I'm planning a trip to China this May with a friend (frankful on the ssc forum) who is from Shenyang. I'll be in China for 5 weeks total, but spending the last 5-7 days in Shenyang. Here are the other places we want to visit in those first 4 weeks:

Beijing
Shanghai
Xian
Suzhou
Hong Kong (and surrounding Guangdong cities)
Nanjing?
Guilin?

My question is how long to spend at each place. Also, are there any places I should add, or perhaps remove from my list? Keep in mind this is my first trip to China, and I will probably not be back for a long time.

Thanks for your help, and feel free to post photos of the places to make this a more interesting thread!

I think it depends on what kind of person you are, what interests you have. But to speak generally....

Beijing- I would spend the most time in Beijing. This is a great historical and cultural center. You can see the forbidden city, great wall, the palace gardens, and just enjoy this incredible capital. Spend about 4-5 days AT LEAST.
Shanghai-Also, another must see. It's very fast paced and that might get tiring. But if you are a skyscraper afficionado, which you must be to be here, you should definitely stay here a while to enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere and the skyscrapers. I would suggest 3-4 days.
Xian-If you are a history fanatic, stay longer. If not, this may not be the most pleasant city to be in because it is very polluted. However, the countryside is beautiful and there are incredible historical sites such as the terracotta warriors, the moslem quarter, the city wall, etc. I would suggest 2-3 days, 2 nights at least.
Suzhou=Again, it depends on what you enjoy. This is not far from Shanghai, only 2 hours by train. Spend 2-3 days here since you have some time. It is a beautiful and charming city, perhaps you'd find it too charming and have to stay longer?
Hong Kong (and surrounding Guangdong cities)=there are many cities around this area... Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Macau, Zhuhai. The food is great, but don't eat any cats or you'd get SARS. LOL Stay a week if you're going to check out all the major places in the Pearl River delta.
Nanjing?-I would definitely go here. It is one of the most cultured and refined cities in China. It has a great wealth of historical sites, and is just an enjoyable, clean and beautiful city. I would suggest 2-3 days.
Guilin?-has great natural beauty.. if you're into nature, you should stay here for several days to unwind from the bustle of the Pearl River Delta. Perhaps 2 days?

Some other places I'd suggest? Well, since you're going to be in Shanghai, you might as well go to Hangzhou, which is a beautiful ancient city. Can't miss that. It is only 2 hours south of Shanghai. The possible places to go are actually limitless since China is so big.. but again, you need to tell us what your interests are...

I'm pretty much into everything China has to offer. I'm especially looking for cultural stuff (architecture, religion, modern and ancient history), but I don't want to miss some natural beauty, such as Guilin and Yangshuo.

One problem in planning this trip is that I can't keep going back and forth from Hong Kong when I'm exploring Guangdong because of the Visa rules. I can only enter mainland China twice. I suppose we'll have to get a hotel in Shenzhen, or maybe Guangdong. How long would you say to stay in Hong Kong itself?

Thanks for your help.

I would probably suggest 4-5 days. That sounds about right. HK is an exciting place. But if you're into Chinese culture, history and natural beauty. It's not the place for you. I think you need to look at more traditional cities. Yangshuo is good. Zhouzhuang is another very charming river canal city near Shanghai. Suzhou is a definite must. Basically, there are quite a number of beautiful cities that are near Shanghai which can give you a good taste of Chinese culture. They are nanjing, Suzhou, hangzhou, zhouzhuang, yangzhou, wuxi, I am sure there are more.

In the north, Beijing offers a great deal, as I said before. Dalian is a very beautiful, picturesque city but relatively new.

If you are adventurous, you can venture into the west... it is much dryer and more desert, but there are some very breathtaking places. I can upload some pics when I have some time. There is Jiayuguan, the old lonely fort on the western end of the great wall. This is in Gansu province. Xinjiang province offers a great deal of Uighur cultural experiences and has a wide range of beautiful scenery from alpine forests to the taklamakan desert. In Inner Mongolia, you can see Mongol nomads roam, and the vast open sky country is amazing. Basically, china has endless opportunities because it is so vast, and it's civilization so ancient.

