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Malaysia → China · 10-night winter route

Shanghai &
Beijing

An overnight flight out of KL, landing in Shanghai at dawn on the 8th. Three days in the neon-lit harbour city, a bullet train north on the 11th, then a week among the emperors — the Wall, the palaces, and a night out at Mutianyu. Home on the morning of 18 December 2026. Cold, crisp, and gloriously uncrowded.

China 2026 — Sean & Shyn
Dates
Dec 8–18
10 days · 10 nights
Split
3 + 7
Shanghai · Beijing
Weather
Cold
SH 4–10°C · BJ −7–5°C
Train
~4.5 hr
high-speed rail
From
Malaysia
✈ fly into PVG / SHA
FlightsKUL → PVG · PKX → KUL
Outbound · 7 Dec · KUL → PVGSpring 9C6516 · 23:55
Departure
KUL
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia · T2
23:55
Arrival
PVG
Shanghai Pudong, China · T2
05:35 +1
Airline
Spring Airlines
Flight No.
9C6516
Date
7 Dec 2026 · arr. 8 Dec
Duration
5h 40m · overnight
Cabin
Economy · Airbus A320
Meals
No meals — eat at KUL
Confirmation
Passengers
Shyn Ru Lim · Sean Lee Kai Hong
Return · 18 Dec · PKX → KULAirAsia X D7343 · 02:30
Departure
PKX
Beijing Daxing Int'l
02:30
Arrival
KUL
Kuala Lumpur · T2
09:00
Airline
AirAsia X Berhad
Flight No.
D7343
Date
Fri 18 Dec 2026
red-eye · 02:30 departure
Duration
6h 30m
Cabin
Economy
Departs from
Daxing PKX — not PEK
46 km south of the centre
Confirmation
Passengers
Shyn Ru Lim · Sean Lee Kai Hong
Airport transfer
Daxing Airport Express from Caoqiao · ¥35 · ~30 min
last train ~22:30 — be at PKX by 00:30
🏨Accommodation4 hotels · 8–16 Dec
Miju House Jing'anShanghai · 8–11 Dec · 3 nights
Miju House Jing'an, Shanghai
Hotel name
Miju House Jing'an ★★★
上海静安米居HOUSE
Address
No. 15, Lane 733, Kangding Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai 200040
康定路733弄15号,上海,中国 200040
Check-in
Tue 8 Dec
after 2:00 PM
Check-out
Fri 11 Dec
before 1:00 PM
Booked via
Agoda
booking ref — add it
Price / night
RM174 · ¥289.88
Notes
Total paid ¥869.65 ≈ RM522 (incl. taxes & 1.76% coupon). Covers 3 nights: 8, 9, 10 Dec. You land 05:35 on the 8th — check-in not until 14:00, so store bags or ask for early check-in. Checkout 11 Dec 13:00 — and Baiman in Beijing checks in that same afternoon, so the train north is 11 Dec, not 12 Dec.
Baiman HotelBeijing South · 11–13 Dec · 2 nights
Baiman Hotel, Beijing South
Hotel name
Baiman Hotel
百漫酒店(北京南站和义地铁站店)
Address
3rd Floor, Bldg 2, Building 6, Zone 2, Nanyuan Beili, Fengtai District, Beijing
北京丰台区南苑北里二区6号楼2幢三层
☎ +86-10-69700588 · nearest metro Heyi, by Beijing South Station
Check-in
Fri 11 Dec
after 14:00
Check-out
Sun 13 Dec
before 14:00
Booked via
Prepaid online
add platform + ref
Price / night
RM118.34
Notes
Prepaid RM236.68 for 2 nights (11 & 12 Dec) — RM436.18 list, less RM199.50 of discounts. VAT RM14.78 included. Budget place by Beijing South Station.
Floral Hotel · Lanting Hot SpringMutianyu · 13–14 Dec · 1 night
