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USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT CHINA
1. SAFETY
AND
SECURITY
China has one of the lowest capital crime rates in the world. It is generally safe to walk the streets at night and cases of outright robbery or theft is still pretty uncommon. However, petty crime such as pick pock-eting is common especially in cities which see plenty of tourists such as Xian and Beijing.
Another area to watch out for is scam artists and cheats. Again, this is common in cities flooded with tourists and migrants and may be uncommon in other cities not associated with tourist trade. Scam artists come in all forms. They may offer to bring you to places for cheap shopping or may offer to exchange lo-cal currency for US dollars at a better rate. A common scam involves younger Chinese “English stu-dents,” often women, who offer to show you around and then invite you to join them for tea at a nearby restaurant. When the bill comes, they leave, and the restaurant owners, usually very large men, force you to pay an exorbitant bill before you are allowed to leave the premises.
Emergency phone numbers
The local equivalent to the “112” and “911” emergency line in China is “110”; however there are rarely any English speakers working this hotline. Use the emergency number you will get to the school if needed.
The traffic
Road accidents are common in China, mainly due to poor roads, dangerous driving and non-enforcement of traffic laws. Be careful on the roads.
2. INSURANCE
Prior to your travels, make sure you have full insurance coverage during your stay in the country. Make sure your health insurance covers you for medical expenses abroad, including possible evacuation.
3. MONEY
The local currency is the Renminbi (CNY). Principal unit is the Yuan, divided in 10 jiǎo and 100 fēn. At the moment it is mainly a domestic currency as it is not a free floating currency.
Counterfeit Money
Although the Government is trying to eradicate this practice there are still some problems with the use of counterfeit money, although the problem is decreasing. It is very common practice for those who are re-ceiving money to check its authenticity. Do not be offended by this practice. It is not a reflection on your character.
Money exchange
It is possible to exchange traveler's checks and cash at most banks and many hotels. Cash advances are available on most common credit/debit cards e.g. American Express/Visa/MasterCard, but this facility is available only from the main branch of the Bank of China in most Chinese cities. A fee of 3%-4% may apply.
You are required to present your passport to change money/travelers checks etc. Hotels will usually only allow you to change money if you are guest at the hotel. It is advisable to change only the money that you need for you trip as it may be difficult to change back to you preferred currency. You can convert unused CNY to another currency in China by producing the receipts for your original purchase. This exchange is done at the airport as you leave China. There is a foreign exchange black market but it is illegal.
ATMs
The Bank of China has an ATM network that will allow cash advances from major credit / debit cards and ATM cards. Check your credit card provider for this information before leaving your home country. Credit cards
Major credit cards such as Master Card, Visa, JCB and American Express are accepted in major hotels and department stores. Check on the acceptance of your credit card before you purchase. Credit cards cannot be used in most restaurants or small convenience stores.
International transfers
Wire Transfer using a service called Money Transfer is available and is a joint venture between the China Courier Service Corporation and Western Union. This service allows instant money wiring to and from 100 countries.
4. VISAS
Students coming to China will require a visa. The type of visa will be depending on the length of your stay in China.
Students studying in China for less than 6 months require an F visa which is also known as a business visa.
Students studying in China for more than 6 months require an X visa also known as a student visa. Students who don’t have time or are unable to apply for F or X visa, may apply for an L visa also known as a tourist visa. Once the student has arrived in China, the school will help the student convert the visa to one that is more suitable to their requirements in China.
Application
To apply for a Chinese visa you should contact the Chinese embassy or consulate within your home country. When you make your application, you should bring certain documents with you. Please check with your nearest Chinese consulate for details. Your passport shall be valid at least 6 months after the period of your visa for China.
Usually, the processing time is about 3- 7 working days. It may be possible to obtain a visa more quickly using an express or same day service, at some extra cost, however we suggest obtaining your visa well in time of your travel date.
