HTTC2026
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HACKER TRIP TO CHINA #10
-- Start Date: October or November, 2026, in Shenzhen
-- End Date: November or December, 2026, in Shenzhen
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The start and end dates and cities for this year's Hacker Trip To China:
Start: October or November 2026 in Hong Kong
End: November or December 2026 in Shenzhen
What is the Hacker Trip To China?
[edit | edit source]The Hacker Trip To China (HTTC) draws a diverse, fascinating group of people from all over the world. Anyone and everyone is welcome! Educators, artists, people wanting to manufacture a project, sociologists, tech geeks, tourists, . . . -- the only requirements are curiosity and showing up.
The HTTC is open to anyone and everyone. Show up, and you're part of the Trip!
The only things truly set several months before the HTTC starts are the start and end dates, and the start and end cities. The other items currently in the itinerary outline are place-holders.
I will continue to add to the Trip's itinerary outline, which comes together and gets more "real" as the HTTC start date approaches. I'll make sure that there will be lots of interesting activities (hackerspaces, factories, schools, tourist stuff, meeting and being shown around by local geeks, etc, etc). But I will also make sure that there is plenty of time for serendipity, where the magic of the HTTC really happens.
There are also lots of opportunities for everyone to give presentations to share their enthusiasm for what they do -- whatever that is! (This is encouraged, but as with everything on HTTCs, not required.)
Everyone can join for as much or as little of the HTTC as they like.
I'll organize housing and transportation within China. But everyone pays their own way.
Even though it is tons of work to organize this Trip, I make no money doing this.
I organize this Trip 'cause it's awesome.
Here's how the Hacker Trip To China started:
Mitch Altman organized 9 Hacker Trips to China, but is not longer organizing them. With Mitch's permission, after a failed attempt in 2021, I am continuing the tradition. I have gained traction this year and it looks like this one is going to happen!
Please join us for this year's Trip!
More info:
Each year's Hacker Trip To China has its own wiki page (this one!) for organizing the Trip. It is way rambling. But, check out the rest of the wiki page, below, for lots of info.
If you would like to be on the (very low volume) email list of people to be informed of upcoming Hacker Trips To China (including this one), please email me:
- torrey AT nommesen DOT com
-- Torrey.
Previous Hacker Trips To China
[edit | edit source]- In previous years' Hacker Trips To China, we've visited cities that currently have a hackerspace, visited my manufacturer, Seeed Studio, and other manufacturers. We also visited Tsinghua University, considered the most prestigious university in China, and other schools that all had hackerspaces. We also went to the International Exhibition of Inventions Kunshan (IEIK 2014), near Shanghai. We've also gone to Maker Faires and similar events in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. And everywhere we went, we were shown around by local geeks, to see what they thought was interesting where they live.
- Wherever we went, those of us interested gave talks, presentations, workshops, and demos. Over the years we have given presentations at: Maker Bay and Dim Sum Labs in Hong Kong; at HAX, x.Factory, and Lab0x0 in Shenzhen; at Niba Makerspace and for the mayor of Xi'an in Xi'an; at Tsinghua University's iCenter and Beijing LUG in Beijing; at DFRobot (an open hardware company), Mushroom Cloud, XinCheJian hackerspace in Shanghai; and other interesting places.
- This year, I am planning to only visit the Chinese Great Bay Area - that's Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and maybe Macau and some other cites in the area
- This year, I am planning to only visit the Chinese Great Bay Area - that's Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and maybe Macau and some other cites in the area
- You can see info from the previous Trips:
- Hacker Trip To China 2009
- Hacker Trip To China 2009
- Hacker Trip To China 2011
- Hacker Trip To China 2013
- Hacker Trip To China 2014
- Hacker Trip To China 2015
- Hacker Trip To China 2016
- Hacker Trip To China 2017
- Hacker Trip To China 2018
- Hacker Trip To China 2019
- You can see info from the previous Trips:
You can see some photos from some of these previous HTTCs if you scroll down...
- -- Torrey.
This year's Hacker Trip To China
[edit | edit source]When
[edit | edit source]When: Sometime in October or November in Hong Kong
through
sometime in November or December in Shenzhen.
Flight, transportation, and hotel Info: It is up to each person to book your own air fare to meet in our starting city, Hong Kong, on a date to be determined (which probably means leaving your home the day before), and to fly home from our ending city, Shenzhen, on a date to be determined. (Of course, you can decide to come before or after our start date, and leave before or after our end date -- you are free to come and go as you please -- some of us will spend a few days in Hong Kong after Shenzhen.)
I'll organized the itinerary and the hotels and other transport. I'll pay in advance for some of this, and you can pay me back when we're in China.
