Visa Regulations
Most travellers will need a visa. In most cases, this should be obtained from a Chinese embassy or consulate before departure. Please note that traveling to Hong Kong and Macau have different visa requirements. See those guides for more information.
As of 2005, nationals of Singapore , Brunei and Japan do not need a visa to visit China for a stay of up to 15 days, regardless reason of visit.
Hong Kong and Macau residents need to obtain a Home Travel Permit to visit China from the China Travel Service, which is a wallet size ID card valid normally for 10 years multiple entry.
Getting a tourist visa is easy for most passports as you don't need an invitation, which you do for business or working visas. It is expensive compared to other countries' visa fees (currently $50 USD for U.S. passport holders and $35 for those hold passports from other countries). The usual tourist single-entry visa is valid for thirty days and must be used within three months after it was issued. However, in Hong Kong and Macau you can often get a 3 month visa.
Some travellers will need a dual entry or multiple entry visa. For example, if you enter China on a single entry visa, then go to Hong Kong or Macau , you cannot re-enter China without a new visa. With a multiple entry visa, you can.
Holders of most passports can easily get Chinese visas in Hong Kong or Macau , either by going to the government office themselves or paying a bit more to have a travel agent do it for them. China Travel Services handles visa processing. Currently they offer Same-day-service at extra cost: in by 12PM, out by 5:30PM. Next day and 3 day services are also available.
Obtaining a visa on arrival is sometimes possible, but usually only for the Shenzhen or Zhuhai Special Economic Zones. This is not recommended as it is not possible at some entry points or for some passports, and the visas are restricted: they do not allow travel outside the SEZ.
There may be restrictions on visas for political reasons and these vary over time. For example as of mid-2004:
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Nigerians could not get visas in Hong Kong, presumably because the Chinese Government was upset that Nigeria extended diplomatic recognition to Taiwan.
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Americans could no longer get Shenzhen -only visas at the border, presumably because the Chinese Government was irritated by US fingerprinting of Chinese travellers.
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British nationals could no longer get Shenzhen -only visas at the border.
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As of mid-2006, South Africans are having trouble with visas. No one seems to know why.
Hotels, Apartments, Cruises, Vacations in China
Useful information
Currency:
The official currency of the People's Republic of China is the renminbi ("People's Money"), often abbreviated RMB. The official base unit of this currency is the yuan , international currency code CNY. All prices in China are denoted in yuan, usually either as ¥ or ?.
The yuan was pegged at 8.29 to the US dollar until 2005 when the Chinese government revalued it somewhat and linked it to a basket of currencies. It stayed around 8 yuan to the dollar for most of 2005 and 2006, and as of December is at 7.80. Various other governments are pressing China to further revalue the yuan, which would make Chinese exports more expensive and foreign imports cheaper in China. An eventual further change, increasing the value of the yuan, seems almost certain but a sudden dramatic change appears quite unlikely.
The official subdivisions of the yuan are the jiao, at 10 jiao to the yuan, and the fen ( at 10 fen to the jiao. A coin worth ¥0.10 will thus say ("1 jiao"), not "10 fen", on it. But in colloquial Mandarin , nobody ever speaks of yuan; the standard term is kuai, and the jiao is also dubbed the mao instead. The fen remains the same, so a price like ?3,75 would thus be read as "3 kuai 7 mao 5 fen" (although the trailing unit is often omitted).
When dealing with numbers, note that for example "wu bai san," literally "five hundred three," means 530 or "five hundred three tens," with the trailing unit dropped. The number 503 would be read as "wu bai ling san," literally "five hundred zero three." Similarly "yi qian ba", literally "one thousand eight", means 1800. When using larger numbers, keep in mind that Chinese has a word for ten thousand, wàn , and thus for example 50000 becomes "wu wan", not "wu shi qian".
