Product Description: Walk the watchtowers at Badaling, where President Nixon once said, 'this is a great wall,' p. 163 Knock back a shot of Confucius baijiu firewater in Qufu, hometown of the sage, p. 218 Find out how a local farmer first uncovered the Army of Terracotta Warriors, p. 428 Perfect your Monkey Offers Peach strike at Wudang Shan, birthplace of taichi, p. 481
12 authors and 483 days of in-country research special coverage of pristine Ming and Qing dynasty villages for the first time in English content updated daily - visit lonelyplanet.com for up-to-the-minute reviews, updates and traveller insights
Amazon.com Review: From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.
Just as the authors describe China as "massive and endlessly fascinating," so is the material they have collected in this guide--an important travelers' opus. The 200-plus maps feature keys in English and Chinese script and there are essential details on transport options, a 12-page Chinese arts section, and a useful feature on the Chinese language. --Kathryn True
LOnely planet China book Good historical information as well as maps, etc. Good overall information about the new China
Useful, but very weak on Western China (10th ed.) Although the 10th Edition provides useful information, I found its coverage of Western China extremely dated. Indeed, the information was so stale that a resident expat in Kashgar questioned whether LP visited Xinjinag prior to releasing the new edition.
Did the authors actually go? I used this book only in Beijing and Shanghai, so I can only vouch for those two sections. The maps of Beijing were great, when they were there. Because the book appears not to have been copy edited, there are lots of references to more detailed maps there are not actually in the book.
Also, the Beijing section doesn't include some of the most interesting areas for tourists to visit. It seems like someone just did a google search on Beijing and listed the first few things that come up, regardless of their interest or relevance to tourists. A major park walking distance to the forbidden city surrounded by cafes, museums and excellent souvenir shops is simply not listed.
Shanghai was a little better.
It is a good book for dreaming though. I am keeping my copy so I can plan ahead for next trip. Before I actually go though I will be buying a different book.
China travel help We are independent travelers who usually travel with Lonely Planet. China is changing so fast it is hard to keep any guide up to date, but the travel and site information here was generally accurate and very helpful. I was disapointed in some of the restaurant recomendations.
Death by Lonely Planet An exceptional travel guide. Do not count on the prices being accurate but the big picture is spot on.
There are two problems with the Lonely Planet guide: it is too heavy for a traveler; it is on the banned books list in China (but my copy was not taken in my last two trips).
Death by Lonely Planet refers to guiding thousands of tourists to a once untouched spot. The Lonely Planet guide is a blessing and a curse.
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