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ViewsChinaFrom eTripTips Wiki
China (中国 Zhōngguó), formally known as the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国 Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó) is a vast country in Eastern Asia (about the same size as the United States of America) and with the world's largest population. With coasts on the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, it borders Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam to the South; Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to the West; Russia and Mongolia to the North and North Korea to the East.
[edit] Regions
See List of Chinese provinces and regions for the full list of administrative regions, including provinces, municipalities that are not in provinces, Autonomous Regions for various ethnic groups, Special Administrative Regions (SARs) and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) set up to encourage development.
[edit] Cities China has many large and famous cities. Below is a list of the nine most important to travellers. Other cities are listed under their specific regional section. See the Dynasties and capitals section further down the page for a list of China's many previous capitals.
[edit] Other destinationsSome of the most famous tourist attractions in China are:
China has dozens of UNESCO World Heritage sites. [edit] Sacred sitesFor sacred mountains, see the next section. Several sites in China have famous Buddhist art:
[edit] Mountains China (including Tibet) is home to many sacred mountains. The Five Great Mountains (五岳 wǔyuè), associated with Taoism:
The Four Sacred Mountains (四大佛教名山 sìdà fójiào míngshān), associated with Buddhism:
The three main sacred mountains of Tibetan Buddhism:
There are also several other well-known mountains. In China, many mountains have temples, even if they are not especially sacred sites:
[edit] ItinerariesSome itineraries cover trips that are entirely within China:
Others are partly in China:
[edit] Understand[edit] HistoryThe first civilizations in China arose in the Yangtse and Yellow river valleys at about the same time as Mesopotamia, Egypt and India developed their first civilizations. For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences. Paper and gunpowder, for example, are Chinese inventions and Chinese developments in astronomy, medicine, scholarship and other fields were extensive. A tomb unearthed in Changsha contained a heliocentric model of the solar system, and showed its occupant wore a bra — it is 3,200 years old. China also explored the world and traded extensively with other nations. By the 5th-6th centuries AD, voyages to India and the Arab countries were routine. In the 15th century the Ming Dynasty fleets under Admiral Zheng He reached as far as East Africa. However, China has always been inward-looking. China is the "middle kingdom". The Emperor did not receive ambassadors, only tribute bearers. Around 1425, China turned inward with a vengeance. Records of the great trading voyages were destroyed and the ships allowed to rot. When Western traders arrived in the 16th century, China was initially hostile to them. The first Western base was Portugal's colony Macau, near Canton. The Emperor imposed various restrictions on trade, allowing Westerns to trade only at Canton (Guangzhou), only with payment in silver, and only with a government-approved monopoly of traders called the Cohong. Export of items that would break Chinese monopolies, such as tea seeds or silk worms, was strictly forbidden. Traders eventually smuggled both out, creating two of India's greatest industries. Western traders resented these restrictions and struggled to interest the Chinese in Western goods, without notable success. By the 19th century, various Western powers had taken various pieces of China and trade was well established. The relationship, however, was fraught with difficulties. Westerners tended to see China as corrupt and decadent. Chinese often viewed the West as greedy and contemptible. The great issue, however, was opium. For the West, the profitable commodities were "pigs and poison", indentured laborers and opium. Britain's balance of trade — paying for tea and silk in silver and being quite unable to interest Chinese in most British products — would have been disastrous without opium. However, by growing opium in India and exporting vast amounts to China, they were able to have a nice trade surplus. Some Chinese colluded in this, and made fortunes from it, but every Chinese government from the Qing to the present day has been unalterably opposed to the trade. Several wars were fought in China in that century.
