About SinoWander
Who We Are
SinoWander is an independent China-travel media project built by a small editorial team of China-based researchers and native-English travel writers. We are not a booking platform, a tour agency, or an AI content farm — we are editors who research, verify, and write.
Our team combines two roles:
- China-based researchers who live, travel, and read the local internet across the country — from Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi'an to places foreign guides rarely reach: the Hexi Corridor, Harbin, Lijiang, Zhangjiajie, and the Yangtze.
- Native-English editors who turn that research into clear guides for visitors who do not read Chinese.
Our mission is a verified, on-the-ground guide to every corner of China a foreign traveler can reach — from the Silk Road and the Tibetan Plateau to the rice terraces of the south and Harbin's ice festivals. We are already live across 15+ provinces, and we add new destinations every week.
How Every Guide Is Built
- Chinese sources first. We start where Chinese travelers start — official government notices (for example, the 2024 seven-ministry hotel policy we cite by document number 商服贸函〔2024〕324), tourism boards, the National Immigration Administration, and local platforms like Xiaohongshu, Dianping, and Mafengwo that English guides cannot read.
- Cross-verified. Prices, policies, opening hours, and ticket rules are checked against at least two independent sources, and we flag anything that changes often — visa-free lists, transit permits, high-speed rail schedules.
- Rewritten, not translated. Our editors write in English from the research, keeping the local knowledge Chinese travelers take for granted and that machine translation loses.
- Honest about gaps. Where the official policy says one thing and the front desk says another, we tell you both. We name the scams, the tourist traps, and the places locals avoid.
Our Promise
Honest, practical, up to date. If we have not verified something, we say so.
Connect
- Mastodon: @[email protected]
- Pinterest: SinoWander
- Email: [email protected]
Disclaimer
The information on SinoWander is provided for general guidance only. Prices, policies, visa regulations and travel conditions in China change frequently. Always verify critical details (especially visa requirements and entry rules) with official government sources before your trip. SinoWander is not responsible for any loss, injury or inconvenience resulting from the use of information on this site.
Some links on this site may be affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us keep the site running and our guides free for everyone. See our affiliate disclosure.
