Journal
Insights, guides, and stories from our China travel specialists
50 articles
DestinationsChongqing at night is one of the great urban spectacles in Asia — a city of 32 million built on steep hills above two rivers, with a light display that outdoes anything in mainland China.
CultureSichuan cuisine is one of China's eight great culinary traditions, and Chengdu is its undisputed capital. Baker Gu explains the flavour science behind the numbing heat, and the dishes you absolutely must eat.
ExperiencesThe Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is home to over 100 giant pandas. Baker Gu shares what to book, what time to arrive, and how CTS adds exclusive access most visitors never get.
DestinationsChongqing is the departure point for Yangtze River cruises through the Three Gorges — but it's also a fascinating city in its own right. Baker Gu explains what makes this mountain metropolis worth two days before you board.
ExperiencesA Yangtze River cruise through the Three Gorges is unlike any other river journey in the world. Baker Gu explains what the cruise experience is actually like, what changed after the Three Gorges Dam, and who it suits.
ExperiencesJust 45km from central Shanghai, Zhujiajiao is a 1,700-year-old water town with stone bridges, canal gondolas, and Ming Dynasty streets. Here's how to visit without turning it into a tourist conveyor belt.
DestinationsWest Lake has been the subject of Chinese poetry for 1,000 years. Baker Gu explains why Hangzhou still deserves its UNESCO listing, the best ways to experience the lake, and what to do beyond the water.
DestinationsSuzhou's classical gardens are UNESCO World Heritage sites — miniature landscapes that took centuries to perfect. Here's how to visit without the crowds, which gardens to prioritise, and why they matter.
DestinationsShanghai is the city that makes every visitor rethink what China is. Baker Gu explains the Bund, Pudong, the French Concession, and how to understand Shanghai as both a historical port city and a glimpse of China's future.
CultureBeijing's hutongs are the ancient laneways where ordinary Beijingers lived for centuries. Baker Gu explains the history, the best areas to explore, and why the hutongs tell a more honest story about China than any imperial monument.
ExperiencesXi'an's Muslim Quarter is one of the great street food corridors in Asia — lamb skewers, roujiamo, persimmon cake, and pomegranate juice. Here is how to eat your way through it without the tourist traps.
CultureDiscovered in 1974 by farmers digging a well, the Terracotta Warriors are still being excavated today. Here is the full story of China's most astonishing archaeological site, and how to visit it properly.
DestinationsThe Palace Museum holds 980 buildings and 1.8 million artefacts. Baker Gu shares the insider route, the sections most visitors miss, and how to see it without the crowds crushing the experience.
ExperiencesWhich section of the Great Wall should you visit? How steep is it really? Baker Gu breaks down the four main sections, best times, and how CTS tours make the experience unforgettable for NZ travellers.
DestinationsI'm Baker Gu — Chongqing after dark is a different city. Here's how I plan evenings in the neon-lit mountain city: Hongyadong, the river cruise, hot pot, and the view from the hilltop.
ExperiencesI'm Baker Gu — Chongqing hot pot is the original, and it's significantly different from what you've eaten elsewhere. Here's what makes it different, what to order, and what to expect from the heat.
DestinationsI'm Baker Gu — the Leshan Giant Buddha is 71 metres of carved cliff face, built over 90 years, and it's one of the genuinely surprising experiences I include on Chengdu itineraries. Here's how I plan the day trip.
Travel TipsI'm Baker Gu — China's visa-free policy for NZ passport holders is real, but there are conditions people miss. Here's the honest breakdown of what qualifies, what doesn't, and what to carry.
DestinationsI'm Baker Gu — the panda base is worth your morning, but Chengdu has a full week of things that most visitors never reach. Here's what I include when I have three days in the city.
Travel TipsDiscover the best China holiday packages for your next adventure. Explore seasonal tips, group tours, and exclusive packages tailored for New Zealand travelers!
DestinationsA practical day-by-day guide to 10 days in Beijing and Xi'an — the Forbidden City, Great Wall, high-speed train, and Terracotta Warriors — designed for New Zealand travellers doing China for the first time.
Travel TipsIf you're planning your first trip to China from New Zealand, Beijing and Xi'an is the most rewarding and logistically sensible combination. Here's why — and how to do it properly.
