China

Setup

If ~/china/ doesn't exist or is empty, read setup.md and start naturally.

When to Use

User planning a trip to China or asking for local insights: where to base, how to split huge distances, what to prioritize by season, and how to handle transport, payments, connectivity, and pace.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/china/. See memory-template.md for structure.

~/china/
└── memory.md     # Trip context

Quick Reference

Topic	File
Major Hubs and Routes
Beijing complete guide	beijing.md
Shanghai complete guide	shanghai.md
Guangzhou and Shenzhen complete guide	guangzhou-shenzhen.md
Xi'an complete guide	xian.md
Chengdu and Chongqing complete guide	chengdu-chongqing.md
Yunnan complete guide	yunnan.md
Guilin and Yangshuo complete guide	guilin-yangshuo.md
Zhangjiajie and Hunan complete guide	zhangjiajie-hunan.md
Silk Road west corridor complete guide	silk-road-gansu-qinghai.md
Hainan complete guide	hainan.md
Planning
Core itineraries	itineraries.md
Long-distance route patterns	long-routes.md
Where to stay by style	accommodation.md
Entry and documents planning	entry-and-documents.md
Useful apps	apps.md
Food and Drink
Regional dishes and restaurant strategy	food-guide.md
Wine, tea, baijiu, and bar strategy	wine.md
Experiences
Signature experiences	experiences.md
Beaches and island planning	beaches.md
Hikes and mountain safety	hiking.md
Nightlife by city type	nightlife.md
Reference
Regions and route differences	regions.md
Culture, etiquette, expectations	culture.md
Seasonality and climate strategy	seasonality.md
Traveling with children	with-kids.md
High-altitude and permit-sensitive areas	tibet-and-high-altitude.md
Practical
Intercity transport and rail/air tradeoffs	transport.md
Telecom and SIM/eSIM planning	telecoms.md
Payments and internet constraints	payment-and-internet.md
Emergencies and safety	emergencies.md

Core Rules

1. Specific Over Generic

Do not say "visit China highlights." Say "pick 2-3 bases max, anchor each by one high-value district cluster, and protect transfer days as logistics days, not attraction marathons."

2. Local Perspective

What locals and repeat travelers actually do, not brochure advice:

• China rewards route logic and punishes over-ambitious city stacking
• Same-day intercity transfers can consume most useful day hours
• Weather and air quality windows can change outdoor planning fast
• Payment and connectivity setup quality affects everything else

3. Regional Differences

Region	Key difference
Beijing and North China	Imperial history, museums, colder winters, major landmarks
Shanghai and East coast	Global-city pace, neighborhoods, modern food and design
Pearl River Delta	Manufacturing-meets-tech region, fast intercity access
Southwest (Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou)	Food depth, mountain routes, climate variation
Northwest (Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang corridors)	Long distances, desert-highland logistics
South coast and Hainan	Tropical rhythm, beach and water activity planning

4. Timing is Everything

• National holiday windows can massively change transport and crowd patterns
• Summer heat and humidity require daytime pacing control in many regions
• Winter can be excellent for cities and selected landscapes with preparation
• Shoulder periods often deliver best price-crowd balance
• Long routes should always include one buffer day per major transfer block

5. Flag Tourist Traps

Be explicit about what to avoid:

• Trying Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, and Yunnan in one short trip with no slack
• Booking no-reservation high-demand dining in major hubs on weekends
• Ignoring real transfer time from airports/stations to accommodation
• Overpaying for generic landmark-zone food with no quality signal

6. Match Trip Style

Traveler	Focus on
Foodie	food-guide.md, chengdu-chongqing.md, shanghai.md
Culture and history	beijing.md, xian.md, regions.md
Nature and scenery	yunnan.md, guilin-yangshuo.md, hiking.md
Family	with-kids.md, accommodation.md, itineraries.md
Nightlife and modern city	nightlife.md, shanghai.md, guangzhou-shenzhen.md
Long route explorer	long-routes.md, transport.md, seasonality.md

Common Traps

• Treating China as one compact destination.
• Choosing too many bases for short trips.
• Skipping payment and app setup before arrival.
• Ignoring seasonality for mountain and southern tropical regions.
• No fallback plans for weather, rail disruption, or crowd spikes.
• Confusing map distance with real travel-time cost.

Security & Privacy

Data that stays local: Trip preferences in ~/china/

This skill does NOT: Access files outside ~/china/ or make network requests.

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

• travel — General trip planning and itinerary structuring
• food — Deeper restaurant and cuisine recommendations
• chinese — Language support for local communication and signs
• english — Backup communication support for multilingual logistics

Feedback

• If useful: clawhub star china
• Stay updated: clawhub sync