What is it like watching sport  in China? Well, on TV these places all look the same; the sponsors are multi-nationals and the layouts are standardised. But for those who are priced out of top sport or those who refuse to pay on principle, it represents an opportunity to see this unique and rapidly-changing country and pay prices at the turnstiles that you can only reminisce about to your grandchildren.

The FIFA women’s World Cup is being held in China in September;  there is the Grand Prix in Shanghai every year and a little sporting gathering happening in the north of the country in 2008 or “er ling ling ba”, as they say round here. There is also top-quality tennis and golf in Beijing and Shanghai.

The Shanghai Grand Prix circuit has won many plaudits around the motor-racing world but what they don’t tell you is that the best view is to be had from the cheap seats, where you see straight-line speed as well as action on the corners. In the two covered grandstands the main view is just of the straights, although you keep dry and you get to see the pit crews working on the other side of the track.

'If you get lost, try to find a young person who looks like a student'


The women’s World Cup represents an opportunity to see the beautiful game played by beautiful women. I will be keeping an open mind when I go, though of course, there is the worry of fighting breaking out on the terraces!

In Shanghai, there are many hotels, the most expensive being those concentrated in the Luijiazi area of Pudong by the river. These are top American hotels and you get international cuisine but pay international prices. Much better is the group of hotels near the main railway station, where a room in a three-star hotel costs around CNY300 (£20) per night. It’s just outside the city centre but on three metro lines. The area is usually crowded but safe at night.

You should stay in a hotel like this if you don’t speak any Chinese as there will be English-speaking staff and menus. Basic Chinese speakers can save around CNY100 a night, though. My favourite one offers a buffet English breakfast where you can eat as much as you like, handy when catering prices at the venue are so high, as with the Grand Prix. I once stayed in a hotel in Xi’an where you could pay a fixed price and eat as much food and drink as much beer as you like.

Shanghai is a booming international city and the luxury end of the restaurant market is well catered for. There are also Irish and German bars and branches of chains such as Taco Bell and Hooters in the central area. For those on a budget, a bowl of noodles and two large beers can be had for around CNY12 opposite the Stock Exchange building - although a phrase book may be necessary!

Hangzhou, one of the women’s World Cup cities and centre of the textile industry, is around 90 minutes by train from Shanghai. Along the shores of the West Lake we see fashionably-dressed people who come here to see and be seen, alongside older people playing and listening to traditional music. You can watch this all from the comfort of a European-style lakeside pavement café.

Taxis are cheap but the drivers don’t speak any English, although I hear that they are learning in Beijing. Carry a card with the address of your hotel at all times and if you are going to a sports venue, carry a map with you in case the driver doesn’t know where it is. One taxi driver I used had trouble finding the motor-racing circuit, for example. I have since found out that there is a coach service departing from Shanghai Indoor Stadium metro station to the circuit which is free to ticket holders.

If you get lost and need to ask the way, try to find a young person, someone who looks like a student. There are many universities in the big cities and these days everyone has to learn English and most will welcome the chance to practice and will be very friendly. In the major cities, the road signs are in English as well as Chinese and maps are also available in English. Failing that, hop into a taxi and point to your phrase book or hotel card.

When you first come here, you tell yourself it’s just another country - but as soon as you arrive you realise you are a long way from home. I think it’s because the signs are in Chinese so there is no way you can read them to yourself phonetically. Also, at the time of the Grand Prix, the temperature difference is high and the air much dryer than Britain, which adds to the shock. Take a taxi from the airport to the hotel to ease yourself into the country and city; in Shanghai be prepared to be overtaken by the Maglev which you might like to try on the way back.

To get the most out of a trip to China, you should take evening classes before you go. Failing that, there is the excellent ChinesePod.com, which contains audio Chinese classes based on every-day situations as well as giving an idea of life in modern China. Try also Chinese-Tools.com for a slightly more traditional approach.

For the experienced independent traveller, China is a great place to visit. There is history, modern cities and natural beauty. People actually speak to you in English on trains here, which is somewhat alien to me but nice as they are usually very friendly and interesting. You can ski around Beijing or enjoy winter sun on Hainan Island. The summers are very hot but river trips are recommended in this season. The air is cooler by the water and the boats are air-conditioned and being on the boat means there is less chance of the sun going to your head and you doing something stupid. The best time to come is the autumn, however, which is an extension of summer and lasts until November or December in the south east. Spring is OK but wetter than autumn.

It surprised me last year that I didn’t see many British motor-racing fans at the Shanghai circuit, even though the trip here probably works out cheaper than a weekend at Le Mans or Monte Carlo. But perhaps now there is a real hope of a Lewis Hamilton win in the Drivers' Championship we will see more here this October.