Floral Hotel Lanting Hot Spring, Mutianyu
Hotel name
Floral Hotel · Lanting Hot Spring
花筑·北京怀柔兰亭温泉度假酒店(慕田峪长城店)
Address
500 m north of Weidian Village, Bohai Town (west side of Mutianyu roundabout), Huairou District, Beijing
北京怀柔区渤海镇苇店村北500米(慕田峪环岛西侧)
☎ +86-135-2211-9321 · walking distance to the Great Wall
Check-in
Sun 13 Dec
15:00–22:00
Check-out
Mon 14 Dec
08:00–12:00
Booked via
Prepaid online
add platform + ref
Price / night
RM299.60
Notes
Prepaid S$94.76 ≈ RM299.60 for 1 night (13 Dec) — S$127.89 list, less S$33.13 discounts; VAT S$5.64 included. Sleeping at the Wall the night before, so you can be at Mutianyu at opening.
Jingli HotelChaoyang · 14–16 Dec · 2 nights
Jingli Hotel, Chaoyang Beijing
Hotel name
Jingli Hotel
景里酒店(北京合生汇大郊亭地铁站店)
Address
Building 45, No. 92 East 4th Ring Middle Road (SE corner of Dajiaoting Bridge), Chaoyang District, Beijing
北京朝阳区东四环中路92号45号楼(大郊亭桥东南角)
☎ +86-10-67741688 · Dajiaoting metro · Heshenghui mall
Check-in
Mon 14 Dec
after 14:00
Check-out
Wed 16 Dec
before 14:00
Booked via
Prepaid · Apple Pay
add platform + ref
Price / night
RM187.88
Notes
Prepaid S$118.85 ≈ RM375.76 for 2 nights (14 & 15 Dec) — S$190.27 list, less S$71.42 discounts; VAT S$7.62 included. Night of 16 Dec is still not booked.
Pre-trip checklist
🔴 Book NOW
Forbidden City tickets — Sat 12 Decpalace.museum.cn · sells out weeks ahead, worse on a Saturday · passport required
Shanghai → Beijing G-train — Fri 11 Dec12306.cn or Trip.com · morning departure, Hongqiao → Beijing South · 2nd class ¥555
Nights of 16 + 17 Dec — still no hotelJingli only covers 14 & 15 Dec. Two nights unbooked before the 18th flight home
Dadong Roast Duck — Thu 17 Decdadongduck.com · the farewell dinner · always full
Return flight home — 18 Dec morningPEK (or PKX — check which) → KUL · outbound KUL 7 Dec 23:55 is booked
🟡 Before you fly
Install Alipay + WeChat PayLink your Maybank/CIMB Visa inside the app — do at home, fiddly on arrival
Set up VPNExpressVPN / NordVPN — install and test BEFORE flying, blocked in China
Download offline mapsAmap (高德地图) for navigation · Google Maps won't work without VPN
Download DiDi appLike Grab — links to Alipay for payment
Check visa / visa-free eligibilityMalaysia passport: 15-day visa-free — confirm current policy
Tiananmen Square registrationRegister on Beijing tourism app with passport number
Driver: Beijing → Mutianyu, 13 DecAnd back to Chaoyang on the 14th. ~¥400–500 each way · book via hotel or Klook
🟢 On arrival
Buy SIM at PVG airportChina Unicom counter, arrivals hall · ¥50 for 10 GB · takes passport
Get Maglev to Longyang RdThen Metro L2 to city · ¥55 total · ~35 min
Top up Alipay balanceYou'll need it for literally everything — metro, food, sights
Get metro card (交通卡)¥20 deposit at any station, reloadable, works in both cities
Turn VPN on before opening appsEnable before landing — in-flight mode won't help
上海

