My parents came to visit me, they didn't say as much but I could see they hated the place and I knew they would.  I've been getting pressure to go home since then.

My parents traveled to China in 1981, in northern China, around Beijing and Xi'an, when this country was as poor as the poorest countries of today.

They came to see my last August in Guangzhou, we traveled around Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian, they loved it although they noticed that "Chinese people are less friendly than back then".

I have a pretty good professional situation and a nice apartment in Zhujiang New Town the wealthiest part of GZ so they were happy to see that their son is finding his way. Of course if you live in a crappy communist block it might not make them very proud.

My mother keeps wanting to visit but no way is she going to have a good time in China. Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore... yeah I think so. But mainland China... not a great place to bring an elderly person that is used to clean air, polite people, good service and comfortable beds.

Old people are just too set in their ways... 

My mom visited once, she enjoyed it I planed out her whole stay and we spent Christmas together, it was lovely.

My dad is extremely well traveled, but has not been to China I could see him enjoying it in some sort of a tour group as he is getting old.

My sister has some issues, and China would seriously be her personal hell, she would have a nervous breakdown here. All the things she can't handle are abundant in China, loud noises, spitting, dirtiness, animal abuse, pushy people. No way is she coming here, which sucks because I miss her.

My parents came to visit me two times, my bro one time. They all traveled out of Europe, in (much) poorer areas of the world before:

The good
   * Food range from "ok" to "good"
   * The excitement of experimenting a completely different world/society
   * People are not aggressive or menacing, they always felt safe

   * Comical situations happen very often

The bad

   * People are really, really noisy
   * People are very careless of others, unless they have a relation with you (client, friend or family)
   * People are very materialistic
   * Nothing is as advertised, everything is a shitty, corner-cut version of what was announced

The ugly
  * The pollution in big cities sickened them
  * They came back very, very defiant of the so-called "Chinese Miracle", in a couple of weeks, they became very critical of how things run here

To finish on some positive words... My parents met my in-laws and it went very well, both had a good impression of each other.

Good question.

My daughter and her fella visited me for a few days once.  I lived in Qingdao then and there's enough to see in that city to fill in a short stay.  So they had fun and were happy to have dropped in.

On other occasions people have asked whether or not a trip to China would be worthwhile and I've told them there's nothing much to see and little to do.  So, no, not really.  Some positives but many more negatives.  That a better option would be any of the other countries in east and south east Asia.  Lots to see and do.  Culture waiting to be explored.

And I think this is such a pity because I'd love to live in a country that I'd be proud to show off.

My parents have visited me in both Beijing and Guangzhou and I can say that it was probably a fairly mixed experience for them. As they are well travelled (including many poorer countries) they didn't have too many bad experiences but the crowds, dirt and weather were all problematic at times. 

If I would sum up their experience of China, I would probably say that the great attractions were the famous sites (Beijing), Zhujiang New Town and central Guangzhou as well as the general convenience of the metro system and markets. Inconveniences would mainly include having to haggle for everything, the dramatic weather, and pollution. 

Unfortunately neither of my brothers have visited me here and I don't think they will. It is just too crowded and polluted for them to take the leap 

My parents came to visit me during the national holiday week last October.

A local friend acted as guide and interpreter and between us we organised visits to tourist sites and more out-of-the way places.

My parents had a fantastic experience what with the local food, local knowledge and insight, less touristy places etc.

There was a degree of staring at the 'laowai' family, but they were inured to that.

Due to the time of the year, there was less pollution and not so many problems with the temperature.

The success was due to the planning and spontaneous decisions.

This was their second visit to China, so they knew what to expect: things such as knowing where clean toilets are for their use was a must.

Just make sure there are a few organised visits to places, but enough time to go off the beaten track.

Maybe advise your parents to do a bit of research before arriving so as not to be too overwhelmed by everything.

Thanks for the advice, it's all really helpful.

I'm gonna try my best to prepare them, and make sure I plan everything with military precision. They are actually cool people, so hopefully I'll be able to share with them what I love about living here without all the craziness getting in the way... 

My brother came to my wedding last year...and had a blast!  Had to go to Beijing and do all the famous spots...he never complained about anything.

So , what are the best attractions for visitors to see? My family is arriving in September for my wedding.