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Customs
Regulations
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Visa
required. A three-month visa costs US$30, and processing time is four
working days.
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Entry: Tourists must fill out a baggage declaration form (in
two copies) and hand it in to customs, retaining the carbon to show upon
exit.
Personal belongings will be admitted duty free, including food, two bottles
of liquor and two cartons of cigarettes. Wristwatches, radios, tape
recorders, cameras, movie cameras, and similar items may be brought in for
personal use but cannot be sold or transferred to others and must be
brought out of China. Gifts for relatives or friends in China, or
articles carried on behalf of other, must also be declared.
Visitors can bring in an unlimited amount of foreign currency and Chinese
Renminbi (RMB) traveler's checks, and the unspent portion can be taken
out.A customs declaration must be completed on arrival and surrendered on
departure. Valuable items, such as video cameras, laptop computers, etc.
which are declared on the form must be exported, otherwise import duties
will be charged.
Exit: On leaving China, tourists must again
submit the baggage declaration form for customs inspection (the second copy).
Travelers by ship are exempted.
Items purchased in China
with RMB converted from foreign currencies may be taken out or mailed out
of the country after receipts are presented for customs inspection. In
cities where a Customs Office does not exit, this can be arranged through
the local Friendship Store. The export of antiques, without official
dealer's receipt, is prohibited.
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Generic Tips
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- Remove
your shoes before entering Buddhist pagodas. Don’t let the soles of
your feet face any sacred monument, such as a statue of Buddha
- To
fit in at a Chinese restaurant or teahouse, remember when someone
serves you hot tea, it's customary to tap two bent fingers on the
table as an expression of thanks. The story goes that a Chinese king in
ancient times disguised himself as a commoner and traveled around the
country. When he poured tea for his servants who accompanied him, they
tapped their fingers instead of bowing so his identity was kept
secret.
- Flying
the Taiwanese flag is against the law.
- There
are laws against public spitting and littering, but they are rarely
enforced
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Business Tips
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- Avoid
any embarrassing errors. Learn some useful phrases to get you around
town. Find out whether you should bring a gift to a business meeting.
- Name
cards are distributed like confetti, so you should carry them with you
at all times. Receiving a card without offering one in return is a
signal that you do not want to make the other person's acquaintance or
that you lack status yourself. The card is presented immediately on
the first meeting with both hands and a slight bow from the waist. The
other person's card is received in the same manner.
- Entertaining
in local restaurants may take place in the general dining area or in a
private room. Typically your local host will ask you to choose off the
menu, but the best advice is to defer to his or her judgment.
- Chinese Family names: Chinese
family names came into being some 5,000 years ago. There are more than
5,000 family names, of which 200 to 300 are popular. In
Chinese names, family names comes first and given name second. For
example, in the case of Deng Xiaoping, Deng is the family name,
Xiaoping the given name. The most popular
Chinese family names are ZHANG, WANG, LI, ZHAO, LIU, CHEN...
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When travel
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Children Travelling with children in China
is not difficult. If with toddlers or babies, note that disposable nappies
and baby food in jars are not readily available. Big hotels offer childcare
for a fee. On trains and planes, children travel at reduced cost.
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Luggage Designer luggage with fine
leather isn't suitable. Take sturdy luggage. This is especially recommended
if travelling independently or away from the catered tourist venues. Sometimes
luggage is required to be lockable for transport.
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Departure Tax There is an airport use
tax, called a "construction tax", of 50 yuan for domestic flights
and 90 yuan for international flights (including flights to Hong Kong). This tax is not included in the ticket
price. Coupons are sold at booths inside the terminal and collected at the
entrance to the main departure hall.
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Photography Taking photographs or
videos of military installations is prohibited. Most museums, palaces, or temples
will not allow photograph to be taken, notably the main pit of the
Terracotta Warriors, but some institutions permit it on payment of a fee in
advance. As the atmosphere in China is often hazy, filters
are advisable. Colour print film is widely available, black and white or
slide film much less so. Video film can be found but not always readily.
All security X-ray machines on Mainland China
and at Hong Kong airport are film-safe.
Cameras must be declared when arriving in China. If video or movie cameras
are for professional use, special permits must be claimed.
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Road Names may have suffixes to
indicate north, south, east or west, and additionally, to indicate the
middle section. The middle section is called zhong; nan means south;
bei, north; dong, east and xi, west. A main road is lu
or dao, smaller is jie. A small lane is named xiang.
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Crime and Safety : China has a low crime rate;
however it has increased in the past few years principally in the major
cities.
Pick pocketing and bag snatching are fairly serious
problems. It is wise to remove any jewellery that may draw a thief's
attention. Never wear a bag or purse on your street-side shoulder in order
to avoid becoming a victim of the "snatch-and-ride." Be especially
cautious when entering a marketplace or other busy district. If you are
robbed, it is inadvisable to pursue the thief, as many assailants carry
knives.
