Archive-name: travel/china-guide/part3
Url: http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china
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CHINA - Peter M. Geiser's Hotel and Travel Guide
China is a superb tourist destination with a rich history and an
enormous number of sights. Home to numerous different ethnic groups,
it offers a cultural variety that is not found elsewhere. China's
major cities Beijing, Shanghai, Xian and Guangzhou are all worth a
trip alone.
But China is not only a giant of tourism, it is in the middle of an
economic boom that makes China one of the leading nations in the
world.
Places
Beijing
Chang Cheng (Great Wall)
Chang Jiang (Yangtse)
Chengde
Chengdu
Chongqing
Dali
Emei
Forbidden City
Guangzhou (Canton)
Guilin
Hangzhou
Hekou
Huang Shan
Jiuzhaigou
Kashgar
Khotan
Kunming
Lijiang
Luoyang
Nanjing
Qingdao
Shanghai
Shaolin Monastery
Shenzhen
Suzhou
Urumqi
Wuhan
Xian
Yangshuo
Literature and Other Information
Associated with Amazon.
Country Guides
Regional Guides
German Language Guidebooks
Maps
Travel Reports
Language
Culture
Biographies
History and Politics
Business
Classics
Novels
Books on Shanghai
Movies
For recommended books, please check out the web version at
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china
General Information
Border Crossing
Climate
Embassies
Events
Food
Geographical Information
Health
History
Hotels
Internet Access
Mail
Money
People
Safety
Telephone
Visa
Transportation
Bicycle
Boat
Bus
Flying
Train
Copyright (c) 1995 - 2003, Peter M. Geiser
http://www.pmgeiser.ch
http://www.pmgeiser.com
http://www.mineralwaters.org
http://www.dussy.ch
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BORDER CROSSING
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/general/border.htm
Local and foreign currency up to the equivalent of USD 5000 may be
imported or exported. It is advised (or sometimes even enforced) to
declare your valuable goods, like cameras, video recorders, money,
etc.
Hong Kong
An easy way to cross into China is by way of Hong Kong. There are
several possibilities: by plane, by train, by bus of by boat. There
are four planes daily that take 35 minutes and cost HKD 500. The
trains take some 2.5 hours, while the bus need 4.5 hours. Between
Shenzhen and the border is the KCRC, a kind of subway. It costs HKD
35. Get off at Lo Wu and walk 5 minutes to Shenzhen.
There are several boats between Hong Kong and the mainland. Two boats
to Gunagzho are available, a jetfoil (3 hours), and an overnight ferry
(about HKD 300.)
There is a boat between Shanghai and Hong Kong. It takes three days
and provides relaxation between two bustling cities.
Korea
There is a ferry between Inchon and Tianjin. It runs on the 2, 7, 12,
17, 22, 27 th every month from Inchon and 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 th
from Tianjin. It costs one way about USD 115-220 for second class and
USD 250 for first.
Between Inchon and Weihai the ferry takes 17 hours. It departs every
Wednesday and Saturday on 16:00 from Inchon and on 17:00 every Monday
and Thursday. Prices are USD 90 economy, USD 110 for second class, and
USD 130 for first.
Japan
There is a ferry service between Nagasaki and Shanghai. The ferry
doesn't run every day.
Leave Nagasaki 10:00
Arrive Shanghai 16:00 Next Day
Leave Shanghai 11:00
Arrive Nagasaki 9:00 Two Days Later
The fares for one way and one person are per berth:
Special A class JPY 41000
Special B class JPY 37000
1A class JPY 30600
1B class JPY 25200
2B class JPY 20700
Another ferry service runs from Kobe to Tianjin. It leaves every noon
and arrives at 2 pm two days later. The cheapest berths cost USD 200.
There is also a ferry between Kobe and Osaka and Shanghai.
Vietnam
It is possible to cross from Vietnam at Ping Xiang. The railway
doesn't run through, however, so you have to walk or take a short ride
on a motorcycle until you reach the train station at Ping Xiang.
From Kunming there is a train to Hekou where you can cross the bridge
(by foot) to Lao Cai. The train leaves at 14:45 and arrives the next
morning at 7:00 in Hekou. There you will have to wait until the
customs office opens at 8:00.
Another open border station is DongXing / Mong Cai. To enter Vietnam,
you will have an international vaccination book or pay a small
surcharge. You will have to get off the train, cross the border, and
get on again.
Myanmar (Burma)
The border from/to Myanmar is open for travellers, but you'll probably
still have to convince the officials to let you through.
Presumably it should be possible to enter Myanmar without having your
passport stamped by both the Chinese and the Burmese. Of course, this
means that you'll have to return to China again (and only need one
visa). Of course, this is completely illegal, and I'm not sure how the
officials might react.
Kasachstan
The border from /to Kasachstan is open for travellers.
Kirgistan
The border from /to Kirgistan is open for travellers.
Pakistan
It is possible to enter China by way of the Khunjerab Pass. Take a
local bus and be at the border before 6 pm.
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CLIMATE
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/general/climate.htm
China is a huge country with a big variety of local climates. There is
not really a 'best' time to visit.
