠可去可不去。明天晚上要在重庆吃火锅，今天就别吃。 - Day 4 An hour to another climate: High-speed train. Drop bags in Yuzhong. Cable car or a cliff walk. Hotpot after dark. 中文: 高铁。行李放渝中。索道或沿崖走。天黑后吃火锅。 - Day 5 Vertical city: Liziba, a view of Hongya Cave from across the water, xiaomian for breakfast. Do not schedule a museum marathon. 中文: 李子坝，从对岸看洪崖洞，早饭小面。不要排博物馆马拉松。 - Day 6 Fly to the pillars: Short flight to Hehua Airport. Sleep near the gate you will use. Do not enter the park at 4 p.m. 中文: 短飞荷花机场。睡在你明天要用的门口附近。下午四点不要进园。 - Day 7 Wulingyuan: One full park loop. Out before the last buses. A simple Hunan supper: cured pork, rice, not a hotpot repeat. 中文: 一个完整的园内圈。末班车之前出来。湖南晚饭要简单：腊肉、饭，不要再来一锅火锅。 - Day 8 Tianmen, or a second gate: Tianmen Mountain if you want the cable car and the cliff gate. Otherwise a quieter stream walk inside the main park. 中文: 想要缆车和崖上门，就去天门山。否则在主园区走一段更安静的溪。 - Day 9 Fly out: Hehua connects back to Chongqing, Changsha, and larger hubs. Build in time. Mountain airports delay. 中文: 荷花接回重庆、长沙和更大的枢纽。把时间算宽。山区机场会延误。 ## Route: Two kinds of time / 两座时间 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/journeys/two-deserts Xi'an's warriors and Dunhuang's caves. Ancient China at two speeds, with a flight across a lot of empty land between them. 西安的俑和敦煌的窟。两种速度的古代中国，中间是飞过一大片空地的航程。 - Day 1 Inside the wall: Arrive, bike or walk the wall late, eat in the Muslim Quarter without trying every skewer. 中文: 到达，傍晚骑或走城墙。回民街吃，但不要每一串都试。 - Day 2 The pits: Terracotta Army in the morning. Afternoon museum or a second, slower meal. Paomo is lunch, not a midnight experiment. 中文: 上午兵马俑。下午博物馆，或再慢慢吃一顿。泡馍是午饭，不是半夜实验。 - Day 3 Fly northwest: Flight to Dunhuang. The afternoon is for settling in and confirming tomorrow's Mogao slot, not for a dune sprint. 中文: 飞敦煌。下午用来安顿、确认明天的莫高窟时段，不是冲沙丘。 - Day 4 The caves: Mogao on the booked tour. Digital caves included. Rest afterward. The murals are a lot of looking. 中文: 按预约的团进莫高窟。数字洞窟算在里面。之后休息。壁画是很多眼力。 - Day 5 Dunes at the right hour: Mingsha and Crescent Lake from late afternoon into the color change. Apricots or noodles, early bed. 中文: 下午晚些到变色，鸣沙山和月牙泉。杏或面，早睡。 - Day 6 Buffer: A market morning, or Yumen Pass if you rented a car and like empty roads. Otherwise do nothing. Desert days expand. 中文: 早市，或租了车又喜欢空路的话去玉门关。否则什么都不做。沙漠的一天会变长。 - Day 7 Fly back to a hub: Connections via Xi'an, Lanzhou, or farther. Do not book a same-evening international flight without a long cushion. 中文: 经西安、兰州或更远中转。没有很长的缓冲，不要订当天晚上的国际航班。 ## Route: The southern table / 南方的桌子 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/journeys/south-table Guangzhou's morning tea and Xiamen's coast. A warm-weather route, or a winter escape, built around meals and one ferry. 广州的早茶和厦门的海岸。一条暖天路线，或冬天的出口，围着几顿饭和一次渡轮。 - Day 1 Land, then a light dinner: Do not arrive and attempt ten steamers at 10 p.m. Walk Shamian if it is still light. Save your hunger for the morning. 中文: 不要晚上十点到了就挑战十笼点心。天还亮就走沙面。把饿留到早上。 - Day 2 Tea first: Dim sum early. Chen Clan Hall late morning. Claypot rice at night. That is a full, correct day. 中文: 早茶要早。上午晚些去陈家祠。晚上煲仔饭。这是完整而正确的一天。 - Day 3 Rail down the coast: High-speed train toward Xiamen, several hours. Evening on the ring road or a simple seafood dinner. 中文: 高铁去厦门，几个小时。晚上环岛路，或一顿简单的海鲜。 - Day 4 The island: Gulangyu with timed ferries both ways. Villas and banyans. Back on the main island for shacha noodles if you missed them at breakfast. 中文: 鼓浪屿，去程回程都用分时段船票。别墅和榕树。早饭没吃到沙茶面，回本岛再吃。 - Day 5 Temple and market: Nanputuo in the morning, a market lunch, oysters if you still have room. Swim only if the day is actually warm. 中文: 早上南普陀，午饭去市场，还有肚子就吃海蛎。只有天真正暖才下水。 - Day 6 A short hop home: Xiamen is one of the easier southern airports to leave from, including toward Taiwan. Gaoqi is close. Still leave a normal buffer. 中文: 厦门是南方比较好离开的机场之一，也包括往台湾。高崎很近。仍留正常的缓冲。 ## Route: Ice and the capital / 冰与城 URL: https://travel.abitmore.today/journeys/ice-capital Harbin's festival cold, then Beijing's clearer winter. For people who own real coats and do not mind early sunsets. 哈尔滨节庆季的冷，然后北京更干的冬天。给有真大衣、也不介意早天黑的人。 - Day 1 Arrive and buy the missing layer: Get to Central Avenue before dark if you can. Dumplings. Check that your boots are actually waterproof. 中文: 能的话天黑前到中央大街。饺子。检查靴子是不是真的防水。 - Day 2 Ice, at night: St. Sophia by day. Ice and Snow World after dark. A taxi back. Hot soup, not a long walk, afterward. 中文: 白天圣索菲亚。天黑后冰雪大世界。出租车回去。之后是热汤，不是长走。 - Day 3 River, then the train south: A short Songhua walk and the station. Beijing is five to six hours. You are trading one cold for a drier one. 中文: 松花江短走，然后去车站。北京五到六小时。你是用一种冷换一种更干的冷。 - Day 4 Beijing in winter light: Hutongs and a roasted-meat or dumpling lunch. The palace can wait until tomorrow when you are rested. 中文: 胡同，午饭烤肉或饺子。故宫留到明天，那时你休息过了。 - Day 5 Palace: Forbidden City on a booked ticket. The courtyards are better without summer haze. Duck at dinner. 中文: 用订好的票进故宫。没有夏天的霾，院子更好。晚饭吃鸭。 - Day 6 Wall, if the wind allows: Mutianyu is stark and beautiful in winter and brutally windy. Have a bailout museum day if the forecast is a gale. 中文: 冬天的慕田峪干净、好看，风也狠。预报是大风，就改成博物馆的退路。 - Day 7 Leave: Capital or Daxing, with the usual long transfer. Winter timetables slip. Do not book the last possible connection. 中文: 首都或大兴，加上通常很长的接驳。冬天时刻会滑。不要订最后一班可能的衔接。 ## From Taiwan ### The document is a 台胞证 Most travelers from Taiwan enter on a Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents, not on a passport visa stamp. Hotels, rail, and timed tickets expect that card. Endorsement rules have changed more than once — confirm the current requirement with the airline when you book, before you pick non-refundable trains. 中文: 证件是台胞证 — 多数从台湾来的旅客用台湾居民来往大陆通行证入境，不是护照上的签证章。酒店、铁路和分时段门票都认这张卡。签注规定改过不止一次。订票时向航空公司确认现行要求，再去买不能退的火车票。 ### WeChat, not LINE WeChat is how people message, share a hotel pin, and often pay. Alipay is the other half of daily life. LINE groups will not help you reach a driver. Set both apps up on a network that can still load their registration screens. 中文: 微信，不是 LINE — 微信用来传讯、分享酒店定位，也常常用来付钱。支付宝是日常生活的另一半。LINE 群帮你叫不到司机。在还能打开注册页面的网络上，把两个都设好。 ### Simplified characters, everywhere Menus, stations, and street signs are simplified. If you read traditional Chinese you will manage, and you will still hesitate on a few high-frequency characters. Save hotel names and restaurant names in simplified before you are standing in the street. 中文: 到处都是简体字 — 菜单、车站和路牌是简体。读繁体的人过得去，高频字仍会犹豫一下。站在街上之前，先把酒店名和馆子名存成简体。 ### 12306, not Taiwan Railways High-speed trains are 复兴号 and the ticket system is 12306. Trip.com is the easier English door to many of the same seats. Stations are named by direction and function: 北京南, 上海虹桥, 广州南. The city name alone is not the address. 中文: 12306，不是台铁 — 高铁是复兴号，票务系统是 12306。Trip.com 是很多同一座位比较容易的英文门。车站按方向和功能命名：北京南、上海虹桥、广州南。城市名本身不是地址。 ### No single EasyCard Transit is a QR code inside Alipay or WeChat, or a local metro card, city by city. There is no island-wide stored-value card that opens every gate. Enable the transit QR before you need it, ideally on hotel wifi. 中文: 没有一张全能的悠游卡 — 交通是支付宝或微信里的二维码，或一座城市一张本地地铁卡。没有一张全岛储值卡能开每一道闸。需要之前就打开乘车码，最好在酒店无线网络上。 ### Night markets are not the default dinner You can eat late — barbecue, malls, hotpot — but the Taiwan habit of a night-market crawl as the evening plan does not map cleanly. In most of these cities the memorable meal is a regional restaurant or a serious breakfast. 