Many Chinese resented various things in this period — notably missionaries, opium, grabbing Chinese land, and the extraterritoriality provisions in the "unequal treaties" that made many foreigners immune to Chinese law. To the West, of course, trade and missionaries were obviously good things, and extraterritoriality was only prudent in view of the corrupt and brutal laws in place. The 20th century brought revolution. The empire was overthrown in 1911 and Sun Yat Sen, a doctor, nationalist, socialist and democrat, became president. After the 1895 war Japan continued its imperial expansion in East Asia, invaded Manchuria in 1931 and conquered much of eastern China by the late 30s. China had other problems as well, such as civil unrest and major famines. In 1937, the Kuomintang and Communists signed a tenuous agreement to form a united front against Japan. However the agreement largely broke down by 1940-41 and the Communists under Mao Zedong and the Kuomintang under Chiang Kai Shek openly fought each other. Throughout the period from 1911 to 1949 various warlords fought challenges to their local power from any outsider, regardless of nationality or ideology. After World War II, outright civil war broke out. More Chinese were killed in this than in resisting Japan. In 1949, the Communists won, causing the Kuomintang to grab the national gold reserves and imperial treasure, and then flee to Taiwan where it set it up shop and promised to recapture the Mainland. The Communist government imposed strict controls over everyday life; basically, the Party ran everything. They also indulged in various experiments such as the Great Leap Forward, intended to industrialise China quickly, and the Cultural Revolution, aimed at changing everything by discipline and attention to Mao Zedong Thought. These failed at disastrous cost. Mao Zedong died in 1976 and Deng Xiaoping's came to power shortly after. After 1978, Deng gradually introduced market-oriented reforms and decentralized economic decision making. Economic output quadrupled by 2000 and is still rising at 9% a year or so, but there are still problems — serious inflation in the 80s, pollution, rural poverty, and corruption. Political controls remain tight even though economic policy continues to be relaxed, enough for China to secure admission to the World Trade Organization. October 2007 saw the official guarantees on private property, a clear step away from hardcore communism and in 2003, the Party changed its statues to accept a new category of members: "good capitalist communists." The current president, Hu Jintao, has proclaimed a policy for a "Harmonious Society" which promises to restore balanced economic growth and to channel investment and prosperity into China's hinterlands, which have been largely left behind in the economic boom since 1978. This policy involves additional tax breaks for farmers, a rural medical insurance scheme, reduction/elimination of school tuition fees and infrastructure development to encourage investment in underdeveloped areas, e.g. the Beijing/Lhasa railway - a dream first put down on paper by Sun Yat Sen in the early 1900s. [edit] Dynasties and capitalsMany cites have been capitals of China, or of various smaller states in periods when China was split up. Beijing and Nanjing mean Northern capital and Southern capital respectively; each has been the capital several times.
[edit] PeopleChina is a very diverse place with large variations in culture, language, customs, and economic levels. The economic landscape is particularly diverse. The major cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai are rich and modern. However, more than half the population, some 800 million rural residents, still live as peasants, farming with manual labour or draft animals. Many of these men and women live in severe poverty. A Chinese government estimate as of 2005 had 90 million living on under ¥924 (US$112) a year; 26 million were under the official poverty line, ¥668 (US$81) a year. China has recently experienced a huge economic explosion, and many rural residents (over 200 million by some estimates) have moved to the cities to become migrant workers, or sometimes businessmen. This has created a two-tier social structure in most cities; the established urban dwellers, and people from rural areas, the latter group often face discrimination and mistreatment from the former. Some foreigners who are not familiar with Chinese customs and habits may find certain Chinese manners to be unrefined, coarse or inappropriate. However, these behaviors are usually benign in nature. The lesson is this: keep an open mind; if you do this, you'll find that people tend to be warm and friendly. Behaviors that may be initially jarring include: 
Some long-time residents say it's getting worse, others say the opposite. The cause is new migrants from the countryside who are unused to city life. Some department stores put attendants at the foot of each escalator to keep folks from stopping to have a look-see as soon as they alight - when the escalator behind them is fully packed. In the same department store, others gape at that row of magic steel doors that open and close - and every time they open, it's never the same people. On the whole, however, this a people who love a good laugh and because there are so many ethnic groups, they are very used to sign language and quick to see a non-verbal joke wherever they can spot one. If you have children, bring them! [edit] ClimateThe climate is also extremely diverse, from tropical in the South to subarctic in the North. Hainan Island is roughly at the latitude of Jamaica while Harbin, one of the largest cites in the North, is at the latitude of Montreal. There is also a wide range of terrain with mostly mountains, high plateaus, and deserts in west; while plains, deltas, and hills can be found in the east. On the border between Tibet and Nepal lies Mount Everest, at 8,850 m, being the highest point on earth. While the Turpan depression, in northwest China has the lowest point of the country, at 154 m below sea level. This is also the second lowest point on land in the world, after the Dead Sea in Israel. [edit] HolidaysChina is a huge country with endless travel opportunities. However, during holidays, millions of migrant workers return home and millions of other Chinese travel, so travelling should be planned well in advance or even reconsidered altogether. Every mode of transportation is crowded, tickets of any kind are hard to come by, it may be necessary to book well in advance (especially for those travelling from remote western China to the east coast or in the opposite direction), and travel services such as hotels raise their prices.
