Awesome news.

What's interesting is indeed how to get a China tourist visa... when I did it a few years ago (traveling on public transport, entering on the bus from Laos), the embassy originally asked for more details. Once I gave them a list of my full itinerary (hotel bookings, buses and trains I expected to take, including leaving China from Shanghai), they gave me the visa no problem, and I don't think I would have had any problem entering via any other border crossing - the visa does not specify details...

I think it is incumbent on every overlander now to get a Chinese tourist visa and just try their luck once they are near the border, just to report back! :D

Hi there riders.
I am planning to do it next year around march-april and feels more possitive about it after reading your news and stories. Because as well I prefer no guide. Pkicken you really didnt need to have all required aprovals from each province you go through before you enter a chinese border?? How did you find out this will work, or you just show up on the border with visitor(transit) visa and wait what gonna happened? :) Mika & Pkicken , guys how is it with wild camping, hiding in the bush, he land is big so I guess its possible to find a place well hide isnt it? How did you found which hotel accept foreign withou chinese? Chees n Well done! :)
:thumbup1:

There are plenty of foreigners backpacking through Western China - finding a hotel is not a problem.

Sorry mate do you live in China?
Then trust me it's my biggest problem when you are tired after a long days ride.
And your told sorry no western people allowed.

Come and live and ride here 365 days a year?

Sorry there was more than what you see
For some reason, I posted it on the HUBB but it all did not come out

Let's see if it comes out now.


我不是中国人 怎么会有中国身份证 请你不要问傻问题了 你连这点常识都没有吗？


请你使用你的大脑 做个好人 不要再傻了 卖给我一些汽油。谢谢！

Just stay at any 5-star hotel and you will be welcome in English but you will have to pay 1500 RMB up.

Apart from that you just don't know until you try and book in?

Many nice hotels from 100 RMB up you wont to be able to stay.

And after you have worked out you cant stay there because of remembering very very few people speaks English.

Then when all this is done you then try and ask the hotel receptionist what hotel does take western people, remembering again "NO SPEAK ENGLISH"

Some days are good to find one straight away or there don't care just needs your money or I have taken 5 hours in the past or left that town and rode 60 km to the next town lol.

TIC (This is China) The logic free zone.

You did very well,Pkichen has done very well, who else has the balls to try?

For the life of me to this day I don't know how you 2 pulled it off and got as far as you did without being pulled up and nicked for not having a Chinese DL.

What can I say lol hats of lads, lets read about the next lucky one.

Very interesting. I will be overlanding on my motorbike (EU plates) in Kirgistan 2nd and 3rd week of August, so it seems that having Chinese visa it will be enough? I'm thinking that if it is so easy, maybe good idea would be to cross China border and stay there for some days.

Wysłane z mojego FRD-L09 przy użyciu Tapatalka

The Famous 4
 

Here are the list and links to there RR on how there rode across China without a guide.
Most had no insurance some had no number plates and all was very brave and lucky

1st. Mika, June 2015.
link....http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...na-i-did-82852

2nd. Singel-Handed Decemnber 2016

Link........http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...frontier-90255


3rd. Doogle March 2017

Link.....Renting my way through Asia | Adventure Rider

Chinese part starts at post 70?

4th. Pkicen May 2018.

Link.... HERE.


The Famous 4


For me sorry all the others, the winner is Singel-Handed.

The main reasons are.

1. 22.000 km
2. Rode all this way with 1 HAND?

Not forgetting Walter Colebatch in 1994. OK, they didnt exactly just show up at a border and wing it, but did do it without any guides.

Please add to list with link to RR if you have.
The more the better.

Walter Colebatch and James Mudie 1994
The Tokyo to London Project

very interesting read.
Not only did he help the police design the new temporary Chinese DL.
Also getting the first temporary Chinese number plates

No 00002 and 00003.
The police chief keep the first one 00001


Thanks for posting the link.


https://s19.postimg.cc/7ykiinbbn/00002.jpg


Must post this part, and this was back in 1994?


Chinese roads were proving to be as dangerous as they were scary. China has by far the greatest number of road fatalities in the world - over a quarter of a million fatalities annually. Sure, they have the largest population, but California has more cars than all of China, yet China has more road deaths than all of the United States! Having witnessed Chinese traffic first hand on the roads now for over a week, that didn't surprise us at all. Accidents were frequent. Seat belts were never worn. Motorcyclists wore the flimsiest helmets. Drivers had little to no consideration for anyone else on the roads. No-one gives way. The bigger vehicles have de facto right of way, since they are more likely to do the most damage. Therefore truck drivers and tractors never give way. As soon as we saw a truck or a tractor the brain switched into full wits mode and we would watch their every little twitch, knowing they could and would change direction without caring about other traffic. It was effectively up to smaller vehicles to make sure they didn't get in a way of a truck or tractor.

Pkicken, I have to ask you, what made you do the "just try it" approach. All everybody has ever said this is impossible, but you made it happen. Fantastic! Was this the plan all along or did you see the turn-off for the border crossing and decided what the hell, lets see what happens.

Or did you surprise the Chinese border guards and they just screwed up, because nobody ever told them this couldn't be done. Did they appear confused by you showing up without the paperwork or guide arrangements?

Just curious and my hat off to you.

Info
 

I just showed up at the border to zee what ould happen. I did no wild camping in Aksu i just went to a police station and gold them i needed a cheap hotel the police arranged it they also helped when i couldn’t get fuel. So use the police!