中文: 夜市不是默认的晚饭 — 可以吃得很晚——烧烤、商场、火锅——但把夜市巡游当成晚上计划的台湾习惯，并不能干净地搬过来。这些城市里值得记住的一餐，多半是一家地方馆子，或一顿认真的早饭。 ## On the ground ### Maps that actually route Amap (高德地图) is the everyday map. Baidu Maps is the backup. Google Maps is incomplete here and many foreign sites simply do not load on ordinary connections. Download the city inside Amap while you still have reliable wifi, and drop a Chinese pin to your driver. 中文: 真的能导航的地图 — 高德地图是日常地图。百度地图是备用。谷歌地图在这里不完整，很多外国网站在普通网络上根本打不开。还有可靠无线网络时，在高德里把城市下下来，并把中文定位发给司机。 ### What may not load Google, Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and many news sites are unreliable on ordinary mainland connections. Plan on Amap, WeChat, Alipay, 12306 or Trip.com, and offline copies of tickets. Do not build an itinerary that depends on a foreign map working at the curb. 中文: 可能打不开的东西 — Google、Instagram、WhatsApp、Facebook 和很多新闻网站，在普通的大陆网络上不稳定。计划用高德、微信、支付宝、12306 或 Trip.com，以及票的离线副本。不要把行程建在路边外国地图还能用这件事上。 ### Ride-hail and bikes Didi (滴滴) is the default car. The English version is easier if you register it before you fly. Dockless bikes are Hellobike or Meituan Bike, not a YouBike dock. They need the same payment apps as everything else. 中文: 叫车和单车 — 滴滴是默认的车。英文版如果在飞之前注册，会容易一些。无桩单车是哈啰或美团单车，不是 YouBike 桩。它们需要和别的事同一套支付应用。 ### Metros worth knowing Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Xiamen all have real metro systems. Guilin, Lijiang, Dunhuang, and Zhangjiajie do not solve the last mile that way. Harbin has a small network and a lot of taxis. 中文: 值得知道的地铁 — 北京、上海、广州、深圳、成都、重庆、西安、杭州、苏州、厦门都有真正的地铁。桂林、丽江、敦煌、张家界不用这种方式解决最后一公里。哈尔滨网络小，出租车多。 ### Power, taps, and tipping Voltage is 220V. Plugs are a mix of two flat pins, two round pins, and sometimes three flat pins — a small universal adapter is the peaceful choice. Tipping is not the custom in restaurants, taxis, or hotels. A service charge on a tourist bill is already the extra. 中文: 电、插头和小费 — 电压 220 伏。插头有两扁、两圆，有时三扁——一个小的万能转换头最省事。餐馆、出租车和酒店没有给小费的习惯。旅游账单上的服务费已经是额外的那一笔。 ### Names and timed entry The Forbidden City, Mogao, pandas, popular gardens, and many park cable cars use real-name tickets. The name and number must match the 台胞证 or passport you will hold up. Screenshot the QR. Phone batteries and museum basements do not negotiate. 中文: 姓名和分时段入场 — 故宫、莫高窟、熊猫、热门园林和很多索道用实名票。姓名和号码必须和你举起来的台胞证或护照一致。把二维码截图。手机电量和博物馆地下室不谈判。 ## Money and apps ### Alipay and WeChat Pay Daily China runs on QR codes. International cards can be linked inside Alipay and WeChat Pay's overseas modes, with limits and the occasional stubborn merchant. Set this up before you land. Cash still works at many hotels and older restaurants. It is clumsy at a breakfast stall. 中文: 支付宝和微信支付 — 日常中国靠二维码运转。国际卡可以绑进支付宝和微信支付的境外模式，有额度，也有偶尔固执的商家。落地前设好。现金在很多酒店和老馆子仍能用。在早点摊上会很笨。 ### UnionPay and cash Cards on the UnionPay network are the smoothest physical plastic. Visa and Mastercard succeed at hotels and falter at noodles. Carry some cash renminbi for deposits, small museums, and the shop whose QR code is having a mood. 中文: 银联和现金 — 银联网络上的卡是最顺的实体塑料。Visa 和万事达在酒店成功，在面馆失手。带一些人民币现金，给押金、小博物馆，以及二维码正在闹情绪的那家店。 ### What things cost A serious noodle lunch is often under ¥40. A good regional dinner for two, with tea, commonly lands between ¥150 and ¥400 outside the most famous duck rooms. High-speed rail between neighboring cities can be cheaper than a taxi across a single megacity. 中文: 东西大概多少钱 — 一顿认真的面，午饭常常不到 40 元。两个人一顿好的地方菜加茶，在最有名的烤鸭房之外，常常落在 150 到 400 元。邻城之间的高铁，可以比一座超大城市里的一趟出租车更便宜。 ### Apps worth the home-screen space Amap for routes. WeChat and Alipay for pay and tickets. 