Shanghai

Days 1–3 · Dec 8–10 · Base: Miju House, Jing'an
1
Tue · 8 Dec
Land at dawn, ease in, first glimpse of the Bund
Shanghai
05:35
Land at PVG · Pudong Airport
Off the overnight 9C6516. Immigration is quiet at this hour. Grab a SIM at the China Unicom counter in arrivals (¥50, 10 GB) and turn the VPN on before you open anything. Then Maglev to Longyang Rd (¥55, 8 min) and Metro Line 2 into the city.
🚄 Maglev + 🚇 Metro L2 → Jing'an · ~50 min all in
07:30
Drop bags at Miju House + breakfast
Check-in isn't until 14:00, so leave the bags at the desk and go eat. Ask about early check-in anyway — on a quiet December morning they often say yes. Breakfast: jianbing or soup dumplings from any Kangding Rd stall, ¥10–20.
🚶 15 min walk south — you're staying in Jing'an, the temple is the neighbourhood
10:00
Jing'an Temple (静安寺)
Gold-roofed Buddhist temple wedged surreally between luxury malls and skyscrapers — peak Shanghai. Low-effort first sight on no sleep. Entry ~¥50, an hour is plenty.
🚇 Back to the hotel · check in and sleep — you have been awake since yesterday
14:00
Check in properly · nap
Take the nap. Two or three hours now is what makes the rest of the trip work — pushing through the first day after a red-eye costs you the second one.
🚇 Metro L2 → East Nanjing Rd · ~15 min
16:30
The Bund (外滩)
Riverside promenade with 1920s stone banking facades facing Pudong's skyline. Sunset is ~16:50 in December, and the Pudong lights come on across the water from ~18:00 — you get daylight and the light show in one stand. Wear the coat, the wind comes off the river.
🚶 10 min walk west into the pedestrian strip
18:30
Nanjing Road + first proper dinner
Walk the lit-up strip west toward People's Square — good first-night energy without needing any effort. Dinner at Yang's Fried Dumplings (Wujiang Rd, No. 54 branch) — ¥20 pp, queue moves fast. Then an early night.
☕ BfastStreet jianbing near the hotel · ¥10–20
🍜 LunchNoodles near Jing'an Temple before the nap · ¥40
🍽 DinnerYang's Fried Dumplings · Wujiang Rd · ~¥20 pp
🏨 Miju House Jing'an · night 1 of 3
~¥250 · ~RM155
2
Wed · 9 Dec
Old town gardens, bazaar & the lane-house bars
Shanghai
09:30
Yu Garden (豫园)
A 400-year-old Ming scholar's garden — rockeries, koi ponds, dragon walls, and pavilions folded into a tiny footprint. Go at opening to have the courtyards to yourself. ~¥40 entry, allow 90 min.
🚶 5 min walk into the bazaar surrounding the garden
11:00
Yu Garden Bazaar (城隍庙商城)
Touristy but atmospheric Ming-style shopping lanes around the Chenghuang Temple. Good for xiaolongbao at Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant (queue outside — worth it). Pick up fridge magnets and silk scarves here.
🚇 Metro L10/L13 → Xintiandi · ~15 min
14:30
Xintiandi
Restored shikumen (stone-gate) lane-houses turned into cafés, bars, and boutiques. North block is newer/commercial; south block has the better historic vibe. Great for afternoon coffee, beer, or exploring.
☕ BfastHotel or street jianbing (egg crêpe) near hotel · ¥10
🍜 LunchNanxiang Steamed Bun · Yu Garden Bazaar · ¥50 pp
🍽 DinnerXintiandi — try Lost Heaven (Yunnan cuisine) or T8 for splurge
🏨 Miju House Jing'an · night 2 of 3
~¥300 · ~RM185
3
Thu · 10 Dec
The tallest tower, the great museum, then the Concession at dusk
Shanghai
09:00
Shanghai Tower (上海中心大厦)
632m — tallest in China, second in the world. Observation deck on the 118th, and the lift is one of the fastest anywhere (55 sec). Go first thing on a clear morning before the haze settles. Book online ~¥180 to skip the queue. The free elevated walkway between Jin Mao, the WFC and the Tower is worth 20 minutes on the way out.
🚇 Metro L2 East → Shanghai Museum East · ~10 min
12:30
Shanghai Museum East (上海博物馆东馆)
The vast new Pudong campus (opened 2024) — free with your passport, no advance booking. Best rooms are the ancient bronzes, jade, and ceramics. Two hours is enough if you're selective. The gift shop is genuinely good.
🚇 Metro L4 → Middle Huaihai Rd · ~25 min across the river
16:00
Tianzifang & the French Concession (田子坊)
Maze of shikumen alleys turned into indie boutiques, studios and coffee shops — busiest midday, calmer and prettier once the lights come on. Then walk the plane-tree streets of the old French Concession (Wukang Rd, Anfu Rd) into dinner. Last Shanghai night — pack before bed, the train is tomorrow.
☕ BfastHotel, or egg tarts + soy milk nearby — early start
🍜 LunchIFC Mall food court by the Tower · ¥60–80 pp
🍽 DinnerFrench Concession — Sichuan Citizen, or Din Tai Fung at IAPM · ¥100–120 pp
🏨 Miju House · last night — pack tonight
~¥330 · ~RM205
北京