 Chinese coins and bills
Note also that a lot of Chinese currency will be in the form of bills - even small change. These days there seems to be a shift towards coins for obvious reasons of convenience. In the meantime though even the jiao, at just one tenth of a yuan, exists as both a bill (the smallest) and two different coins. Conversely, one kuai exists both as a coin and as two different bills. You should be prepared to recognize and handle either version!
Counterfeiting is really a major problem, especially of ¥50 and ¥100 bills - when you buy currency, ask the teller to check for counterfeit bills. Examine all such bills you receive as change. Be suspicious when you get several bills with lower denominations on top. Counterfeit notes bear a watermark, which looks good to an inexperienced eye. Better try to get used to the slightly coarse surface on genuine bills. Counterfeits have very (too) bright and luminous colours and a very fine surface. It is not considered impolite to refuse bills and to ask to have them changed .
Try to break your hundreds at larger stores or restaurants so you do not have to accept a fifty (the most commonly counterfeited note) in change from a taxi driver.
Currency exchange
Obtaining RMB in western countries can be a difficult or impossible task, and even where available the exchange rates are generally extremely unfavorable. It's generally less problematic to wait until arrival and using your debit or credit card in a local cash machine, which can be found everywhere in most towns. In recent years the official exchange rates have been close to market value, so official exchange rates can provide amounts similar to, or better than, unofficial ones. The airports in Beijing and Shanghai have cash machines which accept most international debit/credit cards. Be sure to check for the Plus or Cirrus symbols (whichever your bank supports), as there are many ATMs which are not linked to international networks and may retain your card, a very unpleasant prospect. If you have trouble because the ATM requires a 6 digit PIN and you only have 4 digits, try 2 leading zeroes! Also, when venturing into more remote regions it is advisable to carry sufficient cash, as ATMs with international network access may not be available.
Foreign currency and/or traveller's cheques can be exchanged into RMB in most hotels and banks with varying levels of difficulty, and you will be required to show a passport or identification. Your signature on your passport will be compared with the signature on the traveller's cheques, and your cheques and passport itself may be scrutenized to be sure of authenticity. If the signatures aren't an exact match you may be denied. Providing a receipt with a matching signature may help. Using dual signature travellers cheques such as those provided by American Express can cause quite a hassle if both parties aren't present. As well, carrying travellers cheques for a currency other than your own causes suspicion and concern even at major banks. A Canadian citizen using American travellers cheques took almost two hours to cash them at a major branch of the Bank of China.
Exchanging US currency for RMB can be much simpler, but expect the bills to be heavily scrutinized before the exchange is processed. Opportunities to buy RMB before entering China, for example when coming overland from Hong Kong or Vietnam, should be taken, as the rates are better. The same is true going the other way--selling just across the boarder will often net a more favourable rate. Also, most banks will allow you to get a cash advance via a debit or credit card. It's useful to carry an international currency such as British Pounds, US Dollars, or Japanese Yen to fall back on should you not have access to a cash machine.
Keep all your exchange receipts as you will need them to exchange RMB back into your original currency (this is to ensure that only RMB bought in China is bought back--the economic logic is too arcane to go into here). This includes cash withdrawls from ATMs, and any other exchange medium. Exchanging currency outside of official channels (ie if you lose your receipts) is technically illegal, although enforcement of these currency controls is lax.
Look out for fake Y100 and Y50 notes . Usually a reliable way is to look at the greenish metallic number at the bottom left, a genuine one changes colour as you angle it away from you. Suspicious locals will also look at the watermark of Mao through a light, and feel for texture on the crest next to Mao's bust. If you happen upon a vendor who will not accept a suspect note, don't dispair. Suggesting they get the opinion of people nearby (there are always people around in China) often works to alleviate some paranoia. If that doesn't work, use another note and try your luck elsewhere.
