Visit China - 5 Things You Will Love & Hate About Visiting China

We Loved Our Trip to China! Great Food, Awesome Sites & More. This is for Western Tourists Heading to China. Some Advice on the Best & Worst that China has to offer. And just like all countries, the US, England, Brazil there are things you will love (the people, the food, the culture) and things you will hate (the pollution, the crowds, the toilets). So this should help you in enjoying China more so you have a heads up. We loved our time in China and look forward to going back!
Copyright Mark Wolters 2013
Filmed on the Great Wall of China

[@WChocoleta]

As someone born and raised in China and living in the US, i have to say this guy did a fantastic job introducing the basic facts to those who are not familiar with this country. Yes we do have those problems, and yes we are working on all of them. All in all, we're still proud of being from this place, and although there are some features that may overwhelm people from elsewhere at the beginning, I hope everyone finds the beauty and appreciate the hospitality offered by this place.

[@kobkoonp6810]

William Rong ,It's so funny that boy's showing 'kuk tui'manner./jimmy

[@scottandy5848]

InstaBlaster...

[@thereallostwalker8337]

Stop being crazy (government, not the people) so we can actually visit without feeling like we’re funding concentration camps with our tourist dollars. Nothing against the Chinese people and culture, but it isn’t up to anyone else to fix the leadership.

[@woltersworld]

thanks for the support :)

[@andym8557]

How are you able to travel so often?

[@lucashuang1320]

I love how you give China a chance and not disrespect with nothing good there. In fact, you're American, and it's extremely rare for an educated American or anyone else to know the true spirit of China!!! With criticim that doesn't contain disrespect like most other people do, this is the best travel video!!

[@Thatorganicmom]

I'm obsessed with your videos. So much good information.

[@ViMBarN]

Dude your videos are awesome! You speak really fast but very clearly! It almost seems like it might be one cut, but your energy and sincerity is very fresh. Good job, man!

[@woltersworld]

Thank you for the kind words. I would agree that media does tend to skip over the great people of China that we met in China. It was great putting real people into my China experience. We loved it and hope more people can visit and enjoy it.

[@middleofsomewhere444]

Thank you! This is very helpful in preparation for our trip

[@vincentzhou2010]

Thanks. I am a Chinese. I am so glad to see this video.

[@woltersworld]

I agree its hard to generalize anf I feel bad about it but for travelers hopefuly they will help a bit. Thanks for watching and commenting. Mark and thanks for the kind words about the family

[@barrycook5607]

at 6:04, it looks like our guide in 2006, Katherine, do you recall her name? Incidentally we've been to China four times, love it, and agree with most of your comments

[@woltersworld]

the program I was teaching through in Beijing has an office in Taiwan and we might be heading there the end of next summer, but it is not for sure yet. so would be cool to see. thanks for watching and commenting!

[@woltersworld]

you are very welcome. china is a fascinating place. I have a few more video son the cultural differences between western countries and china that could be fun for you to watch too. I thank you for watching and commenting! all the best! and I do hope you get to go travel abroad one day!

[@rlai2201]

I honestly enjoy ppl on the Internet to spread understandings, culture, food, characteristics, and just a simple video which brings a smile on someone's face... rafter than ppl talking crap of one another. Thanks again for posting!! We need more educational video clips like this one!

[@woltersworld]

thanks again martin. you will have a great trip for sure. hope our videos can help you have a great trip!

[@guitejada]

Hopefully you can drop a new one for China, since things have been moving so fast, maybe now they are better English speakers, etc

[@heresteven]

Oh yeah, China is really an excellent deal. It unbelievably cheap there compared to USA. And the people there can be such awesome hosts. It is unreal. And what really touched my heart. No matter how poor they were, they gave their best to made you feel welcomed. That was really really nice.

[@woltersworld]

Thanks blueray. All the best to you and all your travels!

[@marryhouse1983]

like your comments a lot. it is very down to the earth.

[@Lord13289]

I've been to Japan and South Korea but I'm definitely going to see China at some point too. China sounds far bigger, more diverse and just generally more interesting than Japan. I love Japan but I find it annoying when people have no interest in any asian country besides Japan. Japan has exported more of its pop culture to the west, but China seems like a far more interesting country overall.

