CHINAMATE DAILY
Useful China, one dispatch at a time.
The Daily desk is being set up — the first sourced dispatches are in preparation. Until they start, this page collects the newest guides and the latest rechecks from the library.
LATEST FROM THE LIBRARY
New and recently rechecked
Beijing · PrepareArriving in Beijing: 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit, PEK vs PKX, and Getting Into the CityTwo airports, one ten-day visa-free clock, and a first ride that sets the tone — how to enter Beijing legally on a transit, choose between Capital and Daxing, and reach your hotel without the classic first-night mistakes.Verified
Beijing · DoBeijing Food Guide: Duck First, Then the Working ClassicsDuck carved in the right order, noodles mixed violently, breakfast folded in forty seconds — Beijing food is ritual first, recipe second.Estimate ≈
Beijing · DoBeijing in 2 Days: The Forbidden City, Then the WallDay 1 walks the imperial axis while you are fresh. Day 2 leaves the city entirely — one Wall, done properly, beats three sights done tired.Reference ~
Beijing · DoBeijing in 3 Days: Icons, Then the City's Own MorningDays 1 and 2 take the icons. Day 3 changes tempo — a park at dawn, lanes at door height, and the Summer Palace as an honest choice, not a default.Reference ~
Chengdu · PrepareArriving in Chengdu: TFU vs CTU, and Getting Around Without Wasting Your First DayTwo airports, one real decision: TFU is far and CTU is close — then a metro system and panda shuttles that make the city itself easy.Reference ~
Chengdu · DoChengdu Food Guide: Hotpot First, Then the Spice LadderA split pot for the table that disagrees, a dipping sauce you build yourself, and noodles that run on chilli oil — Chengdu food is a system, and here is how to work it.Estimate ≈