1. Buy a suitable city tourist map. The most common type is the urban transportation map, such as those for Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, which often come with relevant travel tips.
A city map typically costs around 3–5 yuan and can be purchased at official bookstores and newsstands.
Additionally, you can get free simplified maps from some hotels.
2. When traveling, after opening the map, mark your accommodation location and remember the cross streets of your lodging to help indicate your position when taking a taxi. Identify the following key landmarks on the map: the city’s busiest commercial areas, well-known food districts, airports, train stations, and other transportation hubs, so you can get a general sense of the city layout.
3. Travelers often see hotels, restaurants, and other commercial information on maps—these are usually sponsors of the map and not necessarily the highest quality in the area. Try to prioritize various “hidden gems” recommended in books, online sources, and through word-of-mouth among fellow travelers, and mark them on your map.
4. How to store a map is also an art. Due to the limitations of paper, a map generally becomes quite worn after a full three-day independent trip. To deal with this, experienced travelers often keep their maps in the tight compartments of their backpacks or sandwiched between magazines or books.
5. Compared to city maps, maps for mountainous scenic spots are even more important—for example, for places like Huangshan or Qingcheng Mountain—not only because there are many attractions on the mountain, but also because there are different routes to reach the top. Choosing the most energy-efficient and scenic path is particularly important, so it’s worth spending five minutes studying the map before heading up. Remember, don’t try to cover everything at once, or your legs might give out on the way down. Moreover, no matter how detailed a map is, certain limitations may lead to omissions, so it’s wise to ask nearby residents or other hikers for more accurate information.
6. Although hand-drawn maps may not be as practical as formal maps, apart from their artistic value, they often include unique local travel tips. For instance, maps of Lijiang Ancient Town may feature rhyming couplets about attractions, the origins of local cuisine, and recommended souvenirs—neutral information that tends to be highly credible.
7. With the publication of various exquisite travel books and magazines, uniquely styled out-of-print maps have also emerged. For example, when topics focus on food, specially made gourmet travel maps with useful information are often produced. These can be very handy. Additionally, friends who go self-driving should always carry road guide maps, especially those with information on business express hotels.
8. How to identify fake or low-quality maps? First, check the map’s publication date. Some counterfeiters often label old map data as “latest,” so be wary of maps advertised as “newest edition.” Review the copyright page to check the publishing and editorial units. Some pirated maps have poor print quality, numerous typos, off-color images, and blurry graphics—common issues when pirated maps are scanned from originals and digitally reproduced.