Hi Tanya
I would recommend a regular suitcase on wheels as you will be travelling around a bit on this holiday. A backpack is always a good idea on holiday, as you can fill them with the things you need for day trips, such as water, camera, jumper and so on.
China is cold in November - it's likely to be less than 10 degrees Celsius and possibly below zero at times, so I would definitely take a warm coat and some jumpers. Maybe it's not quite cold enough for thermals but by all means take them if you think you need them.
Kind regards
Olly, your editor