Its true that Hong Kong may not have the cultural history and resources of mainland China, but keep in mind that I'm a huge skyscraper fan too! Both modern and ancient China are very fascinating.

I don't think I'll be able to make it too far west on this trip. I want to cut down on plane/train trips, but exploring cities close together, as in the area around Shanghai, is a definite possibility.

Do you think Nanjing, Suzhou, and Hangzhou are all unique enough that I should make sure to visit all of them? What about Zhouzhuang, Yangzhou, and Wuxi? Are they worth visiting on such a tight schedule?

If you have five weeks (which is a good time btw) and a limited budget. I suggest you stick to three main areas. Start from south and work northwards since you have to end up in Shenyang.

Start in HK. Spend 5 days there, then move to the rest of Guangdong province. Spend about 4-5 days absorbing that.

Then move on to the Shanghai region. Nanjing., hangzhou and Suzhou are MUSTS. yangzhou and Wuxi you can skip. Going to Zhouzhuang is not too far from Suzhou and that area, so you can make a day trip there. But stay about 1.5-2 weeks in that region. But those cities I highlighted, nanjing, suzhou and hangzhou are DEFINITE musts. They are classic cities, your trip would not be complete without seeing them.

Then move up to Beijing. Spend about 5 days there.

Then you can ahve the option to spend 1-2 days in Dalian or just go straight up to Shenyang, which should be the last leg of your trip. I think this itinerary makes a lot of geographical sense.

Since you are going to China in winter, and you will stay at Shenyang for a few days. So I suggest you may take a time to Harbin or Dalian. Harbin you can see the famous annual ice and snow sculptures. Dalian has skyscrapers, but might be too cold for visiting a seashore city. So I prefer Harbin.

The best season to Suzhou is late Spring, but you can take one-two days there in the current season. Hangzhou is an alternate choice for Suzhou. Both are very close to Shanghai. And you definitely need to enjoy the foods and snacks in Suzhou if you are there.

Although I came from Nanjing, I don't think it's a good season to visit Nanjing. Autumn is the best season to be there.

Beijing and Shanghai are the MUST. Tianjin is very close to Beijing, so you can spare one day to visit it from Beijing. Tianjin has many western style old building in her downtown, and is a big city. If you skip Xi'an, you can take a train to Chengde in Hebei, then to Shenyang

I've never been to Guangdong & HK. So :dunno:. But in this winter season, you might spend more time in GD. But don't let SARS spoil your trip there.

If you like nature, I suggest you go to Yunnan instead of Xi'an. I f you prefer history, Xi'an is a MUST and you may add Luoyang too.

Enjoy your trip and have a happy Chinese New Year

I'm going in May, not in the winter, but thank you for your suggestions.

Great!!

you can add Urumqi & Lahsa for non-han Chinese culture,if you have the time

i currently live in Yangzhou,Jiangsu province

for more info.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/jiangsu/yangzhou/

not that big and thriving,but more livable than most big Chinese cities

i was wondering if one can travel to china and just tour the country by himself ?
i heard it's very strict and that you can't hire a car ...
anybody knows how it works ?

if i were to go to china right now. my itenerary would be beijing, pingyao, shanghai, hong kong, and sichaun. emei shan and the dazu rock carvings in the province sichaun. emei shan is one of the five holy buddhist mountains with 20 or 30 temples on it and spectacular scenary. the dazu rock carvings are hundreds of caves with thousands of buddhist statues and mosaics carved right into them.

pingyao is a ming dynasty city that completely escaped the destruction of communism and is between beijing and shanghai somewhere. theres only 3 or 4 such cities in china that are this worthwhile.

huangshan(yellow mountain) next to shanghai is really nice as well.

when you go to china, dont except some pretty historical fantasy land like youll find in europe. or youll come back quite jaded like i did.:)

enjoy youre trip. it is a treat of course.

If you're visiting Guangdong province, I think these are the cities worth going:

Hong Kong - a skyscraper lover's dream, and tons of shopping, good food, and entertainment. Spend at least 3 days there.

