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Have you ever thought about traveling independently in China? The following sharing will make you want to pack your bags and head straight to this country! Follow in the footsteps of travel blogger To Thai Hung on a 9-day, 8-night journey for just 15 million VND per person!
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This is my 3rd time traveling to China with zero knowledge of Mandarin, and I still maintain the same wonderful impressions of the people, landscapes, and everything about this land. Previously enchanted by Li Jiang, this time in Chengdu – Sichuan also captivated my heart. The plan was to visit Jiuzhaigou Valley, but it's closed until May 2019. We thought there would be nothing beautiful, but there are many breathtaking places that many Vietnamese people surely don't know about. From now until May, it will still be beautiful and snowy like this.
Hopefully, this article will provide some motivation, information, and inspiration for everyone to step up and visit Sichuan. Probably because the impression was so good, I will write in extreme detail about the experiences I had in the past 9 days.
1. Regarding Visa
Obtaining a Chinese Visa this time around was quite smooth and convenient for me, unlike the crowded experience I had in April 2018. The procedures weren't overly complicated, and I genuinely recommend everyone to handle it themselves, as it only costs $60 in fees. If you opt for a service, it's $120.
These are the necessary requirements for obtaining approval for a 3-month, single-entry visa, allowing a maximum stay of 15 days:
✔️Passport with at least 6 months validity and one blank page for visa stamp (photo must be full A4 size)
✔️Employment verification and a letter confirming leave from the company
✔️Proof of financial means exceeding $2000
✔️Round-trip flight tickets (with full name)
✔️Ensure hotel booking (with full name)
✔️Have a detailed itinerary of your trip
✔️ID card and Passport (photo must be full A4 size)
✔️International white-background 4×6 ID photos, fully visible features, no glasses, women's ears must be visible. Pay extreme attention to this as the embassy scrutinizes this photo.
Carefully refer to the process of preparing each document in your visa photo.
2. 5 essential apps to have on your phone
- VPN: Used for accessing Facebook and Instagram for virtual living and updating stories every moment.
- Google Translate: Utilized to translate images with Chinese characters, even without 4G. Handy for use in eateries where menus are entirely in Chinese and, naturally, no English is spoken.
- Wechat: Used for communication and making friends with Chinese locals. Quite useful since everything in China is paid through WePay, just lacking a Chinese bank card; otherwise, you won't need to carry cash for outings anymore.
- Youdao Translator: A voice translation software for Chinese – English. This app is like a dictionary for Chinese people learning English, very convenient. With this app, you can navigate China comfortably.
- Map.me: An offline map, even without internet, you can still use the map, similar to Google Maps.
3. Currency
For currency exchange, I recommend Quoc Trinh, Ha Trung, with an exchange rate of 3.34. If you prefer not to carry much cash, you can use UnionPay cards issued by Vietcombank or Sacombank. UnionPay cards are accepted for payment at almost all stores in China, while I've only managed to use Visa once at Starbucks.
4. Clothing
Prepare warm clothes like jackets, wool hats, and vibrant colors for lively snow photos. The average temperature in Chengdu ranges from 6-14°C, while in Li County, it's 2-6°C.
5. Transportation
To reach Chengdu, there are various options depending on your budget. There are direct flights from Hanoi to Chengdu. During my search, round-trip tickets cost around 6.5 million VND if flying from Hanoi to Chengdu, with a layover at one point, taking up a whole day.
My preferred route to Chengdu was by train from Hanoi to Nanning, then a domestic flight from Nanning to Chengdu. Although it takes a day, I had ample time to explore Nanning. The round-trip train ticket cost 1.4 million VND, and the domestic flight was 3 million VND.
6. Itinerary and Fun Experiences:
I noted down all destinations in both English and Chinese for easy searching on Google Maps.
Day 0: Hanoi - Nanning
I bought the train ticket at Hanoi Station for 700,000 VND. Departure from Gia Lam Station was at 9:15 AM, arriving directly in Nanning at 9:20 AM.
Day 1: Exploring Nanning
Thanh Tu Son Park is a must-visit in Nanning. Located right in the heart of Nanning, during springtime, the cherry blossoms are stunning! This scenic area was formerly known as Thanh Son Forest Farm. It's one of the eight famous scenes of Ungzhou, boasting majestic mountains reaching into the sky and picturesque landscapes, earning it the name Thanh Tu Son. Highlights of this area include:
- Phoenix Tower
- Quan Am Pagoda
- Octagonal Pavilion
The entrance fee to the park plus two shuttle bus rides is 29 yuan. I highly recommend purchasing the 38 yuan ticket to enjoy unlimited shuttle bus rides. Exploring this area might take up an entire day.
That evening, I flew from Nanning to Chengdu at 11 PM, so I had dinner around 7 PM and headed to the airport by 9 PM. Since the airport is about 28 km from downtown Nanning, a taxi ride costs around 100 yuan.
Day 2: Chengdu Exploration
Panda Base Park: This is the largest giant panda conservation park in China, located in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, home to over 30% of the world's highly endangered panda species. The entire conservation area covers an area of 9,245 km2 with 7 conservation areas and 9 scenic spots, featuring various landscapes.