[@etonsot392]

GreatJoFo Mainland China is not. Chinese countries like Taiwan and Hongkong are more interesting.

[@shipengli4947]

+Eton Sot back to Philippines plz

[@Lord13289]

Eton Sot Mainland China has many different cuisines, landscapes, and ethnic groups

[@nzacousticsound]

lol why dont you stay in china instead of insulting korea and japan. rubishes belongs to rubish bins :D

[@Lord13289]

ahh, China, Japan, S. Korea, the east Asian nationalistic hate triangle is still alive I see

[@woltersworld]

You are very welcome.

[@woltersworld]

yeah, it was great. was in Atacama desert, la serena, valporaiso, Santiago, and a few small villages along the way. nice people, great wine, BEAUTIFUL landscapes for sure! We are thinking of doing a southern cone trip, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil so hopefully we can fit it in a couple months trip. all the best!

[@woltersworld]

You are very welcome. I am glad I can do them. They are fun to do and I make them in a way so that I would want to know the information on them if I was going traveling. thanks!

[@woltersworld]

thanks. I appreciate the kind words

[@ZhangtheGreat]

Bargaining is one of those "either-or" things: you either love it or you hate it. For people who just want to grab and go, it's obviously a road block, but for people who love to get a great deal, bargaining is super fun. It's an art that some people have really learned how to master very quickly.

[@user-pf2co6gh4x]

his opinion is true and neutral. To tell the truth, China has many problems. I hope my country will be better and better in the future

[@ladybug091ful]

This man is neutral. Face the problems. China will be great again!

[@woltersworld]

Glad I xan help. Wish I could travel with you. Miss europe. All the best. Mark

[@WalrusThunder]

that's for all your videos mark. I'm planning a backpacking trip around europe and they've been a big help.

[@woltersworld]

the thousands of tourists that visit China normally do not speak Chinese and English is the international language of tourism so if you are in Japan, Germany or Brazil tourists speak English. I also mention that it is important for people to learn some Chinese before they go. We made about 10 learning Chinese videos that are for foreigners to help them in China. They will be uploading probably early September. thanks for watching and commenting

[@karlyorchard3998]

Love your videos, a massive help, thank you! Going to Beijing in 8 weeks can't wait!

[@itrthho]

Good video...sums it up nicely. I've been traveling to China since 1998....still haven't seen it all.

[@Mike913123]

Chinese people warm and friendly? There needs to be a big IF attached to that statement. China, in general, is devoid of friendliness. Cost of living is rising fast and most things are actually quite expensive. China is a shithole. Go there to visit so you can say you've done it...but trust me, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Lao, are all much friendlier countries to foreign visitors.

[@user-wf1hz7pq2q]

Mike913123 snobbish

[@w91238]

Mike913123 Like you would know, btw Hong Kong isn't a country, its a SAR

[@Mike913123]

David Sun Was based in HK for 10 years, but lived in the mainland off and on during that period, so you're absolutely right, I should know. Technically HK is not a country, but it is most certainly not part of the mainland in terms of culture, government, social, freedoms, etc...so that makes it pretty much its own country, even though on paper it is, unfortunately, part of the mainland. I also lived in Thailand and Singapore. Travelled a ton throughout the region (not just for 1 week stays, at least a month or more on multiple occasions). Thanks for playing, but you failed.

[@woltersworld]

Was in chile a couple times and loved it. I am hoping to get there end 2014. Such a great country.

[@Jaccizo]

Thank you for the informative videos you put out. The subscription was well worth it!

[@VictorGWang]

not sure about "nice people" but this is an awesome video, i love it.

[@fishmilk1026]

While I was in China, the pollution was actually pretty amazing. I have asthma and was expecting to be miserable but it was completely fine. And I actually really didn't mind the squat toilets. It was nice that you didn't actually have to put your ass on a toilet that countless other people sat on. In all, China was an amazing experience and I would really love to go back someday

[@earthakitt3661]

"the pollution was actually pretty amazing"

[@zanderw1199]

You really are odd

[@jjww517]

very helpful and telling the truth. thank you

[@julay1988]

I watch all your videos to learn things from all around the world, even though i'm not in the plans of travelling anytime soon, but who knows! Your videos are very handy thank you very much for posting them :)