Shenzhen - pretty incredible city considering it was nothing but farmlands just 20 years ago. Lots of new skyscrapers and projects U/C. Spend about 1-2 days there.

Guangzhou - just a 1.5 hours train ride from Shenzhen. A huge city with population of 12 million +. An older city with not as many new skyscrapers, but the food is awesome (if you like Chinese food). 2 days should be enough.

Zhongshan - hometown of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the father of the Republic of China. His memorial hall can be visited there. Nice laid-back city with about 2.5 million people. A single-day visit should be enough.

Zhuhai - lots of entertainment and a major tourist city. 1-2 days.

Macau - former Portugese colony right next to Zhuhai. Good food, nice Portugese architecture, and great casinos. 1-2 days.


I suggest you should visit these cities in the order listed (or in the reverse order).


In regards to places other than those in Guangdong, I think these are worth going:

Shanghai - Very few cultural attractions, but skyscrapers aplenty. The Bund is a must go. However, although many people (including many here in this forum) have high praises for Shanghai, I think it's an overrated city. I would spend 3 days max if I were you.

Suzhou - Xihu (West Lake) is a must go if you like nature.

Jiuzaigou - in Sichuan province. A couple of hours plane ride from Chengdu. The Yellowstone Park of China. If you like nature this place is a must go. It's renowned as the most beautiful place in China, with lots of beautiful lakes, waterfalls, and natural sceneries.

Chengdu - although heavily polluted, you might as well go there if you go to Jiuzaigou. The capital of the Shu Kingdom during the Three Kingdom Period.

Guilin - stunning natural sceneries.

Three Gorges - you can take the cruise ride from Chongqing to Wuhan.

Beijing - spend at least 3 days there. Just visiting the Forbidden City will take you around half a day.

The Great Wall - you can't be coming to China without visiting the Great Wall. Enough said.

Dalian, Qingdao - haven't been there yet in person, but I heard they are beautiful coastal cities. You can visit the Qingdao Beer factory if you're in Qingdao.

Xian - worth visiting if you're into cultural relics.

Nanjing - former capital of China. One of the few walled cities left in all of China. Lots of historical and cultural attractions.

Suzhou - Xihu (West Lake) is a must go if you like nature.

correct:Taihu

Originally posted by neon

correct:Taihu

sorry my bad. Thanks for the correction neon.

I am coming to Shanghai in late February for 9 days. I don't want to spend all of my time in the city and I'm interested in some day/overnight trips. I don't want to go as far as Beijing and I have visited Hong Kong already. Genenrally I'm not looking to see as many big ticket sights as possible in the shortest possible time - those can wait for another trip. I'm interested in places easily accessible from Shanghai. From reading this article I picked up recommendations for Yellow Mountain and Hangzhou. Any additional information about these or other places would be greatly appreciated. :)

Also Shanghai restaurant tips and what to order.... :yes:

I haven't been there yet, but I can tell you to look into Suzhou (beautiful city with canals and gardens) and Nanjing (another big city; very historical in both the ancient and modern periods. Also, has attractive parks, I'm told). The surroundings of shanghai have more to offer (unless you're only interested in skyscrapers). Spend a few days in Shanghai, then go with daytrips, perhaps an overnight in Nanjing.

Originally posted by dcb11

I haven't been there yet, but I can tell you to look into Suzhou (beautiful city with canals and gardens) and Nanjing (another big city; very historical in both the ancient and modern periods. Also, has attractive parks, I'm told). The surroundings of shanghai have more to offer (unless you're only interested in skyscrapers). Spend a few days in Shanghai, then go with daytrips, perhaps an overnight in Nanjing. Thanks for the tips. Has Nanjing more to offer than Hangzhou? They were both ancient capitals right??

you are lucky,this year is Monkeys year!!!

j/k

Nanjing was 6 times as the Chinese capital

Hangzhou was the capital of Nansong Dynasty(one of the weakest han regimes)

Originally posted by neon

you are lucky,this year is Monkeys year!!!Yup! Happy New Year.... :)

@Monkey

Hope these help a bit:

http://chinaguides.shanghai-window.com/destination/shanghai/attractions/attraction.html
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/shanghai.htm
http://www.beijing-opera.org/shanghai/

Be sure to go to a new place called "Xin Tian Di" at night, it's a new entertainment district with cafes, bars, restaurants, shops... (you will see more westerner there than oriental :D), click here (http://www.gluckman.com/XinTianDi.html) for more info.

