China is a huge and fascinating country, attracting more and more international visitors every year. Whether you intend to travel here for business or tourism, it\'s not without its share of challenges. In this article I am going to share with you few tips that will make your trip to China easier.
1 - The language barrier
Don\'t come to China expecting people to speak English, even if nowadays many young Chinese from big cities learn English at school, they are not the majority and very few are able to speak it fluently. When traveling around China it is recommended to know few basic Chinese words or at least to use Google translate for android or apple.
Most suppliers are able to speak basic English related to their business, but when it comes to the details you\'ll face the language barrier. It is recommended to hire an interpreter to avoid future complications.
2 - Important notice : carry your passport with you all the time when staying in China. For safety regulations, you might inspected by police in the street, and if you don\'t have your passport with you, you\'ll be taken to the police station. You may also be detained few days for breaking the law.
3 - Payment methods
When traveling around China you\'ll notice that most Chinese use their smartphone to pay for everything : restaurant, groceries, transportation, etc. While in the countryside cash is still preferred, in the urban area cash is becoming obsolete. Everyone is using Wechat or Alipay.
As a foreigner, you can also use your smartphone to pay. You can install Wechat on your phone and ask someone to transfer money to your Wechat account.
Credit Cards are accepted only with some hotels, high-end restaurants and foreign brand shop. Therefore, you should always bring cash with you during your travel.
China\'s currency has two names : Yuan and RMB. RMB (Renminbi) is the official name for the currency, it means \"the people\'s currency\". Yuan (¥ or CNY) is the main unit of the currency, in mandarin every day uses it is also referred to as \"kuài\".
To avoid any trouble, please always bring cash with you
4 - Transport solutions
Car : In china you can rent a car with driver from ¥400 to ¥1000 per day, the price varies according to the city and the class of the hired vehicle. Foreign driving licences are not valid in China.
Taxi : They are cheap, plentiful and available 24h. But taxi drivers don\'t speak English, then it is recommended that you have with you the phone number and the address of your destination written in Chinese. The price usually start at ¥12, it depends of the city, then ¥2.5/km. Always ask for the receipt, there is the taxi\'s plate number on it. You can call the taxi company\'s phone number in case you lost something or if you have any complaints.
Metro : Most big cities offer a modern metro system and it is the best solution to avoid traffic jams during rush hours. The bags are inspected with an X-ray machine at each station before entry. The price varies from ¥2 to ¥10, it depends of the distance travelled. The operating hours for most metro stations usually starts between 5:00 to 6:00 in the morning and ends between 22:30 to 23:00. In every station there is a map in English to help guide you.
Train : There is the traditional train and the high-speed train. Despite being cheaper, the traditional train loses ground to the high-speed train every year. The high-speed train also called \"Bullet train\" is one of the fastest train in the world and is very comfortable, it\'s speed varies between 200 and 350 km/h. By way of indication, a Guangzhou-Shenzhen ticket cost around ¥75 in second class, ¥95 in first class and ¥195 in business class. It is recommended to make a reservation, at least 1 day before departure.
5 - Phone & Internet
In China you will want to use your phone to make calls and access internet. But unless you have subscribed an international plan, your SIM Card won\'t work here. One of the first thing you want to do once in China is to get a chinese SIM Card.
After landing in China, you can easily buy a SIM Card at the airport. You\'ll just have to provide the retailer with your passport.
I recommend to buy a SIM Card to make your stay more comfortable, but it\'s not an obligation. In China, internet is available everywhere. Free Wi-Fi connections can be found in hotels, restaurants, coffee shop, airports, metro, etc. in every big cities and tourist towns.
Be aware of the Great Firewall, it is the government\'s solution to censor and regulate the internet in order to protect its citizen. In China you\'ll not be able to access websites such as Google, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. while others will be significantly slowed down. Some mobile apps and emails are also included.
I recommend to buy a VPN if you still want to use them. A Virtual Private Network, or VPN, disguises your IP address so it looks like you are connected from an other country, allowing you to get through the Great Firewall and to secure your internet connection. It is not perfect but it worth it. The best VPN to use in China right now is Express VPN.
6 - Everyone use Wechat
Wechat, or Wēi Xìn in Chinese, is the most widely used mobile app in China with it\'s 1.08 billion active users monthly. Wechat is not just a messaging mobile platform, it is a concentrate of Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype, Paypal and Instagram. It also offer one million third-party mini programs within the platform.
Some of you maybe like to use WhatsApp, but the Great Firewall of China block most western mobile apps. It is possible to find people in China using a VPN for their business, but a VPN is not 100% reliable. To make sure you can always communicate with your business partner, and avoid any trouble, I recommend you to download Wechat on your phone. Because everyone in China use Wechat.
You\'ll be able to send text and voice message, make audio and video calls, share photos and videos, and use it as means of payment.
You can find Wechat on Apple and Android.
7 - Hospitals & Pharmacies
If you need to see a doctor, then I recommend you to go to an international hospital. The doctors working there are usually foreigners or Chinese who have trained overseas. They will be able to understand your problem easier and their English skills are excellent. They are much more expensive but it worth it.
Chinese hospital are cheaper but there is downsides :
• Chinese hospital are always crowded, expect to spend lot of time waiting
• Most doctors don\'t speak English
If you go to a Chinese hospital it would be wise to bring an interpreter with you.
8 - Chinese dining etiquette
In china everyone share the same meal, eating is a community activity. The dishes are disposed in the middle of the table and everyone pick the food with their chopstick to eat with their bowl or rice. It\'s a little like eating a buffet.
In restaurant, not fast-food, Chinese prefer to fill up with food they don\'t always eat at home, therefore, rice is rarely served. If you want a bowl of rice then you should order one with your meal, by saying : mifan (me\'fan).
When eating, it is considered rude to play with your chopstick, to point at food with it, to suck the sauce from it, to dig around with it and to pick food with your hands. It is also an offense if you stuck your chopstick in your bowl of rice, the visual looking like incense sticks burned as offerings to dead ancestors.
At the end of the meal you\'ll often see Chinese fighting over who is going to pay the bill, it can be verbal and physical. This game is very important if you don\'t want to be seen as stingy or having bad manners. If you lose to pay the bill, you should absolutely pick the tab next time.
You are expected to fight over paying the bill most of the time, especially if :
• You are the one inviting
• You have the highest social status
• You are the senior of the group
• You are the only man of the group
• You want to get in someone\'s good graces.
9 - Chinese New Year & national holidays you should avoid
When planning a trip to China, you should avoid coming during any of these periods. It\'s hundreds million of people traveling at the exact same time. The price of tickets and hotels will sky rocket, while roads, airport and train station will be over-crowded.
Chinese New Year Period : The exact date varies each year since it\'s based on the Lunar Calendar, but it\'s usually around January and February. It usually last 30 days, 10 days before Chinese New Year and 20 days after.
National Holiday Period : It is celebrated every year from October 1 to October 7.
Lastly, Hope you have a pleasant and unforgettable trip in China!
on 2019-05-30 10:16:00 Tags: useful tips when traveling China, internet in China, transportation in Guangzhou, Business trip in China, Business trip advice,
