China - Olympic 2008

Survival China Travel Tips and Tricks

These China Travel Tips, Survival Techniques, will help you get around and make your trip to China easier, so you will be able to experience the real China with a little less stress.

China is an odd beast that needs to be respected; the major cities, Beijing, Shanghai, and Xian, all have their own personalities.

Some complex situations that you think would be an organizational disaster turn out to be great and you wonder afterward what all the fuss and worry was about. Then the simplest of tasks can turn out to be a major calamity.

This is when you have what we call here a “China day”.

These days come and go and are part of the experience of everyday travel in China. One needs to have an open mind when travelling China. It is a place with thousands of years of history and culture that is trying overnight to adapt to Western ways of living.

You need to have a very open mind when you Travel in China.
I have listed below a few China Travel Tips that will make life that wee bit more bearable on your Travel China experience.

China Travel Tips - Be Toilet Wise

Never expect a clean toilet 100% of the time.

Be prepared; Carry some tissue.

You may have to use a squat toilet, again if you know this before hand it is not a shock. If you don’t know how to use a squat toilet, try the following experiment at home.

While holding onto something for support with both hands, lower your body down into a low squat position, so that the cheeks of your bottom is almost touching your heels or the back of your calf. Now, let go with your hands. See if you stay in this position for at least 1 minute. If you fall backwards or you cannot get up, then a squat toilet could be a problem for you! Practice, you will be happy you did.

If you see a clean toilet, Go it may not come again for a while.

There are many public toilets around the cities, usually the ones you pay for are OK, (RMB .5), the others best to stay away from if you can. You will soon notice them as you walk around the cities.

Be warned that public areas like bus and train stations are usually what I class as “tough toilets”, however if gotta go you gotta go.

Outside of the major cities, the toilet systems are old or have very narrow plumbing /pipes and get blocked easily. In these cases a small basket is usually beside the toilet, this is for your used toilet paper.

One of the best China Travel toilet Tips I can give you, is use hotel lobby toilets; these are everywhere and are always clean. Still they may not always have toilet paper. It depends on the class of hotel that you are using.

I do not wish to scare you. However, of all the China Travel Tips in all the other web sites I have read, this is a topic not often mentioned, but it is very important to us all.

So outside of the major cities conditions can be tough. But most of the time everything will be fine, especially if you book a tour; everything will have been checked out before hand. However even the best laid plans can go wrong, so be prepared, the toilets in the smaller cities, towns and villages can be scary.

China Travel Tips - The Food

The food is great and the variety is overwhelming. Most of the time you get to choose what you eat, or you can recognize what you’re eating, however sometimes you do not get a choice. Carry a chocolate bar or something; this will keep you going until some food that you can recognize turns up. Drink bottled or boiled water, as the tap water is NOT safe to drink, this is for the whole of China. Even boiled water, while sterilised can contain a lot of minerals and iron deposits that you probably do not want in your system. The safest bet is to drink bottle water. Tap water in most big cities is OK for brushing teeth.

Eating habits - Most Chinese people have a great habit of being very noisy when they eat and lunch and dinner times can be a wonderfully noisy celebration, food tends to go in all directions, its just part of being in China.

People also smoke at the table while everyone is eating, so some restaurants get very loud and smoky.

If you get stuck what to order as most of the menu’s are in Chinese just look at the table next to you and point to the dish you fancy and ask how much it is, this system works really well and know seems to mind.

I have a basic menu that will help you order safe food, (no Cats or Dog) this will enable you to visit a larger selection of restaurants, not just the tourist ones with high prices. You can carry it with you and use it in the local restaurants where most will be able to serve what is on it. This way you will know what you are eating.

These local places are very cheap and the food it great. Contact me if you would like me to send it to you.

China Travel Tips - Taxis

China Travel Tips- Taxis - Taxis are an experience that can have you griping the seat and gasping for breath; however you soon get used to it, after the first few rides, you’re an old hand.

