Essential
If you have these things then you should be OK.
- Passport w/ visa
- Money, travellers cheques and/or ATM cards.
- Plane tickets

Medical
- Medical insurance documents
- Prescription medicines
- First aid kit
- Pain reliever such as Asparin
- Cold/Sinus medication
- Diarrhea medicine and laxative
- Insect repellent
- Sunscreen

Bathroom and Drug Store Products
You should bring any of your favourite products from a drug store. You may be able to find them in China, but it might take you a while.
- Deodorant
- Perfume or cologne
- Face cream
- Shaving cream
- Condoms and/or other contraceptive
- Toilet paper (just put a little bit in your backpack)
- Hand sanitizer
- Toothbrush ad toothpaste
- Dental floss
- Lip balm
- Comb/brush
- Blow dryer (see electrical below)
- Towel and washcloth
- Earplugs (China can be a noisy place) 
- Conact lens and lens solution

Bags
- Backpack
- A small pack to hang from your shoulder or waist.
- Obviously, don’t forget your your luggage.
- Luggage locks and ID tags. (If a locked bag is checked they make break the lock).

Clothing – Summer and Swimming
- Shorts
- Swim outfit. Chinese swim trunks can be really short and Chinese bathing suits may be too small.
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Sandals
- Water bottle (or 2... or 6)
- Hat

Clothing - Cold weather
Don’t consider indoor heating a necessity. Depending on where you go you may find that houses, shopping centers and restaurants are without indoor heating or else with heating that is not turned up very high.
- Warm winter jacket.
- Long Johns.
- Undershirts.
- Sweaters.

Liquor
- You are allowed two bottles of alcoholic beverages but realistically they might not mind if you brought in a six pack of beer.

Portable Electronics
- Camera. Send us the pictures too!
- MP3 player
- Unlocked cell phone. CDMA 900 and 1800 as well as GSM 900 and 1800 are supported in parts of China.
- Palm pilot
- Laptop
- Gameboy or other handheld videogame system. (Makes the plane ride go faster)
- Batteries
- Flashlight

Electrical
- Plug in adapter
- Voltage converter
- Surge protector

Other
- Binoculars
- Games or playing cards
- Reading materials
- Written copy of the phone number(s) for lost or stolen credit cards. (check with your card provider)
- Photocopies of documents such as your passport/visa, medical immunization records, medical insurance, glasses prescription, plane tickets or any other important documents. Remember to put these somewhere separate from the originals.