Expert: Tom Carter ~ Travel China Expert - 5/10/2008

Question
My wife and I will be taking a Grand Circle trip to China June 3-23.  The itinerary includes Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Xian, Guilin, Hong Kong, and a Yangtze cruise.  What kind of clothing would you advise us to take on a trip like this during June?

Answer
Hi Norman, you must like it hot. You'll be passing through or near some of China's infamous "furnaces," which are just as sweltering as they sound. Luckily June is a little more forgiving than July-August, so you'll be ok.

Heck, khaki shorts, flip flops and a Le Tigre style shirt for you and a summer dress or  cargo shorts for the wife, and you'll be just fine. I myself wore the exact same cut-off fatigues, moth-eaten tee and fake Converse during my two-year journey across China but nonetheless was well received everywhere I went (except maybe Hong Kong where the expat community are a bit more snooty towards dusty backpackers like myself. But as I'm sure you and your wife are dust-free, you'll get on fine :)

And just remember the golden rule about traveling in China - don't pack what you can buy along the way for a fraction of the cost, which is literally everything and anything. Ask your tour guide to stop at the Silk Market in Beijing first so you can pick up some items; you'll have to negotiate there, so don't pay more than half of what their original offer is, and if possible only a quarter of the original offer. The walk-away tactic often works.

Have fun!

Tom Carter
http://www.tomcarter.org

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