The north is rather dry, and quite cold in the winter.
In the south, the summers are hot and humid. The rainy season is
between July and September. There are even occasionally typhoons.
For average temperatures and rainfall, see in the section for the
appropriate destinations. Temperature and rainfall charts are
available for the following cities:
Beijing
Chengde
Chengdu
Chongqing
Dali
Emei Shan
Guangzhou
Guilin
Hangzhou
Huang Shan
Kashgar
Kunming
Luoyang
Nanjing
Shanghai
Shenzhen
Suzhou
Urumqi
Wuhan
Xian
Yangshuo
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EMBASSIES
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/general/_embassy.htm
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EVENTS
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/general/events.htm
Below I have listed several events, some traditional and held since
thousands of years, and others that are quite new. The list of events
is by no means complete, but the most important ones are listed.
Although they are generally ordered according to their place in the
Western calendar, there may be some deviations from this rule since
many festivals follow the lunar Chinese calendar.
Guangzhou Flower Market
This colourful market is held each year during the last three days of
the Chinese year (i.e. three days before Chinese New Year).
Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) occurs according to the old
Chinese calender which follows the lunar year. It usually is held at
the beginning of February. New Year is the most important of all
Chinese festivals and has a very old tradition. The origin date back
to at least the Xia-dynasty (21st to 16th centruy BC).
It officially lasts for three days, but many people take off the whole
week. Preparations to the festival include memorials for the ancestors
and displaying new-years-pictures and -scrolls. Main activities during
the New Year celebrations are frightening away the ghosts with as many
firecrackers as possible and visits of relatives and friends. Dragon
and lion dances and Yangge dances are performed and there are lantern
exhibitions. The traditional food are Jiaozi (Chinese Ravioli) and
moon cakes, together with New Year's wine.
Hotel rooms will get very scarce and expensive.
The next Chinese New Years will be:
5 February 2000 Saturday Dragon
24 January 2001 Wednesday Snake
12 February 2002 Tuesday Horse
1 February 2003 Saturday Sheep
22 January 2004 Thursday Monkey
9 February 2005 Wednesday Cock
29 January 2006 Sunday Dog
18 February 2007 Sunday Pig
7 February 2008 Thursday Mouse
26 January 2009 Monday Ox
14 February 2010 Sunday Tiger
Lantern Festival
Held two weeks after New Year. Although not a public holiday, it is
celebrated all over China. It marks the end of the New Year's
celebrations. Since the time of the Song dynasty, Yuanxiao (cakes made
of sticky rice with sweet stuffing) are eaten.
Hainan Coconut Festival
Held in the first decade of April on Hainan. This festival was held
the first time in 1992 to promote Hainan's coconuts.
Guanyin's Birthday
Moon based Buddhist festival, late March to late April.
Boat Meeting in Qintong
4 - 6 April, in Yangzhou in Jiangsu province. During the festival,
boats meet on Qinghu lake. People dress in traditional costumes. A
dragen boat race is held as well.
Water-Splashing Festival
Helad annually during 13 - 15 April, this Buddhist festival is held in
Jinghong, Xishuangbana, Yunnan. It is the new year celebration of the
Dai minority. According to the legend, a long time ago a fire demon
wanted to force seven Dai girls to be his wives. Being a fire demon,
everything he touched cought fire. So the seven girls extinguished the
fire with water, killing the demon.
Ching Ming
The Tomb Sweeping Day is held in April. Chinese families tend
the graves of their ancestors.
International Labour Day
1 May
Mazu's Birthday
Moon based Buddhist festival, May or June
Dragon Boat Festival
Observed primarily in the south-west of China, the Dragon Boat
Festvals are staged usually at the 5th day of the 5th lunar month
(June). Particularly colourful is the one in Hong Kong.
Anniversary of the Communist Party
1 July
Anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army
1 August
Ghost Month
Buddhist festival held around late August to late September.
Birthday of Confucius
28 September. In Qufu, the birth place of Confucius, there is a large
Confucius festival held from 26 September to 10 October. The great
philisopher and pedagoge was born in 551 B.C. and has made an impact
that lasts until today.
National Day
1 October. The People's Republic of China was founded in 1949.
Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
Buddhist festival held in October
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FOOD
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/general/food.htm
China has a variety of different local cuisines. It can be categorized
into the following main areas: Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan and
Cantonese. Shanghaiese and Cantonese are dominated by sea food,
whereas the northern Beijing style is leaning more towards
noodles. Sichuan is very spicy.
Huo Guo
The Mongolian Firepot is available in Sichuan and in the north. It is
really hot (spicy), and certainly worth the experience.
Yoghurt
China has some of the best yoghurt I ever had. They are sold on the
street in glasses and you drink (!) them with a straw. Make sure to
return the glass.
Don't drink tap water. Even in the smallest guest houses in the
remotest villages there are thermos bottles with boiled water. It is
used to drink tea. Instead drink tea, mineral water, or soft drinks.
Apart from the well known American products like Coca Cola, Pepsi
Cola, etc. there are many local versions of sweet lemonade. They are
much cheaper and cause no health problems.