Where
[edit | edit source]Where: For now, the plan is to stay mostly in Shenzhen and take trips to Hong Kong and Guangzhou. It is possible that we will go to Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, and/or Chengdu. We will be shown around by local geeks to see what interests them where they live. The rough plan is to do 2/3 geeky tech stuff and 1/3 cultural stuff. We'll also have plenty of time to do "normal" (and spectacular) tourist things as well!
I will be spending a few days in Tokyo, Japan before and after the trip. You are welcome to join, but I will be staying with my cousin there so you will need to find your own accommodations. I plan on visiting Tokyo Hackerspace while I am there.
NOTE THAT THE INFO BELOW IS ONLY A BRIEF POSSIBLE OUTLINE:
Here's some possible places we might visit, leaving plenty of room for the serendipity that makes our Hacker Trip To China truly unique and memorable:
- We will start our trip by meeting in Hong Kong where we may visit Dimsum Labs.
- We may next go to Shenzhen, where Seeed Studio has generously sponsored a booth at the Shenzhen Maker Faire.
- We may go to Guangzhou where most of the factories are. I am working on getting us a ride in a passenger drone.
For most of us, our trip will end at the end of three weeks, as some people on our trip will fly home from our last city, Shenzhen. But, since Hong Kong is just over the border from mainland China, many of us will go there to fly home (since it is cheaper, and since Hong Kong is a way cool city).
Of course, everyone is free to arrive and leave whenever you like for the Hacker Trip To China.
Cost
[edit | edit source]All included, I plan on spending about $5000 for my trip. I like to buy a bunch of gadgets in Huaqiangbei, so your cost may be less. Below are calculations from Mitch's past trips.
- --------------------
Cost: For the Hacker Trip To China 2018, Mitch stayed in China for 30 days (instead of the "official" 21 days). If he subtracts out his extra days, his costs were:
- Planes to/from China: $917
- Travel within China: $478
- Lodging: $591 -- (all single rooms for himself)
- Food: $292
- Laundry: $49
- Telephone costs: $22
- clothing, tea, and electronics: $75
- ----------
- Total: $2,424
You can, of course, spend more or less, depending on how you like to travel (sharing hotel rooms is cheaper, and hostel dorm beds are considerably cheaper), and depending on what, if anything, you want to buy.
- --------------------
Cost: For the Hacker Trip To China 2019, Mitch stayed in China for 36 days (instead of the "official" 21 days). If he subtracts out his extra days, here are his costs:
- Planes to/from China: $693
- Travel within China: $265
- Lodging: $926 -- (all single rooms for himself)
- Food: $308
- Laundry: $18
- Telephone costs: $14
- clothing, tea, and electronics: $83
- VPN service: $100
- ----------
- Total: $2,407 (with extra days in Beijing and Hong Kong, all 36 days cost him: $2,824)
- --------------------
Social Media
[edit | edit source]I don't know. Should we even do social media?
Itinerary outline for Hacker Trip to China 10
[edit | edit source]Itinerary will be filled in as things start to coalesce:
You will Need a Chinese Visa!!
[edit | edit source]To go to China, you will need to get a visa!
Everyone should get a multiple-entry Tourist L visa (if you only get a single-entry visa, you'll be fine, but you won't have as many options, such as going in and out of Shenzhen to Hong Kong).
- And to get a visa, you need to have a passport that is valid at least 12 months after you planned to fly away from China (so, e.g., if you are leaving China on 31-November-2026, then your passport needs to be valid through 31-November-2027). Your passport must also have at least one entirely blank page.
- You also need:
- a printout of a filled-out Visa Application Form V. 2013 of the People's Republic of China. (If you like, please email me, and I can reply with my filled out visa form from 2015, so you have an example to follow).
- a copy of the information pages of your passport.
- a copy of your most recent Chinese visa (if you have been to China before).
- one 2"x2" recent color photo (not a printout).
- a screenshot or printout of hotel reservation confirmation.
- a copy of your airline tickets (both to and from China).
- For US citizens, the visa cost $185 (but it is much cheaper for other nationalities). Starting in 2015, US citizens can get a multiple-entry visa, good for 10 years (even though there is no option for this on the visa form). We should all apply for a Tourist L visa.
You can pay the fee by Visa, MasterCard, Money Order, Cashier's Check or Company Check. Cash or Personal checks are not acceptable.
To get a visa, you can go to your local Chinese consulate. No appointment is required. You go in one day, and it will be ready for pick up 4 business days later. My experience is that it takes about an hour the first day, and takes only a few minutes to pick up the visa a few days later. (2 to 3 business-day and 1 business day/same-day express service is available for an extra fee.)
NOTE: The Chinese consulates are all closed for Chinese holidays! Please check the dates!
(Citizens of US and Europe do not need a separate visa for Hong Kong.)