As for shopping, besides Nanjing road, Huaihai road is a must.

I remember it's quite expensive to go up to the highest pearl (350m) of the Oriental Pearl Tower (about $100 RMB), but besides sightseeing, what worths the most is the history museum at the bottom of the tower, be sure to get there. :)

The Bund is the true Shanghai.

Thanks Sher!! :okay:

Could any of our Chinese friends provide some essential info about railways in China? First thing I'm interested is how expensive tickets are (e.g. how much would it cost to go from Beijing to Shanghai and then to Shenzhen and HK?), and what is the general condition of trains? I'm very positive about making a big trip to China in the next few years. I believe train is the best option to travel around China :?

if you want to take the beijing-shanghai train, then wait for a few years before you go. right now, i don't think the trains are for long distance travel because they are exasperatingly slow. a trip from bj to sh will cost you 48 hours--i heard. of course, you can get a sleeper and sleep through it. but all the noise the rails and people make probably will prevent you from doing so.

i have taken the train a few times for short-distance trips. those were not that bad. there are tourist trains that run every hour between,say, shanghai and nearby tourist towns like suzhou. those trains are fast and comfortable.

on the other hand, flying is pretty convenient for tourists since chinese airlines do not force you to buy round-trip tickets by making one-way tickets expensive.(okay, if you really want a round-trip ticket, the price is 2 times one-way price.) so you can pretty much fly to all your destinations. instead of the first, business and economy classes in the us, chinese planes have 9 sections and they all have different prices. section 9 is the engine room of course. lol.

dcb11 and i are both going to tour china this summer. we will be flying mostly but taking trains for shorter-distance trips.

You may have had a trip to China or will have a trip to China. No matter if you have negative or positive views about China, just give two cents here and let other friends know about China by not only pictures but also your personal experience.
Here are some foreign friends' trip views I picked up from Chinadaily. And What about yours?

Oscar_Wu:

I just came back from China last week, I would like to share my experiences.

I landed on March 06 in Shanghai, where I had the opportunity to stay in the historical Peace Hotel for 5 days. I was impressed by the cleanliness and hustle of the city. It must be very challenging to maintain law and order with a population of over 40 million. Toronto has a population of only 5 million, and I found that the streets and the subways are not as clean as Shanghai's.

Guangdong and Shenzhen, were another great cities to visit. Everything is well organized and maintained. Great public transportation, including, motorcycles, taxis, subways and even bicycles. Lots of restaurants, shops, landmarks and interesting people.

I stopped by Beijing for a few hours, I did not have a chance to explorer the city, but I am sure, I would NOT have been disappointed.

I am safer walking in the streets of China late at night, then in any major city in North America. I am impressed that China has managed to maintain law and order in a country of 1.3 billion people.

The airports, planes, security, customer service, were outstanding and very efficient. The people of China, seems to take their profession and professionalism to the next level.

It was an honour visiting your country and experiencing a beautiful and heartwarming nation.

The only complaint, is the smog. I understand that China has many manufactures in which foreign countries and companies use to make their products for big profits. I want to see these foreign companies and the Chinese government do something about cleaning the air and make a better living environment for the people who live and work in this beautiful country.

Although I was there for only for a few weeks, China has make an impact on me that will last me a lifetime. I will be visiting China again and again.

Be proud of your country. It has many beautiful things to offer, including, love and devotion.






jiangqihui:
I just came back from a trip to China as well last week! I went to Beijing, and then stopped over at Shenzhen before going to Hong Kong. I had a great time. I'm an American of Chinese descent (my parents are from Guangzhou). Asian people comprise less that 5% of the population in the U.S., and although it's greater in the Washington, DC area, it felt comforting coming to a place where everyone looks like you, and yet also a little out of place as well since I can't speak or understand Chinese. I tried to learn as much Mandarin as possible before my trip, but I really stink at learning languages.