The taxis in Shanghai are, overall, quite good. Try to get the Blue, Blue’ish Turquoise, Gold and White taxis, these are the best these are the four major taxi companies and are generally recognised by their single colour paintwork. The others are OK, just older and a rougher ride (the others also may have faulty metres). No drivers will speak English.

Carry your hotel or accommodation business card with you, written in Chinese, this helps if you get lost walking around town.

In all the taxis around the country you will see the drivers name and taxi registration number in plain sight. If you have any problem, or if you think you have been over charged etc, just take this number down, make a big fuss about it, and the driver then should wake up and fix whatever problem you have. Even better is to take the receipt. This has all the trip details on it and you can ring the taxi company if you want to take things further or if you’ve left something in the taxi.

The government takes rip-off drivers in all cities, Beijing and Xian especially, very seriously and if you complain they will lose their license. This is their livelihood. So far I have had not one driver in 3 years that has not backed down and we have then agreed a price for the trip or solved our problem.

In Shanghai, it is common practice for taxi fare increases after 11pm. However, one can usually bargain for a 20% discount, which will get the fare back to the pre-11pm rate.
Be strong with the taxi drivers, never-the-less, keep your cool, smile and negotiate.

China Travel Tips - Shopping

China Travel Tips - Shopping - China is a shopper’s paradise, Markets, Bargains; Top labels anything and everything if you have the time. With clothes, the larger (Western) sizes can be quite hard to find, however in the major cities where you get a lot of tourist traffic, you can find them.

Electrical gear, DVD’s, Cameras, stuff like this is not worth buying in China, Hong Kong is still the best place for this.

Store hours in the major cities are from 10am to 10pm, 7 days a week.

Visa card is still the best card to carry, with ATM’s in good supply all with PLUS access etc.
There is usually a surcharge for use of VISA, MasterCard or other forms of credit card.

Wait on purchasing if you can, look around to get a feel for the prices. The Chinese are VERY experienced at selling and know that we halve the opening price when bargaining.
In the markets go for 25% of what they first ask; go so low that they let you walk away. This will give you an idea of the bottom price. The resulting end-price will probably be around 40% to 50% of where they started.

Whatever the market people say, they are used to pushing and haggling for best prices. Do not worry about being too hard, they are used to it and will not sell you an item unless they make a profit. Don’t be concerned with the apparently hurt body language when you go low - it is all part of the game. As soon as they have wrapped up your first purchase, they will try to sell you something more. Remember to keep smiling and having fun while bargaining.

China Travel Tips - Medical Treatment and Records

Most hotels will have a doctor that you can see. In the major hotels English will be spoken.

Always take a small first aid kit, cold remedy, headache tablets at the very least. WATSONS is a very large chain chemist. Most of the remedies, tablets etc, that you may require should be in these shops. These shops are all over China.

There is a great network of pharmacy type shops; these are indicated by a Green Cross. There will always be a 24 hr Green Cross pharmacy in the city you are in. It is handy to carry a Phase book, as no one will speak English, however you will end up with something that will help.

INPORTANT POINT - for most of the mass produced packet type medicines, the packaging will be written in Chinese on one side, English on the other. However in the shops you only see the Chinese side. Have a good look, turn the packs over, it gives you a lot more confidence knowing you can read the package.

If you have a specific medical issue, take records, most of the Doctors will have OK written / reading English, even though their oral English will be poor.

China Travel Tips - Telephone

Using the phone is as easy as at home. However the person picking it up will not speak English or have very broken English the Major 4- or 5-Star Hotels will all be OK.

What is worth doing is buying a Chinese Telecom SIM card, they are about RMB100 and with this you get RMB50 in calls, the other 50 is for the price of the SIM card; this SIM card will go into all major brand phones and work OK.

By doing this, people can reach you within and out of China if there is an emergency. If you have a couple of phones, you can short (txt) message each other (SMS). Also you are able to call your tourist guide, hotel etc if you have any major problems. It is a cheap way to keep in touch.

