I visited China for the first time post-COVID - here's what happened next

As China begins to woo back tourists, we pay a visit to see just how much has changed.

There's something a bit disconcerting when you realise that, in a country of 1.5 billion people, you haven't really spoken to anyone for a couple of days. But it says as much about my poor language skills as it does about how quickly China is changing. In a country with millennia of history - of individually crafted terracotta warriors and ancient lakeside towns protected by imposing walls - things are now decidedly modern.

It's been 16 years since my first trip to China and, while things like smog and spitting were among my key impressions of that time (sorry, but it's true), now I find them gone, with the defining features mainly apps and QR codes. Between booking tickets on my phone, scanning codes to pay at shops, and thrusting on-screen translations in people's faces, it's perhaps no wonder I've become so silent... even if all around me is noise.

Arriving at Beijing's Temple of Heaven, I start wandering through the expansive park, the leaves of the cypress trees rustling in the wind. On a previous trip, I came here early morning, a delightful time when elderly residents gather to practise tai chi or qigong, play board games, or even sing and dance. This time, it's Saturday afternoon and the whole family is here. As I walk through the foreboding red gate of the most iconic building, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, hordes stream across the large courtyard and up the steps of the circular marble terrace in the centre that supports the main triple-tiered building, shaped like a farmer's conical hat pointing to the sky. An impressive sight, but an oppressive crowd.

Despite all these people, though, I notice just a smattering of foreign tourists among them, supporting the data that international arrivals have only bounced back to about 30 per cent of 2019 levels. Still suffering after the long pandemic-era closure, the Chinese government is now trying to woo us back.

Starting from July 1, China has included Australia in its visa-waiver program, letting you visit for up to 15 days without the hassle and expense of arranging any documents in advance. Trying out the new system myself, I find quite a long queue at immigration after I land at Beijing airport, but a very quick and straightforward process once it's finally my turn.

The red carpet is also being rolled out in other ways, with the Chinese government instructing hotels not to refuse foreign guests (a practice that was unfortunately quite common) and to offer the ability to pay by credit card. And, probably the most important change, it's now possible to link your foreign credit or debit card to local payment apps like Alipay and WeChat.

Forget the idea that cash is king - in China, the king is dead. Many shops won't take notes or won't have change, and using cards is rarely an option. These apps are the yuan and only. After a bit of difficulty setting up Alipay, I become besotted with its convenience, using it all day. For example, when I pop into a store to buy my new favourite drink, a sweet juice of smoked plums called "suanmeitang", the young woman scans my app's QR code and my Australian card is automatically charged for the $2 refreshment. No need to converse or convert.

I spend days and days exploring Beijing, mostly under blue skies and along meticulously clean streets. It's one of the main changes I notice here because, in other respects, the capital is the same as I remember - enormous and full of layers of heritage. You are reminded of how big it is when you see the six-metre-high portrait of Mao Zedong staring down the 750-metre length of Tiananmen Square; or when you spend 90 minutes on the subway to the city's outskirts to visit the magnificent tombs of the Ming Dynasty, including one called Dingling where its underground palace has been excavated 27 metres below the surface, with five large stone-lined rooms you can walk through to see where thousands of imperial artefacts were uncovered.

But there are also times when Beijing can feel quite small. Like in the hutongs. These traditional districts consist of low-rise courtyard houses that often weren't even built with proper plumbing (hence the public toilets on every block). Here, some of the oldest architecture blends seamlessly with some of the youngest residents, cool cafes and bars taking up residence in timeworn shopfronts. They feel like a local neighbourhood, where you'll see tableaus of domestic life in the side alleys... but also find a flat white or a tasting paddle of IPAs on the main street.

If Beijing is enormous, what does that make the rest of China? Sometimes it's easy to forget just how vast - and how varied - it is.

On the one trip, you might spend some time among the bright lights of Shanghai, taking in the soaring modern architecture along the water and dining in some of the country's top restaurants. In Xi'an, you could see the Terracotta Army, the incredible collection of 8000 life-sized people and horses, each made individually from clay and buried with an emperor more than two millennia ago. Chengdu offers the opportunity to see the panda breeding program at a scientific facility, where the animals eat bamboo and climb trees (and don't do much breeding) in enclosures that mimic their native habitat. Or a cruise along the Li River from Guilin will take you through one of the most scenic stretches of the country, dramatic karst limestone mountains and bamboo groves lining the peaceful waterway.

