How is China for a lone female traveler?

Question

If there is a single female tourist in China who doesn't speak Chinese except the basic greetings, what difficulties would she encounter? Is it safe for a female to travel alone? Are Asian tourists treated differently from Westerners? Please elaborate. Thank you!

Answer 1

If you're the one going to China, yes, I read lots of books/traveling books, etc before my trip to China (but I'm not a woman, as you can see by the pic) but my point is that all those books say it is safe for women, western woman in particular, to travel in China.Obviously like any other traveler, you have to be careful, be informed, be aware about your surroundings, use common sense. Good luck (if you're going), I can't wait to go!

Answer 2

I've done a lot of travel a lot - alone, in groups, with friends to all sorts of parts of the world. China is, without a doubt, one of the safest places I've traveled to. It feels safe and is safe - you're more likely to be ripped off than feel threatened or be harmed.

Now, having said that, whether it is a good idea or not for you depends on you. When I travel (anywhere in the world), I run into people who've fallen for every scam and have long disaster stories, but others who've not encountered a single problem.

Are you confident? Can you tell when you're being pressured or coerced and still say "no"? Can you just walk away from a situation that isn't going your way? Can you just walk away from people who have been friendly and generous, even though you may feel guilty about it, at the first moment you feel that something isn't right? Can you keep a cool head and think straight, even if you're surrounded by yelling strangers in the night.

China is a safe place, and Chinese people can be very generous with no strings attached. But at the same time, there are common scams like "friendly students" who befriend you, but then end up taking you to places that run up large bills (and then you're pressured into paying it); or people who insist that some sight or office is closed and that they've got something "just as good" (but likely forged, useless, boring or overpriced). If you can keep your head up, think straight, be confident - accept generosity, but feel no guilt about walking away when you're not comfortable - then you'll be fine. But this is the kind of travel advice that applies for anywhere and everywhere in the world.

As a single female, you're going to feel stared at and you will get noticed by males. However, the Chinese are very civil and staring is most likely to be all that you will encounter. Fortunately the staring will be out of curiosity rather than creepy leering (that you might get in other countries like Morocco or India).

And for your last question -- Asian tourists are treated differently from Westerners. Westerners are treated more like guests - you'll feel like you're being treated as an outsider, and you'll also get charged more than locals (so bargain your prices down aggressively). Chinese people are extra helpful to foreigners (especially when they assume you don't know any Chinese). If you don't look Chinese, and you can't speak Chinese... then you'll certainly be able to get around, though you might struggle a bit from time to time (but that's just part of the adventure).

However, if you look Chinese... that's a different matter. You'll get some very dirty looks from other Chinese if you can't speak their language but look Chinese.

Answer 3

I just got back. I can tell you that it is hard to travel without knowing the language. I am a male and would not travel alone because of the difficulty in understanding and communicating. You need a translator and, preferably, a guide. The good news is the guides can be quite affordable.

The Chinese are very friendly and Westerners are treated very well. Women are second class citizens in China and walk behind the men. I would expect some of this attitude to carry over to you.

If you were my wife or sister, I would insist that you had a guide. Best wishes.

Answer 4

Maybe you will meet some difficulty in China for the language thing. In many eastern cities many people can speak English very well, especially in Shanghai. If you travel to some other cities along in west or north China, you may find language and communication is a problem.

However, Chinese are very kind and friendly, of course it is safe traveling in China, and today it is even more, as you know 2008 is coming soon......

One more thing, do not forget to try excellent Chinese food in your traveling, they are really fantastic, I love them very much. For different area (province), they have different food, sometimes are even totally different.

Enjoy your travelling, discover it and you will love it, I am sure.

Answer 5

for tourists it's really safe and u will enjoy the cheap prices and welcoming sellers anywhere u go... there is no direct danger if u r travelling with a tour group and u will definitely enjoy the ancient sites and wonders all around China... to travel alone at night is not dangerous at all because the streets r always crowded and there r always foreigners shopping around etc... it is about the same... Chinese tend to be in awe of Americans and will suck up to u especially if they have something to sell u.... so all in all, u r in for a great treat.... have that attitude and u will have fun... don't be paranoid it's a different kind of country will old traditions and is modernizing everyday... u will have fun so just enjoy =) ...

Answer 6

This depends on how strong she is and how well she can handle herself in difficult situations. China is a huge country, so people from different cities may treat foreigners differently. It is very easy for them to know that you are not a local, and some people may take advantage of that. I've been to China a few years ago, and I would advise her to travel in more advanced cities such as Shanghai. I would not go to some of the more rural areas because 1. chances of bystanders helping you out when in trouble are slim 2. higher chances of getting sick/not being able to find hospital 3. people may seem friendly but want your money...etc.

In larger cities, she'll be able to find some people that speak English. So the language barrier will be less complicated. However, they will be very crowded, so make sure she gets a theft-proof bag. I would say it is pretty safe if her hotel is in a good location. Avoid going to dark places, and don't be afraid when someone is rude to you. Just know how to stick up for yourself, and I'm sure she will get adjusted once she gets there!

Answer 7

I found a great site for information about china. I have been there several times and it always seems to help me with my planning. www.itsaboutchina.com. You can in contact with several tour guides directly. Which is really great.
Although I am a male I have meet a number of female westerners traveling. you might check with some of the guides for more details.

Answer 8

its pretty safe. i mean no one will kill you or anything. but its better to have a travel buddy when you go to china. there will be situation where you may feel lonely and need someone. when you go to little store that you can bargain , all the store owner may surround you to tell you to go to their store. they may follow you when bargain starts. people in china is really friendly but sometimes there are so friendly and too crowded may scare you. if you are going with a traveling tour then you should be fine. all i have to say is stay away from little places and store if you don't want to get uncomfortable. also there won't be too many difficulties for you because most things in china are been translated in english too. ( at least beijing)

Answer 9

Its absolutely safe for you to travel alone. I been travelling alone in China for the past month. Heading to Qingdao for the beer festival in August and yes, I am going there alone. There are times when depression and lonliness kicks in cos there are no friends present, you should be OK if there are lots of fun coming your way. You can hit me up if you need company or guidance, been to all the major cities so far.
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Answer 10

I say welcome, since I'm a chinese and I never heard about any terrible thing (been killed or raped by someone) happened to any foreigner. Sure I don't know or heard everything but this means the chance of you to get into really serious problem is not likely to happen.

Cheers,