NB.Before you buy a Chinese SIM card, check that it will work in your Cell / Mobile phone. There are plenty of China Telecom shops that can help.

China Travel Tips on when NOT to move around China.

Spring Festival, this would be the Chinese New Year time, around the end of January / Early February

Early May; Labour day Holidays

Early October; National Day Holidays

Of all the China Travel Tips National Day is the biggest one. Millions of Chinese travel at these holiday times of the year. Most are travelling back to home towns or visiting family. Hotels, trains, planes, cars, buses, and roads are all crowded to the maximum. Major congestion, everywhere.

Also travel fares are at their full price. No discounts are offered!
Stay in one place and enjoy where you are. It’s best and causes fewer hassles.

China Travel Tips - TV

If you want to watch TV, most of the major hotels will have cable and if you are in the smaller places, the national channel, CCTV9 is in English. Over the last couple of years it has got a lot better, with some great China Travel Tips programs, news and views on people and places around China.

China Travel Tips - Airport Tax

There is a “construction fee” at almost all airports.

Domestic flights RMB 50
International flights RMB 90 - which is to be paid in local currency.

Just recently, tickets are being tissued with the Construction Tax included; however make sure you have the Tax money with you just to make sure.

I hope some of these China Travel Tips will come in handy and will make your trip to China that little bit easier.

If you have been to China and wish to share your China Travel Tips, please feel free to contact me anytime.

John Mckenna

http://www.Travel-the-Real-China.com

Tags: beijing, China Travel Hainan island, China Travel tips, Travel in China, travel to china, xianbeijing, China Travel Hainan island, China Travel tips, Travel in China, travel to china, xian

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Located in the west Sichuan Basin of Southwestern China, Chengdu was once cited by a magazine as the most stress-free city in China. Bestowed with rich rainfall, fertile land, and a low cost of living, Chengdu is imbued with an atmosphere of ease and comfort, evident in its residents’ leisurely manner. The particularity of the region is also perceivable in the local dishes, teahouses and, most of all, in the women of Chengdu. Visitors to Chengdu therefore like to amble around the city, enjoying the exuberant and inexpensive life style, rather than rushing around the scenic spots.

Chengdu is well known for its Sichuan cuisine. Compared with Guangdong dishes, those of Sichuan are equally delicious, but more homely, and the gastronomic pleasure they bring never palls. In China, twice-cooked pork (huiguorou) and diced pork with peanuts in hot spicy sauce (gongbaorouding) are available in most restaurants, and are among the most frequently ordered dishes.

People in different cities have diverse tastes in food: Beijing people enjoy elaborate banquets to bolster their self-esteem; for Shanghainese, the environment and atmosphere of a restaurant take priority over the food, as dining is only a means through which to flaunt their refined taste. People from Guangdong, on the other hand, are solely concerned about the stuff of the repast. As for the people of Chengdu, flavor is of utmost importance. Chengdu people love to try food that is new and in vogue. They will travel the length of the city just to taste a newly devised dish in an out-of-the-way eatery, and local restaurants are adept at coming up with an endless supply of exotic dishes to entice new customers. Once a dish comes into vogue, diners swarm to try it, and it is soon available in almost every restaurant in the city.

Chengdu food is hot, spicy, succulent, and crisp. On Wangping Street, Meiling Road and Yangxixian Street, are numerous restaurants serving hot-pot and original Chengdu dishes. Among them, the three run by scholars are most distinctive. Chuandong Laojia (Eastern Sichuan Hometown) was founded by Er Mao, a poet of the Miao ethnic minority. Having inherited his mother’s cooking skills, he developed a series of new dishes that blend the flavor of Sichuan and Miao ethnic food. The Xiangjichu, which was established by another poet, Li Yawei, enjoys brisk business for its savory dishes and rustic-style service, and He Nong, a man of letters, is an exponent of home cooking, and has created the trademark of new-style Sichuan dishes — Baguo Buyi (Sichuan Commoner).