Beijing

Days 4–10 · Dec 11–17 · fly home 18 Dec · Beijing South → Mutianyu → Chaoyang
4
Fri · 11 Dec
Bullet train north — 4.5 hrs, then ease into the capital
Beijing
08:00
Check out of Miju + Hongqiao Station
Miju checkout is 13:00 but the train wants a morning slot — leave by 08:00. Hongqiao is enormous; give yourself 45 min before departure and have the passport out, it's scanned at the gate. G-train Shanghai Hongqiao → Beijing South, 2nd class ~¥555.
🚄 G-train ~4.5 hrs · a 09:00 departure lands you at Beijing South ~13:30
14:00
Check in — Baiman Hotel, by Beijing South
Handy: the hotel is a short hop from the station you arrive into (nearest metro Heyi). Check-in from 14:00, so the timing lands almost perfectly. Dump bags, then head into the centre.
🚇 Metro L8 north → Qianmen · ~20 min
16:00
Tiananmen Square + Qianmen Street
Register entry to the square in advance on the Beijing tourism app — passport number required, and they do check. Security is airport-grade, no liquids. Then walk south into Qianmen and the Dashilan lanes for a relaxed first evening. The portrait of Mao hits differently in person.
☕ BfastCoffee at Hongqiao station before boarding
🍜 LunchStation bento on the train · ¥35–50 — Chinese train food is decent
🍽 DinnerQianmen / Dashilan — lamb skewers and jianbing · ¥50–80 grazing
🏨 Baiman Hotel · night 1 of 2
~¥180 · ~RM110
5
Sat · 12 Dec
The Forbidden City, then Jingshan for the golden rooftop view
Beijing
08:30
Forbidden City (故宫博物院)
Book weeks ahead on the Palace Museum site — 80,000 timed tickets a day and a Saturday sells out first. Passport at the gate. Enter south (Meridian Gate / 午门), exit north (Shenwu Gate). Three to four hours minimum, and the courtyards are wide open to the wind — wear everything.
🚶 Exit the north gate, cross the road — Jingshan is immediately opposite
13:00
Jingshan Park (景山公园)
A hill built from the soil dug out of the palace moat. Climb to Wanchun Pavilion — the view straight down the Forbidden City's golden roofs is the best photograph in Beijing. Get up there before 14:30 while the sun is still south. ~¥2.
🚇 Metro L6 → Nanluoguxiang · 10 min
15:30
Nanluoguxiang hutong (南锣鼓巷)
Beijing's most famous old alley. Commercialised down the middle, but duck into the side hutongs off the main drag and it's still the real thing. Snacks, ceramics, and craft beer at Great Leap nearby.
☕ BfastCongee or jianbing near the hotel before 08:00
🍜 LunchInside the palace grounds or Beihai Park after · ¥40–60
🍽 DinnerSiji Minfu Roast Duck near the hutongs (book ahead) · ¥100–150 pp
🏨 Baiman Hotel · last night — pack for the Wall
~¥320 · ~RM200
6
Sun · 13 Dec
Temple of Heaven in the morning, then out to the Wall to sleep
Beijing
08:30
Temple of Heaven (天坛)
Conveniently close to Baiman, so do it on the way out. Mornings are the point — locals fill the outer park with tai chi, fan dancing and group singing before 10:00. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the icon. ~¥34 for park + hall, allow 2 hours.
🚗 Back for bags, check out by 14:00, then the driver north — ~2 hrs to Mutianyu
12:30
Transfer to Mutianyu (慕田峪)
It's a long way across the city and out — roughly 2 hrs from Beijing South, ¥400–500 by private car. Book the driver ahead through the hotel or Klook; DiDi will do it but is harder to arrange with luggage. Public bus 867 from Dongzhimen exists but eats the afternoon.
🚗 Arrive Bohai Town · the hotel is 500 m north of the Mutianyu roundabout
15:00
Check in — Floral Hotel · Lanting Hot Spring
Check-in 15:00–22:00. This is the whole trick of the trip: sleeping at the Wall means you're at the gate when it opens tomorrow, ahead of every day-tour bus out of Beijing. Hot spring in the evening, dinner at the hotel, early night.
☕ BfastEarly, near the hotel — the park is best before 10:00
🍜 LunchGrab something before the drive, or eat at the hotel on arrival · ¥50
🍽 DinnerFloral Hotel restaurant — village options are thin after dark · ¥80 pp
🏨 Floral Hotel, Mutianyu · 1 night
~¥200 · ~RM125
7
Mon · 14 Dec
The Great Wall at opening — cable car up, toboggan down
Beijing
08:00
Mutianyu Great Wall (慕田峪长城)
You're already here — walk or shuttle to the gate for opening and have the wall to yourself for an hour before the Beijing buses land. Cable car up (¥100 return), walk east toward towers 14–20 for the most dramatic winter stretch. DRESS SERIOUSLY: it's exposed, windswept, and several degrees below the city. Gloves and a hat, not optional.