It is important to be aware that electronic money transfers to another country are either a hassle or impossible in all but a handful of large cities on the east coast and in the far south. Throughout most of the country, the vast majority of banks don't offer this service, and the ones that do, charge unreasonably high service charges, the staff is often not properly trained to do the transfer efficiently and/or correctly, and the process can take anywhere from two to seven days. Western Union is available (although there aren't many outside of the biggest cities), less expensive and sometimes more professional. That said, it is not unknown to encounter an employee at WU that hardly knows what he/she is doing. For example, the employee may insist that you give the bank the recipient's passport number and/or visa number even though that person is not in the country, has never been to the country and doesn't plan to come to the country. (That bizarre and highly unprofessional scenario happens as a matter of course at the WU office in Chengdu's Agricultural Bank of China, for example. This renders the transfer literally impossible. It is always best to use WUs inside post offices. However, it is quite common to go to a WU inside a post office only to learn that their "system" is "down".)
If you open a foreign currency account or a dual currency account, check if you will be able to access it in another province (e.g. the Bank of China does not allow this as of 2006).
 Telephone & Fax
Telephone service is more of a mixed bag. Calling outside the country is often difficult, and usually impossible without a calling card, which can often only be bought locally. The good news is these cards are fairly cheap, and the connection is surprisingly clear, uninterrupted and delay-free. Look out for IP Telephone Cards , which typically have a value of ¥100 but sometimes can be had for as little as ¥25. The cards have printed Chinese instructions, but after dialing the number listed on the card English-spoken instructions are available. As a general indication of price, a call from China to Europe lasts around 22 minutes with a ¥100 card. Calls to the US and Canada are advertised to be another 20% cheaper.
Internet
In China the Internet is readily accessible. Internet cafes (?? wangba) are abundant throughout China. Many of them are designed mainly for gaming though and are not useful places to do business. It is cheap (¥1 to ¥4 an hour) to use a computer, albeit one with Chinese software. Internet cafes are supposed to require users to show identification (passport), but this is generally not enforced. Traffic may be monitored.
It may be difficult to find an internet-cafe with any service beyond simple access. If you need to use a printer or burn a CD, expect to search for the service, paying a fairly high price when and if you find it. The exception is tourist areas such as Yangshuo where these services are fairly readily available, though still at a price.
Most of the better hotels provide access from the rooms (often expensive) and/or provide a wireless service in public areas. Also, quite a few cafes provide free wireless Internet service - for example, Starbucks, Italy cafe, Feeling4Seasons Cafe in Chengdu, Padan cafe in Shanghai, etc. Some cafes, especially in tourist areas such as Yangshuo, even provide a machine for customer use.
A word of caution: public computers and the internet lines they are connected to are not secure. Assume that anything you type in can be viewed by others. Do not send extremely sensitive data such as banking passwords from an Internet cafe.
If you are planning on connecting to the internet with your own computer, be aware that many places (especially college campuses) require you to use Microsoft Internet Explorer and to install (censorship?) software on your system and/or accept certificates in order to use their services. For Mac OS or Linux users, look into using a browser that can fake its identity such as Opera.
The Chinese government has installed systems (commonly known as "The Great Firewall of China") that block various Internet sites, either permanently or temporarily. Free web hosts such as Geocities and Angelfire are permanently banned, as are most of the major blog sites. Major news sites such as news.bbc.co.uk are blocked intermittently, but often for long stretches. In October of 2005, Wikipedia, Wikibooks and Wiktionary were all banned. (Curiously, Wikitravel wasn't, though that too may well change.) They all briefly re-appeared in October 2006, but are now blocked again.
If you have access to a corporate VPN outside of China, it will let you bypass the firewall systems. Another option is a service provided by Peace Fire.. They provide unblocked access to all web sites without the need to install any software. You can subscribe to a mailing list and always stay up to date about it. Tor software may also be of great help.
The Chinese government is quite serious about enforcing these restrictions, and Internet companies often help them. Both Google and MSN have agreed to censor in order to get Chinese licenses. Yahoo went further; in one recent case they turned in a Chinese user who got ten years in prison! While travellers are generally not at risk, it would be sensible to be cautious. In particular, beware of getting Chinese friends into trouble.
