The China International Travel Service is the largest travel agent in China and has offices in Shanghai and abroad.

It is run by government and is the local partner international agencies usually use.

An example is STA Travel which has an office here for discounted youth travel. But when we called, their English was patchy and we were passed on from one employee to the next.

Your best bet is to visit their central office on Beijing Road W. and ask to see the manager. The next biggest travel agency is Jinjiang Tours. They have an office near the Garden Hotel and a foreign tourist department.

Another option is expat-run agencies such as travel-the-real-china.com. Having lived in China for over 20 years, founder John McKenna will liaise with local agents for you and is on call for emergencies throughout the trip.

The Chinese online travel agencies also do package holidays and chinaspringtour.com is particularly good for Yangtze River tours.

20 yuan note: Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Guilin is famous for its gorgeous rivers, lakes and hills, rice noodles and a small but infinitely charming hillside village called Yangshuo.

The unique rock formations makes it a top 10 destination for locals and foreigners alike. Lying inland from Shanghai, one of the best ways to get there is by train, and the old-style slow sleeper train is an experience in itself.

Rail tickets are sold at the train stations. Though they nominally have English service, it's better to show them a written Chinese itinerary.

Tickets for the slower trains go on sale 5-10 days before travel, and 10-20 days for high-speed trains.

For national holidays you should book as early as possible. Even with a soft sleeper, a 24-hour journey to Guilin costs just 540 yuan (US$79).