If you want a nice quiet holiday then I don't recommend China! The smashing sounds of constant construction, the honking of lunatic drivers and the screaming school kids are reminder that this place is developing rapidly (and somewhat chaotically). We spent three days in Honk Kong (yum yum) then took a 12 hour bus (keep eyes shut if you don't like to see near misses with oncoming trucks) to the mainland Chinese town of Yangshuo. It's a tourist debacle (no - i don't want my shoes shined!) but it's kinda fun, especially when you grab a bike ($2 a day) and ride out into the very real Chinese rural country-side.