When I began planning our family's summer trip to China, there was no way to know how much or how little things had changed since my last visit in 1980. Back then, half my days were spent trying to get around, communicate with locals, "read" signs and order meals.

By 2002, China's new modernizations, including the proliferation of English language radio, CNN and plastic food items, made things a breeze.  When I look back on our family vacation of summer 2002, I realize our space-time was spent together marveling at the vast scale of things Chinese, and trying to understand what was going on and being done--by whom, to what--and why. It seems now the more things change, the more inscrutable they remain.

WHY CHINA?
With several hundred thousand frequent flyer miles and three July weeks to spare, my husband, 10-year-old son and I decided to plan a Big Trip.  Because we had enough time to amortize the aggravations of a long plane flight and several time zone changes, we opted for a far-off  destination in Asia or the South Pacific. My son's interest in dumplings and kung fu made a Chinese civilization (Hong Kong? Taiwan? China?) the front-runner, but when United mileage award seats were unavailable, we went to their fabulous Star Alliance partner and committed to flying with Singapore Airlines to China.
 

PREPARING FOR THE BIG TRIP
As I recommend to Family Travel Forum readers, preparing children for such a big trip is essential to their enjoyment. We screened movies made in China or about its culture, from "Rush Hour 2" to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" to "The Last Emperor" and others. You can look online at www.imdb.com and search for films by topic to find appropriate ones. In general, we recommend that while you're home, you try the various foods from each region and discuss how climate/geography affect their taste and style (ie: spicy in hot regions; use of wheat or rice flour for noodles, breads; types of vegetables and meats used; religious significance of foods, etc.) A familiar taste is always more popular with kids than a "try it, you'll like it."

Get books with the myths and tales of these countries so your family begins to understand some of the cultural references, such as 'iron rice bowl.' In China, it's particularly hard to envision the past grandeur of the Chinese empires, so it's helpful to have illustrated books with you. If you're starting in Hong Kong, you can buy books and music CDs there, otherwise visit the library and Asian/American cultural organizations in your area. Families can also contact the Asia Society for their materials.

One of our favorite resources turned out to be "Marco Polo for Kids" by Janis Herbert (Chicago Review Press, 2001; $16.95, ages 9+). This wonderfully written history and activity guide is fun for kids and parents, who will enjoy learning together from its tinted fact boxes and charts. Before departure or after returning home from Xi'an, you can turn to the Kitchen Terra Cotta recipe and make your own tomb guardians. On the road, kids can try Qigong exercise (the precursor to Kung Fu), read about tea, learn phrases in Mongol, even stage an Opera in the Beijing tradition. And you can save the chapters about Marco Polo's travels in Persia and India for the next family journey.
 

SELECTING CHINA STOPS
After reviewing several travel brochures (ordered from the China International Travel Service and a few tour operators we'd found on the Internet), we planned what came to be called "China's Greatest Hits"--  all within just one corner of this enormous country.

Yeoman family travelers, we flew from the steaming trenches of Beijing's disappearing hutong to the dusty plains pitted with life-size terra cotta warriors in Xi'an. We drove from the refreshingly cool mountains of Sichuan to Chongqing, a city of 30 million whose parks were lined with swing dancers, for a three-day cruise down the muddy waters of the Yangtze. Our dining and shopping epiphanies came in Shanghai, whose wretched capitalist excesses paled in comparison to its futuristic beauty. 

We were on our own, sightseeing with local guides in Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai, then in the very competent hands of Pacific Delight Tours for our Sichuan mountain adventure and Yangtze cruise.