China will amaze you with its colors, music, scents, festivals, and also its modernity. It's good to prepare yourself in many ways before beginning your Chinese journey. Make sure you know what health precautions you will need to take, and what legal steps are required for an extended visit. Once you've learned about those topics, it's time to have fun. Check out some cities, museums, and other sites that you may want to visit during your stay. Below are a number of reputable Web sites that will help with your preparation.
Safety and Legal Information
World Travel Guide's China Travel Guide is full of detailed safety and legal information, as well as suggestions for day and weekend trips. Click on topics of interest on the right-hand sidebar.
The
Chinese Central Government's English portal provides legal, statistical, and business information that may help you. The
Services section has information on visas and extended stays, toward the bottom of the page. If you're still deciding where to study, see the
Leading Universities page.
The
U.S. Department of State Travel and International Travel pages provide up-to-date information on the legal and safety aspects of international travel. You can learn how to apply for a visa to China, read about any current disease concerns, find contacts for consolates in major Chinese cities, and many other things.
Tourism
The
China National Tourist Office offers suggestions for activities in many cities. The site is aimed at Americans visiting China. It's mainly a commercial site, but the activities and pictures for each city make it worth a look, even if you are just planning to study. See the page of its parent organization,
China National Tourism Administration, for more detailed travel advice.
China's Ministry of Culture maintains the
China Culture site, which provides information on many aspects of Chinese culture and art forms, and suggests related activities and places to visit. Great for planning outings of a few hours or a few days.