Electricity:
Voltage of city power grid - 220V, frequency 50HZ
. Time zone:
UTC+8
 Shopping
Outside of hotels, acceptance of credit cards is infrequent, and most transactions will require cash. Beware of pickpockets .
Many stores have point-of-sale terminals for Chinese bank cards; typically these will not work for foreign cards. If you are going to spend a lot of time in China and use significant amounts of money, get a Chinese bank account.
In general, anything with a marked price tends to be sold at that price or slightly below, but there is large room for bargaining if there is no stamped price. If you are buying anything which is not from a fixed price store, bargaining is normal, though you may get a better price if you let a local person do the buying for you. Vendors will charge the lowest price to local people (who can speak the dialect), next lowest price to other Chinese nationals, and the highest price to foreigners. Bear in mind, however, that some middle and upper class locals may not be willing to bargain as mercylessly as you would.
Many visitors come looking for antiques, and hunting in the flea markets can be great fun. Be aware however that the overwhelming majority of the "antique" items you will be shown are fakes, no matter how convincing they look. You are advised not to spend serious money unless you know what you are doing, since novices are almost always taken for a ride.
Health
Public bathrooms are generally somewhere between dirty and shocking: hole-in-the-ground type toilets are usually extremely malodorous, while flush toilets tend to be quite dirty (and almost invariably protective sanitary covers are not provided). In addition, you will need to bring your own tissue paper as it is seldom available at toilets, and after use, the paper should be placed in the small bucket located next to the toilet. Do not flush it away as it may block the often poor plumbing systems. Tissue paper can be bought in bars, restaurants and internet cafes for ¥2. These are the characters for MEN (?) and WOMEN (?). People may stare at you while you use the toilet - although separate facilities are generally provided for men and women, there may be no doors on the front of the cubicles.
High quality bathrooms can be found inside major tourist attractions (e.g. The Forbidden City), at international hotels, and upper-class department stores. While public bathrooms in restaurants and hotels are barely acceptable, those in the rooms are generally very clean. Make sure to bring your own toilet paper and soap when you leave the hotel.
Also beware that the sit-down toilet familiar to most Westerners is rare in China in public areas. Hotels will generally have them in rooms but in places where Westerners will be in more of a minority, you can expect to find crouching toilets more often than not. Most private homes in urban areas now have sit down toilets, and one major benefit with knowing a local host is that they have clean bathrooms.
There are no widely enforced health regulations in restaurants. However most of the smaller restaurants will prepare the food in front of you. Most of the major cities have chain fast food places, and the hygiene in them tends to be good.
Tap water is generally not drinkable without boiling, even for locals. However, all hotels (and even boats!) provide either a thermos flask full of boiling water in your room (refillable by your floor attendant) or a kettle you can use to do it yourself. Purified drinking water in bottles is available everywhere, and is generally quite cheap (don't pay more than ¥2 or ¥3 for a litre), though ensure that the seal on the cap is not broken. Beer is also a cheap and safe option.
One other interesting quirk is that Chinese tend to distrust the cleanliness of bathtubs. Most homes have plastic movable tubs or showers. In hotels with fixed bathtubs, they will generally make available plastic bathtub liners in the rooms.
Parts of southern China have mosquitoes which transmit malaria . If you will be visiting any such parts, your local travel clinic will be happy to provide advice.
Drugs are generally available from a pharmacist without prescriptions. You can usually ask to see the physician instructions that came with the box. Western medicine is called xiyào.
Ensure that needles used for injections, acupuncture or any other procedure that requires breaking the skin are new and unused. In many parts of China it is acceptable to re-use needles, albeit after some attempt at sterilization. In hospitals, be present when they break open a new needle. Do not accept treatment unless you witnessed it being done. Furthermore, if you plan to receive acupuncture in the PRC, it is recommended to take your own needles (they can be bought locally or in Hong Kong ), as the disposable ones that are always used in Hong Kong or Taiwan are not yet in common use in China.
