China Travel Planning Tips - National Vacation / Holiday Times

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.

During above public holidays, especially the 2 Golden Week holidays (Chinese New Year/Spring Festival & National Day), 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 than 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 if it's short notice.

We strongly suggest that you should really try to avoid above holidays period (especially the 2 Golden Week Holidays) when you plan your trip to China, unless you have to go for some special reason during these nationwide 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 from the cities they work. 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.

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".

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

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. Look for the ATM in or out of the big bank.

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 in China 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".

1. Hotel check in: Most of Chinese hotels take certain extra money as "deposit" or "surety" when you check in. This is actually a prepayment of using the paid items in the room or have a long distance phone bill during the stay. Also in case there is any damage in the room during the stay. If you didn't have extra cost or didn't damage anything, you will get the extra deposit back when check out. Different hotels have different deposit amount and different policy for the in advanced payment on check in. This way sometimes confuse many foreign travellers especially they booked via online booking agent and paid booking deposit/reservation fee already.

Please carefully keep your booking confirmation (it should has the payment details), and understand the Chinese hotel prepayment system, then you can work out and avoid confusion on check out.

2. Public service opening hours: All Chinese banks, post offices are open 7 days a week. Department stores are usually open from 08:30 am (or 09:00 ) until 21:00 (or 22:00 pm on weekends). Public holidays also open, even longer. It's different from many Western countries. Restaurants, bars are also open until very late (in big cities and tourist towns). Museums and are usually close on Mondays.

3. Chinese prices: not everything is cheap in China, some things could be much more expensive than New York and London price, such as a cup of coffee or red tea (with milk), especially in the tourist cities/towns/airports, please prepare for this. Taxi cost is cheap.

4. The things which are not cheap in China: western style drinks and food, international brand products including electronic gadgets and cloths.

5. For the non-smokers: Most hotels and restaurants and many other public places do not specially have non-smoking area or rooms. So be prepare that there are may very common for someone smokes in a restaurant or bar, and no one would stop them.

6. Chinese mattresses: As a western traveller, you probably find that in most of the hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, the mattresses are firmer than Western countries. This is very typical situation travelling in China, especially in those ancient towns and those antique beds. If you feel your bed is too hard for your, try to ask hotel staff to give you extra duvet or a blanket to put underneath of the bedding. The local people are so used to the firm bed, do not see this is a problem.

7. Public WC: You will see that more than half public WC have typical Chinese type of toilets. But some WCs may have 1 western toilet unit for the elders. Also while you travel in China, make sure that always have the toilet paper or pack of tissue in your pocket (many WCs do not provide paper).

8. Try to get your hotel address in Chinese characters before you go to China: Although your hotel or B&B may send you the address in Chinese PINYIN (or already on the website). But Chinese people do not use PINYIN in daily life (only for young children start to learn the language in the school). The way for many foreigners to write (letters without four tones on the top) are not proper Pinyin, it's hard to guess the correct words especially for the addresses and names. The same pronunciation could be many different characters, so to avoid trouble and frustration, please try to get proper Chinese characters for the places you want to go, and show the taxi driver or local people CHINESE VERSION address. Most taxi drivers do not speak English. The PINYIN or English address are not much use for Chinese people. You may see that some street name display Pinyin as well as Chinese, but this would be only in the popular touristy areas, it was specially for tourists since last 5 - 10 years, but not everywhere.

9. How to use chopsticks: In most ordinary Chinese restaurants, you won't be able to get fork & knife. You would have to use the chopsticks for the meal. See the picture below for the correct way to hold them.

10. Drinking Water: We do not recommend to drink tap water. You should always drink boiled water or mineral water.

If you have the habit to drink red tea with milk (especially British travellers), then remember to pack some tea bags and milk powder with you before you travel. Most hotel rooms DO NOT provided "Red Tea" and fresh milk, only Chinese tea in the room.

11. Useful numbers: Following numbers are all in Chinese language first. If you speak English, then they may transfer you to the English speaking person.

In China, according to the Chinese pronunciation, certain numbers are either very popular or unpopular.
Lucky numbers: "8" sounds similar to a Chinese word which means getting rich. Number "6" symbolizes doing things very smoothly.

