About Me
Hi, I’m Esther.
I’m the writer behind My China Notes — a Chinese travel writer born and raised in southern China.
China is not a place I only visit for holidays. It is where I grew up, where I live, and also where I travel often because of my work in the travel industry.
Over the years, I’ve moved through many Chinese cities for work and travel — from fast-moving places like Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen to older cultural cities like Xi’an, and many smaller stops in between.
Because of my work, I also spend a lot of time seeing China through the questions of overseas travelers.
Why I started this site
Most China travel guides tell you what to see.
I wanted to create a site that helps you understand how to actually plan the trip — choosing the right place to stay, getting between cities efficiently, and avoiding the small mistakes that can make travel feel unnecessarily complicated.
I write these guides the way I would explain China travel to a foreign friend visiting for the first time: practical, honest, and based on how people really travel around China today.
What you’ll find here
On My China Notes, you’ll find practical guides on where to stay, how to travel between cities, airport and railway station guides, first-time itineraries, transportation tips, and what is actually worth booking before you arrive.
My goal is simple: to help you make better travel decisions, so you can spend less time figuring things out and more time enjoying China.
China’s Classic Route
For a first trip to China, I’d usually start with Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai. This route gives you imperial history, the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, old food streets, high-speed trains, and modern city life, without making the trip feel complicated.