🛷 Toboggan back down — ¥100, and genuinely good fun
12:30
Lunch at the base + check out
The Schoolhouse at Mutianyu is the nice option (Western, good setting); the base stalls are fine and cheap. Hotel checkout is 08:00–12:00, so settle up and leave the bags with them before you go up.
🚗 Driver back to the city · ~2 hrs to Chaoyang
16:30
Check in — Jingli Hotel, Chaoyang
New base for the rest of the trip, at Dajiaoting metro next to the Heshenghui mall. The Wall is tiring in the cold — take the evening flat. Hot pot is the correct recovery meal.
☕ BfastHotel breakfast — eat properly, it's a cold morning
🍜 LunchThe Schoolhouse at Mutianyu, or base stalls · ¥80–120
🍽 DinnerHot pot — Haidilao (24 hr, no booking needed) at Heshenghui · ¥80–100 pp
🏨 Jingli Hotel · night 1 of 2
~¥250 · ~RM155
8
Tue · 15 Dec
Lamas, drum towers & Houhai after dark
Beijing
09:30
Lama Temple (雍和宫)
Beijing's most atmospheric working temple — Tibetan Buddhist, thick with incense. Free sticks at the gate. Wanfu Pavilion holds an 18m Buddha carved from a single sandalwood trunk. A genuinely sacred space, so dress for it. ~¥25.
🚶 Guijie (Ghost Street) for lunch, then 🚇 L2 → Gulou Dajie · ~15 min
14:00
Drum & Bell Towers (鼓楼 · 钟楼)
The pair of Yuan-dynasty towers that kept time for the whole city. Climb the Drum Tower for the drumming demonstration and a rooftop view over grey hutong tiles — the best sense you'll get of old Beijing's grid. ~¥20 each.
🚶 10 min west to the lake shore
16:30
Houhai Lake & hutongs (后海)
Lake ringed by alleyways and bars. Hire a pedicab for the 45-min hutong circuit — negotiate to ¥100–150. In December the lake often freezes hard enough that locals skate on it. Bar street along the south shore comes alive after dark.
☕ BfastHotel buffet at Jingli
🍜 LunchGuijie — Xinjiang hand-pulled beef noodles · ¥35
🍽 DinnerKong Yiji by the lake — classic Beijing dishes · ¥80 pp
🏨 Jingli Hotel · last prepaid night
~¥250 · ~RM155
9
Wed · 16 Dec
Summer Palace frozen lake, then 798 to warm up
Beijing
09:00
Summer Palace (颐和园)
Imperial lakeside retreat — 2.9 km² of gardens, pavilions and corridors. Kunming Lake usually freezes solid in December, and walking out onto the silent white sheet of it is the memory people keep. Enter East Gate, walk the 728m Long Corridor, climb Longevity Hill. ~¥30, allow 3 hours.
🚇 L4 → Liangmaqiao, then DiDi 10 min · ~45 min total
14:00
798 Art Zone (798艺术区)
Bauhaus-era military electronics factories turned into Beijing's contemporary art district — and crucially, indoors and warm after a frozen morning. UCCA is the anchor gallery; the rest is studios, design shops and good coffee.
🚕 DiDi back toward Chaoyang · ~30 min
18:30
Sort tonight's bed ⚠
Jingli is only prepaid through the 15th, so tonight and tomorrow night are unbooked. Easiest fix is extending Jingli by two nights so you never move — otherwise book something near the airport line for the 18th's early flight.
☕ BfastEarly — the Summer Palace deserves the whole morning
🍜 Lunch798 — The Orchard café or Modo · ¥80 pp
🍽 DinnerHeshenghui mall by the hotel — endless options · ¥60–90 pp
🏨 Night of 16 Dec — NOT BOOKED
~¥300 · ~RM185
10
Thu · 17 Dec
Last day — Beihai, Wangfujing, and the duck dinner
Beijing
09:30
Beihai Park (北海公园)
The imperial pleasure garden just northwest of the Forbidden City, built around a lake with the White Dagoba on its island. Quieter than everything else you've done, frozen and pale in December, and a gentle way to spend a last morning. ~¥10.
🚇 L6 → Dongsi, walk south · ~20 min
13:00
Wangfujing (王府井) — last souvenirs
The main pedestrian shopping street, and the right place to spend whatever's left. Tea, silk, Beijing-brand snacks. The Donghuamen snack street is more spectacle than dinner — scorpions on sticks — but worth a walk through.
🚕 Back to the hotel · pack properly, then out again
18:30
Dadong Roast Duck — the farewell dinner
Make it count. Peking duck is the one meal you cannot skip, and Dadong does the lean, crisp-skinned version — book well ahead, it's always full. Afterwards: confirm the morning airport transfer, check the terminal on the ticket, and get to bed.
✈ Fri 18 Dec, morning — airport, then home to KL
☕ BfastSlow one — nothing to rush for
🍜 LunchWangfujing — Quanjude if you want duck twice · ¥80 pp
🍽 DinnerDadong Roast Duck · ¥150–200 pp · MUST BOOK AHEAD
🏨 Night of 17 Dec — NOT BOOKED
~¥400 · ~RM250
💰Budget estimate

