Backpacking in China

I'm off this weekend (April 15 to May 3 2006) for my next trip. It will be a 3 week trip across China! I'm hoping to see as much sites that i can within the short period of time. Same as before, i will be on a shoestring budget but still have alloted few bucks to enjoy :). I hope i could meet a lot of people and learn about their culture. I'll be visiting my friend, Robert in Shanghai. Can't wait to see The Great Wall in actual view not from books or on postcards...

My route:
Shanghai -- Xi'an -- Beijing -- Hangzhou -- Xitang -- Shanghai.