American tourists must have a tourist visa before visiting China for any significant period of time. The first step in to determine what kind of visa you need. The L visa is for tourism. The next step is to find what consulate or embassy covers the area you live in. For example, if you live in Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio or New York, you have to go in person to the Chinese consulate in New York City. The next step is make sure you have a US passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond your planned departure from China, and it needs at least 2 blank pages. You need a photocopy of the page with your photo on it. After this, you should go to https://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/ and fill out the on-line application. You will have to set up an account on this site and choose the consulate that covers the state you live in. You will also have to upload some scanned documents. Your application will then go through a preliminary review by consulate officials. After your on-line application has been reviewed, it will tell you to physically go to the consulate of your region and submit your passport and physical application. You do not need an appointment. For example, in New York, you just walk in, go through security, and there are several counters, like tellers at a bank. You get a ticket and wait in line for your number to be called and go to the counter number on your ticket. You give the official your passport and application. Sometimes there is a private interview, but if renewing a visa, the process usually only takes a few minutes. You pay a $140 dollar fee and come back a week later to pick up your L visa, which is stamped in the visa section of your passport. You can apply for a single-entry or multiple entry visa. For many people, given the hassle of this whole process, it makes sense to apply for the 10 year, multiple entry visa.
The Chinese Consulate in New York City is about a 30 minute walk down W 42nd street from Grand Central Station. You go past the New York Public Library on your left, through Times Square, and the Consulate is at the end of W 42nd, right on the Hudson River. The nearest airport is LaGuardia, about 8 miles away.