12306 or Trip.com for trains. Didi for cars. Dianping (大众点评) or Meituan (美团) to see which restaurant is actually busy with locals. Ctrip's Chinese interface is useful once you can read it; Trip.com is the same company in English. 中文: 值得放在主屏幕上的应用 — 高德看路线。微信和支付宝付钱、取票。12306 或 Trip.com 买火车。滴滴叫车。大众点评或美团看哪家馆子当地人真的在吃。携程的中文界面在你读得懂之后有用；Trip.com 是同一家公司的英文。 ## Dishes - Peking duck / 北京烤鸭 (beijing): Crisp skin, pancakes, a second course of bones if the kitchen offers it. Share one bird before you order more. - Zhajiangmian / 炸酱面 (beijing): The everyday wheat noodle. Fold the vegetables through the pork sauce yourself. - Jianbing / 煎饼果子 (beijing): Street breakfast. Egg, cracker, scallion, and a sauce you can ask to reduce. - Roujiamo / 肉夹馍 (xian): China's most convincing meat-in-bread. The bun should crack, not collapse. - Yangrou paomo / 羊肉泡馍 (xian): Torn bread in lamb soup. The tearing is your job. Give it time. - Biangbiang noodles / 油泼面 (xian): Wide noodles, chili oil, garlic, vinegar. A midday bowl, not a delicate course. - Xiaolongbao / 小笼包 (shanghai): Soup dumplings. Sip first. Shanghainese versions are a little sweeter than many Taiwan shops. - Shengjian / 生煎包 (shanghai): Pan-fried cousins of the soup dumpling. Hotter on the bottom, messier, excellent. - Hongshao pork / 红烧肉 (shanghai): Dark, sweet, soy-braised. The home flavor of the lower Yangtze. - Suzhou noodles / 苏式汤面 (suzhou): A clear, careful bowl. This is how the city actually eats between gardens. - Longjing shrimp / 龙井虾仁 (hangzhou): Tea and river shrimp. It should taste like both, quietly. - Dongpo pork / 东坡肉 (hangzhou): A square of braised belly. Share it. Order something green. - Mapo tofu / 麻婆豆腐 (chengdu): Numbing, red, and softer than the cafeteria version. The benchmark Sichuan plate. - Dan dan noodles / 担担面 (chengdu): A small spicy bowl. Ya cai, minced meat, chili oil. Eat it before a teahouse, not after a hotpot. - Chongqing hotpot / 重庆火锅 (chongqing): The fiercer pot. Beef and offal, a split pot if you need a door back to mild broth. - Chongqing xiaomian / 重庆小面 (chongqing): Breakfast in a bowl. Alkaline noodles, chili, sometimes peas and minced meat. - Hunan small-fry pork / 小炒肉 (zhangjiajie): Smoked pork and fresh chili. Heat without Sichuan pepper. The right dinner after a day of stairs. - Guilin rice noodles / 桂林米粉 (guilin): Round rice noodles, sour bamboo, peanut, a ladle of toppings. Every morning. - Beer fish / 啤酒鱼 (guilin): Yangshuo's table dish. Tomato, beer, chili, a river fish big enough to share. - Dim sum / 早茶 (guangzhou): The meal the city is built around. Go early. Shrimp dumplings are the test. - Claypot rice / 煲仔饭 (guangzhou): Night food. Listen for the crust being scraped. That sound is the point. - Shacha noodles / 沙茶面 (xiamen): Fujian's breakfast soup. Related to flavors Taiwan already knows, built differently. - Oyster omelette / 海蛎煎 (xiamen): Smaller oysters, sweet-potato starch. Eat it by the harbor, not as a souvenir. - Crossing-the-bridge noodles / 过桥米线 (lijiang): Yunnan's composed noodle bowl. Cook the toppings in the broth at the table. - Naxi baba / 纳西粑粑 (lijiang): Griddled bread from the old town edges. Breakfast, with tea, before the lanes fill. - Lamb skewers / 羊肉串 (dunhuang): Cumin and charcoal. The desert version of a snack you will also see in Xi'an. - Hand-pulled noodles / 拉面 (dunhuang): The reliable northwest lunch. Ask for chili on the side the first time. - Guobaorou / 锅包肉 (harbin): Crisp sweet-sour pork, northeastern style. Tangier and less spicy than the south. - Northeast dumplings / 饺子 (harbin): Boiled, plentiful, pork and cabbage or chive. The correct food at minus fifteen.