China Travel
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Before you Go
PASSPORTS
A valid passport is required for travel in China. Please ensure yours does not expire before or during your holiday. In addition to passports, visitors must hold a valid visa issued by the Chinese authorities prior to entry into China.
VISITOR VISAS
Visas are required for Canadian and U.S. citizens.
Tibet Entry Permission. If you are planning to visit Tibet on your trip to China, you will require a Tibetan Entry Permit. Full passport names, passport photo copy and China Visa Copy is required. The procedure to issue this permit takes at least 10-15 days and due to the political landscape, cannot be guaranteed.
VACCINATIONS
Usually there is no need for evidence of inoculations on entering China, unless you have come from or through an area where an epidemic has broken out recently.
LANGUAGE
The official language is Mandarin, the national tongue. Other widely spoken dialects include Cantonese, Shanghainese, Fujianese and Sichuanese.
English is widely understood in major hotels and the Friendship Stores.
PEOPLE
China is a multi-racial country with 56 ethnic groups. In the long course of its development, all the nationalities have joined in the effort to create the great culture that China represents. Apart from the principal Han nationality, the other 55 ethnic groups, with a total of more than 96.5 million people, constitute roughly 8% of the total population. Those with more than one million people are: Zhang, Hui, Uyghur, Yi, Miao, Manchu, Tibetan, Mongolian, Tujia, Bouyei, Korean, Dong, Yao, Bai and Hani.
China is divided into 22 provinces, 5 Autonomous regions, 4 municipalities under the direct jurisdiction of the Central Government and 2 special administrative regions. The 22 provinces are Hebei, Shanxi, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Fujian, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and Hainan. The 5 autonomous regions are Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Guangxi and Tibet. The 4 municipalities are Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing.
Chinese family names came into being some 5000 years ago. There are more than 5000 family names in China, of which 200/300 are popular. The order of Chinese names is family name first. For example, the family name of a person called Li Ming is Li.
TAXIS
travellers can get a taxi through the local travel agency or hotel service desk. If you speak Chinese, you may call the taxi company directly. Taxi fares are charged according to the cab model and mileage driven. It is not necessary to tip drivers.
TELEPHONES
International Calls: Rooms in hotels are equipped with telephones. There are 2 kinds of international calls: regular and urgent. travellers can make a call by using the hotel room phone and registering the call through the operator. Calls are charged according to the length of the call with a basic unit charge of 3 three minutes. Each additional minute will be charged accordingly.
IDD calls are available at major hotels.
ELECTRICITY
Hotels in China are normally supplied with 220 volt - 50 cycle service. Both the 220 volt (50 cycle, single phase) and 380 volt (three phase) systems are in use throughout China. Visitors who bring hair dryers or electric razors should also bring transformers (110V to 220V) and a three-prong (flat, not round prong) plug.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Use discretion when taking photographs. In principle you can photograph most things except military installations. It is advisable to ask for permission of a subject. It's always wise to avoid having film passed through airport security X-ray equipment. Although Kodak and Fuji films are on sale in China, not all types and sizes are available. It's better to bring your own supply of batteries, flashbulbs, films etc.
TRAVELLERS CHEQUES
Bank of America, Thomas Cook, American Express and 60-odd more travellers' cheques from all over the world are accepted.
CLOTHING
For summer, choose clothes that are light-weight, made of fabrics that breathe in the heat - natural fabrics such as cotton and linen are cooler than synthetics. For spring and fall, dress as you would for these seasons in the temperate latitudes such as Europe and the U.S. Light jackets and sweaters should be adequate, if supplemented by a raincoat.
WHAT NOT TO PACK
Narcotics, pornography, firearms, inflammatory political or evangelical literature, and contraband are all absolutely forbidden.
You certainly need a visa to go to China, make sure your passport has at least 6 months remaining validity and blank pages for visa. We strongly suggest to get a travel insurance too - arrange all these in advance.
Chinese Public Holidays update (there are total 11 days public holiday per year).
-
New Year Day - 1 day public holiday.
- Chinese Lunar New Year (Chinese Spring Festival, the first "Golden Week
Holiday" in the year) - starting from the Lunar New Year Eve for 7 days
(3 public holiday plus two weekends, one before and one after to make a
continued long holiday). Usually in Jan or Feb,
2009 Chinese New Year Day is on 26th Jan. Most shops and restaurants will be closed for about 2 ~ 3 days during the Chinese Lunar New Year, please get shopping ready beforehand if you are in China during the time.
- Tomb Sweeping
Day (tradition Chinese festival, on 5th
April) - 1 day public holiday on 5 April. On this day,
people pay ones respects to the dead. 2009 Tomb Sweeping Day plus 2 days
weekend, the holiday stats from 4 - 6 April.
- May Day - on 1st of May 1 day public holiday
- Dragon Boat Festival (or Duanwu
Festival, traditional Chinese
festival) - 1 day public holiday,
on the 5th day of the lunar month Five.
2009 Dragon Boat Festival day is 28 May (the holiday from 28 - 30 May including weekend).
- The Mid-Autumn Festival (or Moon Festival - traditional festival)
- 1 day public holiday. It's on the 15th day of the lunar month Eight.