[@woltersworld]

I have not been to rhode island. my mom has been numerous times and really enjoyed it. but I have not been. northeast I have been to Mass, Vermont, NH, CT, NY, Maine, but no Rhode Island

[@EddieAlexander93]

great! I live in Chile and it's a beautiful country, completely different, any city is the same, and you can travel all over this country and always there are new things, landscapes, weather etc. Begin at the top (with a lot of hot, even in winter) and finish at the bottom (with a lot of rain even in the summer)

[@woltersworld]

English is the de facto language of tourism, whether people from Germany, Brazil, Russia they learn English and I am just trying to get the tourist to know it would be a good idea to learn a few words before they go. I learned just a few and it really made a big difference. the people were so happy and even more friendly when I tried to speak a little Chinese. it was a cool trip and I will definitely go back.

[@chrishopkins6260]

New subscriber - thank you for the very interesting and informative videos! Very helpful when trying to research our next trip

[@ninjaz5736]

Looking around the Terracota Warriors in Xi'an, we found some random wifi routers just sitting in the excavated bits, as if they were there from when the place was made!

[@fsh3702]

I have a good suggestion for buying staff in China. It's the online shopping. The 淘宝TAOBAO, I am not advertising here. You don't have to buy on this website, you just check the reasonable price listed on the online shops. Then you know how much is the price. Usually the things sold at the store is a little expensive than the online shopping, but not much, maybe just 1/4 or 1/5 higher in price.

[@kate6273]

thank you very helpful video

[@woltersworld]

I would like to get there for some filming. I was there about 10 years ago and had a fun time... except fro when the police shook me down... but otherwise good fun

[@nicholausslametbudiono8512]

THANKS A LOT..BECAUSE NEXT SEPTEMBER I WILL GO TO THERE.....

[@woltersworld]

Yeah, I have been trying to redo some old stuff for Brazil, Argentina and such but the quality makes it not worth posting them. I am hoping to get to the world cup next year in brazil so then we can get new brazil and south America videos. all the best!

[@woltersworld]

try the subway with a baby in a stroller :) now THAT was crazy... hehehe but so true about rushhour. not sure which one was more fun, rush hour subway in Beijing or shanghai...

[@woltersworld]

I know. I spoke with some of my students in China and asked them to talk to their parents and grandparents so we could talk about price differences between 2013, 1993 and 1973 and it was VERY different.

[@williamokun5827]

Mark, your videos are very helpful for me, and your wife is very beautiful.

[@woltersworld]

William Okun Thank you on all accounts :)

[@yinghanfu9047]

Your son is so cute!

[@chester1234ification]

anyway, as long as you enjoy the trip all good~!

[@drewjohnson25]

Fantastic! Thank You

[@hanline3146]

Been to China many times--agree! China is AMAZING, go if you can!

[@woltersworld]

yeah, it can be scary anywhere. so lets hope everyone has a safe trip :)

[@mopiko9742]

好强，说这么久居然不口干。赞了你

[@woltersworld]

I talked to a lot of locals and foreigners living in China and they said the same thing as you, as more money comes in and the economy grows these issues are becoming less and less. I am hoping to take the family to yunan province in the next couple of years. all of my Chinese students tell me it is the most beautiful place in China, so that is our next Chinese goal. it was a fantastic place to visit and I hope to get back soon. thanks for watching and commenting! xie xie!

[@cliffinflames13]

And I'm a huge fan of nature!

[@woltersworld]

there is a guy on youtube that has some pretty helpful videos for visiting egypt. nice guy too. i would love to go, but probably will wait a couple years though.

[@princeicio]

The Chinese are friendly? I don't really think so. Some of them maybe polite and friendly, but many of them seem rude. Like sometimes they might take a photo with you without even asking for permission like they know you.

[@woltersworld]

Not hard at all. though I would suggest using a visa service to get your visa as they make it a lot easier. I have a video coming out later this month on how you get a Chinese visa. but basically you need, a passport, a confirmation from a hotel that you are staying there, your flight tickets and fill out a form (and of course pay the fee) that was about it.

[@woltersworld]

I am glad I you subscribe, thank you!