Beijing is the cleanest city I've ever seen. There were workers on every block, sweeping up the smallest debris. Did they always do this? Or is this in preparation for the 2008 Olympics? Even inside KFC and McDonalds it was amazingly clean, no matter how busy it was! I got up to leave and was about to put away my trash when a young worker took my tray for me and wiped my table.

Everybody I met was extremely helpful, from the hotel staff, who helped me track down the backpack I left in the taxi that took me to the airport, to the young woman at the Airline Ticketing Office who helped me buy my ticket to Shenzhen.

I do have a couple of questions: I saw a lot of uniforms on the streets in Beijing. As far as I can tell, there were three kinds. Are there more?

1) Green (is this the military?)
2) Dark Blue (I believe this was the police)
3) Dark green/grey (Beijing Security Bureau, I think)

Who has jurisdiction over what? I also saw uniformed officers in stores and banks or sitting in booths in front of buildings. Are these private security people?

I noticed that all the police officers were all young looking and very tall. Is this an unspoken requirement? In other words, if a short person wanted to be a police officer, what are the chances that he would be accepted? Everyone in Beijing was taller than me, it seems (I'm 5" 6')!

I also saw a lot of young women walking down the street with their arms locked together. I take it that this is a local custom?

It sure seemed like most of the people in Beijing (Dongcheng district) were really, really young. Or was that just because of the area I was in? (a lot of stores and restaurants)

What jobs are considered "good jobs" that people want to get into?

Anyway, that's enough questions for now. Thanks!




Seneca:
First trip to China's capital...
...was in 1983, arriving in Peking by Transib from Moscow. The old train station at that time was, well, uncrowded.
I didn't know a word of Chinese, but had to rush out of the PR of C within the stipulated 7 days marked in my transit visa. One-and-a-half of those I had already used up arriving from Zabaykalsk/Manzhouli.
I thought that the ticket vendor would understand "Hong Kong, Hong Kong!", especially since I showed her a map of Guangdong, but I was at that time under many other illusions...
Luckily, a Hong Kong traveller overheard me in that cavernous station hall and came to my rescue. I got a ticket to Guangzhou, which I knew at that time as "Canton". When the vendor asked me whether I was a student, I replied in the affirmative, and no proof was asked - I got a student ticket on a hard sleeper.
What I didn't realise was that the train was leaving that same day, so unfortunately, I had to cut short on all intended tours. A European expat in the Friendship Hotel informed me of the exact departure date and time. I managed to get to Hong Kong within 6 days since crossing the border between Siberia and Manchuria...

When I returned to Peking many years later, the formerly ubiquitous Mao dress had given way to the more colourful T-shirts and bluejeans that are so common these days!



bornof_fire:
i also had a great time in china
ive spent 3 trips in beijing and let me say that it is a nice city. you should go back and see all that beijing has to offer.

april 2003:

my first time ever in another country. so the flight alone was fun but too long. i was so excited to be able to attend a different place than what i have known my whole life.
When i was a boy , i had always dreamed of going to china on vacation but life never presented an opportunity to do so.

This all ended when I met a woman on the net. Little did i know that she was to become my wife in less than a year.

So, even though sars was considered a threat I did not hesitate to go and i was not disappointed at all.

The way of life in china is way different than any way I have ever seen in america.

Beijingirl and I spent much time visiting all the great things to see in beijing. Summer palace, forbidden city, temple of heaven and the great wall at badaling. She helped me with all the accomadations and I had not a single worry.

The day we went to the summer palace is a day I will never forget the rest of my life. this was a day that i knew i was in love with her.

Leaving just in time before sars became a big problem in beijing I returned to san francisco. But not without alot of tears. for we both knew it was not sure if we would see each other again. that was very painful.

august 2003:

I return to china again for my love for beijingirl was too strong to hold alone and i had to see her again. it was too much for both of us.

This time we decided to spend a week at the mountain resort in chengde. I did not like this place and neither did she. The resort wasnt that nice , the food was lousy and the people were not pleased to see a white man with a chinese woman. they called her bad names but i dont know mandarin. she wouldnt repeat the bad words.

