Channels for Obtaining Chinese-English Tourism Maps or Guidebooks

1. Physical Resources

• Tourist Information Centers at Airports/High-Speed Railway Stations
  Major entry cities in China (such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu) usually have tourist information centers (Tourist Information Center) at their international airports and high-speed railway stations, offering free or low-cost bilingual Chinese-English tourism maps, city guides, and attraction booklets. For example:
• Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport in the arrival hall
• International arrival area of Shanghai Pudong International Airport

• Inquiry counter at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport

• Hotel Front Desks
  Four-star and above hotels or international chain hotels (such as Marriott, Hilton) often have bilingual Chinese-English city maps and travel guides available for free at the front desk.

• Tourist Attraction Service Centers
  Popular scenic spots (such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, West Lake) have visitor centers at their entrances that offer bilingual Chinese-English tour maps. Some attractions also provide multi-language electronic audio guide rental services.

• Large Bookstores

• Fangsuo (Fangsu), Page One, CITIC Bookstore: Large bookstores in first-tier cities have dedicated travel sections where you can purchase authoritative guidebooks like Lonely Planet's "China" English edition or "DK Eyewitness Travel China".
• Xinhua Bookstore: Some branches offer simple bilingual maps suitable for basic navigation.

2. Online Resources

• Official Websites
• China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) Official Website (en.cnta.gov.cn): Provides provincial and municipal tourism guides, map downloads, and visa policies.

• Local Municipal Cultural and Tourism Bureau Websites: Such as the Beijing Municipal Cultural and Tourism Bureau (english.visitbeijing.com.cn) and the Shanghai Municipal Cultural and Tourism Bureau (meet-in-shanghai.net), both offering downloadable PDF guides.

• International Tourism Platforms

• TripAdvisor: After searching for a destination in China, you can download user-generated bilingual PDF guides.

• Lonely Planet Official Website: Offers e-books for purchase and previews of some free chapters.

• Map Apps

• Google Maps: Requires using a VPN, but allows downloading offline maps in advance.
• Baidu Maps / AutoNavi Maps: Primarily Chinese interfaces, but support English searches (e.g., “Forbidden City”), and can switch to English versions (Settings → Language).
• Maps.me: Supports offline navigation and covers major Chinese cities.

3. Recommended Practical Tools

• WeChat Mini Programs
• “Explore China”: Offers multilingual city guides, real-time transportation updates, and attraction introductions.

• “China Travel Guide”: Contains bilingual maps, subway lines, and emergency contact numbers.

• E-book Platforms

• Amazon Kindle: Search for "China Travel Guide" or "Insight Guides China" e-books, which support instant downloads.
• JD Worldwide (Jingdong International): Purchase paper guidebooks and ship them directly overseas.

4. Notes to Consider

• Update Timeliness: Paper maps may lag behind urban development; it is recommended to use them in conjunction with electronic maps.
• Copyright Issues: Avoid purchasing counterfeit maps from street vendors, as their content may be inaccurate.
• Language Assistance: If you need in-depth explanations, download translation apps in advance (such as Microsoft Translator, Papago).