China has three major annual holidays:
These aren't one-day holidays. Workers get at least a week or two off for Chinese New Year; students get 4-6 weeks. Both groups get about a week for National Day and Labour Day. Also, during early July millions of university students go home and in late August they return to school, jamming transportation options, especially between the east coast and the western provinces of Sichuan, Tibet, and Xinjiang. Spring Festival is especially busy. Not only is it the longest holiday, it is also a traditional time to visit family, much as Christmas is in the West. More or less all the university students (20-odd million of them!) go home, and more or less all the migrant workers who have left their farms and villages for better pay in the cities go home. This is often the only chance they have. Everyone wants to go home, and China has a lot of "everyone"! A complete list of Chinese festivals would be very long, since many areas or ethnic groups have their own local ones. See listings for individual towns for details. Here is a list of some of the nationally important ones not mentioned above:
[edit] BooksNon-guidebooks, either about China, or by Chinese writers. Travel:
Literature:
History:
[edit] Get in[edit] VisasMost travellers will need a visa. In most cases, this should be obtained from a Chinese embassy or consulate before departure. Hong Kong and Macau issue their own visas; 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. To visit China, Hong Kong and Macau residents of Chinese origin need to apply at the China Travel Service to obtain a Home Travel Permit, a wallet sized ID card allowing multiple entries for 10 years.
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 US$100 for U.S. passport holders and US$35 for some other passports). The usual tourist single-entry visa is valid for thirty days but in Hong Kong and Macau you can often get a 3 month visa. A tourist visa must be used within six months after it was issued, until recently it was within three months. 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 mainland 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. Many hotels and some other travel agencies provide this service as well. Visas may also be obtained from the China Travel Service desk at Hong Kong Airport [1] Obtaining a visa on arrival is possible, but usually only for the Shenzhen or Zhuhai Special Economic Zones. For example when crossing from Hong Kong to Shenzhen at Lo Wu KCR station a five day Shenzhen only visa can be obtained during extended office hours on the spot for HK$150 (Oct 2007 price) for passport holders of many nationalities, for example Irish. However there may be restrictions on visas for political reasons and these vary over time. For example:
It used to be common for people entering China to work to arrive on a tourist (L) visa and then have the employer obtain a working {Z} visa for them. Now the employer typically obtains a Residence Permit for them instead. This is effectively a multiple-entry visa; you can leave China and return using it. Some local visa offices will refuse to issue a residence permit if you entered China on a tourist (L) visa. In those cases, you have to enter on a Z visa and getting that requires an invitation letter from the employer, and perhaps a trip to Hong Kong or Korea. In other cases converting an L visa to residence permit is OK; it depends which office you are dealing with and perhaps on your employer's connections. [edit] By planeSee also: Discount airlines in Asia While several major airlines fly to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, budget seats can prove hard to come by. For good offers, book as early as you can. Particularly busy periods are usually when Chinese students are flying home for summer, flying back to universities around the world after summer or around Chinese New Year (early February). Tickets at these times are often hard to get and/or more expensive. If you live somewhere like Toronto or San Francisco with a large overseas Chinese community, check for cheap flights with someone in that community. Sometimes