Theft is the most common
crime affecting visitors and occurs most frequently in crowded public areas,
such as hotel lobbies, bars, restaurants and tourist and transportation
sites. The loss or theft of a passport should be reported immediately to
the local police and to the nearest foreign embassy or consulate. Police
reports of the theft are required before travellers may obtain new visas
from Chinese authorities. Chinese authorities require that travellers have
valid visas to exit China
and even to travel and register in hotels within China.
When you've lost something,
notify the hotel, tour group leader, transportation authorities and the
police. If credit cards or traveller's cheques have been stolen, inform the
issuer as soon as possible. If in serious difficulty, get in touch with
your embassy.
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Currency and Foreign Exchange
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The Chinese currency
is called Renminbi, and is
issued by the People's Bank of China. The unit of Renminbi is the yuan and
the smaller units are the jiao and fen (10 fen=1 jiao, 10 jiao=1 yuan).
Yuan, jiao and fen are issued as paper banknotes but there are also yuan,
five jiao and fen coins. Denominations of yuan banknotes are 1 yuan, 2
yuan, 5 yuan, 10 yuan, 20 yuan, 50 yuan and 100 yuan. Jiao banknotes are 1
jiao, 2 jiao and 5 jiao and fen banknotes are 1 fen, 2 fen and 5 fen. The
abbreviation for Chinese currency is RMB¥. Many hotels and stores accept
major credit cards. At present, the following credit cards can be used in
China: Master Card, Visa Card, American Express, JCB, Diners Card. Holders
of these cards can draw cash from the Bank of China, buy goods and pay for
purchases at exchange centers of the Bank of China, appointed shops, hotels
and restaurants.
For the
convenience of tourists, the Bank of China can cash travelers' checks sold
by international commercial banks and travelers' check companies in the United States, Canada,
Australia, Hong Kong, Japan,
Britain, France, Switzerland,
Germany
and other countries and regions. Also the Bank of China sells travelers'
checks for such banks as American Express, Citibank, Tongjilong Travelers'
Check Co., the Sumitomo Bank of Japan, the Swiss Banking
Corporation and others.
Foreign
currency cannot be circulated within the People's Republic of China or
used to determine the price and settle accounts. At present, China will
accept and convert into Chinese Renminbi such foreign currencies as the US
dollar, British pound, Euro, Japanese yen, Australian dollar, Austrian
schilling, Belgian franc, Canadian dollar, HK dollar, Swiss franc, Danish
Krone, Singapore dollar, Malaysian ringgit, Italian lira, Macao dollar,
Finnish markka, and Taiwan dollar. Exchange rates are issued every day by
the State Administration of Exchange Control. Before leaving China,
unused Chinese Renminbi can be converted back into foreign currency with a
"foreign exchange certificate" which is valid for six months
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Tipping
Practice for Visitors to China
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It is a common practice for visitors to tip the
tour guide and driver in recognition of their good service. Hotel bellboy
expects your tips as well.
Tipping is still not accepted in most restaurants and
hotels, although it is common in the top-class hotels and restaurants. It is not customary to leave tips at hotel or local
restaurant as the bill usually includes 10-15% service charge . So ask the hotel or your
guide whether a tip is necessary and how much. Sometimes it may be part of
the ritual that any gift or tip will, at first, be firmly rejected.
- Consumer
taxes are included in the price tag of goods but big hotels and fine
restaurants may charge a service tax of 10% or more.
- Tip
only upon receiving the service.
- As
a foreigner, the locals may overcharge you.
- Bargaining
is expected almost everywhere except in larger stores
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Electricity
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220 volts, 50 cycles. There
is no standard electrical outlet, although the outlet or three-prong plug
is the most common in hotels. Hotels usually have prong adapters but no
voltage transformers.
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Drinking
Water
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Bottled mineral water, is
widely available in all stores and street kiosks and sometimes provided
free by the hotel. Potable water is available only at a few of the better
hotels. Visitors should always ask to make sure. Water in thermos bottles
in rooms is non-potable tap water.
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Emergency
Medical Service
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The clinics in large hotels and
restaurants offer medical and first aid services to travelers. If you feel
uncomfortable while on a tour, you may call the outpatient department of a
local hotel, or ask your guide to take you to see the doctor
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Telephone , Postal Service , Communication
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In towns and cities, IDD service is provided at all
hotels and post offices. Phone cards are available in post offices inside
hotels or in the streets. Even more conveniently, most newsstands in major cities
also carry phone cards. Telephone booths in the streets are mostly for
local calls.
Tourist
hotels provide postal services. If you want to send important items such as
antiques and cultural relics that are under customs control, you will have
to ask for the help of the local branch of the international post office,
instead of the small post office in a hotel.