But we made the best of a bad situation.
Although it was too hot(we were supposed to be getting away from the heat) we managed some nice walks and pleasant moments alone and a nice boat ride too.

After returning to beijing we strolled around town and I went to some familiar places with some friends and ate pizza at pizza hut and mcdonalds(they both taste the same way in america).

then the time came to leave again. this was very sad time. we both cried alot


january 2004:

this trip i decided to stay for a whole month. i didnt want to come to beijing and only stay for 2 weeks. so my lady got me an apartment for the time in haidian district and it was how to say, not what i expected.
but i guess im a spoiled american. hahahah

it was great. we got married on january 19th 2004.

thats really about it for january, i frequently went to forbidden city and summer palace and temple of heaven alone cuz she had to work. and that was ok cuz we were married and i dont mind spending time alone.




Rainbow:
you only see one side
i am sorry that i am not whith you any more, you only saw city , but not saw countryside. I have been many countries in Europe. never saw there is so big different between city and countryside in Europe, it is different in china.it is really stupid. You can see the most beattiful street in china, also you can see the most poor man in china. It is strange that everyone live in a BIG CAGE, IT IS NOT MODERN CIVILIZATION. there is no any fair and justice in there!! Chinese look like the polluted air in the sky of china. They can do eveything only for MONEY. the worse man, the more money!!!


Liuxialover:
I am a caucasian from USA, and have travelled to Europe, Central America, Caribbean, and Japan.
I found Chinese people friendly. Standard of living for city dwellers high, but countrysiders not so well off. But the same can be said for USA.
Really enjoyed the purchasing power of a dollar.
Overall my impression of China- despite some of the quirks, it is an advanced nation, not at all like my preconceived ideas. Still had a hard time adjusting to the toilets though, and the food was very spicy.

Huaiwei, mind changing the title of the thread from "you trip to china" to"your trip to china"? I made a mistake by accident. thank you .

Are you kidding? Every chinese knows that the railway train between Beijing and Shanghai is the best of China. The Best Condition and best service. It will take 12 hours from beijing to shanghai. The train leaves beijing at 8:00pm and reaches shanghai at 8:00am next day. There is tow ranks of tickets:
350RMB(42USD): six beds/room
470RMB(60USD): four beds/room with TV
All is comfortable. People, now, normally choose railway as the main means from beijing to shanghai or from shanghai beijing. Because it waste no time. Go to train at night and with a sleep you can start your visit to a new city on the early morning. If you fly, half day will be waste.

Hangzhou is the MUST. Gorgeous!

Hangzhou was the capital of Nansong Dynasty(one of the weakest han regimes)

--------------------
Weakest in terms of military, strongest in terms of economy and science

Could any of our Chinese friends provide some essential info about railways in China? First thing I'm interested is how expensive tickets are (e.g. how much would it cost to go from Beijing to Shanghai and then to Shenzhen and HK?), and what is the general condition of trains? I'm very positive about making a big trip to China in the next few years. I believe train is the best option to travel around China :?

I only know Beijing-Shanghai route..There are trains with very GOOD conditions and running non-stop between Beijing-Shanghai..the trip usually takes 11 hours, you depart at night, next day when you wake up you are in Shanghai!. the price is not expensive..the weird thing though...air travel is actually cheaper, since all big three airlines are having price wars..you can get air ticket with 60% or 70% discount..i prefer train because it's more confortable, but it also takes more time,,but if you are not business travler, why care?


Z21 Departure Beijing:19：00 Arrival Shanghai 6:00 next day Stop:none
Z13 Departure Beijing: 19:07 Arrival Shanghai 7:05 next day Stop:none
Z5 Departure Beijing:19：14 Arrival Shanghai7：12 next day stop:none
Z7 Departure Beijing:19：21 Arrival Shanghai7：19 next day Stop:none
Z1 Departure Beijing:19：28 Arrival Shanghai: 7：26 next day Stop:none

cities worth visiting:

MUST: Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou(including Tongli, Zhouzhuang or Wuzhen, Xitang),

Visit them if you have more time:
Nanjing, Guilin, Xi'an, Chengdu

Visit them if you have a month:
Xinjiang region (Urumuqi and the area), Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Guangdong province, Chongqing, Yangzhou, Wuxi, Shaoxing, Ningbo Yunnan province, probably Harbin, Wuhan.