Beer
There are numerous local brands available, the most famous being
Tsingdao. They are not only cheaper than the foreign ones, but most of
the time even better. Some brands I liked most: Yanqing, Nanqing,
Emei. Avoid 'Pacific Ocean'; personally, I would prefer the real thing
(i.e. the Pacific Ocean water).
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GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/general/geography.htm
Area 9'596'960 km²
Capital Beijing
Borders Afghanistan (76 km), Bhutan (470 km), Hong Kong (30 km),
India (3380 km), Kazakhstan (1533 km), North Korea
(1416 km), Kyrgyzstan (858 km), Laos (423 km), Macao
(0.34 km), Mongolia (4673 km), Myanmar (2185 km), Nepal
(1236 km), Pakistan (523 km), Russia (northeast)
(3605 km), Russia (northwest) (40 km), Tadshikistan
(414 km), Vietnam (1281 km)
coastline 14500 km
Islands over 5000, the largest Hainan in the south.
Highest point Zhumulamafeng (Mt. Everest), 8848 m
Rivers over 1500, Changjiang 6300 km, Huanghe 5464 km
Time GMT plus eight hours
Measures Metric
Electricity 220 V, 50 Hz
In the Web-version of the Internet Travel Guide at
http://www.pmgeiser.ch there would be a map right here.
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HEALTH
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/general/health.htm
This section intends to give some advice on health issues in South
East Asia. It does not cover all possibilities and in case of problems
you certainly still should visit a qualified medical doctor. This is
especially true for vaccinations.
Depending on the country you are travelling, medical facilities may
not be widely available. This is true especially for Cambodia, Laos
and Myanmar. China and Vietnam does have a wide variety of medicines,
but you may not be familiar with them. In case of serious troubles
consider leaving the country and going to a place with good facilites
(e.g. Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc.)
Chinese people are very aware of health problems. The Chinese medicine
is world famous and obtainable even in the smallest villages and also
many of the surrounding countries (e.g. Vietnam). However, Western
medicine is not very widely available.
Doctors and hospitals normally expect immediate cash payment.
If you regularly need some medicine, bring enough of it with you since
chances are that you will not get the same or a replacement for it. It
is also recommended to bring one or two clean needles in case of an
emergency.
Be carful not to drink water directly from the tap. Although it is not
a problem anymore in big cities like Shanghai, depending on your
resistance it is better to be safe than sorry. Especially in China,
even the smallest guest houses in the remotest villages there are
thermos bottles with boiled water. It is used to drink tea. However,
if you follow the rule of "cook it , boil it, peel it, or forget it",
you can eat and drink from any restaurant or street stall and
ridiculous things (at least for people with an average stomach) like
bringing your own chopsticks is really not necessary.
AIDS
AIDS is a serious threat in many countries.
According to recent figures by UNAIDS, the United Nations program,
about half of Cambodia's prostitutes are HIV positive. The total
figure of the population with the disease is estimated at 120'000,
with the most explosive growth in Asia. Aids iis also increasing
rapidly in other countries.
Malaria
The four essential steps when dealing with malaria are:
Awareness: know about the risk of malaria.
Bites by mosquitoes: prevent or avoid.
Compliance with appropriate chemoprophylaxis.
Diagnose breakthrough malaria swiftly and obtain treatment promptly.
Malaria (from Italian 'mala aira', bad air) is a life-threatening
disease and a major health risk for travelers visiting tropical
countries. It occurs when small parasites are passed from one person
to another by the bites of certain mosquitoes (Anopheles). The
parasites use red blood cells to breed and finally cause their
decay. This decay causes fever and eventually a lack of oxygen which
can, in case of a malaria cerebral, cause brain damage. Depending on
the type of malaria these fever shocks appear every three (malaria
tertiana) or four (malaria quartana) days. Death rate of malaria can
be up to 2%.
There have been many discussions on how to best deal with it and even
the doctors have not yet agreed on a single opinion.
Probably the best paper describing malaria and its prevention and cure
is from the PHLS Malaria Reference Laboratory of the London School of
Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and can be found at:
http://www.phls.co.uk/publications/CDRreview/cdrr1097.pdf
Dr. Arlene Goldman published an excellent guide to the various drugs
used in malaria treatment and lists region with malaria resistance.
The URL is
http://www.publinet.it/pol/malaria.htm
Bilharzia
The parasitic infection bilharzia (schistosomiasis) is caught by
contact with river water. You do not have to drink the water or swim
in the river, just getting wet may be enough. The microscopic
parasites in the water burrow into your skin and cause a damage to the
liver and other organs. It is a chronic debilitation disease. The most
dangerous region is in south Laos (south of Pakse) and in Cambodia.
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HISTORY
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/general/history.htm
(Thanks to Wuchun for this section)
A brief Chinese chronology
Xia about 2100 b.c. -- 1600 b.c.
*Hua Xia is used today by Chinese referring to China
Shang about 1600 b.c. -- 1100 b.c.
*There is a very famous ancient book (written in Ming)
about the end of Shang _Feng1 Shen2 Yan3 Yi4_
(Yan Yi == historical novel)
Zhou
Western Zhou about 1100 b.c. -- 771 b.c.
