Introduction
Before our trip to China, there were few people who were enthusiastic or supportive about the choice of the destination of our first trip as a family of four. They were at best surprised, or said we were 'brave', sometimes openly or not-that-subtly expressing criticism over our irresponsible decisions about the well-being of our 2 small children - we were traveling with a 2.5 year old and a 5 month old at the time. We had our concerns - after all China is FAR and our children are small, and we did not plan to take a pram with us. But we did want to use the time when I am on maternity leave to take a longer vacation and China was on our list ever since the Covid pandemic restrained us from fulfilling our plans. We also wanted to go BEFORE Nina is 6 months old (but as close to that mark as possible) as relying solely on breastfeeding when traveling made things much easier - this made July/August the only possible time frame for the holiday.
Now after we did it, do I still think China is a good place to travel with a baby or toddler? It can be, but you have to be mindful of certain pitfalls.
The reasons why it is worth to pick China as a travel destination for children are plenty. For us, the draw towards China was that it was diverse, with many different landscapes and cultures, with excellent food variety (but also with plenty of rice, plain noodles and breads for the picky toddler, so there is always a backup). We knew that Hanna would be marvelling at everything she sees. And people in China love babies and small children, especially with blue eyes like Nina and curly hair like Hann, so they also got a lot of attention.
Ease of traveling
From the practical side, travelling China is really easy. Although it is considered a developing country, it is developed exactly in the areas you want to work smoothly. There is a reliable high speed train network that allows you to travel easily to almost every corner of the country.
Safety
China is extremely safe - while walking after dark in certain parts of London or Paris can be unwise, big cities in China feel very different at night - streets are filled with people eating out and having fun, including families with children.
Excellent public transport
Big cities have extensive and modern metro (in Beijing you can choose if you want to be in a 'cold' or 'cool' carriage - compare that to London with public announcements about hydration and helping people who are unable to cope with the heat in the summer). The country is also very safe, which is always a concern for the parents.
Good (and cheap) healthcare
Healthcare system works well (we had a chance to see for ourselves, unfortunately) - no queueing, good quality service, and people willing to help when you are a foreigner.
Culture and traditions
China is a place with rich history and traditions that are still alive. We travelled there during the lantern festival, and it was a truly remarkable experience - it felt like the whole city is participating.
Staple foods for the young palettes
Although for you (as it was for us) one of the main draws towards China was its flavoursome and varied cuisine, that is not necessarily something that is a plus when travelling with the little ones. Luckily China has also lots to offer that will satisfy kids - majority of the popular dishes are accompanied by rice or noodles, which children love. There is also an infinite number of types of dumplings and steamed buns that are also among children's favourites. Even Chongqing that is famous spicy cuisine, and most prominently its hot pot, is something the whole family can enjoy.
People are friendly, happy and helpful
Chinese people are some of the friendliest and happiest people we met during our travels. Even though it is Latin America that is famous for the loud outgoing party atmosphere, it is really in China where we experienced true hospitality - it happened to us many times that people just wanted to give us something, whether it was an ice cream, a piece of fruit or a small toy. Probably one of the reasons for that is that we travelled with children, but everyone was always talking to us, smiling and every time we looked lost, there was someone around willing to help us.
Chinese people love babies!
As humans, we are hardwired to have special affection for babies, but in China it really shows: I guess for them seeing a blue-eyed or curly-haired child feels exotic, so it makes them even more interested. They want to hold the baby, talk to them and play with them. While it can be quite overwhelming at times, it is always well-intentioned.
Family amenities in hotels
Maybe we haven't travelled enough around Europe with our children, but I have never seen here hotels with dedicated family rooms. In China many hotels have family rooms - including themed rooms - that have toys and children dedicated amenities (like a step for the toilet, slippers or a toilet brush). It is not uncommon to have a small playroom and a children's swimming pool, so whenever you need some downtime on your journey, there is always lots to choose from.
Can be low budget
While there are some goods and services that are expensive - high-end hotels, some consumables (coffee!), not to mention the luxury brands that affluent Chinese people love - there is still very easy to travel China on the budget.
Trains are inexpensive, metro tickets literally cost cents and you can get a feast for 2-3$. You can book a decent hotel for 50$.
What adds to the price of holiday are naturally plane tickets for the whole family and visas (recently China has introduced visa-free travel for some European countries).
Travelling from Europe China really is a cheap option. In Europe travelling by train is prohibitively expensive, and even staying in mountain huts is expensive, so China really is a great destination.
You never know what is around the corner
Last but not least - probably my favourite thing about China - is that you never know what waits for you around the corner. Everything is interesting.
Things to consider
If you want to make your experience of China the best possible, you need to be aware of few things.
First of all, what makes travelling easy for you, makes it also easy for 1.4billion people, many of whom have now the will and means to explore their own country. And the way Chinese do tourism is very peculiar and slightly annoying, to say the least. They do a lot of tour bus holiday, love taking photos dressed up in 'local clothing' (apparently a new trend) etc. So travelling in a summer holiday season is an absolute no-go. We weren't able to find a single quiet spot during our trip - overdeveloped tourism definitely ruins the experience of visiting a small village or a monastery. Every nature wonder will be ruined by parking lots, food stands and other tourist necessities. There is no big camping/hiking culture in China so everything is rather prepared for 'seeing things' rather than experiencing them in our own pace.
Another reason to avoid summer is the heat - it is absolutely unbearable in most of the country. Especially if you have to wear a baby carrier at all times.
I think our experience of China would have been totally different if we managed to do the trip in any other quiet season - although tourist destinations tend to look also a bit creepy when empty.
Our main takeaway from the trip was that 'wild China' is pretty much gone. You can still look for this one last village where people live like the time stopped, but that is not China.
However there is still plenty to see We loved walking around all the cities we visited - they are lively, diverse, with friendly people who always want to talk to you, there is great food and parks. Even though I rarely enjoy big cities, in China they all seem to be liveable, especially the ones that have metro system.
Conclusion
So is China worth visiting with a family? My answer remains yes - it gives your children plenty of things to be bewildered by, plenty new flavours to experience too.
Magda
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