How to go to China
It made me
very happy 
"life changing, brilliant."
How I did it: I just booked a flight, got a visa, packed and went. From the time I decided to go until I stepped off the plane at Beijing was 3 weeks..
make sure you have somewhere to stay arranged first, to get the visa. You can always cancel the booking after you get the visa.
Rent an apartment if you are staying for more than a few weeks.
Lessons & tips: learn some chinese. Seriously, learn some Chinese, it's invaluable if you are traveling solo
Resources: had a friend there, but use the internets