Eastern Zhou 770 b.c. -- 226 b.c.
Spring/Autumn 770 b.c. -- 476 b.c.
Warring States 475 b.c. -- 221 b.c.
*Western and eastern Zhou are the same dynasty, ruled by the
same family. The difference was eastern Zhou moved the capital
to an eastern city.
*Spring/Autumn time was one of the most important time in Chinese
history. Most Chinese philosophies developed at this time. Among
them are: Confucianism and Taoism.
*_Art of War_ was written at this time by Sun Zi
*Eastern Zhou was very weak, and was divided into lots of smaller
states (and bigger states, such as Jin, was later divided into
several states) fighting with each other.
*The account of this period of history was later written by
Sima Qian of Han dynasty. Shi3 Ji4 is one of the best Chinese
history and literature book. Lots of its section were in the
literature text book. Every Chinese is supposed to read it :)
*Another book, "Dong Zhou Li Guo Zi" (How Eastern Zhou States
Created), is supposed to be the text book for politicians.
Qin 221 b.c. -- 207 b.c.
*Perhaps the darkest time in Chinese history. Qin was one of the
warring state, but managed to united China again. The worst
thing they did was all the books were ordered to be burned.
*Qin started building the Great Wall, although the one we see now
was rebuilt much later in Ming.
Han
Western Han 206 b.c. -- 24
Eastern Han 25 -- 220
*Again, the two are considered to be the same dynasty. Eastern
Han had its capital in todays Luo-yang (Luo is a river. Yang
refers to the shadow of river bank here, which means north of
river Luo) which is EAST of the old capital, todays Xian.
*The so called Han Chinese used when trying to distinguish other
minorities inside China came from here.
*China became strong at this time, especially after Wu Di.
*Dong Zhongsu advised Wu Di to use Confucianism as the ONLY
philosophy. Other novel ideas developed at eastern Zhou
was only discouraged, but outlawed. I list Dong most worst
only next to Qin Shi Hunag.
*China had many wars with Hun on north. Wu Di started a new way
of solving the problem: sending his daughter as wife of Hun Khan.
[According to Jin, Wu Di stopped the custom of sending his
daughter to the huns. He defeated them after 40 years of battle.]
Three Kingdoms
Wei 220 -- 265
Shu Han 221 -- 263
Wu 222 -- 280
*Once again, the last emperor could and control the kingdom again.
China was divided into three parts fighting to be the Son of
Heaven.
*Three Kingdoms is a very famous historical novel about this period.
Jin 265 -- 420
*The winner of the fighting was the powerful general of Wei whose
son started Jin dynasty.
Northern/Southern Dynasties
*Jin did not have a good contral of China either. China was
divided in all kind of combinations.
Southern Dynasties:
Song 420 -- 479
Qi 479 -- 502
Liang 502 -- 557
Chen 557 -- 589
Northern Dynasties:
Northern Wei 386 -- 534
Eastern Wei 534 -- 550
Northern Qi 550 -- 577
Western Wei 535 -- 556
Northern Zhou 557 -- 581
*Some kings in northern dynasties were not Han.
Sui 581 -- 618
*Like Qin, this is a very short dynasty ruled by very cruel
emperors.
*But bad reader seems like to make big things. The longest channel
was built at this time just like Great Wall was built in Qin.
Tang 618 -- 907
*This is perhaps the best time in Chinese time. The oversea
Chinese in early days like to use Tang Shan referring to their
homeland.
*Many good poems were written in this time. I believe no one
so far has been able to top the great poets at that time.
*Tnag was a very liberal (perhaps most liberal) period in Chinese
history.
Five Dynasties
Later Liang 907 -- 923
Later Tang 923 -- 936
Later Jin 936 -- 946
Later Han 947 -- 950
Later Zhou 951 -- 960
*Can you believe the speed of dynasty change here?
Song
Northern Song 960 -- 1127
Southern Song 1127 -- 1279
*Song is the turning point of Chinese history (More actually,
after Song Shen Zong). The society became conservative from then.
Lots of bad Chinese traditions started from here.
*Zu Xi carried Confucianism forward.
*Ci2, poetry written to certain tunes with strict tonal pattern
and rhyme schemes in fixed number of lines and words, was
fully developed now.
*Song was not a strong dynasty in history. It was consistently
invaded by others from north. Song was in war with Liao and was
later defeated by Jin at north. Song retreated to south of
Yangtze. This was why northern and southern Song was named.
*During southern Song period, north part of China was ruled
by Jin (1115 -- 1234)
Yuan 1271 -- 1368
*Jin had not had the trance to win Song. Mongolian was the
winner after all.
*Chinese culture was preserved under Mongolian ruling. It was
Mongolian who were affected by Chinese culture.
*It was the time Chinese opera developed.
*Beijing was the capital for the first time.
Ming 1368 -- 1644
*The Great Wall was rebuilt. It was what we see today.
*In literature, the novel was fully developed at this time.
Some of the novels, such as Three Kingdoms, were the best ever.
*In late Ming, the so called capitalism buds started in some
developed areas such as lower Yangtze Delta. Some quite big
silk-making shops with one hundred some employee were recorded.
