Advice for Travelers in China: Maps

Upon arrival in any city, get a good comprehensive map with both English and Chinese characters on it. Pay for it if you have to. (The Lonely Planet's maps aren't always accurate, and rarely have much labeled in Chinese characters.) You will need it both to point to the name of your destination to your cab or bus driver, as well as to compare characters on the street signs when walking.

Be warned that even the most comprehensive maps will rarely show the spiderweb of smaller roads and alleyways that exist in every city.