flights advertised only in the Chinese newspapers cost significantly less. Tiger Airways, Bangkok Airways. Air Asia and Cebu Pacific offer low-priced flights from Southeast Asia (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Manila) to various destinations in southern China, including Xiamen, Jinghong, Guangzhou, Haikou and Macau. Oasis Airways offers cheap no-frills flights between Hong Kong and London. The lowest fares are HK$1000 (US$125) one way, typical more like HK$2500, and HK$6600 (US$825) for business class. Flights to Vancouver started mid-2007. Other European cities plus Oakland and Chicago in the US are reportedly planned for later. Many fliers prefer Asian airlines, which generally have more cabin staff and better service. Hong Kong based Cathay Pacific is an obvious possibility for flights to China. Others include Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, and Indonesia's Garuda. Taiwan-based China Airlines does not fly to mainland China, but their Amsterdam-Bangkok-Taipei-Hong Kong route is sometimes cheaper than more direct flights and stopovers are possible. Korean Air often have good prices on flights from various places in Asia, such as Bangkok via Seoul to North America. One person on a mailing list reported that taking a train to Southern China, cheap Macau-Bangkok flight, then Korean Air Bangkok-Seoul-LA was US$200 cheaper than flying direct Shanghai-LA. Korean Air also fly to a dozen or so Chinese cities, including Shanghai, but we do not know if the big discounts are available there. China's own airlines are growing rapidly (500 planes in 2000, 863 as of May 2006; they say 1580 by 2010 and 3200 by 2024) and working hard at becoming highly competitive in both service and pricing. They include China Southern, China Eastern, and Air China. North American airlines: Northwest serves Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou through its hub at Narita. United has the most nonstops to North America, serving Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai from Chicago, San Francisco and Washington. Continental Airlines flies to Hong Kong and Beijing from Newark, and American flies to Shanghai from Chicago. Air Canada serves Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong from Toronto and Vancouver. Flying from New Zealand, Air New Zealand is the only direct option to Mainland China. They offer direct flights to Shanghai in the Mainland and Hong Kong. European airlines: Air France flies from Paris to Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai. British Airways goes to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. KLM fly direct Amsterdam-Chengdu, as well as to other Chinese cities. Finnair have a direct Helsinki-Guangzhou flight. If you are coming into Hong Kong or Macau and then flying on to somewhere in mainland China, consider crossing the border to Shenzhen or Zhuhai and picking up a flight there. These are usually significantly cheaper. [edit] By trainChina can be reached by train from many of its neighbouring countries and even all the way from Europe.
Timetable of Local Train (in English). Timetable of Local Train (in Chinese). [edit] By bus[edit] VietnamFor most travellers Hanoi is the origin for any overland journey to China. There are currently 3 international crossings:
You can catch a local bus from Hanoi's eastern bus station (Ben Xe Street, Gia Lam District, tel: 04/827-1529) to Lang Son, where you have to switch transport to minibus or motorbike to reach the border at Dong Dang. Alternatively there are many offers from open-tour providers; for those in a hurry, they might be a good option if they offer a direct hotel to border crossing transfer. You can change money with freelance money changers, but check the rate carefully beforehand. Border formalities take about 30 minutes. On the Chinese side, walk up past the "Friendship-gate" and catch a taxi (about ¥20, bargain hard!) to Pingxiang, Guangxi. A seat in a minibus is ¥5. There is a Bank of China branch right across the street from the main bus station; the ATM accepts Maestro cards. You can travel by bus or train to Nanning.