One very popular leisure pursuit in China is tea drinking, and the teahouse is an indispensable feature in the life of Chengdu people. As cafes and bars supersede teahouses in other Chinese cities advancing towards modern metropolis status, most of the traditional teahouses still do a good trade in Chengdu, the most celebrated being the one inside the Great Mercy Temple.

It is said that the Great Mercy Temple was the first place that Du Fu, eminent poet of the Tang Dynasty, visited after arriving in Chengdu, and that he ate the free porridge given to the homeless there. In the dynasties following, the temple served as both a Buddhist sanctum and a place of recreation for both officials and the populace. It is only in Chengdu that Buddhism and human society blend harmoniously. Today a Chengdu Museum and teahouse have been built inside the Great Mercy Temple. After ordering a pot of jasmine tea at a nominal five yuan charge, the customer may spend the whole day in the traditional-style teahouse, with its winding corridors, carved beams, painted pillars, and broad fanlight. Waiters serve tea in a particularly skillful manner, from a distance with a long-spouted brass teapot, from which a narrow arc of hot water pours directly into the cup without spilling a drop. Besides tea, breakfast, lunch and dinner, a full range of Sichuan dishes is also served at the Great Mercy Teahouse. Casting a glance around the parlor, you may see young lovers billing and cooing, middle-aged men reading the newspaper, and elders tending their pet birds.

The teahouses in Chengdu reveal a particular attitude towards life: that of acquiring the best service at the least cost. Social demarcation within the social strata is blurred in the teahouse. Sipping tea at the same table, people from different regions become friends.

The carefree life in Chengdu greatly benefits local women, who are generally of a sweet and charming nature. A Chengdu-based writer has portrayed Chengdu girls in this way: “Chengdu girls sound delectable and tender, even when they are squabbling. Many of my friends are true Chengdu women. Despite having different dispositions and interests, they all radiate feminine charm.”

Tags: Chengdu, Chengdu Travel, China travelChengdu, Chengdu Travel, China travel

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Today’s Beijing is truly a “capital city of exhibitions and folk custom festivals”, and a metropolis that is full of characteristics and styles of its ancient customs and modern vigor. In addition to the celebrations of the traditional festivals every year, there are also many national or even international exhibitions held here. For instance, the once a year Beijing international books exhibition, automobile exhibition, communication exhibition and so on, as well as performances and displays put on by the world’s top level artists.

During Spring Festival (Chinese New Year)l, traditional folk custom festivals such as temple fair, flower show, lantern festival are pretty centralized; additionally there are also Moon Festival, ice sculpture festival, Da Guan Yuan welcome spring festival, kite festival, watermelon festival, peach blossom festival, red leaves festival and various appealing food fairs or festivals that depict a picture of rich natural conditions and social customs. As a first time traveler to Beijing, your eyes surely cannot take in all those multitude of names of festivals, fairs, and distinctive exhibitions. Beyond having experienced Beijing’s deep, distant character of being an ancient capital, you will also deeply feel the fast pace in this internationalized metropolis. Teach you a unique skill here: buy a Beijing Evening Newspaper or a shopping guide newspaper for high-quality goods, there is always detailed timely information about all sorts of exhibitions.

Where to go to kill time between 9pm to 5am? Sanlitun or Chaoyang park? The number of Beijing’s bars, dancing ballrooms, and clubs is over thousands, needless to say there will be some difficulties if you want to check them all. It is wise to look for several entertainment centers that are of unique in styles. The happiest, the most mysterious, and the most romantic scenes will all be here for you to enjoy. But wait, there is one special rule to remind you: you have to be 18 or older in order to get in these adult recreation areas.

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Tags: beijing, beijing travel, China, china culture, China travel, china traveling, travel, travelingbeijing, beijing travel, China, china culture, China travel, china traveling, travel, traveling

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