China Travel Guide

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Preparing for a Trip to China

If you have not been to China before, it is wise to study before making the trip and to be prepared for the differences between your own culture and the Chinese culture. There are some major differences; this helps add to the culture shock that some people experience on their first Chinese holiday.

Do some study of China's history and weather before going, but take some of your guide books along so you can study on the plane or in your hotel room. Having an understanding of the places you visit will increase your enjoyment of the excursions you make while in China.

If you are able to learn a few common words or phrases which would be helpful to tourists in the Mandarin language, it will be very much appreciated by the Chinese people whom you meet. Especially in areas outside the major urban areas, the people do not know any English beyond 'Hello'. In the large cities there will be more people who can understand English to some degree.

When you arrive at the hotel where you be staying, get a hotel card, written in Chinese, so you can show it to taxi drivers. You could also ask a hotel employee to write the names of places you want to visit so you can show the list to drivers. You should also carry a photocopy of your passport when travelling in China. Allow the hotel to keep your original passport in their hotel safe.

Upon clearing customs in China, you will begin meeting people who are at home in the country. They may show strong interest in you, especially if you do not look Asian. They may want to be photographed with you since you are a novelty to them. Among the people you meet, there will probably be beggars asking for money for food. Since you are not a native speaker of Chinese, they will use sign language, imitating eating and holding out a hand for money. You should not cooperate with them; simply ignore them. If you hand out money for one, there will be many more lining up with their hands extended as well.

Since it is difficult to buy Chinese currency outside China, you should get currency from an ATM machine or cash a travellers' check. You must use the local Chinese currency while in China. You should always have enough cash on you for a taxi ride back to your hotel.

Keep all valuables in a secure place on your being. A wallet in a chest pocket is preferable to using a hip pocket for your cash. If you use a fanny pack, keep it in front of your body rather than behind you. Pickpockets are not only found in your homeland. They are also in crowded places in China. A foreign man in China could try to intimidate any pickpocket thieves by looking unapproachable.

If you take a taxi to your hotel, be sure the driver uses the meter. Sometimes they do not turn it on and then tend to overcharge their customers. Do your utmost to avoid being cheated by the drivers. It is good to have some smaller denominations of the Chinese yuan when taking a taxi since some drivers claim that they do not have the ability to give change if you pay using larger denominations.

Some elements of daily life in China differ significantly from their counterparts in the western world. One of these is the toilet. In China, as in much of Asia, the squat toilet is the norm rather than the sit-down toilet. It takes some getting used to. A related issue is bathroom tissue. The availability of toilet paper is limited in much of Asia. A wise traveller takes small portions of tissue into the toilet with him, just in case there is none already there.

Do not carry extraneous items with you while in China. Bring only one copy of your home key and one copy of your car key. Leave other keys at home.

If you regularly take prescription medicines, bring enough for the trip plus a few extra. Keep them in their original containers so they can be identified when necessary. Do not bring prescriptions to China to be filled. It is a difficult undertaking to fill prescriptions from another country. Some indigestion medicine or Imodium tablets may come in handy since your diet will be quite different in China than at home. Bring the contact information of your physician in case it may be needed during your travels.

Always avoid drinking tap water in China. Buy bottled water to be used when taking medicines as well as for rinsing your toothbrush. Unless you eat only food prepared in a good quality restaurant, you should be careful that the food you eat is safe. Some local produce may be washed in tap water before being served. This applies to smaller shops serving local dishes. If you have any problems digesting local food, drink some Coca Cola as it tends to digest some foods which the stomach cannot digest easily.

Although some items in this article may seem a bit negative, your visit to China should be viewed as a positive in your life. Do not go with an obnoxious attitude. Instead, go to enjoy the people of China, living in the only culture that they know.

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