Unlucky number is "4", because it sounds very close to the Chinese word "death". So telephone numbers, car number plates with 4s are not popular. Even the SIM card numbers, you will find that the more "4"s it has got, the cheaper price it is.

Same theory, more "8"s and "6"s in the number (such as phone number or car number plate) the expensive they are.

13. Taxis: the taxis are quite easy to get in big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, and very cheap compare to western taxi prices. But if you go to an address which is not well know, it's better to get the address copied in Chinese (could ask your hotel staff to write it for you). Most taxi drivers do not speak English, if you show them the address in English it may not be very useful. And the taxi drivers do not have the habit to read maps either.

14. Useful Chinese Phrases (pronounced in Chinese Pinyin): It will be much more convenient to be able to say some Chinese phrases when you are in China.

English	Chinese Pronunciation	Chinese Character
General:
Hello or Hi,	Nǐhǎo
Thank you.	Xièxie
You are welcome	Búkèqi (to reply "thank you").
I'm sorry.	Duìbùqǐ
That's all right	Méiguānxi (to reply "sorry")
Ok or That's fine .	Hǎoba or Kéyǐ
Yes.	Shì
No.	Búsì or Bùkěyǐ
Not good.	Bùhǎo
Good bye.	Zàijiàn
Do you speak English?	Nǐ shuō yīngyǔ ma?
Directions:
I would like to go to the Badaling Great Wall.	Wǒ xiǎng qù Bādálǐng chángchéng
Where is this place?	Zhèlǐ shì nǎer?
How can I get to the Forbidden City?	Dào Gùgōng zěnmèzǒu?
Is it far?	Yuǎnma?
Where is the lavatory, please?	Qǐngwèn wèi shēng jiān zài nǎer?
Is there any cash machine near by?	Fǔjìn yǒu tikuanjī ma?
Where is the nearest bank?	Qǐngwèn zuìjìn de yínháng zàinǎer?
Please take me to the airport	Qing song wo qu jichang
Please take me to the railway staition	Qing song wo qu huochezhan
Bargaining:
How much?	Duō shǎo qián?
Too expensive	Tài guì le.
Can you give me a discount?	Néng piányì yìdiǎn ma?
I'll take it.	Wǒ yào le.
I don't want it.	Wǒ búyào.
Can I have a receipt?	Néng gěiwǒ kāi fāpiào ma? or "Wǒ yào fāpiào"
In the restaurant/Bar/Teahouse:
I would like a glass of beer	Qǐng géi wǒ lái bēi píjiǔ or just "Yìbēi píjiǔ"
I would like a cup of tea	Wǒ yào yìbēi chá.
I would like to order a roast duck	Qǐng lái yìzhī kǎoyā.
I'm a vegetarian	Wo Chi Su
No MSG please	Qing bu yao jia wei jing
I'm allergic to MSG	Wo dui wei jing guo min
That's all	Jiù yào zhèxiē or "Gòule".
The bill please	Qǐng jié zhàng.
Do you accept credit card?	Nǐmén shōu xìnyòngkǎ ma?
Introduce:
My name is John Smith	Wǒ jiào John Smith
This is may wife Mary	Zhèshì wǒde fūrén Mary
We are British	Wǒmén shì yīngguórén

English	Chinese Pinyin	Chinese Character
Bank	Yínháng
Cash	Xiànjīn
Credit card	Xìnyòngkǎ
Cash machine	Tíkuǎnjī
Restaurant	Cāntīng
Subway / Metro	Dìtiě
Subway / Metro Station	Dìtiě zhàn
Bus stop	Qìchē zhàn
Pubic toilet	Wèshēngjiān
Flight	Fēijī
Train	Huǒchē
Taxi	Chūzūchē
Long distance bus	Chángtúqìchē
Shop	Shāngdiàn
Supermarket	Chāoshì
Hospical	Yīyuàn
Hotel	Jiǔdiàn
Police	Jǐngchá
Ticket Office	Shòupiàochù
Ticket	Piào
Receipt	Fāpiào

Preparing for Travel to China