Qing 1644 -- 1911
*China was ruled by non-Han once again.
*Although China started becoming conservative after Song, Qing
made the development stopped.
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HOTELS
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/general/hotels.htm
In China dormitories are widely known and by far the cheapest place.
They are generally ok. It is possible to get reasonable priced single
or double rooms.
There is an ever increasing number of very fine luxury hotels, with
both, the service and facilities as well as the prices being the same
as in Western countries.
Be careful with middle-class hotels. They usually are not exactly
cheap (Westerners pay quite a lot more than local Chinese), and may be
more expensive than the cheaper Western chains. On the other hand,
they are often quite dirty and there is nearly no service. Even
disregarding the price, budget hotels frequented by backpackers are
usually much better.
Reserve your hotel online at
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/general/hotels.htm.
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INTERNET ACCESS
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/general/internet.htm
China has a long tradition of internet access (the first institution,
the HEP at Beijing University, has had access since 1989, or even
earlier). Nowadays, there are many more, with the number growing all
the time. Of course, there are also a growing number of internet
cafes. Since things change very often, new ones opening all the time
(due to economical success), or being closed again (due to political
raids), I have decided to stop the list of internet cafes.
Due to this instability, the best choice is to get an independent
provider that lets you access the internet all over the world for the
price of a local phone call.
Dag Tjemsland maintains a list at http://www.uio.no/~dagtjhttp://www.uio.no/~dagtj
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MAIL
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/general/mail.htm
Post offices are efficiently run and very reliable. During the three
months I was in China I mailed 11 parcels and all of them arrived,
their contents complete. One or two things were broken, but from what
I packed I expected much more damage.
First class mail overseas costs CNY 3.60. For a letter within a city
you have to pay 1 jiao, for a letter within China 2 jiao.
Air mail to Switzerland takes about one week, surface mail three to
four weeks.
Air mail to Canada takes about 10 days.
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MONEY
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/general/money.htm
The currency is the Chinese Yuan (ISO code CNY), divided into 10 Jiao
or 100 Fen. However, money within China is called RMB (Ren Min Bi,
people's money), and people normally refer to Yuan as Kuai (piece, the
counting word for money, as in yi kuai qian = one piece of money),
Jiao as Mao and Fen as Sen.
Notes are available in denominations of 100, 50, 10, 5, 2 and 1 yuan,
5, 2 and 1 jiao, and 5, 2, and 1 fen. Coins are 1 yuan, 5, 2 and 1
jiao, and 5, 2 and 1 fen.
Note: As with most currencies, there are counterfeits. Banknotes
printed from 1990 on have a metal thread woven into their fabric.
The exchange rate is about USD 1 = 8.27 CNY (Jan 2003)
(Historical development: very stable 8.28 since 1996, 8.3 Sep 1995,
8.7 Jan 1994, 5.8 in 1993, 5.5 in 1992, 5.3 in 1991, 4.8 in 1990, 3.8
in 1989)
To get a nice small conversion table that you can put in you pocket,
look at the http://www.oanda.com/convert/cheatsheet?user=pmgitgCurrency Cheat Sheet.
Travellers cheques will give you a better exchange rate. Travellers
cheques denominated in most major currencies are accepted by the Bank
of China. You normally get a better exchange rate than for cash. There
is a 0.75% commission.
Most larger hotels, restaurants and department stores accept credit
cards. Of course, in small shops, or markets, credit cards are not
accepted.
There is an American Express business travel center in the Swissotel
Beijing Hong Kong - Macao Center in Beijing. It is a cooperative
effort between American Express and China International Travel Service
(CITS). American Express has four other travel service offices in
Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen and Guangzhou and 23 representative offices
throughout China.
American Express has also cash machines where you can get cash
(Chinese Yuan), provided you have a pin. There is one in the Beijing
World Trade Center Shopping Arcade.
Remember to always bargain. Chinese people are very good business
people that can smell money when it's lying around. They consider
Westerners to be living and walking money bags. Even if it is
sometimes a nuisance, they reason that even if you pay several times
the price that a local pays, you still can afford it. Always ask for
the price first, especially in restaurants. Otherwise you could end up
having ordered this 'really special soup' that costs you USD 100 (one
hundred, no typing mistake, it happened to a friend of mine!)
The FEC (Foreign Exchange Certificate) was finally abolished in
January 1994. However, it seems that still a few circulate.
The disappearance of the FEC also caused the black market to virtually
disappear. If you really want to change money on the black market,
make sure you know the exchange rates, the bank notes, and count
carefully the money you get before handing over your own money.
Changing money on the black market is illegal, there are sometimes
secret police changing, the exchange rate may be worse than in banks
and shortchangings are frequent, so it is not really advisable anymore
to change money on the black market unless you know the game quite
well.
