Tourist Attractions in China

Travel Guide Trip & info's : www.madisonvillearts.org
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China is a large country at a size of 9,596,960 sq km. China was only partially open to the world from 1980 onwards and has been a communist country for many decades. Although there is much progress in the travel industry and infrastructure of China, there remain areas that need to be improved before it can match the level that most tourist would require. However, much of the fun remain that it is different from the rest of the world. China will be the host nation for the Olympics in Year 2008. Travel facilities and infrastructure will be improving quickly as we approach Year 2008. China is rich in culture and history. Visit the Great Wall of China in Beijing, sip Chinese tea in Xiamen, dance with ethnic tribes in Yunnan, check out 19th Century European buildings in Qingdao - there are just so much to do and see in China!

Below are some travel tips to make your travel in China easier:

Entry Visa

China require entry visa from most countries. Apply at the Chinese consulate or through your travel agent before travelling to China.

Climate

Extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north. Be prepared with the right seasonal clothing.

Foreign Exchange

The unit of currency is known as Renmembi(RMB) or Yuan. Get some Chinese Yuan in your local country before travelling. When in China, exchange foreign currency for local currency in the banks or at the hotel. Banks tend to give slightly better rates than hotels. Take note that some banks close for a noon siesta between 12-2pm.

Payment facilities

Most better class hotels and shopping centres take Credit Card or Travellers cheques. Smaller hotels and shops take cash only. Once out of the bigger cities, credit card and ATM cards tend to be almost impossible to utilize. Cash is still king in Chinese business and trade.

Counterfeit notes are common in China. Check carefully before accepting change, especially if it consists mostly 100RMB notes. You can feel a texture difference where counterfeit notes is concerned.

Understanding of English

Most civil servants, custom officials, police, hotel staff and men in the street do not speak English or at best a smattering of English.

Most signboards and notices will carry both English and Chinese. However, be aware that some translations can be so notorious that one can hardly understand what was it's original Chinese intention.

Do not expect hotels or shops to understand English. Only the very big hotels will have staff that will understand English.

Most young people can understand basic English if you speak slowly.

Social Security

China is generally a safe country. However, hang on tight to your wallet especially in crowded, popular tourist sites in tourist cities such as Beijing and Xian.

These tourist cities also has a lot of touts in the streets touting tourist from currency exchange to jewelleries to female companionships. Avoid at all cost!

Domestic Travel

Bus, train, ferries and domestic flights are quite well developed. Avoid the crowd at the stations and book your tickets through the hotel tour desk or the nearest tour agent. Prices are likely to be competitive and tickets will be delivered to your hotel room. Again, avoid ticket touts who approach you in the streets.

Local buses are cheap (US$0.10 or YS$0.20) and you may want to try out. Taxis are convenient and are available at all hours. Starting fares differ from each city and may be as cheap as US$0.70 in Weihai and US$1.50 in Shenzhen.

Avoid travel in China during peak holiday seasons or book tickets well ahead.

Local Hotels

There is a good choice of hotels in China ranging from one star to the most luxurious 6 stars. Most of the time, the rooms are safe and clean and in my opinion, cheap does not mean bad.

There are many websites selling China hotel rooms on the internet. You can also check out the travel counters which are available in most train, bus stations as well as airport.

Book ahead if travelling in peak seasons.

Peak Tourist Seasons

Chinese New Year: Date varies but generally late January or early February.

May Day: First two weeks of May

China National Day: Middle two weeks of October

Avoid travelling during these period. Book rooms and travel modes way early if need to travel. Believe me, the crowds during these period of time will be scary. What do you expect when the entire Chinese nation of 8 billion people are on holiday as well!

Chinese Food

Local food is absolutely fabulous. Try as much Chinese food as your wallet or stomach can afford. Restaurants are available everywhere and open to late hours. Most restaurants will have a menu that include photographs of the various dishes. Better yet, simply point at the food that your next door table is having, especially if it looks delicious!

However, avoid street side stalls and drinking directly from the taps if you have delicate stomach.

Telecommunications

Mobile phone coverage in China is good in most locations. Global auto-roaming within China is not a problem.

Internet

There are cyber-cafes everywhere in China, especially in tourist areas. Most are patronised by young people playing online games but you still can check your Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail. Access may be a bit slow for international websites.

You will need to show your passport as China has tight regulations at Internet Cyber Cafes.

Toilet facilities

One of the worst experience many has with China is the atrocious toilet facilities. Things has improved very much but it may still be a good idea to empty your stomach or bladder at every opportunity in a hotel, restaurant or departmental store. Public toilets and toilets in small shops can be a nose hazard!

* Useful China travel tips *

Try to get a English speaking tour guide at every opportunity you can. China has a rich and wonderful history and culture and without a guide, somehow, the flavour and significance of most tour sites can be lost.

*Sneaky tip: Hang around a group that has a English speaking guide if you cannot afford one!

Always ask for a receipt from a taxi driver so that you can complain if you have been cheated or for tracing purposes if you happen to leave your camera behind in the taxi.

