Travel Around China

TRAVEL AROUND CHINA


To most of us, China is a land of mystery. Time and again, we see unique Chinese culture (e.g. Chinese martial art) and scenery on movies and dream of experiencing them ourselves, but language difficulties and negative rumors make the journey beyond of our reach. Here is a list of things that can help you fulfill this dream.



Steps

  1. Be Economical. Prepare for an economical and extensive travel. How you travel depends on your personality and how rich you are. If you are wealthy and only want a comfortable and brief tour around China, you only need a passport and a credit card, but you will only get the impression that China is nothing more than a collection of big cities. An economical and extensive travel is better for you to understand the unique culture and traditions. So stay away from luxurious hotels and metropolitan centers, prepare yourself for a little tougher and more memorable travel.
  2. Choose your destination. China is a vast country which is as large as the whole Europe, it is not possible to experience all the places at a time. Here are a few popular places for you to choose from:
    • For unique scenery: Tibet, Yunnan
    • For history and culture: Beijing, Xi'an (Great Wall, Forbidden city, etc.).
    • For Martial art show: Zhen zhou (Shao lin temple).
  3. Prepare particular things. Besides common things needed to be prepared for every trip, here are extra things that may come in handy when you are traveling.
    • a good guidebook. You can get most information from the internet, but they are not well organized, a guidebook can give you specific information about certain places. e.g. bus numbers, hotels nearby, approximate price range, etc. This is vital cause most of the time, you are on your own.
    • a US dollar saving account and sufficient cash. Ideally, you have a Chinese RMB account, but most of us don't. So prepare a US dollar account. US dollars can be exchanged for Chinese RMB at any banks or financial organizations.
    • a VPN(Virtual Private Network) installed on your laptop.You can not freely access majar social networks like Facebook and Twitter in China, prepare one if you need to share your stories and upload your photos while you travel.
    • a good guide. If you speak good Chinese, don't bother. If you don't, don't worry, this is not vital, in most tourist attractions there are 'guide for rent' service, about 10~20 dollars per hour. And there are numerous volunteers willing to be your guides, free of charge. For other unspoiled and more beautiful deserted places where it is unlikely to find a guide on the site, it is a better idea to find and join a local club on the internet and contact them in advance, usually those enthusiasts speak good English and Chinese.
  4. Book more than one hotel in each place you plan to go to, with 3 being ideal. It's quite casual to cancel others when you find one of them suitable. Make sure there is at least one English-speaking assistant by calling the hotel in advance. An English speaking hotel assistant will be much more helpful than you think. You don't need to choose a five star hotel to find someone speaks English. Most hotels in major cities are economical, with prices ranging from 30~50 dollars per night. Try to avoid staying in backpackers' hotels, they may be extremely cheap, like 10 dollars per night, but unlike backpackers' hotels in other countries, the chances of finding a English-speaking friend are low.
  5. Exchange money. As soon as you get out the custom, exchange for a certain amount of Chinese RMB for your first few days' use. You may exchange money in banks later, but it's more troublesome and the exchange rate is almost the same.
  6. Choose transportation. The best way of traveling between cities is by high speed train. The number of the high speed train starts with G or D, e.g. G324. If you cannot find a high speed train to your next city, opt for planes.When you travel in a city, take subway if you can. otherwise, take taxis, Ask the English-speaking assistant in your hotel to write down the Chinese names of the places on a small card and show it to the taxi driver. Don't take buses, the names of stops will confuse you.
  7. Be open-minded. 90% of Chinese are warm-hearted and out-going, but 95% of people don't speak good English. When you notice that most Chinese don't like talking to you or even avoid eye contact, don't take it personally, it's just language difficulties. Try to speak with young people when you ask for directions or discuss your issues.


Tips

  • Compare prices before you buy. It is possible to be ripped off, if you have a Chinese guide with you, don't worry, he or she will bargain for you. If you are alone, ask about the price of an item (everybody knows 'how much' means), but don't buy it and go to another vender who sell the same item. Compare the items at three venders before you buy it.
  • Use credit card whenever you can. There are many occasions when you need to use cash, like buying souvenirs or tasting snacks in the stalls. You will soon find that you are out of cash. So whenever you can pay by credit card, don't use cash. For example, paying for hotels, buy stuff in supermarkets, etc.
  • Pay attention to your belongings. Your personal security is guaranteed, but your wallet is not. Don't always pull out your thick wallet full of cashes and cards, instead, put some notes and your credit card in a separated pocket.
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travel around china