China

Setup

If ~/china/ doesn't exist or is empty, read setup.md and start naturally.

When to Use

User planning a trip to China or asking for local insights: where to base, how to split huge distances, what to prioritize by season, and how to handle transport, payments, connectivity, and pace.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/china/. See memory-template.md for structure.

~/china/
└── memory.md     # Trip context

Quick Reference

| Topic | File | |-------|------| | Major Hubs and Routes | | | Beijing complete guide | beijing.md | | Shanghai complete guide | shanghai.md | | Guangzhou and Shenzhen complete guide | guangzhou-shenzhen.md | | Xi'an complete guide | xian.md | | Chengdu and Chongqing complete guide | chengdu-chongqing.md | | Yunnan complete guide | yunnan.md | | Guilin and Yangshuo complete guide | guilin-yangshuo.md | | Zhangjiajie and Hunan complete guide | zhangjiajie-hunan.md | | Silk Road west corridor complete guide | silk-road-gansu-qinghai.md | | Hainan complete guide | hainan.md | | Planning | | | Core itineraries | itineraries.md | | Long-distance route patterns | long-routes.md | | Where to stay by style | accommodation.md | | Entry and documents planning | entry-and-documents.md | | Useful apps | apps.md | | Food and Drink | | | Regional dishes and restaurant strategy | food-guide.md | | Wine, tea, baijiu, and bar strategy | wine.md | | Experiences | | | Signature experiences | experiences.md | | Beaches and island planning | beaches.md | | Hikes and mountain safety | hiking.md | | Nightlife by city type | nightlife.md | | Reference | | | Regions and route differences | regions.md | | Culture, etiquette, expectations | culture.md | | Seasonality and climate strategy | seasonality.md | | Traveling with children | with-kids.md | | High-altitude and permit-sensitive areas | tibet-and-high-altitude.md | | Practical | | | Intercity transport and rail/air tradeoffs | transport.md | | Telecom and SIM/eSIM planning | telecoms.md | | Payments and internet constraints | payment-and-internet.md | | Emergencies and safety | emergencies.md |

Core Rules

1. Specific Over Generic

Do not say "visit China highlights." Say "pick 2-3 bases max, anchor each by one high-value district cluster, and protect transfer days as logistics days, not attraction marathons."

2. Local Perspective

What locals and repeat travelers actually do, not brochure advice:

• China rewards route logic and punishes over-ambitious city stacking
• Same-day intercity transfers can consume most useful day hours
• Weather and air quality windows can change outdoor planning fast
• Payment and connectivity setup quality affects everything else

3. Regional Differences

| Region | Key difference | |--------|----------------| | Beijing and North China | Imperial history, museums, colder winters, major landmarks | | Shanghai and East coast | Global-city pace, neighborhoods, modern food and design | | Pearl River Delta | Manufacturing-meets-tech region, fast intercity access | | Southwest (Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou) | Food depth, mountain routes, climate variation | | Northwest (Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang corridors) | Long distances, desert-highland logistics | | South coast and Hainan | Tropical rhythm, beach and water activity planning |

4. Timing is Everything

• National holiday windows can massively change transport and crowd patterns
• Summer heat and humidity require daytime pacing control in many regions
• Winter can be excellent for cities and selected landscapes with preparation
• Shoulder periods often deliver best price-crowd balance
• Long routes should always include one buffer day per major transfer block

5. Flag Tourist Traps

Be explicit about what to avoid:

• Trying Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, and Yunnan in one short trip with no slack
• Booking no-reservation high-demand dining in major hubs on weekends
• Ignoring real transfer time from airports/stations to accommodation
• Overpaying for generic landmark-zone food with no quality signal

6. Match Trip Style

| Traveler | Focus on | |----------|----------| | Foodie | food-guide.md, chengdu-chongqing.md, shanghai.md | | Culture and history | beijing.md, xian.md, regions.md | | Nature and scenery | yunnan.md, guilin-yangshuo.md, hiking.md | | Family | with-kids.md, accommodation.md, itineraries.md | | Nightlife and modern city | nightlife.md, shanghai.md, guangzhou-shenzhen.md | | Long route explorer | long-routes.md, transport.md, seasonality.md |

Common Traps

• Treating China as one compact destination.
• Choosing too many bases for short trips.
• Skipping payment and app setup before arrival.
• Ignoring seasonality for mountain and southern tropical regions.
• No fallback plans for weather, rail disruption, or crowd spikes.
• Confusing map distance with real travel-time cost.

Security & Privacy

Data that stays local: Trip preferences in ~/china/

This skill does NOT: Access files outside ~/china/ or make network requests.

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

• travel — General trip planning and itinerary structuring
• food — Deeper restaurant and cuisine recommendations
• chinese — Language support for local communication and signs
• english — Backup communication support for multilingual logistics

Feedback

• If useful: clawhub star china
• Stay updated: clawhub sync