score:5
China immigration is really allergic to ground transportation tickets. Non-residents who apply for a Chinese visa in HK (with the intent of crossing on foot into Shenzhen) get denied a visa regularly. You need a flight in and out of China when applying for a visa. Which can be inconvenient...
The usual solution here is to apply for a visa via a travel agency: they make up an itinerary for you, and document it with real fake bookings, ie real bookings that will be cancelled after the visa is issued. Costs a little more, but it is hassle-free.