Tourist Visa
An Individual traveller can apply for a tourist visa at any Chinese embassy or consulate. The procedure is usually straightforward. China has embassies and consulates in nearly every country. A standard 30-day, single-entry visa from most Chinese embassies abroad can be issued in three to five working days. For an additional fee, rush processing with same-day or next-day service is also available.
When applying for a tourism visa, some extra documents are sometimes, though rarely, required in addi-tion to the general requirements. Tourist visas are usually valid for three months, but can be extended. Passports must be valid for at least six months before you travel to China.
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Visa extensions
Foreigners who want to stay in China beyond what their current visa allow need to apply for an extension to their visa with appropriate reasons. The extension application should be made at the municipal public security bureau at least 10 days before the visa expires. Multiple visas cannot be extended.
As visa regulations may change, always check the visa rules with the Chinese consulate/embassy in your country before traveling.
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GETTING THERE AND AWAY
By plane
Most of China’s big cities have international airports. By train
Most popular train route from Europe is the Trans-Siberian and Trans-Mongolian railways from Russia via Mongolia to China. The only railway port of entry in western China is from Kazakhstan to Alashan-kou. Other railways go from North-Korea and Russia.
By car/bus
Travelers can access China by car/bus from other countries but .you will need to go through a lot of red tape to get permission to cross some countries, including China, with your own vehicle.
By boat
There are boats from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand to different destinations in China.
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TRANSPORTATION WITHIN CHINA
By taxi
In the cities, taxis are a cheap and convenient way of getting around. Although generally safe, taxis drive as erratically as other drivers. Tips are not expected. Taxis have meters and the fare should be plainly marked outside the taxi. You are very unlikely to find an English-speaking taxi driver. Therefore, it is ad-visable to keep a written note of the name of place where you want to go to by taxi.
Motorcycle taxis are common, especially in smaller cities and rural areas. They are usually cheap and ef-fective but somewhat scary. The fares are negotiable.
In some mid-sized cities, pedicabs are a much more convenient means of traveling short distances. Sanlunche, the Chinese term used both for pedal-powered and motorized rickshaws, are ubiquitous in ru-ral China and lesser developed areas of larger cities. Negotiating the fare in advance is a must.
By subway
Many major cities have a metro system. Generally these are modern, clean and efficient. The signs and ticket machines are in both English and Chinese. Most of these systems are being expanded, and new ones are under construction. The long-term plans are quite ambitious, with multiple subway lines per city planned. Metro systems which link into regional rail systems such as between Guangzhou and Shenzhen are planned in many regions.
By car
China generally does not recognize International Driving Permits and does not permit foreigners to drive in China without a Chinese license. This supposedly changed in 2007 and short-term driving without a Chinese license became legal. However, as with many laws in China, official changes and changes in practice do not necessarily correspond; as of December 2008 it is still illegal for foreigners to drive with-out a Chinese license.
Rented cars most often come with a driver and this is probably the best way to travel in China by car. Driving in China is not recommended unless you are used to extremely chaotic driving conditions. Traf-fic moves on the right in mainland China.
As a pedestrian ALWAYS look both ways every time you cross any street. Not only may a bicycle come along traveling in the wrong direction, so may increasingly popular electric motorbikes -- and they are si-lent.
By bicycle
For travelers, bicycles can be a cheap, convenient means of transport that is better than being squeezed into a public bus for hours on end. In most tourist areas bicycles are easy to rent and there is a repair shop around every corner. Guided bike tours are also readily available. There are two major dangers for cyclists in China:
One is the rest of the traffic and the other is that Bicycle theft is rampant throughout cities in China. Buy-ing a bicycle is easy
By bus or coach
Travelling by public city buses or long distance buses is inexpensive and ideal for in-city and short dis-tances transportation.
