Well, it depends where you are going! You wouldn’t pack the same clothes for both New York and Hawaii, right? It’s the same in China. China isn’t a monolithic country and it’s huge, so it has a lot of different weather patterns depending on where you are headed.
I know this will be simplistic, but it’s probably easier if you don’t know Beijing from Nanjing yet.
In General:
It depends on where, how long and what you are going to do here. Most of the time, I’ll recommend a good pair of foot gear.
A pair of walking boots/shoes/sports shoes is probably a must just to get you around. Most Chinese roads don’t last long considering the amount of people walking/driving on it.
Don’t bring high heels unless you have a VERY specific reason for it. I don’t know how many broken heels and ankles I have seen around just because it’s dark and there was a pot hole where her foot was.
Sandals…, well, expect them to break. And most of them don’t have enough foot support for Chinese roads that contain a lot of uneven surfaces. If you must look good/comfy, make sure you can get a ride to and from wherever you are going.
If you are near sighted/or have vision problems, and you are used to wearing contacts, go back to your eye doctor/glasses place and pick out a pair of glasses. Wearing contacts for too long under such pollution can be bad for your eyes. Bring a pair of glasses for some relief.
As for when and where:
Northern China -
Expect extreme weather patterns. The extreme north never gets hot enough to warrant full summer gear. Pack warm, especially if you need to stay over during the winter times.
If you are staying in Beijing, pack really warm clothes for the winters and really cool clothes for summer time. Beijing is kinda unique because it has desert weather. I would recommend a North Face type coat/jacket, cashmere sweaters and scarfs for winter times. It can get really bone chilling cold if you aren’t prepared, and it has really fast and dry winds. If you are staying over during the summer times, pack summer gear but make sure you aren’t overly exposed to the sun. Pack one or two light jackets and pants that will block out stuff like sand just in case.
Most Northern Chinese households have some form of heaters, but they may or may not have ACs, so, double check before you get here(what season and where you are staying).
Southern China -
It can get pretty humid and hot depending on where you are( still, if you are the sensitive type, never forget lotion). If you are the type to sweat a lot, and you are coming in summer, you might want to pack extra deodorant and some emergency clothes just in case you can’t do laundry. Most places can have the ACs on full blast, so remember to bring a light jacket even if you are coming during the summer. You definitely need something to block off bugs if you are wearing shorts, hot pants, short skirts, and etc.
As for winter times, pack for wet and cold weathers. Most places tend NOT to have any heaters(or they are turned on very late say, Dec. ) because it’s not “supposed” to get that cold. Learn to layer your clothes so you can take off whatever you need according to room or outside temperature. A long, water proof coat and a nice pair of boots can be nice to have.
Again, these are just general advice, so you need to adapt them to where/when you are going.