[@mckennashortstuff]

I'm moving to China in a couple days to teach English and I'm so beyond excited! I am a little nervous because I'm a huge target for attention, being blonde and blue eyed. How do they treat foreigners? Will I just be walked all over?

[@woltersworld]

McKenna Silvester youo will be a rockstar :)

[@sirkeg1]

You'll be asked to appear on a game show at some point.

[@tsuyayaka1]

How's it going in China so far? Do you love it?

[@etonsot392]

Girls will hate you because Chinese girls hate woman more beautiful than them lol.

[@gaotom9097]

Hi,welcome to China,I'm Chinese in Guangzhou City.How is your life now?:-)

[@VictorGWang]

yes wolter i couldn't agree more about the mad rush and "the line". This video is absolutely awesome, I never expected that anyone who are not originally from china would know about the 50% rule in bargaining. haha. P.S. FYI try subway at rush hours if you really wanna experience a Mad Rush Deluxe. Let's just say I have to employ my martial arts skills to get off a train. Great job.

[@EddieAlexander93]

wow, maybe I'll see you soon, I live in Santiago and I study close to beautiful monuments, hills and always there are many people from other countries, sometimes I help them :) I look forward to watching on youtube " 5 things you will hate and 5 things you will love about being in Chile" ...

[@MrBrownieGaming]

Working in a store with a lot of Chinese tourist customers i can concur that they love to try and bargain

[@woltersworld]

Thank you :)

[@rtgtx]

This video was made in 2013. There have been many many changes during the past 5 years. China is even more exciting than how it was like when you were there. Probably you would want to visit it again.

[@woltersworld]

thank you!

[@woltersworld]

well, we were specifically targeted as tourists and we had a Kalashnikov shoved in our faces and yelled at in a militia van... not the best experience ever. they tried to get us to sign a parking ticket (in Russian which at the time I could at least read) and said we had to pay a huge fine or else it was jail time. I told them then take us to the police station and they then said "no, you dont' want to go to the police station" and change the fine to about $5 a person :) crazy fun time

[@woltersworld]

Honestly people were fantastic (when it was not a mad rush for an elevator or tourist site ;) but really the people were great

[@woltersworld]

Obrigado!

[@woltersworld]

I have two cameras. one that films in 720 and one that films in 1080. the 1080 is rather big and bulky while the 720 is one that I can slip on a small tripod and stick anywhere. like on this video, it was stuck into a crack in the great wall :) I prefer the 1080 videos because the picture quality is so much better, I have that for the love/hate Beijing coming out in a couple weeks. Mark

[@YOZOYYOZOY]

tour from Beijing airport to the great wall is around $200 for one person, not so cheap after all.

[@cliffinflames13]

My aunt was also mugged in Chicago while she was touring there.

[@woltersworld]

I lived in Brazil and Argentina (but pre-wolters world) so there were other continents on my list

[@KingHarris1347]

good luck to you my friend

[@martino007]

@woltersworld Hello how are you? I am thinking about doing a backpacking trip across Europe to Asia, Australia, South America sort of thing in about a couple years or maybe 3 years depending on schedule. Oh BTW great video & thank you.

[@rlai2201]

Kudos to this video!!!

[@sl796]

The #1 hate for me has gotta be internet censorship. While it's fairly simple to install a VPN, it costs for a good one, and sometimes inconvenient.

[@jian658]

I am chinese , I dont think china has a beautiful nature , but its history YES XIAN and beijing are worth to visit ,

[@jian658]

so much pollution make the so so nature more worse now ,

[@ericdmz3312]

I'm Chinese living in the US and I totally agree with you on 3 of those. The spitting is because due to increased levels of pollution, we get a yellowish sticky substance that is in the throat, so it's kinda a habit now. The toilets I totally agree with. I grew up with western toilets and the "duen ken" squat hole is really annoying. The bargaining you have to deal with. Most people who sell the souvenirs are sorta poor. Prepare Chinese, they will think you come here often. They'll most likely raise the price because tourists want it more. Can't do anything about pollution and population, China's the greatest country!

[@woltersworld]

thanks

[@ayjay10016]

Wonderful!

[@woltersworld]

thanks :) we like him ;)

[@yuliakarakozova3038]

Haha your son is hilarious:))

[@austinguidry2]

I got a tour from downtown Beijing to go to the Great Wall and two Ming Dynasty tombs for about $150, but due to some sort of mix up, I didn't have to pay! FREAKING WIN.