At Dongxing, you can take a bus to Nanning, a sleeper bus to Guangzhou (approximately ¥180), or a sleeper bus to Shenzhen (approximately ¥230, 12 hours) (March 2006). [edit] LaosFrom Luang Namtha you can get a bus leaving at around 8 a.m. going to Boten (Chinese border) and Mengla. You need to have a Chinese visa beforehand as there is no way to get one on arrival. The border is close (about 1 hr). Customs procedures will eat up another good hour. The trip costs about 45k Kip. Also, there is a direct Chinese sleeper bus connection from Vientiane to Kunming (about 32 hours). You can jump in this bus at the border, when the minibus from Luang Namtha and the sleeper meet. Don't pay more than ¥200, though. [edit] PakistanThe Karakoram Highway from northern Pakistan into Western China is one of the most spectacular roads in the world. It's closed for tourists for a few months in winter. [edit] NepalThe road from Nepal to Tibet passes near Mount Everest, and through amazing mountain scenery. Entering Tibet from Nepal is only possible for tourists on package tours. [edit] By boatThere is regular ferry and hovercraft service between various points on the mainland, such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai to Hong Kong and Macau. [edit] JapanThere is a 2-day ferry service from Shanghai and Tianjin to Osaka, Japan. Service is once or twice weekly, depending on season. A twice-weekly ferry also connects Qingdao to Shimonoseki. [edit] South KoreaThere is a ferry service from Shanghai and Tianjin to Incheon, the main port of South Korea. Another line is from Qingdao or Weihai to Incheon. [edit] ThailandGolden Peacock Shipping company runs a speedboat three times a week on the Mekong river between Jinghong in Yunnan and Chiang Saen (Thailand). Passengers are not required to have visas for Laos or Myanmar, although the greater part of the trip is on the river bordering these countries. [edit] TaiwanStar Cruises[2] operates between Keelung in Taiwan and Xiamen in mainland China, stopping at one of the Japanese islands on the way. [edit] Get around[edit] By planeChina 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%-70% off the price of tickets. Even before considering discounts, travelling by plane in China is not expensive. 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. As elsewhere, prices for food and drink at Chinese airports are vastly inflated. Coffee that is ¥25 in a downtown shop is ¥78 at the same chain's airport branches. KFC seem to be the one exception; their many airport shops charge the same prices as other branches. ¥20-odd for a KFC meal may or may not be worthwhile when there are ¥5 noodles across the street, but at the airports it is usually the best deal around. [edit] 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. Note: during busy times tickets sold at the train station sell out rapidly. It may be better to get tickets in advance through an agent. 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, although if you are taller than 6'3" this is often the best bunk to get, since when you sleep your feet will extrude into the passageway at this height they wont be bumped. Also useful for people with things to hide (i.e. cameras) place them by your head and they are harder to get at. 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. 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. Soft seats are cloth-covered, generally reclining seats and are a special category that you will rarely find. These are only available on day trains between destinations of about 4-8 hours of travel time. At the point where a given train starts, train tickets can usually be bought up to five days in advance. After the point where a given train starts, a small number of tickets might be reserved for purchase in larger towns along the route of travel. Usually these are "no seat" tickets (wuzuowei) that allow access to the train but give no seat assignment. Consider carrying a tripod chair in your backpack to make such journeys more comfortable. If you want to get a seat assignment (zuowei) or a sleeper (wopu), then find the train conductor and he will tell you if there is availability. 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. Travel Agencies will accept money and bookings for train tickets in advance but no one can guarantee your ticket until the station releases them onto the market, at which point your agency will go and buy the ticket they had previously "guaranteed" you. This is true of all of China. The toilets 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. Sleeper cars usually have European throne-style toilets at one end of the car and Chinese squat toilets at the other. Be aware that if the train will be stopping at a station, the conductor will normally lock the bathrooms prior to arrival so that people will not leave deposits on the ground at the station. 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 travelling the route are just as bored as the next person 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. [edit] By busTravelling by public city buses (公共汽车 gōnggòngqìchē) or long distance buses (长途汽车 chángtúqìchē) 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 toilets, but they are frequently dirty and using them can be difficult as the bus turns a corner and water in the basin splashes around. A coach or bus in rural China is a different experience altogether. Signs in the station to identify buses will only be in Chinese or another local language, routes may also be posted or pasted on bus windows and drivers or touts will shout their destinations as you pass, the coach's license plate number is supposed to be printed on the ticket, but all too often that is inaccurate. Due to different manners and customs, foreigners may find bus personnel to be lacking in politeness and other passengers lacking in manners as they spit on the floor and out the window and smoke. The vehicle can get crowded if the driver decides to 