2009 Mid-Autumn Festival Day is 3 October.
- The National Day Holiday - 1st, 2nd & 3rd three days public holiday plus 2 weekends, last a week. Also called Golden Holiday. 2009 National Day Golden Week starts from 1 - 8 October (by coincidence, this year's Moon Festival is within the National Day holiday, usually is not)
Above 2 long Chinese Nationwide holidays (Chinese New Year/Spring Festival & National Day), called "Golden Week". Also 1 May holiday. It will be exceptionally busy and crowded everywhere, queuing for everything. Accommodation in the tourist destinations will be much more expensive (can be double even triple the usual prices). Internal air / train tickets also could go up and more difficult to buy. You may not able to get the internal ticket for the days you want.
We strongly suggest that you should really try to avoid above two long public holidays period when you plan your trip to China, unless you have to go for some special reason during these nationwide GOLDEN WEEK holidays time. Also within 2 weeks before and after Chinese New Year, it will be a big wave for travelling from different provinces, because all Chinese migrant workers will be back to the home town for family reunion, train and air tickets are very difficult to buy. This situation will settle become better after 15 days of Chinese New Year.
For business trips, please be aware: you probably won't get any business done from 1 week before the Chinese Lunar New Year until 1 weeks after the Chinese Lunar New Year Holiday (total about 3 weeks time), especially if your business related to any manufacturing. All the factory workers will stop working a week before the Lunar New Year and will come back to work after 15 days of the Lunar New Year (it's Lantern's Festival). It's important thing to remember, otherwise you could waste your time by travelling during this period for business reasons.
Other minor holidays:
- Chinese Lantern holiday (traditional festival)
- on the 15th day of
Chinese Lunar New Year, for family reunion. No official day off, but you may
find that difficult to get any serious job done for business people,
especially in the afternoon. Tourists shouldn't be affected.
- Women's day (8th March) - no official day off,
but many state companies or government departments may offer 1/2 day off for
female employees.
Christmas: You probably will feel some Christmas atmosphere in the hotels and shops, some companies may have Christmas parties, but NO official days off during the Christmas, everyone will be working as usual.
Chinese Currency: Chinese currency is RMB (the abbreviation of Chinese pronunciation "Renminbi"). Also as known as CNY (the abbreviation of "Chinese Yuan"). Chinese people call it "Yuan" or "Kuai". The smaller unit is called "Jiao" or "Mao", then the smallest unit is called "Fen".
Chinese currency is available in various denominations:
100 Yuan, 50 Yuan, 20 Yuan, 10 Yuan and 5 Yuan;
5 Jiao, 2 Jiao and 1 Jiao
5 Fen, 2 Fen and 1 Fen
Coins are available in 1 Yuan, 5 Jiao, 2 Jiao, 1 Jiao, 5 Fen, 2 Fen and 1 Fen
Sometimes 1 Yuan and 5 Jiao can be both notes or coins;
1 Yuan (or Kuai) = 10 Jiao (or Mao)
1 Jiao (or Mao) = 10 Fen
There is no limit to bring the foreign currency into China. If you take a large amount of cash into China (more than 5000 USD), you would need to declare it.
Bureau De Change: Your first opportunity to change money in China is at the airport. It's not easy to find Bureau De Change in China, but you can certainly get your money changed from banks (but not the tiny branches in a small place). Be prepare a long queue in banks.
Cash Machines (ATM): Many Chinese cash machines DO NOT accept foreign card (debit and credit), only some machines can dispense cash. Please make sure the ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) has the correct symbol on it.
Also the cash machines only allow you to take 2000 RMB out each time (some machine allow 2500 RMB each time), but maximum money you can dispense per day is 5000 RMB.
Credit Cards : Foreign tourists can use major credit cards (such as Visa, Master card, American Express...) in big cities and big places. Many hotels (above middle range) accept major international credit cards (such as Visa, Master ...), but some 3 stars may not accept. You can use these credit cards in big Department Stalls (not the Food Hall) in large cities . Most internal flight booking system DO NOT accept foreign cards. Ordinary medium and small restaurants also DO NOT accept foreign credit cards. Please prepare that in China many places take cash only.
Voltage & Socket: Chinese voltage is 220 V, all the sockets require 2 flat pronged plug, please make sure that you have an adaptor.
Phone Cards: There are IP card and IC cards available in the airport as 100 Yuan or 50 Yuan. If you want to use a Chinese SIM card in your mobile phone, then you should unlock your mobile phone before you travel and ensure your phone is a GSM 900 standard.
Travel to Tibet information: Independent foreign travellers are NOT ALLOWED to enter Tibet. "Tibet Entry Permit" is required when you enter Tibet (you need to show this permit when you check in before you fly to Tibet). Also you must travel with an organised tour by qualified travel agency (either a group of tour or a private tour). You CANNOT "buy" the permission from any travel agency. There is no agency can provide Tibet Entry Permit service only, you must really go to Tibet with the tour, otherwise you cannot enter Tibet. Also, in Tibet only the guide can hold your permit, the agency which help you to get the permission (including the guide) are taking big responsibility for it.
Getting Tibet Entry Permit, you would need to provide the copy of valid passport and visa, your name must be exactly same as one on your passport. And you need to tell your occupation (diplomats, journalists, and government officials need more complicated procedure to get a permit). The Entry Tibet Permit fee is about 300 RMB.
Apart from Lhasa, if you want to go other unopened places, you would need an "Aliens Permit".