City buses vary from city to city - generally expect plastic seats, many people, no English signs and un-helpful drivers. However, if you can understand the bus routes then they are cheap and go almost every-where. Buses will normally have recorded announcements telling you the next stop. Some major cities such as Beijing will have English announcements on some major routes. Most buses simply have a metal cash-box next to the entrance where you can insert your fare or on longer routes a conductor that will col-lect fares and issue tickets and change. Note that the driver usually prioritises speed over comfort so hold on tight.
Coaches, or long-distance buses, differ drastically and can be a reasonably comfortable or very unpleas-ant experience. Coaches originating from larger cities on the east coast tend to be much better than those in rural areas. Coaches are often a better, though more expensive option than trains.
Everywhere in China drivers often disregard the rules of the road, if there are any, and accidents are fre-quent.
By train
Train travel is the major mode of long-distance transportation for the Chinese themselves. Their exten-sive, and rapidly expanding, network of routes covers the entire country. Roughly a quarter of the world's total rail traffic is in China.
China is in the process of building a network of high-speed trains, similar to French TGV or Japanese bullet trains. These trains are already in service on several routes.
During busy seasons tickets sell out rapidly at train stations. It may be better to get tickets in advance through an agent. In cities like Beijing there are also agents who sell train tickets in the normal time frame with a nominal markup. The convenience of avoiding a trip to the train station and waiting in the queue is well worth the small increase in cost.
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Be careful of your valuables while on the train; property theft on public transportation has gone up in re-cent years.
By airplane
China has many domestic flights connecting all the major cities and tourist destinations.
Prices for domestic flights are set at standard rates, but discounts are common, especially on the busier routes. Most good hotels, and many hostels, will have a travel ticket service. Travel agencies and booking offices are plentiful in all Chinese cities and offer discounts. Even before considering discounts, traveling by plane in China is not expensive.
Be prepared for flight delays as these are common despite pressure from both the government and con-sumers.
7.
FOOD AND DRINKS
Food
There's probably not another place in this world that has as great a variety of delicious food as China. If judging by the art and techniques of cooking, aside from France and Italy, perhaps the skills of chefs of no other country can gain recognition from the Chinese.
Extremely developed culinary techniques can make seemingly inedible ingredients, to foreign eyes, into dish after dish of delicious treats by the hands of Chinese chefs. The Chinese cookbook also contains quite an extensive list of foods, including just about anything edible with very few taboos. The Chinese, who see eating as a fortune and life as an art, not only created various kinds of regional food styles in its own vast lands, but have also spread Chinese food culture to far across the seas. Today, in this world where even the farthest corners can seem as close as one's backyard, Chinese food can be enjoyed in each and every metropolitan throughout the world.
Like many other countries with a vast territory, Chinese cuisines are differentiated largely by its northern and southern regional tastes. Although the best quality rice in China is grown in its northeastern regions, people in those regions, however, just as other northerners, prefer to eat pasta or pastry instead. In the north, classic dishes include Beijing's lamb hotpot (fondue) and roast duck, and Shandong province's Lu style cuisines. In the south, the principal foods are rice-based. A relatively greater variety of dishes are found in the south. There you can find the hot and heavily spiced Sichuan food, Xiang (Hunan) food, sweet and delicate Huaiyang food and the Yue (Cantonese) style which are mostly seafood and soups. Thus foreigners who have been to China are often pleasantly surprised by the great differences in taste and food types by region.
Having Chinese food not only indulges people's sense of taste, the sense of sight is also entertained. The Chinese culinary arts rely on the canon of "color, aroma, and taste," missing any one element would not make a good dish. To make the food pleasing to the eye, usually the appropriate meat and non-meat in-gredients are selected; it would include a single main ingredient and two or three secondary inin-gredients of different colors. Blue, green, red, yellow, white, black and brown sauce colors are to be mixed in the right combination. Through proper cooking techniques, aestheticism in food is achieved. "Aroma" is achieved by using the right spices, such as scallion, ginger, garlic, cooking wine, aniseed, cassia bark, black pep-per, sesame oil, shiitake mushrooms and so on, to stimulate the appetite with the aroma from the cooked food. When preparing food, techniques such as fry, stir-fry, roast, steam, deep-fry, quick-fry, simmer and others are put to use, with the goal of preserving the natural taste and juices of the food. One can also add the right amounts of soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, spices, spicy pepper and other seasonings, making the dishes taste salty, sweet, sour, hot and much more. With tomatoes, turnip, cucumber and other sculptural
vegetables to create elegant and intricate decorations to the plate, and the use of exquisite fine china for dining ware, Chinese cuisines really become a true art form complete with aesthetic beauty, wonderful aroma, and great taste.
