China with children, planned around actual stamina
China works well as a family destination, with excellent rail travel, generally warm attitudes toward children, and a low-crime environment. The trips that fail do so because they were planned at adult pace. Facilities and conditions vary by city and venue.
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Pace is the whole plan
The most common family trip mistake is a city-per-two-days itinerary. Chinese cities are large, sites involve substantial walking, and the transitions between cities consume more energy than the map suggests.
Three or four nights per city with one significant activity per day, plus deliberate downtime, produces a better trip than covering twice as much ground.
Rail travel with children
High-speed rail is an excellent way to travel with children: seats are spacious, there is room to move, toilets are accessible throughout, and the journey is part of the experience rather than a dead loss.
Book seats together where possible, bring food, and note that station gate closures are strict, so build in extra time for the walk through a large station with children.
Food with picky eaters
Plain steamed rice, noodles, dumplings, steamed buns and simple egg dishes are universally available and usually acceptable to cautious eaters. Ordering several shared dishes makes it easy to include something safe alongside more adventurous choices.
Spice levels vary sharply by region; requesting no chilli is understood, though a written note in Chinese is more reliable.
Facilities and practicalities
Baby-changing facilities are inconsistent outside modern shopping malls and airports, which are generally the most reliable places to find them. Familiar formula and nappy brands are available in larger cities but stock varies; bring enough for the first days.
Pushchair access is variable, with older neighbourhoods, some metro stations and busy sites presenting real difficulty. A carrier is often more practical for younger children.
What actually holds attention
Pandas, acrobatics shows, boat rides, city walls that can be cycled, and interactive science museums generally hold up well. Long sequences of temples and formal gardens generally do not, however beautiful they are to an adult.
Mixing one culturally significant site with one plainly fun activity each day is a reliable structure.