Dress in hanfu, sip tea in a temple, catch a festival — here's how to do traditional China respectfully.
Hanfu rental (the Instagram favorite)
- Rent traditional robes for ¥100–300/day including hairstyling and accessories
- Hotspots: Xi'an (around the City Wall and Tang Paradise — you'll see hundreds of locals doing it), Luoyang during peony season, Suzhou gardens
- Photos at dusk with lanterns = the money shot
- It's not a costume to locals — hanfu is a genuine revival movement, and renting joins in respectfully
Temple etiquette
- Dress modestly (shoulders/knees covered is appreciated)
- Don't photograph Buddha statues where prohibited — signs are posted
- Step over (not on) the raised wooden threshold at hall entrances
- Incense: buy at the temple, light, bow three times, place upright in the burner
- Keep voices low; these are active places of worship
Tea culture
- Try a gongfu tea ceremony in Chengdu, Hangzhou (dragon-well tea villages), or Fujian
- Teahouse rule of thumb: the lid askew on your gaiwan means "please refill"
- Buying tea to take home? Taste first — legitimate shops always offer a brewing
Try an experience
- Calligraphy or ink-painting class (bookable in all major cities)
- Tai chi at dawn in a Beijing park — just join the back row
- Shadow-puppet or Sichuan opera evening shows
- Cookery class: dumplings in Beijing, Sichuan dishes in Chengdu
Festival timing: If your trip lands on Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat, or Mid-Autumn, lean in — lantern displays, dragon dances, and mooncake overload are unforgettable. See Festivals & Events.