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PEOPLE
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/general/people.htm
Population 1247 mio (est. July 1999) (annual growth rate 0.77%)
92% Han Chinese, many minorities including Zhuang, Uygur,
Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean
Life expectancy 68 years
Language The official language within China is the Putonghua
(Mandarin, based on the Beijing dialect.) Yue
(Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan
(Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority
languages
Religion Officially, China is atheistic, but religions are (again)
tolerated. Mostly Daoism and Buddhism, often a blend
between the two. 2% - 3% Muslim, 1% Christian
Asian people, and Chinese don't make an exception, like to take
pictures. The most important thing is the person on the picture,
e.g. me in front of the Forbidden City, me on the Great Wall, me next
to ... They also like being photographed together with a white person.
So, if you are a white person, expect to be grabbed by locals that
want to take pictures with you.
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SAFETY
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/general/safety.htm
China is not as safe as it used to be. The number of tourists
reporting beeing robbed, mugged, beaten, knifed and worse is
increasing. For instance, a freind of mine has been robbed in
Guangzhou while travelling with his Chinese girlfriend. So, if you
are not cautious on where you go, or even get lost, it could soon
become a problem.
Crime is worst in the big cities, and in the south.
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TELEPHONE
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/general/telephone.htm
The international direct dial code for China is 86.
The prefix for international phone calls is 00 (e.g. Switzerland is 0041.)
Some area codes (to dial you need the prefix 0):
Anqing 556
Anshan 412
Baicheng 436
Baoan Xian 755
Baoding 312
Baoji 917
Beihai 779
Beijing 10
Bengbu 552
Cangzhou 317
Changchun 431
Changde 736
Changle 5041
Changsha 731
Changzhou 519
Chaoyang 7644
Chaozhou 7681
Chengde 314
Chengdu 28
Chongan 5098
Chongqing 811
Conghua 2092
Dagang 22
Dalian 411
Dandong 415
Daqing 4610
Deyang 8241
Dongguan 7620
Foshan 757
Fuding 5033
Fuxin 418
Fuzhou 591
Gaoming 7650
Gongzhuling 438
Guangzhou 20
Guilin 773
Guiyang 851
Gutian 5037
Haikou 750
Handan 310
Hangu 22
Hangzhou 571
Hankou 27
Harbin 451
Hefei 551
Hengshui 318
Hengyang 734
Hepu 7892
Heshan 7680
Huanggang 713
Huangshi 714
Huaxian 20
Huian 5051
Huizhou 752
Huzhou 572
Jiamusi 454
Jiangmen 7682
Jianou 5094
Jianyang 590
Jiaxing 573
Jilin 432
Jinan 531
Jinhua 579
Jining 537
Jinjiang 595
Jinzhou 416
Kaifeng 378
Kaiping 7658
Kunming 871
Langfang 316
Lanzhou 931
Lianyungang 518
Liaoyang 419
Liaoyuan 437
Lishui 578
Liuzhou 772
Longgang 755
Longhai 5062
Longyan, Fujian 597
Luoyang 379
Luzhou 8400
Maanshan 555
Mawei 591
Meizhou 753
Mianyang 816
Minqing 5046
Mudanjiang 453
Nanan 5053
Nanching 791
Nanchong 817
Nanjing 25
Nanning 771
Nanping 599
Nantong 513
Nantou 755
Nanyang 377
Ningbo 574
Ningde 593
Panjin 4271
Panyu 2096
Pingdingshan 375
Pingtan 5043
Pucheng 5091
Puning 7649
Putian 594
Qingdao 532
Qinhuangdao 335
Qinzhou 777
Quanzhou 595
Quzhou 570
Sanming 598
Sanshui 7652
Shanghai 21
Shangqiu 370
Shantou 754
Shaoguan 751
Shaowu 5096
Shaoxing 575
Shaxian 5081
Shekou 755
Shenyang 24
Shenzhen 755
Shijiazhuang 311
Shishi 595
Shuangcheng 4615
Shunde 7653
Sihui 7663
Siping 434
Suihua 455
Suxian 557
Suzhou 512
Taian 538
Taiwan 6
Taiyuan 351
Taizhou 576
Tanggu 22
Tangshan 315
Tianjin 22
Tianshui 938
Tieling 410
Tongan 5021
Tonghua 435
Urumqi 991
Weifang 536
Wenjiang 815
Wenzhou 577
Wuhan 27
Wuhu 553
Wuxi 510
Xiamen 592
Xian 29
Xiangtan 732
Xiaogan 712
Xiaolan 7654
Xiapu 5034
Xichang 834
Xikou 574
Xingtai 319
Xinhui 7656
Xining 971
Xinxiang 373
Xuchang 374
Xuzhou 516
Yanan 911
Yancheng 515
Yangzhou 514
Yanji 433
Yantai 535
Yibin 831
Yinchuan 951
Yiyang 737
Yongan 5084
Yongzhou 7401
Yueyang 730
Yulin 755
Zhangjiakou 313
Zhangpu 5063
Zhangzhou 596
Zhanjiang 759
Zhaoqing 758
Zhengzhou 371
Zhenjiang 511
Zherong 5032
Zhongshan 7654
Zhuhai 756
Zhuzhou 733
Zibo 533
Zigong 813
Some useful numbers:
Police 110
Domestic Long Distance Operator 113
Local Phone Number Information 114
International Operator 115
Domestic Long Distance Inquiry 116
Time Inquiry 117
Fire Emergency 119
Ambulance 120
Weather forecast 121
Long Distance Business Inquiry 176
In China, telephoning is relatively easy if you adhere to certain
procedures. The best way to place a phone call is to go to the local
post office. At most places it is possible to dial directly, in other
places you have to ask the operator. In many cities there are now
public phone booths where you can make calls with a phonecard. Another
good place is the local police station.