China has only officially recognised the threat of an AIDS/HIV epidemic since 2001. Recently Chinese President Hu Jintao has pledged to fight the spread of AIDS/HIV within China. According to the United Nations"China is currently experiencing one of the most rapidly expanding HIV epidemics in the world. Since 1998, the number of reported cases has increased by about 30% yearly. By 2010, China could have as many as 10 million infections & 260,000 orphans if w/out intervention."
A less common advice: wash your hands often with soap, or better carry some disposable disinfectant tissues. You find them in almost any department or cosmetics store. This should especially be the case after having used public computers. The amount of germs and bacteria found on keyboards is manyfold that of toilets, since they never get cleaned. The main cause for getting a cold or flu is through touching your face, especially the nose, with infected hands. Just keep in mind that China has had a recent problem with sudden spreads of SARS.
Safety
Crime
Petty crime remains relatively low, and it is common for people to quietly carry large amounts of cash. At the same time, one should take the usual precautions against being conspicuously wealthy. In some areas, there are many pickpockets . In crowded markets, buses, and even dance clubs it is common for wallets and mobile phones to disappear. Items such as purses left unguarded at restaurants are also liable to be stolen.
Traffic
Walking, especially in rural areas, can be very dangerous because of oncoming traffic. Pedestrians do not have the right of way. Traffic will not stop if they see you in the way -- in fact, they may speed up! In most places, the rules of the road are often ignored and the safest way to cross a street is via a pedestrian overpass, if available.
More generally, traffic in China can be very dangerous. The PRC does not recognize international drivers licenses and driving in China is definitely not for the faint of heart.
Begging
Begging in China is uncommon, with the notable exception of major tourist areas. In Beijing begging is exceptionally bad, especially around hotels and markets foreigners frequent. Beggars in China are almost exclusively professional and many have obvious deformities, which makes it easy to take pity on them. Others are fully functional and will use their strength to latch on to your leg or arm until you give them some cash or drag them for a few minutes. Children are frequently coerced into begging by adults, who force the children to beg and then take the money that they collect. In some areas, especially Beijing, beggars are often rather aggressive and persistent, even though there are traditionally strong social norms against begging, as it is considered shameful. The Mandarin phrase "qu ni de", literally "go to your (place)", has roughly the force of "bugger off". It might be appropriate for rude aggressive beggars, almost certainly not for others.
If you do feel it appropriate to give a beggar some money keep in mind that many Chinese only make ¥20 to 30 per day working hard labor jobs. Giving one yuan to a beggar is generous.
Scams
While begging is considered shameful, aggressive marketing of petty services that a person can perform is not. Some people will aggressively try to perform some sort of service for you, such as watching your luggage, steer you to a "great" hotel or have you ride in their taxi. They will often follow you for a while, so be prepared to ignore them. The Mandarin phrase "bu yao", literally "not want", is useful for these.
On the other hand, some of the services offered are worthwhile. Typical prices are ¥1 for a shoe shine, ¥10 for a shampoo and head massage or ¥15 with a haircut, and anywhere from ¥15 to ¥50 an hour for massage. Consider indulging yourself.
Be cautious about unknown people approaching you on the street and striking up a conversation in English, as this may be a prelude to a scam. They are often students of or dropouts from English teacher schools and make money by abusing their English proficiency. Be polite, but there is no need to come along if they start insisting on you coming with them some special place you had not planned on going to.
One common scam is the free art gallery tour . Tourists are lured into small shabby art shops and pressured to buy overpriced Chinese art which is nothing but a copy. In Beijing this is most common, but also in other big cities such as Shanghai it happens when strolling touristy places.
Also beware of the scam operating in many of the larger cities where attractive women or a friendly group of students entice you into a tea shop, bars or karaoke parlor. They show you a menu with a price on it and once you finish your drinks and ask for the bill, they produce another menu with a much higher price on it. It's wise to verify prices in writing.
 Transport
By plane
China has many domestic flights to all the major cities and tourist destinations.