Running total

💵 Exchange rate
1 MYR = ¥1.60
👥 Travellers
2
Edit either one and everything recalculates. Amounts can be typed as RM120 or ¥200 — both work.
Booked & big-ticket
✈ KUL → ShanghaiSpring 9C6516 · 7 Dec · both travellers
RM1392.00
✈ Beijing → KULAirAsia X D7343 · 18 Dec · both travellers
RM1476.00
🏨 Hotels prepaid · 8 nightsMiju 522 + Baiman 236.68 + Floral 299.60 + Jingli 375.76
RM1434.04
🛏 Nights of 16 + 17 Decstill unbooked — estimate at Jingli's rate, ¥300/night
RM376
🚄 G-train · Shanghai → Beijingper person · 2nd class, 11 Dec
¥555
🚗 Mutianyu driver · both waysshared car, 13 + 14 Dec
¥900
Day-to-day spending — summed from the day cards, food + entry + local transport
Shanghai · days 1–3
Beijing · days 4–10
Daily subtotal
Trip total · both of you
Per person
📋Useful infonumbers · transport · phrases

Emergency numbers

Police110
Ambulance120
Fire119
MY Embassy BJ+86 10 6532 2531
MY Consulate SH+86 21 6208 2990

Getting around

Metro (both cities)¥3–8 / trip
DiDi (taxi app)Pay via Alipay
Maglev PVG→city¥55 · 8 min
Airport taxi SH~¥160 · 45 min
Airport Express BJ¥25 · 20 min

Money & pay

1 MYR≈ ¥1.60
Primary methodAlipay / WeChat Pay
Cash backup¥500 for emergencies
ATMsICBC / Bank of China accept foreign cards
TippingNot customary

Mandarin phrases

谢谢 xiè xièThank you
多少钱?duō shǎo qián?How much?
厕所在哪里?cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ?Where is the toilet?
我不吃猪肉wǒ bù chī zhūròuI don't eat pork
帮我叫滴滴bāng wǒ jiào DiDiPlease call me a DiDi
🧭Before you go6 things that make or break it
📱

Set up payments first

Almost nothing takes cash or foreign cards. Install Alipay and WeChat Pay before you fly and link an international card inside the app — do this at home, it's fiddly on arrival.

🎟️

Book the big sights early

The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and major museums need advance online reservations tied to your passport. The Forbidden City in particular can sell out weeks ahead.

🛂

Passport = your ticket

Carry your physical passport everywhere — it's scanned to enter squares, museums, and to board trains. Check your visa / visa-free transit eligibility for your nationality before booking.

🚄

Shanghai → Beijing train

The high-speed G-train (~4.5 hrs, city-centre to city-centre) beats flying once you count airport time. Book via Trip.com or the 12306 app. 2nd class ~¥555. Book at least 2 weeks ahead.

🧥

Pack for real cold

Beijing in December runs well below freezing and dry; the Great Wall is bitterly exposed. Bring a proper coat, hat, thermal gloves, and base layers. Shanghai is milder but damp — a waterproof shell helps.

🌐

VPN + maps

Set up a VPN at home if you need Google, WhatsApp, or Instagram. For navigation use Amap (高德地图) — it's the local standard. For taxis use DiDi, both pay through Alipay.