The entrance fee is 55 yuan per person, plus an additional 10 yuan for the Shuttle bus within the park. I booked tickets in advance for this entrance on Klook, which was slightly cheaper.
In my personal opinion, this park is a bit boring and the ticket prices are high, plus the transportation cost because it's located far from the city. But visiting the iconic Panda Base is a must. If time and budget are limited, it can be skipped.
Vu Hao Temple – Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Vu Hao Temple is a complex of relics including Han Xiu Liet Temple (dedicated to Liu Bei), Hui Tomb (tomb of Liu Bei), and Gia Cat Luong Temple.
Cam Ly Old Town: Cam Ly Old Town has been bustling since the Qing Dynasty. This Old Town area is right next to Vu Hao Temple. The entire street is filled with ancient buildings and souvenir shops, contrasting with modern bars and restaurants nearby. Additionally, you can enjoy the taste of Sichuan and Xuan cuisine. Moreover, you can experience a variety of dishes sold at small roadside shops, providing an interesting culinary experience of Sichuan cuisine.
Having hotpot at Shu JiuXiang Hotpot Restaurant: Here, the specialty Sichuan hotpot is quite distinctive, and the food is quite good at a reasonable price. Our team spent a total of 216 yuan for 3 people.
>> Easier transportation from the airport to Chengdu!
Day 3: Chengdu
Wenshu Yuan Monastery is the best-preserved Buddhist monastery in Chengdu. The monastery is still active and trains monks. Additionally, it houses many historical and cultural artifacts spanning centuries to worship Wenshu Pusa - the bodhisattva symbolizing wisdom. There is a golden Buddha statue placed right at the entrance.
Kuanzhai Xiangzi (Wide and Narrow Alley) is a place for tourists to learn about the local culture, with bustling street food stalls, handicraft shops, and restaurants.
Tianfu Square is one of the busiest areas located in the commercial and business district of the city. It's another beautiful photo spot and also the city's center, serving as the intersection of 2 MRT lines, making it extremely accessible.
Chunxi Road Shopping Street: This place is about 600m from Tianfu Square, so you can walk there. Here, you can find very cheap and easy-to-buy items, but remember to bargain. Besides clothes, it's also a street food paradise. There are endless food options, and whether it's delicious or not depends on your taste 🙂
Day 4: Lixian
Take a bus from Chengdu Chadianzi Bus Station to Lixian. The bus ride takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes, with departures at 7:10 AM, 8:10 AM, and 9:00 AM. The bus fare is 60 CNY per person.
We took the 7:10 AM bus, arriving in Lixian at 11:00 AM. Then, we went back to the hotel to rest and have lunch.
Tat Bang Cau: There's no public transportation to get here. We rented a 7-seater car with drivers waiting at the bus station. Tat Bang Cau is 20km from Lixian, and the car rental cost is 120 CNY round trip. Admission to Tat Bang Cau is 85 CNY, which includes entrance and a shuttle bus from the foot of the mountain to the mountaintop (about 28km). The park is open from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Shanghaizi Valley is incredibly beautiful. There's a river frozen in winter, and beside it, there's a lake as blue as the one in the Lam Nguyet Valley in Lijiang.
Moon Bay: About 4km from Shanghaizi Valley. We chose to walk to take more photos because the scenery along the way was excellent. Snow covered the road. Another option is to take an electric shuttle. At Moon Bay, there's a small skiing area and a hot spring bathing area. Depending on the conditions, you can give it a try. Since we were heading to a larger skiing area the next day, we just took photos here.
Day 5: Lixian
Zhegu Mountain: A skiing area and landscape like a fairy tale. However, it's 90km from Lixian, so we had to hire a car to continue. The round-trip car fare for a day is 400 CNY. Entrance fee is 68 CNY per person, and 100 CNY for the car. Because it's another 25km from the ticket gate to the skiing area. I must say this is a MUST-GO destination, it's incredibly beautiful and mesmerizing. I was thrilled by its beauty.
Apart from the skiing area, there's also a snow village on the top, like in Harbin, China, or even resembling Shirakawa-go, the fairy tale village in Japan. But I guess it's smaller in scale =))
After spending time here until 3:00 PM, we headed back to Lixian to visit Gambu Tibetan Village. It's a unique and fascinating little village of the Tibetan people. After visiting here, I think I'll have to plan a real trip to Tibet.
Day 6: Chengdu
Do Fu's Temple
Experience Sichuan Opera at Shufeng Yayun Theatre in Chengdu: Witness famous performances like the Mystical Face-Changing and Fire-Spitting. Here, we had a unique experience, dressing up and trying makeup like the performers. I also pre-booked tickets on Klook (VIP package for the full experience).
>> Book Klook tickets to see Opera and try performance makeup!
Day 7: Leshan Giant Buddha
(to be updated later)
Day 8: Chengdu – Nanning – Hanoi
Planning a trip to China? Get ready with services, exploration activities, transportation, and wifi for a more convenient and comfortable journey! >> Explore now!