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 bumpy and 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. On the bright side, such rural coaches are usually more than willing to stop anywhere along the route should you wish to visit more remote areas without direct transport. Buses can also be flagged down at most points along their route. The ticket price the rest of the way is negotiable. Everywhere in China drivers often disregard the rules of the road, if there are any, and accidents are frequent. Sudden swerves and stops can cause injury, so keep a good hold wherever possible. Horn honking is widespread among Chinese drivers, so a set of earplugs is a good idea if you plan on sleeping during the trip. [edit] By subwayMajor cities — at least Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Nanjing — have a subway (地铁 dìtiě) 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. [edit] By taxiTaxis (出租车 chūzūchē or 的士 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. 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. In some cities it is also common for drivers to try and pick up multiple passengers if their destinations are in the same general direction. Each passenger pays full fare but it saves the time of waiting for an empty cab at rush hour. Even in major cities like Shanghai or Beijing, you are unlikely to find an English-speaking taxi driver. If you try say the name of your destination in Chinese (but with your native pronunciation), you may not be understood. 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 some 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. Chinese can be aggressive when it comes to finding a taxi, and the person who flags down a particular car is not necessarily entitled to that ride. Having natives move 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. Wear your seatbelt at all times, however much your (taxi) driver insists you don't need it. [edit] By bicycleBikes are the most common form of transportation in China; at rush hour almost anywhere in China there will be thousands of them. Most are traditional heavy single-speed roadsters, but basic multi-geared mountain bikes are pretty common as well. For the traveller, bicycles (zìxíngchē, 自行车) can be a cheap, convenient means of transport that is better than being squeezed into a public bus for hours on end. There are two great dangers for cyclists in China:
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 (US$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 repair kit 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 travelling 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 organize such tours for small groups. [edit] By carSee also: Driving in China The PRC does not recognize International Driving Permits and does not permit foreigners to drive in China without a Chinese license - however, this will change in 2007 and short-term driving without a Chinese license will become legal. Importing foreign vehicles is nearly impossible. Rented cars often come with a driver; this is probably the best way to travel China by car. Driving in China is not recommended unless you are used to extremely chaotic driving conditions. [edit] By motorcycleSee also: Driving in China#Motorcycles Motorcycle taxis are common, especially in smaller cities and rural areas. They are usually cheap and effective but somewhat scary. The fares are negotiable. [edit] By pedicab (rickshaw)
In some mid-sized cities, pedicabs are a much more convenient means of travelling short distances. Sanlunche (三轮车), the Chinese term used both for pedal-powered and motorised rickshaws, are ubiquitous in rural China and lesser developed (which is to say, less touristy) areas of larger cities. Negotiating the fare in advance is a must. Reports that "the drivers will frequently try and rip you off" probably refer to rip-off artists working tourist destinations, like Silk Alley in Beijing; Wanfujing; and the Lao She Tea House in particular. Perhaps the rule of thumb should be, "Beware of anyone selling anything near tourist traps." If you see 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 preserving part of China's traditional charm. [edit] Do[edit] MassageMassage is available all over China, often both high quality and reasonably priced. Traditionally, massage is a trade for the blind in Asia, with expert work for ¥15 to ¥30 an hour.
These three types of massage are often mixed; many places offer all three. Some massage places are actually brothels. Prostitution is illegal in China but quite common and often disguised as massage. Most hot spring or sauna establishments offer all the services a businessman might want for relaxation. As for the smaller places, if you see pink lighting or lots of girls in short skirts, probably considerably more than just massage is on offer, and quite often they cannot do a good massage. The same rule applies in many hair salons which double as massage parlors/brothels. The non-pink-lit places usually give good massage and generally do not offer sex. If the establishment advertises massage by the blind, it is almost certain to be legitimate. It is possible to take a nap for a few hours in many massage places and even to spend the night in some. Hairdressers generally do not have facilities for this, but you can sleep on the table in a body massage place or (much better) on the couch used for foot massage. Fees are moderate; this is probably the cheapest way to sleep in China. Note, however, that except in high-end saunas with private rooms, you will share the staff's toilet and there may not be any way to lock up luggage. Language for massage:
There are several ways a masseur or masseuse might ask a question. For example "does this hurt" might be asked as tòng bú tòng? or tòng ma?. For either, answer tòng or bú tòng. [edit] Traditional artsIf you are planning to spend a longer time in China then you may want to consider le | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