In most hotels it is possible to phone directly either from the
reception desk or from your room. The 'better' hotels with
international standards usually add a hefty surcharge of up to 50%!
Inquire before placing a call.
Rates from China to the overseas (e.g. USA) is CNY 26 per minute.
There is another service apart from the PTT one which lets you phone
for USD 1.40 per minute, with 6 seconds billing.
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VISA
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/general/visa.htm
There are visa of various length. I have seen visa for 30, 90 and even
120 days. You normally get a visa from the embassy.
Visa extensions are available in China from any police station, it
costs CNY 110.
Visa are not needed for visitors to Hong Kong staying less than 30
days.
In Hong Kong, go to CITS (China International Travel Service), located
in Peking Street in Tsim Sa Tsui or even better to the China Visa
Issuing Office on the island (Connaught Road, Wanchai). It takes about
24 hours and costs HKD 100 for a single entry and HKD 150 for a double
entry visa, valid for 30 days. Bring a passport photo with you. A
multiple entry business visa, valid 60 days, costs HKD 300.
It seems to be a big hassle to get a Chinese visa in the USA. If you
have enough time in an Asian city (i.e. about 2-3 days), you better
get the visa there. The visa costs USD 30, handling fee is USD 5, and
then you'll have to add for postage.
In Toronto, Canada, you can go to the Chinese consulate. There you'll
have to fill out a 1 page form, give your passport, 2 photographs and
CAD 50. One week later you can pick up your passport with a 60 day
tourist visa.
Have a look at the application form front
and back (only in the web-version, of course.
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BICYCLE
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/transport/bicycle.htm
One of the best ways to see a place is by bicycle. Chinese cities seem
to be made for cycling. You can rent a bicycle at your hotel or at one
of the many shops. It is only a couple of yuans per day.
If you want to go beyond the city borders beware of the big roads. The
traffic on major roads between cities is just murderous. Pollution is
extreme and you are bound to become deaf from all that honking by bus
and truck drivers. Road conditions are very bad, and 'stronger'
vehicles don't take care of 'weaker' ones (e.g. you as a bicycle rider
have to move out of the way, if a truck decides that he wants to drive
on his left (your) side!), so accidents are quite usual.
There are many guarded parking lots. Of course, you will have to pay a
modest fee of about one or two miao (CNY 0.1 - 0.2).
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BOAT
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/transport/boat.htm
Boat trips are probably the nicest way of travelling through China.
The most important route is on the Chang Jiang (Yangtse) between
Shanghai and Chung Qing.
For travellers coming from Hong Kong and travelling through Guangzhou
(Canton) to Guilin, there is a combined ticket of boat and bus,
costing CNY 77 (buy the ticket directly at the ticket booth where the
boat leaves.) The boat goes to Wuzhou, where you have to change into a
bus.
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BUS
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/transport/bus.htm
There are two main type of busses: city busses and overland busses.
Both run frequently and are very cheap, but uncomfortable.
For a city bus you have to pay only some Jiao (less than CNY 1). Since
these busses are extremely crowded, you have to be very careful of
pickpockets. Take your bags in front of you, so that nobody can cut it
open.
The bus net is very extensive and the fares are quite low. There are
no differences between local and foreigner prices.
When going overland, try not to sit in the front of the bus. Within
the cities, I always thought that the horn was very loud, until I
travelled overland. There the honking was almost continual and
deafening.
There is a bus from Golmud to Lhasa which takes about 40 hours on a
bumpy road.
Overnight sleeper busses are more comfortable and, of course, more
expensive. The bus from Yangshuo to Guangzhou takes 18 hours and the
bus from Jinghong to Kunming 22 hours (CNY 160.)
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FLYING
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/transport/plane.htm
Flight Times
To give an idea of flight times, here the times from Beijing:
to time (in h:mm)
Chengdu 2:25
Guangzhou 3:00
Kunming 3:20
Nanjing 1:40
Shanghai 1:50
Tianjin 0:50
Urumqi 4:00
Wuhan 1:45
Xian 1:55
Prices
There are different prices for foreigners and local people.
Some plane prices:
Guangzhou Guilin CNY 600
Shanghai Hong Kong CNY 1450
Shanghai Shenzen CNY 1100
Yunnan Airlines has a flight from Kunming to Lijiang is CNY 330, plus
airport tax of CNY 50.
The flight from Dali to Kunming is CNY 300, and the airport tax CNY 50.
Silkair has two flights weekly between Kunming and Singapore. The
international departure tax is CNY 90.
There are several flights a day between Hong Kong and Guangzhou. The
flight takes about 40 minutes.
There are four flights daily from Hong Kong to Guilin (HKD 500.)