Even beyond these classic destinations, there are dozens of other highlights you could add into an itinerary. The thousand-room Potala Palace in Tibet Autonomous Region, once the residence of the Dalai Lama, striking with its mountainous and often snow-covered backdrop. The Leshan Giant Buddha in Sichuan, an incredible 71-metre-high statue carved into a cliff face 1200 years ago at the confluence of three rivers. Or the pilgrimage site of Mount Tai in Shandong, where emperors once climbed to offer sacrifices, and you can now follow in their footsteps up a nine-kilometre path past ancient shrines and lush forests. Just to name a few. Phew.

A guided tour may be a sensible choice, particularly if you're trying to see a lot of sights in a short time, but it's also relatively easy to get across China with its high-speed rail network now boasting 46,000 kilometres of track (from zero to two-thirds of the world's entire high-speed rail since it launched in 2008)! The stations I visit are grandiose buildings, some as large and cavernous as stadiums, where trains can leave for popular destinations every 10 minutes.

Like many of the logistics here, booking these train tickets is a little tricky to work out the first time and then very easy once you know how, with an Alipay miniapp offering an English timetable and the ability to book seats with your foreign card.

One bit of technology I can't do without is the translation app - mostly for reading menus at restaurants (it saves me one time from accidentally ordering something translated as "sheep miscellaneous"). It's certainly easier, and less theatrical, than my first trip to China when I would squawk and flap my arms like a chicken to explain what I wanted to eat.

Yes, there are strange bits of animals in many dishes that I find completely offal (boom tish), yet mostly the food here is one of the highlights. Walking down a street in the city of Datong, I can't help but stop when I smell a little stall grilling meat skewers seasoned with a mix of cumin, chilli, and Sichuan peppercorns. You're never far from a friendly local restaurant - Beijing and the north-west more commonly serving noodles and dumplings because of wheat farming, and the south-east preferring rice because of the better climate for the crop. While a tasty bowl of noodle soup will cost about $4, and hot pot is always a nourishing choice for groups, there are also excellent mid-range restaurants that will bring plate after plate of regional delicacies, from crispy pork to garlic green beans.

The day before I leave, I head to Mutianyu, a less touristy stretch of the Great Wall... that is still full of tourists. Along the ancient stone pathway that snakes through the forest, up and down hills between unyielding towers, I end up walking for hours with a young American tourist. He tells me he's sacrificed a lot to save money for his dream - to visit the New Seven Wonders of the World. Now he's finally at one, he seems in awe the whole time, repeatedly exclaiming how it's all been worth it.

Listening to his excitement is a nice reminder of my own thoughts, that China's diverse sights truly are some of the best in the world.

Hearing how easy he's found the practicalities is a welcome confirmation that things have indeed changed, that there's never been a better time to visit.

And, if I'm being honest, it's also just nice to finally talk with someone without having to use an app.

Visa: Australian passport-holders can visit China without a visa for up to 15 days (including arrival and departure days) for tourism, seeing family, or business.

Payment: Cash and credit cards are not accepted everywhere so the best way to pay for things is with a local payment app. Alipay is the easiest one to set up with an Australian card and it's worth doing in advance.

VPN: The Great Firewall of China will restrict your access to some things online, including Google services like Gmail. Setting up a VPN on your devices in advance will mostly solve this issue. Even a VPN won't get some Google Maps features working, though, so consider using another map app.

Translation: The language barrier will be one of your biggest issues in China, but a good translation app will get you a long way. As well as using the microphone for conversations, it's particularly useful for real-time translation of a menu with the camera function.

Essential items: Independent travellers will find they use their phone battery more than usual, so carrying a power bank can save you from being stranded. You'll also always need your passport with you for security checks and to buy tickets to many attractions.

Getting there: Six mainland Chinese airlines offer direct flights from Australia. Qantas suspended its route to Shanghai in July.

Getting around: Domestic flights and high-speed rail are affordable and efficient ways to get around China. Within the cities, use a transport card for the subway or the DiDi app for rideshare.

Staying there: A standard hotel in Beijing or Shanghai will cost about $150 a night, while it can be half that price in smaller cities like Xi'an.

Explore more: english.visitbeijing.com.cn; cnto.com.sg; travelchinaguide.com

The writer travelled at his own expense.