Very Useful Guide about Internet, Phones, Translation, and Navigation
[edit | edit source]Here is a very useful guide] about internet in China, phones in China, translating Chinese, and navigation in China! This was written in 2017, and may all still be relevant for this year.
I"m working on getting us rental phones with Hong Kong SIMs that we can use in China without needing a VPN.
Hong Kong Guide
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Photos from Hacker Trip To China 2019
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Mitch's photos for HTTC 2019 all in one place
Torrey's photos (and some video) from HTTC 2019
Photos from Hacker Trip To China 2018
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Mitch's photos from Beijing, Oct-Nov, 2018
Mitch's photos from Xi'an, Nov-2018
Mitch's photos from Chengdu, Nov-2018
Mitch's photos from Shanghai, Nov-2018
Mitch's photos from Shenzhen, Nov-2018
Mitch's photos from Hong Kong, Nov-2018
Mitch's photos for HTTC 2018 all in one place
Mich L's Photos from HTTC 2018 (incl. Guangzhou)
Torrey's photos from HTTC 2018
Photos from Hacker Trip To China 2017
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Mitch's photos from Hong Kong, Oct-2017
Mitch's photos from Shenzhen, Oct-2017
Mitch's photos from Xi'an, Oct-2017
Mitch's photos from Beijing, Oct-2017
Mitch's photos from Shanghai, Oct-2017
Mitch's photos from Beijing Set 2, Oct-2017
Mitch's photos for HTTC 2017 all in one place
Photos from Hacker Trip To China 2016
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Mitch's photos from Shanghai, Oct-2016
Mitch's photos from Zhengzhou, Oct-2016
Mitch's photos from Shenzhen, Oct-2016
Mitch's photos from Beijing, Oct-2016
Mitch's photos from Hangzhou, Oct-2016
Mitch's photos from Beijing Set 2, Oct-2016
Mitch's photos for HTTC 2016 all in one place
Photos from Hacker Trip to China 2015
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Mitch's photos from Hong Kong, Oct-2015
Mitch's photos from Shenzhen, Oct-2015
Mitch's photos from Shanghai, Oct-2015
Mitch's photos from Beijing, Oct-2015
Mitch's photos from YiWu & Hangzhou, Oct-2015
Mitch's photos from Beijing Set 2, Oct-2015
Mitch's photos from Shanghai & Suzhou, Oct-2015
Mitch's photos for HTTC 2015 all in one place
Blake's photos:
Torrey's photos from Hong Kong
Torrey's photos from Shenzhen
Torrey's photos from Beijing
Torrey's photos from Shanghai
Photos from Hacker Trip to China 2014
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Mitch's photos from Beijing, Nov-2014
Mitch's photos from Shanghai, Nov-2014
Mitch's photos from Shenzhen, Nov-2014
Mitch's photos from Kunshan, Nov-2014
Mitch's photos from Shanghai (2), Nov-2014
Mitch's photos from Beijing (2), Nov-2014
Mitch's photos from Tianjin, Nov-2014
Mitch's photos from Beijing (3), Nov-2014
Mitch's photos from Singapore, Dec-2014
Mitch's photos for HTTC 2014 all in one place
Photos from Hacker Trip to China 2013
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Mitch's photos from Beijing, Sep-2013
Mitch's photos from Beijing Oct-2013
Mitch's photos from Shenzhen, Oct-2013
Mitch's photos from Shanghai, Oct-2013
Mitch's photos from Beijing 2, Oct-2013
Mitch's photos from Beijing, Nov-2013
Photos from Hacker Trip to China 2012
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Mitch's photos from Hong Kong
Mitch's photos from Shenzhen
Mitch's photos from Shanghai
Mitch's photos from Hangzhou
Mitch's photos from Beijing
Jacob's photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jacobrosenthal/collections/72157629605815578/
Photos from Hacker Trip to China 2009
[edit | edit source]Lots of photos from all participants
People interested in going on the Hacker Trip to China #10, 2026:
[edit | edit source]Below is a list of people interested in going on this year's Hacker Trip To China.
If you are interested in joining this year's Trip, please enter your name in the table.
PLEASE EMAIL ME after you enter your name in the table.
torrey *AT* nommesen *DOT* com
Please email me if you have any questions, or if you would like to meet up with us on the trip:
torrey *AT* nommesen *DOT* com
The trip is limited to 20 people total (including Torrey)
-- the first 19 people (after Torrey) who are either there already, or who bought tickets to meet in Hong Kong (our Trip's starting city)
on or before the start date, are the people who are in this Trip.
(This probably means flying away from your home airport on or before 10-October-2019.)
| Name | Flying from | Purchased flight? | Flight info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torrey Nommesen | USA | no | |
| 2 | your name here | (optional) | no | your arrival info here |