Water and drinks
Tap water is not safe to drink throughout China. Stick to bottled water or boil water. In most Chinese res-taurants, water is served for free before the meal. Always, the drink offered has been boiled, and you can drink it without worry. Take care when choosing bottled water in a market. Ensure the water is transpar-ent, free of any form of deposits, and that the bottle is smooth and clear. Also check whether the seal is intact.
8. BUSINESS
HOURS
Shops, department stores and supermarkets are open every day from 08:30-09:30 to 21:30, including pub-lic holidays. Restaurants and bars are normally open from around 10:00 to the late night. Official organi-zations like the government offices usually work from 09:00 to 17:00 with a one-hour siesta, and they do not work on Saturdays and Sundays. Post offices, banks and tourist sites are normally open daily from 09:00 to 16:00-18:00.
9. ELECTRICITY
Electricity in China is 220 Volts, 50 Hertz. Outlets in China generally accept 2 or even 3 types of plugs: Two flat pins, Europlug and three flat pins. An adapter could be useful.
10. TIME
Local time is GMT+8
11. INTERNET
Internet access is easy to find and cheap. Most cities, both large and smaller tourist towns, have plenty of internet cafés. An increasing number of coffee shops, restaurants, and hotels provide free wireless inter-net access. Free wi-fi is also available at modern coffee shops such and food joints.
12. TELEPHONE/MOBILE
International dealing code for China is +86. Calling landlines may require a city code. Mobile phone numbers have 11 digits. Taking your own mobile phone to China and getting a SIM card is very easy.
13. STANDARD
MAIL/POSTAGE
China Post is the company responsible for postal service in China. The company can be reached on line at: http://www.post.gov.cn.
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14. CLOTHING
There is no special dress code. Bring warm clothes winter time.
15. WOMEN TRAVELING ALONE
China is regarded as a safe place to travel for both men and women. Female travelers are sometimes more likely to encounter harassment, but uncomfortable situations can often be avoided by taking the following precautions.
Dress conservatively. Although short skirts and tank tops may be comfortable, they may also encourage unwanted attention. Avoid walking alone late at night or in questionable neighborhoods. Do not agree to meet a person whom you do not know in a secluded place.
Be wise and it is unlikely that you will experience any difficulty.
16. HEALTH
The hospitals range from facilities where you can receive world-class healthcare to relatively dirty, poorly equipped and understaffed structures that far more resemble an old converted boarding house than a modern hospital.
Foreign consulates often maintain a list of hospitals they recommend for their citizens.
Western style medical facilities with international staff are available in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and a few other large cities. Many other hospitals in major Chinese cities have so-called VIP wards with reasonably up-to-date medical technology and skilled physicians who typically speak English.
In rural areas, only rudimentary medical facilities are generally available. Medical personnel in rural ar-eas are often poorly trained, have little medical equipment or availability to medications. Rural clinics are often reluctant to accept responsibility for treating foreigners, even in emergency situations.
Medicine
Be aware that hygiene may not be of the highest standards everywhere in China. Bring appropriate medi-cations to deal with problems. Pharmacies abound, most medical products are available. If you have to take special medicines regularly, check with us to make sure they are available.
Hospitals
The US embassy provides a list of hospitals in China at: http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/acs_health.html. Other embassies also have lists on their sites.