It’s no secret that China is a mysterious place for many Westerners. Before visiting, it’s a great idea to do some reading up! This post covers some China travel guide books that I found useful as an expat in Beijing.
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How many idioms about China exist in the English language? “It’s all Chinese to me,” or “They can hear you from China!” For both Europeans and Americans, China is about as “far-out” as you can get.
That being said, planning a visit can be intimidating! Rest assured, though: China is extremely technologically advanced, and very user-friendly for foreigners.
However, with thousands of years of history and culture, there’s a lot to know in order to understand your time in China. Thanks to some very high-quality China travel guide books, it’s easy to get prepared!
China travel guide Books about Chinese Culture
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I appreciate Lonely Planet’s books a lot. Mostly because when checking the biographies of the authors, most of the top authors have actually visited the country they’re writing about.
I really despise when people who sit in offices publish guide material for travel sites even though they’ve never left their desks. Not blaming the people…just opposed to the concept (that’s why I started this blog honestly).
With Lonely Planet, quick research on their authors shows that most (if not all) of the contributors have experience in that country. So their books get a big thumbs up from me (whatever that’s worth).
Travel to China: Everything You Need To Know Before You Go
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This book has AMAZING reviews on Amazon. Some people write that it’s one of the few China travel guide books that doesn’t only provide knowledge, but also how-to’s.
Based on the preview and reviews, this book seems to be helpful and of good quality. Not to mention very much appreciated by tourists, expats, and folks just curious about China.
China Travel Guide bookS about Language
Lonely Planet Mandarin Phrasebook & Dictionary
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I bought this book when first moving to China, and referenced it frequently. Now that I’m conversationally fluent in Chinese, I don’t use it much. But I can testify to it’s accuracy!
Honestly, the only phrases in this book which I’ve learned are totally off are the “pickup lines” and “romantic” speech (no one in China says ‘easy tiger’ in Chinese lol). But aside from that section, all green lights!
Survival Chinese: How To Communicate Without Fuss or Fear Instantly!
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I haven’t personally read this book. But out of the many books I checked through, this one had great reviews from both tourists and expats. It appears to be very user-friendly and non-intimidating.
For a quick trip to China, I honestly think books like this are perfect. They don’t overwhelm you with TONS of information and terminology. They just give you the basic things you’ll need and keep it simple.
Bonus: China Travel Guide Book About Beijing
Lonely Planet Beijing (Travel Guide)
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PSA: Don’t underestimate Beijing. The city is like a country of its own.
It takes HOURS to drive from one side of Beijing’s outskirts to the other (without traffic!). It’s got a population of over 20 million people. And it’s got more history than the entire USA’s 50 states combined.
Okay, I’m not totally sure about that last one. But I can tell you that after five years of living in Beijing and ACTIVELY touring its history, I’ve barely scratched the surface of sites to visit.
So if you’re going to be spending time in Beijing, why not get acquainted? A guide book is a great way to rule in/out the sites that you want to focus on or omit. Plus, I know I’m biased…but Beijing is just fascinating.
So there you have it: a short list of my recommended China travel guide books! I hope that these resources will help you to feel more prepared, so that you can fully appreciate your trip to China. Best of luck!
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