Prices for domestic flights are set at standard rates, but discounts are common, especially on the busier routes. Most good hotels will have a travel ticket service and will be able to save you 15%-40% off the price of tickets. Even after considering discounts, travelling by plane in China is not inexpensive.
Do be prepared for flight delays; these are on the increase despite pressure from both the government and consumers.
Travelling between mainland cities and Hong Kong or Macau is considered an international flight and so can be quite expensive. Although more of a hassle, it is usually much cheaper to fly to or from Shenzhen or Zhuhai , just across the border, or Guangzhou , which is a little further, but offers flights to more destinations.
As an example, the distance from Fuzhou to Hong Kong, Shenzhen or Guangzhou is about the same, but as of mid-2005 flying to Hong Kong cost ¥1400 while list price for the other cities was ¥880 and for Shenzhen discounts to ¥550 were available. Overnight bus to any of them was about ¥250.
By train
Train travel is the major mode of long-distance transportation for the Chinese themselves, with an extensive network of routes covering the entire country.
There are five classes of travel:
Soft sleepers are the most comfortable mode of transportation and are still relatively cheap by Western standards. The soft sleeper compartments contain four bunks stacked two to a column (though some newer trains have two-bunk compartments), with a latchable door for privacy, and are quite spacious. Hard sleepers , on the other hand, have 3 beds per column open to the corridor, with the highest bunk very high up, leaving little space for headroom. Also note that the "hard" sleeper is not "hard" - the beds have a mattress and are generally quite comfortable. All sleepers have pillows and blanket.
Hard seats (which are actually padded) are not for everyone, especially overnight, as they are 5 seats wide, in a three and two arrangement) but it is this class that most of the backpacker crowd travels in. You may still buy tickets for a fully booked train, the seat section of your ticket will be marked differently. You may be able to be assigned a seat by the conductor, or it may mean standing in the aisle. Consider carrying a tripod chair in your backpack to make such journeys more comfortable. Despite the "no smoking" signs, there is invariably a crowd of smokers at the ends of the cars and occasional smokers within the car. Overnight travel in this class is extremely uncomfortable if you are not a smoker.
It is a good idea to ask a local friend to buy 'hard' tickets as the sellers are not always willing to sell them to foreigners.
The bathrooms on trains tend to be more usable than on buses or most public areas, because they are simple devices that empty the contents directly onto the track.
Long distance trains will have a buffet or dining car, which serves hot (but generally overpriced by Chinese standards, at ¥25 or so) food. The menu will be entirely in Chinese, but if you're willing to take the chance, interpret some of the Chinese characters, or ask for common dishes by name, you can eat very well. If you are on a strict budget, wait until the train stops at a station; there are normally stall vendors on the platform who can sell you some noodles or fruit at better prices. Trains also have boiled water available; bring tea, soups and instant noodles to make your own food.
Be careful of your valuables while on the train; property theft on public transportation has gone up in recent years.
Motion sickness pills are recommended if you are inclined toward that type of ailment.
If you have some things to share on the train, you'll have fun. The Chinese families and business people traveling the route are just as bored as the next guy and will be happy to attempt conversation or share a movie shown on a laptop. All in all, the opportunity to see the countryside going by is a neat experience.
 By bus
Travelling by public city buses (???? gonggòngqìche ) or long distance buses (???? changtuqìche ) is inexpensive and ideal for in-city and short distances transportation.
Local public city buses start at around ¥1 and can be quite packed during rush hour. More modern buses with air conditioning start at ¥2. Fares are sometimes marked on the outside of bus doors or beneath the cash slot inside. No change is provided unless there is a ticket conductor. The price of the fare increases for longer distance trips to as much as ¥5 or more.