Travel TipsThe high-speed train between Beijing and Xi'an is one of the best travel experiences in China. Here's how it works, what to expect, and why it's better than flying.
DestinationsThe Terracotta Army is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in history. Here's what to expect, how to make the most of your visit, and why it deserves a full day.
Travel TipsPlanning a Beijing and Xi'an tour from New Zealand? Here's what's included, what to budget, when to go, and why booking with an Auckland-based operator makes a difference.
DestinationsThe Yangtze Delta — Shanghai, Suzhou's classical gardens, Wuxi's lake country, and Hangzhou's West Lake — is one of China's great travel routes. Here's how to do it properly from New Zealand.
DestinationsWest Lake is one of China's most celebrated landscapes — the subject of 1,000 years of poetry, painting, and pilgrimage. Here's what to see, when to go, and how to experience it properly.
DestinationsSuzhou's classical gardens are UNESCO-listed masterpieces of landscape design — private retreats built over centuries by retired officials and scholars. Here's what to see and how to appreciate them.
DestinationsWhat to see, where to go, and how to pace 10 days across Shanghai and the Jiangnan water towns — a practical guide for New Zealand travellers visiting this region for the first time.
CultureThe Jiangnan water towns — canal cities, classical gardens, silk culture, and West Lake — are a different China from Beijing and Xi'an. Here's what makes them special and how to experience them from New Zealand.
DestinationsFuturistic Chongqing and laid-back Chengdu, connected by a bullet train. Here's how to structure 10 days across both cities — from the viral monorail through a building to giant pandas at dawn.
Travel TipsNot enough — that's the real answer. Here's what you can realistically do in 2, 3, or 4 days in Chongqing, and why most visitors underestimate the city.
DestinationsBoth. But if you're choosing just one, here's the honest comparison — what each city does best, who it suits, and why most visitors who go to one end up wishing they'd had time for the other.
DestinationsLiziba Station is the most photographed railway station in China — and possibly the world. Here's everything you need to know: what it is, how to visit, and how to get the best shot.
ExperiencesThe Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is the best place in the world to see giant pandas up close. Here's what to expect, the best time to visit, and how to book from New Zealand.
Travel TipsI compare the two gateways I get asked about most from New Zealand — history-heavy Beijing versus cosmopolitan Shanghai — and how October Discovery departures fit a visa-free trip.
Travel TipsFrom Golden Week crowds to crisp autumn light — what I tell New Zealand clients before they book October flights and tours.
Travel TipsWhat I bundle on CTS Discovery and Signature — and what I tell Kiwis to budget on top — in plain language.
DestinationsHow I package the Yangtze Delta — Shanghai plus Suzhou, Hangzhou, and water towns — for first-time visitors from New Zealand.
DestinationsThe north-China arc I sell most often: Great Wall and Forbidden City, then west to the Terracotta Army — with visa-free notes and October departures.
Travel TipsI’m Baker Gu — the packing list I give Kiwi clients before they fly: layers, adapters, meds, culture-smart bits, and how I keep bags light for long China legs.
Travel TipsI’m Baker Gu — the app stack I install for clients before AKL: VPN, maps, WeChat, payments, translation — so free evenings don’t turn into guesswork.
Travel TipsI’m Baker Gu — how I brief first-time Kiwis on safety: what’s genuinely low-risk, what annoys people, and the etiquette that keeps days smooth.
Travel TipsI’m Baker Gu — how I pick months for Kiwis: north vs south weather, Golden Week reality, and when I’d pay more to avoid a bad week.
Travel TipsI’m Baker Gu — field notes for photographers: light, lenses, drone reality, and the side gates I ask guides to use so you’re not fighting busloads.
DestinationsI’m Baker Gu — here’s why I still believe the Silk Road belongs on your list, and how I design our Signature route through China’s western frontiers.
ExperiencesI’m Baker Gu — how I plan panda time in Chengdu, what I book for morning light, and the Signature experiences I add when clients ask for more than a quick look.
Travel TipsPlanning your first trip to China? Here are the essential tips every Kiwi traveller needs to know before they go.
DestinationsI’m Baker Gu — how I plan Zhangjiajie so you see the Avatar peaks without wasting your legs on the wrong queue.
CultureI’m Baker Gu — tea is how I slow clients down in China; here’s how I read the six great teas and where I take you on tour.
Let our experts craft your perfect China experience
