Australian Passport holder, living in Qatar, travelling to Guan Zhou

Hi there, we are presently residing in Qatar. Husband works here only. We (EXCLUDING my husband) will be meeting up with my relatives, who will be flying into Guan Zhou from Singapore. However, we will be flying from Doha/Guan Zhou (return).
Can you please kindly advise the following:
1. What paper work is required of us to apply for the VISA? I guess we will be applying for a tourist L?
2. Does it matter if my husband is not coming with us? We have a family visa (resident permit) whilst living here in Qatar.
3. How long does the application take for it to be processed? We are thinking of travelling on the 26th December to 1st January.
Thanking you in advance.

Regards
Audrey