Coaches, or long-distance buses, differ drastically and can be a reasonably comfortable or very unpleasant experience. Coaches originating from larger cities on the east coast tend to be air conditioned with soft seats or sleepers. The roads are very good and the ride is smooth, allowing you to enjoy the view or take a snooze. Coaches are often a better, though more expensive option than trains. Bus personnel tend to try to be helpful, but they are much less familiar with foreigners than airline personnel and English ability is very rare. Some coaches have bathrooms, but they are frequently dirty and using them can be a real challenge as the bus turns a corner and water in the basin splashes around.
A coach in rural China is a different experience altogether. Rarely is there an English sign in the station to identify buses and your coach's license plate number is supposed to be printed on the ticket, but all too often that is inaccurate. Bus personnel frequently lack in politeness and your fellow passengers lack in manners as they spit on the floor and out the window and smoke. It will be especially cozy if the driver decides to continually stop and pick up as many passengers as he can cram into the bus. The roads in rural China are frequently little more than a series of potholes, which makes for a painful ride; if you have a seat in the back of the bus you'll spend much of your trip flying through the air. Scheduled times of departure and arrival are only rough estimates, as many buses won't leave until every seat is sold, which can add hours, and breakdowns and other mishaps can significantly extend your trip. The misery of your ride is only compounded if you have to travel for 10 or 20 hours straight. As gut-wrenching as all this sounds, short of shelling out the cash for your own personal transport, rural coaches are the only forms of transportation in many areas of China.
Everywhere in China drivers often disregard the rules of the road, and accidents are frequent. Sudden swerves and stops can cause injury, so keep a good hold wherever possible. Horn honking is widespread among Chinese coach drivers, so a set of earplugs is a good idea if you plan on sleeping during the trip.
Sleeper busses are common in China; instead of seats they have bunk beds. These are a good way to cover longer distances - overnight at freeway speeds is 1000 km or more - but they are not all that comfortable for large or tall travellers. You have to remove your shoes as you enter the bus; a plastic bag is provided to store them. If you normally travel in boots, it is worth getting a pair of kung fu slippers to make this easy.
By subway
Major cities - at least Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Nanjing - have a subway (?? dìtie ) system. Chongqing has a monorail system. Most of these systems are being expanded, and new ones are under construction (as of mid-2006) in other cities such as Hangzhou and Xian. Generally these are modern, clean and efficient. The signs and ticket machines are in both English and Chinese.
By taxi
Taxis (??? chuzuche or ?? dishì ) are generally common, and reasonably priced. Flagfalls range from ¥5 in some cities to ¥12 in others, with a km charge around ¥2. In most situations, expect between ¥10 and ¥50 for an ordinary trip within the city. There is no extra charge for luggage, but in many cities rates are a bit higher at night. While drivers trying to cheat you by taking a longer way are not unheard of, it is not that common, and usually shouldn't be a nuisance.
Finding a taxi during peak hours can be a bit hard. But it really gets tough if it is raining. Away from peak hours, especially at night, it is sometimes possible to get a 10% to 20% discount especially if you negotiate it in advance, even if with the meter on, and asking for the receipt. As with everything else in China you should not tip. Incredibly, taxi drivers in many cities will refuse it.
Note that sitting in the front passenger seat of taxis is the norm -- some taxis even mount the taxi meter down by the gearbox, where you can only see it from the front seat.
Note that even in major cities like Shanghai or Beijing, it is extremely unlikely to find an English-speaking taxi driver. Chinese language phonetics being quite far from English, keep in mind that even if you say the name of your destination in Chinese (but with your native pronunciation), you can easily be misunderstood, or not understood at all. Therefore, it is advisable to keep a written note of the name of place where you want to go to by taxi, if you can't speak Mandarin . Chinese characters will work better for this than the romanized (pinyin) version. Get business cards for your hotel, and for restaurants you like, to show taxi drivers.
If you are in China for any length of time, consider getting a cell phone so you can call Chinese friends and let them tell the driver where to take you.
