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Every recommendation here was chosen because it is good, not because it pays. Venues and hotels that pay nothing appear alongside ones that do, and plenty of high-commission options are left out because they are not worth your time.

Beyond the guidebook

Explore the China
most visitors miss.

Neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood guides to the bathhouses, tea houses and everyday rituals that rarely make the itinerary — with the practical detail that makes them easy to do yourself.

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