[@yiy3429]

Is that your daughter imitating the Chinese spitting? She is so cute and expert at acting.

[@olecurmudgeonwithgopro1118]

My favorite memories of China are. Most of the people are very nice, McDonalds is better in China, butter flavored hazelnuts imported from America, but I can't find hazelnuts that good in America. Seasonal fruits, nuts and vegetables that are superb and many are unavailable in America, a shampoo, shave, haircut, with head, neck, and back massage for $2.50. What I don't like about China. The government, pollution, overcrowded cities, pickpockets, thievery in general, crooked taxi drivers passing counterfeit bills, beggars (so many see it as a profession you have no idea who really needs the handout and who is just too lazy to get a job, and they are everywhere), it's hard to get any sleep during Chinese new year. But the thing that pisses me off the most about China is the way they treat and look down on the farmers!

[@DanielBin100]

Ur comment sounds fair

[@Afonso2001br]

1:40 Hahahahaha... This was really funny!

[@jayd4ever]

very nice

[@martino007]

Yes these videos are helping me very well Mark. So do you plan on going to Australia at some point so I can see a love & hate video? Thanks.

[@marisabelperez99]

I am a sophomore in high-school and I am am traveling to China next week (I am staying for two weeks). I will travel to Beijing, Chengdu, and Chongqing. I am really scared since I am going alone with a classmate and a few other kids from other high-schools. Do you have any other suggestions apart from the ones given in your videos? I am really excited but I am also scared! :0

[@backyiyellow]

dont be scared chinese are friendly. only problem your have there is spitting and lots people. the reason for that bad habit is because the air was bad for industry. US have better air condition that china.

[@rossbuchanan486]

Don't be scared. You're gonna see pandas and palaces like you never imagined. You will have a great time. Nothing to be scared of. As alien as a place may seem, the people there are just like everyone else. Hope you have a great time!

[@samuelthen7767]

Definitely safe. Ever heard of gun violence in China?

[@woltersworld]

Australia is a few years off. Probably wont get there before you :(

[@thegreatxyz]

been to shanghai recently and visited the locals. hates 1# language barrier, couldn't talk to anybody without having somebody translate what i was saying 2# pollution was very bad when i visited the city 3# traffic feels very dangerous 4# no central heating in the homes (it gets very cold inside) 5# No google,facebook,youtube (and bad connection western sites) loves 1# very nice people, they people i stayed with wanted to help me of everything (can be bit to much sometimes though) 2# good food 3# the city has some beautiful places 4# public transport is cheap (and easy accessible with public transport card) 5# great culture

[@woltersworld]

I talked to a lot of people in China (Chinese and foreigners) and they all said that the spitting (and the kids peeing and pooping on the streets) has gotten a lot less the last few years. I really loved China and would love to go back. I want to head to Yunnan province next. thanks!

[@sassangorillaz]

I'm so excited to visit! :D

[@cccollins2923]

I absolutely love China! All of your points are very valid; however, all of the negatives are fairly insignificant. You don't really realize the amount of people in China, at least I didn't. Though many people speak English very poorly or not at all, practically everyone under 30 can speak English. Lack of Chinese isn't a serious hindrance in major cities since non-native speakers can still get around as most sign and menus are also in English. Also, people from China are more than willing to help. When I last went to China a friend of my friend, whom I hardly knew, took me around Beijing for over two days. Not to mention the food is dynamite and the culture is magnificent!

[@AthenaCannon]

Thank you. We Chinese are really friendly people and helping each other out. We have few visitors and the lowest immigration comparing the rest of the world so we take care of visitors. The Confucious said: What a pleasure to have visitors come from far.

[@vicksss807]

Collins: I agree with you and I have never been to China. I read a lot about that wonderful country and I hope someday I can visit....It is the only country in the world I yearn to visit and have not been able to yet. Saludos

[@theevildrummingsithlord1492]

AthenaCannon I'm gonna visit Beijing next week! I can't wait!

[@EddieAlexander93]

wow. You should travel to Chile :) There are many beautiful places you should know.

[@woltersworld]

3 hospitals :) it was an experience to say the least.