Telephone
area code: Mainland China 86; Hong Kong 852; Taiwan 886.
(Special Telephone Numbers: Police 110; Fire 119; Emergency 120.)
Television
system: PAL (In addition to Chinese
language TV broadcast, English and Japanese TV programs are available in
many hotels via satellite relay. China Central Television Station
(CCTV) and some local TV stations also provide English news and other
programs in English.)
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Transport
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By Air There are three Chinese national airlines: China Southern
Airline and Air China,
and China Eastern all of which fly some international routes.
China's
major cities, such as Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Guangzhou,
are all served by direct flights from other countries. The domestic
airlines radiate from Beijing
to all the provinces, autonomous regions and centrally administered
municipalities, open cities and border areas. Air travel within China
leaves a lot to be desired. It is still, the quickest way to get around
such a vast country, but outside of the major routes it’s advisable to
choose another form of transport.
Delays of china's airlines are much less frequent
than in the past. Tickets for domestic flights are reasonably priced. Main
routes need to be reserved well in advance. Airport tax must be paid for
domestic flights, usually at a special desk before you check in. All
flights are no smoking. Flight announcements are generally (though not always)
in English as well as Chinese.
Foreigners bear an additional 50% when purchasing
airline tickets in China.
It is a regulation imposed by the Civil Aviation Administration of China
(CAAC) and the only exemption provided is for foreign residents with all the
necessary paperwork. You are required to produce your passport for
inspection when reserving and purchasing tickets, and when boarding
Tip: A Y50 departure tax applies to all
passengers at all airports and is almost never added to the ticket. Check
with your travel agent in advance
By Train This is the best value
mode of transportation in China,
and the network is extensive. The Chinese rail network covers 66,000 km, of
which 11,900 km are electrified. The speed can be graded as slow, fast, and
express. Trains are usually fully booked and it is essential to get a
ticket well in advance. Tickets can be obtained through agents or directly
from stations. There are special ticket counters for foreigners at railway
stations. Fares are higher for foreigners than for the Chinese. There are
four categories or classes: soft-sleeper, soft-seat, hard-sleeper, and
hard-seat. The soft-sleeper class has 4-bed compartments with soft beds. It
is recommended particularly for long journeys. The hard-sleeper class has
open, 6-bed compartments.
An English version of the China Rail timetable, including all trains
can be found in the official booklet published by China
railways.
Tips: Boiled water is always available on the
trains. The toilets are usually not very hygienic, so bring your own toilet
paper. Very few routes are air-conditioned; most are cooled in the summer
by fans. There are dining cars on long distance trains. They have pre-set
times for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At all other times, hungry
travellers will have to make do elsewhere thus it’s advised that travellers
take a supply of snacks.
By Bus Public transport is
frequently crowded to say the least. Minibuses are a compromise between the
expensive taxis and crowded urban buses. Many hotels have shuttle buses
that can take tourists to the airport and other places downtown.
Long-distance buses are the most important means of transport in many parts
of China,
especially where there is no railway line. Buy tickets in advance from the
bus station. There are main bus stations for overland buses in most cities.
Beijing and Shanghai
are the only cities in China
that boast a subway system, although Guangzhou
is currently building one. Beijing's
subway has two lines, a giant loop line under the first ring-road, and a
line running West, currently being extended to Tian'anmen gate.
By Taxi Taxis are easy to rent
in most cities and can generally be hailed on the street. It is wise to
agree to a price before you start. The smaller the taxi is, the cheaper the
fare.
By Sea or River Jetfoils
and turbo-cats make regular runs from Hong Kong to Macau and Guangzhou. There are also ship services between most of China's major ports, including Hong Kong, Shanghai, Hainan, Macao, Shantou,
Shenzhen, Xiamen,
and Zhongshan. There are regular ferries and boat connections between Hong
Kong and Guangzhou.
The same is true for some of the big rivers, particularly the Yangtze, Heilong Jiang River,
Pearl River and the Grand Canal between Beijing
and Hangzhou.
The Yangtze River is the 'golden waterway' of China's inland river transport.
By Bicycle Bicycles are widely used and can be rented very cheaply in
most cities, from hotels or at special hiring shops. It is advisable to park
the bicycle at guarded parking spaces in case of theft. Repair shops can be
found almost everywhere so you won’t walk far if you get a puncture.
By Car It is convenient to rent a car in some major cities. Cars with
drivers may be rented at a price on a daily or weekly basis. Driving in China is
much more difficult than in other countries. generally roads and traffic
regulations tend to favour pedestrians and bicycles. Traffic in cities
moves very slowly. Patience is vital. Drive on the right-hand side of the
road. It is permissible to turn right on red. While driving or walking, do
pay attention to your safety.
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