About First Time China

Checked guides for a first trip to China, written from Shanghai.

First Time China is an English-language guide for travelers visiting China for the first time, city by city. We focus on practical, checked information: where to eat, how to get there by metro, what things cost, and which tours are worth booking.

Some posts contain affiliate links (for example, to Viator tours). If you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend.

Wei Xiang Zhai noodle shop — Wei Xiang Zhai, Hubei Road

Villas in Sinan Mansions — Sinan Mansions, former French Concession

Yu Garden bazaar after dark — Yu Garden bazaar