Try to take the namecard for each hotel that you are staying at as these cards will have a Chinese address and the map of your hotel location. This is useful if you need to seek assistance to find your way back as the English version or pronounciation of a hotel or a street name may be quite different from the Chinese version.

After a tiring day, check out Chinese foot reflexology or Chinese TuiNa (Chinese massage). Wonderful for the body after a hard day and very cheap to boot. Simply look out for shop signs that shows two feet! They are everywhere.

Make friends with the Chinese whenever you can. They love to meet foreigners and will make good tour guides. Just buy a small present as a small token of appreciation.
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Travel Guide Trip & info's : www.madisonvillearts.org

Unique Suggestions: www.madisonvillearts.org

Fun Alternatives: www.madisonvillearts.org

We went to the Yanguan-Tide-seeing Site (Haining) by taxi. It cost approx. 70RMB. It was about 30 min away from the centre of the city (from Garden Hotel). On the way back though we flagged down an official taxi and the driver showed 200RMB for the return trip to the city. When we said (and showed) that it is too much, he pointed at the taxi meter. It seemed that the return price was more! Why? Is this a way how taxi companies make money knowing that everybody eventually wants to get back to the city? So we found a man who offered us lift in his car for 100RMB.

Fun Alternatives: Ask locals to get you back to the city. It cost us 100RMB. Or use one of the regular buses, although we couldn't figure out which one was the right one.

Please be aware that the banks in China deduct between 4 & 5% from each credit card transaction that is using a credit card that is not issued in China

Some merchants/Hotels/Shops will pass this charge on to the customer.

Unique Suggestions: If possible use cash for purchases in China.

We booked a tour to the Great Wall's most popular section - Badaling. The Tour Guide preferred not to use a microphone but decided to sit in the middle and asked questions whille the van was moving. It was just painful that instead of telling us the name of the place we were passing by, she tried to be friendly by asking personal questions. I was sitting in front so I had to turn to her to answer her questions. The only thing I thought she should not really have done is when she asked us where we want to go: to the most crowded part of the wall or to the most beautiful part of the wall. I understand that Badaling is the most preserved section and for this reason, tourists want to go there. The other 8 passengers of course trusted her and we went to the nearest pass (not exactly known as part of Great Wall) which was 13 km from Badaling. The Tour Guide did not even bother to climb with us (well it was very steep - so why bring us there, I asked myself). Lunch was included in the price. Again she did not join us and poor us have to share things she ordered for us that was not really good enough for lunch. I have been to group tours before but our Tour Guide has to learn how to get back and get her tips after visits to tea and silk shops. We had to wait for her all the time.

Unique Suggestions: Just enjoy the trip. I tried very hard. But now that I am back home, I remember it and will probably write to the hotel that they instruct the Tour Guide not to disappoint the travellers (that is, changing the main destination).

Bargaining is common in Beijing. While it is true that prices of souvenirs in hotels are always higher than in normal shops, in Beijing, do not assume that you should not bargain if the hotel is a four-star. You could bargain and if you have time, then shop outside and not in the hotel.

Unique Suggestions: If you can't help but buy a jade piece or a pearl in the hotel and later find out that the price you got is way over the top, then there is only one thing you can do: Write a similar tip like this one.

If you get startled by yelling, shouting or the like, don't pay much attention. I have learned that Chinese people generally talk louder than many people I know and that they express their emotions in their tone without really getting angry. I am anxious that while you are paying attention to the person who you think is furious, your wallet is already being taken away from you by a pickpocketer.

Unique Suggestions: Okay, somebody got your attention because of his or her loud voice. Continue going to where you are going, do not pay much attention. That person is fine.

When you are walking on the road, they are calling you to the shops, but shops are hidden in the parallel roads to the main roads. And shops are in homes. They are selling imitation material but some of them are bringing you there and try to rob you. Be aware of the place you go, be aware of the guy you follow. It is better to find a guy who knows the reliable home shops if you still want to buy some imitation stuff.

If you book an all day tour with a guide, you will often be encouraged to visit a factory or factory shop where you can see the locals produce various handicrafts (silk textiles, artworks, etc.). Usually the small factory is just for show and the real intent of the visit is the large retail store next to it, from which you guide will get a cut of the commission revenues generated by your purchases. We were taken to two of these places (a silk factory and a factory making replica terra cotta warriors). The silk factory did have nice goods, but the prices were no better than we found all over China and we had less bargaining flexibility because we were stuck in a large store with no neighboring shops to play them off against.

Fun Alternatives: If you are in a small group with a felexible itinerary, ask your guide upfront where you are going, and try to get these tourist traps dropped from the itinerary. There is so much to see in China that you are better off freeing up time to see what you really came to country to see. Promising a good tip for the deletions is worth it if you can get in more sighteeing time, and the guide just wants to make money, so they may be flexible. The "my child is tired, can we please skip the clothing factory" excuse also worked.