In most cities, taxi companies use a star-rating system for drivers, ranging from 0 to 5, displayed on the drivers name-plate, in front of the passenger seat. While no or few stars do not necessarily indicated a bad driver, many stars tend to indicate good knowledge of the city, and willingness to take you to where you asked by the shortest way. Another indicator of the drivers ability can be found on the same name-plate, in the driver's ID number. A small number tells you he has been around for a long time, and is likely to know the place very well.
Be aware that the Chinese can be relatively aggressive when it comes to finding a taxi, and the person who flags down a particular car is not neccessarily entitled to that ride. Having natives manuever farther up traffic to intercept cars or being shoved out of the way while trying to enter a taxi is not unheard of. If there are others in the area competing for rides, be ready to reach your car and enter it as soon as possible after flagging it down.
By bicycle
China has been referred to as the "bicycle kingdom". Bikes are the commonest transportation method; at rush hour almost anywhere in China you will see hundreds of them. Most are fairly basic single-speed clunkers, but multi-geared racing style bikes are pretty common as well, and there are some mountain bikes. For the traveller, bicycles (zìxíngche, ???) can be a cheap, convenient means of transport that beats being squeezed into a public bus for hours on end.
There are two great dangers for bicyclists in China:
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One is the rest of the traffic ; cars and motorcycles frequently pull out without any warning, and in some areas red lights are apparently optional. See the more extensive comment at Driving in China .
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If your bike doesn't get run over by a motorcycle, it is still under threat from thievery. Bicycle theft is rampant throughout China. Bring at least one high-grade lock from home if you plan to use bikes much, especially if you will have a fancy, new foreign bike. Also, try to park in areas with a guard as much as possible; there will usually be a small fee, but it is worth it.
In most tourist areas - whether major cities like Beijing or heavily-touristed villages such as Yangshuo - bicycles are easy to rent and there is a repair shop around every corner. Guided bike tours are also readily available.
Buying a bicycle is not too much of a hassle, as most supermarkets carry a good stock of bikes, starting from as little as ¥150 ($18). The problem is that the average bike sold in China is of low quality, and it is not unheard of for a pedal or fender to fall off after riding a new bike for only one block. Bicycle repair shops are frequent in most Chinese cities; it might be a bit difficult for the average tourist to identify them if they cannot read Chinese, but usually you can just look for bikes and tires. For a quick fix to a sudden flat tire, there are also many people standing by along the road with a bowl of water and a repairkit ready.
China is a vast country and it may not appeal to the average tourist to bike across mountains and desert. Despite the difficulties of traveling by bicycle in China it is not unheard of to see foreign tourists biking across the Tibetan Plateau or through some ethnic minority village. See Karakoram Highway for one spectacular but difficult route. Companies such as Bike China and Intrepid Travel organise such tours for small groups.
By car
Rented cars often come with a driver; that is probably the best way to travel China by car. International Driver's Permits are not valid in China; to drive yourself you have to get a Chinese driver's licence.
By motorcycle
Motorcycle taxis are common, especially in smaller cities and rural areas. They are usually cheap and effective but somewhat scary. The fares are negotiable.
By pedicab
In some mid-sized cities, pedicabs are a much more convenient means of travelling short distances.
By rickshaw
Sanlunche (???), the Chinese term used both for pedaled and auto rickshaws, are ubiquitous in rural China and lesser developed (which is to say, less touristy) areas of larger cities. Negotiating the price in advance is a must.
Constant assertions on this and other sites that "the drivers will frequently try and rip you off" puzzle long-time China travellers. Posters must be talking about ripoff artists working tourist destinations, like Silk Alley in Beijing; Wanfujing; and beware the Lao She Tea House in particular. Perhaps the rule of thumb should be, "Beware of anyone selling anything near tourist traps."
If you notice normal Chinese families using the "sanlun"-- for instance, between the Beijing Zoo and its nearest subway stop-- then it's safe. Don't patronize any sanlun wearing some old fashioned costume to attract tourists. He'll try to charge you ten times the going rate.
Try to choose pedicabs over motorized transport. You'll be helping the truly poor stay in business, and reducing pollution. |
