Get a map with Latin letters you can read. In China your best bet finding is a very good book store or/and a Hilton, Sheraton... look in the bookstore in their lobby!
And on top of that, get 1-2 Chinese road atlasses.
By comparing rivers and road numbers, you can fairly easily then write in the names in the Chinese atlas.
Very detailed but unfortunateoly bitys out of date is "the red bible, a triangular, little atlas in dark red with the the sort of Mercedes-star , for Chinese road company or sth. alike.
Better even is an atlas I currently use a lot. You get Chinese atlasses in almost every book shop, but they certainly vay in scale, quality... take your time to choose. You cannot see the topography, for this one I have my German map, but all roads, incl. not yet existing highways are on there.
Good touring,
seb. in East Tibet