Safety
The safety of flying within China has greatly improved over the last
couple of years. Still, China's airlines are among the most dangerous
in the world, with one fatality per 100'000 domestic flights (world
average is about 1 to 1'500'000)!
Airlines
When flying, you are covered by an insurance with CNY 200'000.
Most airlines now have modern Boeing and Airbus planes (China is the
second largest market for Airbus, after France). However, not all the
spare parts that are used are original. I do not know, if this is only
true for non-critical parts, like cabin interior, or for everything.
The airlines with the best repute are China Southern Airlines,
Shanghai Airlines, Eastern and Shenzhen.
There are about 50 domestic airlines. Of these, only four are
registered with IATA. They are Air China, China Southern, China
Shanghai, and China Eastern.
Airlines in China:
Air China
China Eastern
China Shanghai
China Southern
Shanghai Airlines
Yunnan Airlines
Planes not always on time, sometimes delaying departure for hours.
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TRAIN
http://www.pmgeiser.ch/china/transport/train.htm
With over 52800 km of tracks, the train is one of China's main means
of transportation. However, most of these tracks operate with diesel
or coal, only 5700 km are electrified.
There are four classes available: Soft sleeper, hard sleeper, soft
seater, and hard seater. Soft sleepers are four bed compartments with
nice sheets and generally good comfort. Hard sleepers are open six bed
niches with no door towards the corridor. Only a sheet is provided,
but generally people are much nicer (not being high communist cadres
or successful business people). Soft seaters are very comfortable.
Hard seaters are the lowest class of them all, but also the cheapest.
In contrast to the other classes, there is no limit on how many people
will travel. Even though there are reservations one is supposed to
move together, so that as many people as possible are able to sit.
A good way to spend time on the train is to go to the dining car.
Meals are cheap and usually ok. Especially when you're travelling hard
seat, you'll be happy to have more space.
Trains are usually very punctual and safe.
There seems to be a change in the prices, they have gone up quite a
lot recently (double for hard sleeper, and triple for soft sleeper).
These prices are now valid for both, Chinese and foreigners, so there
is now no difference anymore (since about October 1995.)
At some place there is a black market for Chinese price tickets. The
worst that can happen to you is that the train personnel doesn't
believe you're a foreing student studying Chinese in China.
Tickets are sometimes quite limited, so the best thing is to book your
next ticket at the same day you arrive at some place. If you stay at
one place for a couple of days don't forget to book at least two to
three days before your planned departure.
Many stations, especially the big cities, have special booths for
foreigners. There you don't have to wait as long as at the regular
booths, but prices are more expensive, and they may only have the more
expensive tickets.
(Edmund) When you go to the booth in the train station to buy the
ticket, write down on a piece of paper the train number, time and date
of departure, destination, and number of tickets you want to buy. Show
this paper to the clerk at the booth in order to avoid a
misunderstanding (a common occurence in China).
(Edmund) A special note about the main train station in Beijing. I
wouldn't try to get a train ticket at the regular line up there! The
lineup is very long and moves very slowly. A friend explained to me
why this is so: it seems that many poor peasants come to Beijing to
make money. One way to do this is to line up for tickets at the
station (even though you are not planning to go anywhere). Once they
get near the front of the line, they can offer to buy tickets for
other people who want to buy a ticket but can't afford the time to
wait. This 'service' cost about 10 CNY for a short trip, or about
CNY 200 for a long trip (in addition to the price of the ticket
itself). You understand that this can only happen in a place where
there is large gap in income, such as China is today. Anyway, if you
are a foreigner, go inside the train station (you will have to show
your passport to a guard at the gate to do this), go to the Foreign
guests booking office ('Wai Bing Shou Piao Chu'), and buy your ticket
there. It is best to go 3-4 days in advance of your trip to book the
ticket.
A good idea is to buy a railroad guide at one of the stations.
The train from Guangzhou to Guilin takes 17 hours.
The train from Wuxi to Beijing takes 22 to 24 hours. Hard sleeper is
CNY 173, and soft sleeper CNY 446.
From Wuxi to Zhangzhou takes only 40 minutes and costs CNY 3.
The train from Hekou to Kunming takes about 16 hours through
magnificent scenery. There are several trains daily; a direct one
leaves at 13:20. Hard sleeper is CNY 80.
Shanghai to Hangzhou takes 3 hours and costs CNY 55 for a soft seat.
Suzhou to Beijing takes 22 hours and costs CNY 170 for a hard sleeper.
Beijing to Xian takes 18 hours and costs CNY 270 for a hard sleeper.
Xian to Chengdu takes 22 hours and costs CNY 170 for a hard sleeper.
Chengdu to Jinjiang takes 17 hours and costs CNY 45 for a hard seat.
Kunming to Guilin takes 33 hours and costs CNY 285 for a soft sleeper.
Guangzhou to Shanghai takes 36 hours.
In Shanghai it is possible to book tickets up to 30 days in advance.
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CHINA - Peter M. Geiser's Hotel and Travel Guide
Copyright (c) 1995 - 2003, Peter M. Geiser
http://www.pmgeiser.ch
http://www.pmgeiser.com
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