Fluentide
Travel guides · Mandarin audio

Explore China, one city at a time

Fluentide has travel guides to 10 Chinese cities, from Beijing to Lhasa: how to see the main sight, when to go, how to get there and what to eat. Each ends with a short Mandarin story about the city, told at four levels with a transcript and English.

Where the cities are

Tap a city to open its guide. Grey dots are still being written.

Beijing

Beijing 北京

Imperial scale, hutong mornings, and a capital in motion.

Shanghai

Shanghai 上海

A river city where old lanes meet a restless skyline.

Hangzhou

Hangzhou 杭州

A lake where poetry, tea, rain, and city life meet.

Xi'an

Xi'an 西安

An ancient capital beneath the energy of a modern city.

Dunhuang

Dunhuang 敦煌

Desert silence and the stories carried along the Silk Road.

Chengdu

Chengdu 成都

Tea houses, spice, and the art of taking life slowly.

Dali

Dali 大理

Lake, mountain, and Bai culture in a city with its own rhythm.

Lhasa

Lhasa 拉萨

High-altitude light, pilgrimage routes, and a living Tibetan city.

Guilin

Guilin 桂林

Rivers and karst peaks that feel painted into the horizon.

Harbin

Harbin 哈尔滨

A northern city shaped by winter, ice, and architecture.

Chongqing 重庆

A city built up a mountainside, fed on fiery hotpot.

Guangzhou 广州

An old trading port where the day starts with tea and dim sum.

Shenzhen 深圳

A border town that became a tech city in one lifetime.

Qingdao 青岛

A seaside city of red roofs, fresh beer and sea breeze.

Xiamen 厦门

An island city of sea breeze, oolong tea and old seaside villas.

Sanya 三亚

China’s tropical south: palm trees, beaches and warm winters.

Zhangjiajie 张家界

Stone pillars rising out of cloud, like a world from a film.

Luoyang 洛阳

An ancient capital, with Buddhas carved into its river cliffs.

Hulunbuir 呼伦贝尔

Endless grassland, horses and the big open sky of the north.

Huangshan 黄山

The granite peaks and sea of clouds from Chinese ink paintings.

Guide and audio story Coming soon

20 cities

Chongqing, Southwest China

Chongqing 重庆

A city built up a mountainside, fed on fiery hotpot.

Coming soon
Guangzhou, South China

Guangzhou 广州

An old trading port where the day starts with tea and dim sum.

Coming soon
Shenzhen, South China

Shenzhen 深圳

A border town that became a tech city in one lifetime.

Coming soon
Qingdao, East China

Qingdao 青岛

A seaside city of red roofs, fresh beer and sea breeze.

Coming soon
Xiamen, Southeast China

Xiamen 厦门

An island city of sea breeze, oolong tea and old seaside villas.

Coming soon
Sanya, Hainan

Sanya 三亚

China’s tropical south: palm trees, beaches and warm winters.

Coming soon
Zhangjiajie, Central China

Zhangjiajie 张家界

Stone pillars rising out of cloud, like a world from a film.

Coming soon
Luoyang, Central China

Luoyang 洛阳

An ancient capital, with Buddhas carved into its river cliffs.

Coming soon
Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia

Hulunbuir 呼伦贝尔

Endless grassland, horses and the big open sky of the north.

Coming soon
Huangshan, East China

Huangshan 黄山

The granite peaks and sea of clouds from Chinese ink paintings.

Coming soon

When to visit each city

Best months to visit each city
CityJFMAMJJASOND
BeijingMixedMixedMixedGoodGoodMixedMixedMixedBestBestMixedMixed
ShanghaiMixedMixedMixedGoodGoodMixedMixedMixedGoodBestBestMixed
HangzhouMixedMixedGoodBestBestMixedMixedMixedGoodBestGoodMixed
Xi'anMixedMixedBestBestBestMixedMixedMixedBestBestBestMixed
DunhuangMixedMixedMixedMixedGoodGoodMixedMixedBestBestMixedMixed
ChengduMixedMixedBestBestBestBestMixedMixedBestBestBestMixed
DaliMixedMixedBestBestBestMixedMixedMixedMixedBestBestMixed
LhasaMixedAvoidAvoidMixedBestBestMixedMixedBestBestMixedMixed
GuilinMixedMixedMixedBestBestMixedMixedMixedGoodGoodMixedMixed
HarbinBestGoodMixedMixedMixedGoodGoodGoodMixedMixedMixedGood
  • Best
  • Good
  • Mixed
  • Avoid
Most cities peak in spring and autumn. Harbin peaks in January, for the ice.

How the audio works

1

Pick a level

Every story has four versions, from short simple sentences to natural Mandarin. Start where you follow most of it.

2

Listen with the transcript

The Chinese scrolls with the audio; pinyin and English are one tap away.

3

Keep the words

Star a word to save it. You will see the place names again on the signs.

Frequently asked questions