answer:I’ve never been to China, but I did travel on two programs to Italy, Greece, and Australia through the program People to People International. You’re already on the right track – when traveling out of country always drink your own water. It will be an incredible experience you will never forget, mark my words. Spend time drinking in the culture and small things, not just the monuments and obvious tourist attractions. Be very careful with your money and where you put your valuables – if you look like a tourist you’re more likely to be mugged. As for my own experiences, I got to hold a koala bear in Australia. They’re heavy and smell really bad. They also like to dig their claws into you. Not what I was expecting, but I cherished the experience even more because of it. In Australia, the sky at night is the darkest black you can possibly imagine. Blacker than any black you’ve seen before. And it is covered by more stars than you will ever ever ever see in North America (I’m American). The trip was worth it for the sole experience of lying under the stars at night. I met with local Aborigines, who tried to teach my peers and I to breath through our noses and breath out our mouths in order to play the didgeridoo…try it; it’s much harder than it looks. I failed at throwing boomerangs, and a kookaburra stole one of my peer’s breakfast when his back was turned… funniest thing ever. I could go on and on – that was only a part of Australia. But I’ll conclude here; good luck in China, I’m sure you’ll have an extraordinary time. :) P.S. Welcome to Fluther!