Where to go in a Chinese city

What is open in the evening

Waterfronts and central pedestrian streets. The lights come on at dusk and stay on late; this is the safest and the pleasantest walk in any large city.

Night markets. Street food, odds and ends, a crowd of locals — and the best way to see the city without the shop window. Search for 夜市 in Dianping or on the map.

Teahouses and coffee shops stay open late and suit a conversation better than a restaurant.

KTV is karaoke in private rooms. It is taken seriously here, and it is the usual continuation of a business dinner.

Observation decks on the towers. Buy the ticket in the app in advance: the queue on site can take an hour.

The weekend

Museums in China are often free but require booking in advance through a mini-programme — you cannot simply turn up. Check a day ahead.

Parks open early, and a morning in one is a spectacle in itself: exercises, dancing, calligraphy written in water on the pavement. None of it is staged for tourists.

Temples and old quarters. In the large cities they are restored and crowded; on a weekday they are noticeably calmer.

Day trips by high-speed rail: an hour on the train opens up a whole neighbouring city, and that is often more interesting than another day in your own.

If a partner or a guest is visiting

1. 1

   One dinner, not an itinerary

   A good local restaurant with a shared table does more for the conversation than a tour. Book ahead, and pick a place with a private room if business is going to come up.

2. 2

   One walk with a view

   The waterfront or an observation deck after dinner is thirty minutes and a complete impression of the city.

3. 3

   Don’t pack the schedule

   A guest straight off a flight is more tired than they admit. Two things in an evening beat five.

4. 4

   Think about the transfer

   In the centre in the evening a taxi takes a while to catch, and nobody wants to explain themselves to a driver after dinner. A car with a driver removes the question entirely.