cheap hostels under $15 in china (15 provinces reviewed)

budget

been backpacking china for 6 months (yes i quit my job lol). here's where I found good cheap beds.

beijing - peking international youth hostel. $12-15 a night. good common area, met a lot of people there. location is near a subway station so easy to get around.

shanghai - the phoenix hostel. $10-14. super clean which is not always guaranteed in budget places. close to jingan temple.

xi'an - shuyuan international. $8-12. this one is in a traditional courtyard building which is pretty cool. very social atmosphere. the muslim quarter is like a 10 min walk.

chengdu - mix hostel. $9-12. newer place, very clean. the owner took us out for hotpot which was awesome.

what to expect in most chinese hostels - shared dorms with 4-8 beds, curtains on the beds are common now (privacy yay), western toilets usually but bring your own tp just in case. laundry around $3-5.

use hostelworld to book but compare with ctrip because sometimes it's cheaper.

anyone found good places in smaller cities? I'm heading to yunnan next.