If you have a lot of time and you think you can handle high-attitude breathing problems, visit TIBET!!!!!!

Hi Guys I think China is great and would like to live/work there one day -maybe in Guangzhou or Sganghai. I'm white/European British and I was wondering what kind of response I would get there... would people discriminate against me and would i be stared at 24hours a day? Many thanks.

ps. China is all set to be the new super power... good-luck!

Thanks from the United Kingdom to the Middle Kingdom.

You definitely will not be stared at, especially in Shanghai and Guangzhou where they are accustomed to seeing people from all over the world on a regular basis. You will also not experience open discrimination in your daily life.

As for discrimination in getting jobs, I really can't help you there. I don't know if there is any discrimination in the job market or not. First of all, do you speak Mandarin or Cantonese? If you don't speak either, that itself would be a reason you might find it hard to get a job. Most Westerners working in China work for Western (or at least international) companies, and even those companies probably hire mostly people who speak Chinese. In case you didn't know, the primary language of Guangzhou is Cantonese. I'm not sure if you can get by with Mandarin or not.

As an alternative, you might want to run your own business in China. I met a man from California in Shanghai (who didn't, I don't think, speak Mandarin) who moved there to open a Mexican-themed bar. If you go that route, you'll probably want to hire someone to fill out all the paperwork and maybe a real estate broker.

So what did you have in mind?

In case you didn't know, the primary language of Guangzhou is Cantonese. I'm not sure if you can get by with Mandarin or not.
I've been to Guangzhou and Shenzhen. You can get by with Mandarin just fine. Almost everyone 40 years old and younger can speak both Mandarin and Cantonese, assuming they are native Guangzhouren. So unless you solely deal with the elders, you'd have no problem with not speaking Cantonese, especially when it comes to business.

As an alternative, you might want to run your own business in China. I met a man from California in Shanghai (who didn't, I don't think, speak Mandarin) who moved there to open a Mexican-themed bar. If you go that route, you'll probably want to hire someone to fill out all the paperwork and maybe a real estate broker.
Yeah, there are numerous success stories like that in China. However, if you choose to go this route, make sure you UNDERSTAND the Chinese market before you invest anything. Also, while there are many trustworthy companies who specialize in assisting helping foreign investors do business in China, there are also some that may rip you off if you aren't careful.

Hello Friends!
a question: somewhere here speak or undertand spanish! please..in that my english is´t good. and i want to know about China.

Please visit the Colombian Forum in Latinscrapers!!

Greetings from Colombia

Hello friends!
:hi:
I am from Barcelona, Spain.
I will go to China in October for 25 days. I would like to see:
-Beijing.
-Shanghai.
-Xi'an.
-Gilin.
-Hong Kong.
-Macao.
-Canton.
Is this a good itinerary? Can you help me, please?
:?
Maybe I can meet a Chinese forumer over there...
:wink2:
Thanks a lot in advance!!
;)

Hello friends!
:hi:
I am from Barcelona, Spain.
I will go to China in October for 25 days. I would like to see:
-Beijing.
-Shanghai.
-Xi'an.
-Gilin.
-Hong Kong.
-Macao.
-Canton.
Is this a good itinerary? Can you help me, please?
:?
Maybe I can meet a Chinese forumer over there...
:wink2:
Thanks a lot in advance!!
;)

well
how many days will you stay in china?

this itinerary is Ok,but may spend much of time.

And,Gilin,Canton are provinces,Which city will you want to go?

I recommend you visit Suzhou and Hangzhou by the way when you arrive shanghai.They are absorbing citys.

Yup,maybe someone can meet you over your journey :)

Hello Friends!
a question: somewhere here speak or undertand spanish! please..in that my english is´t good. and i want to know about China.

Please visit the Colombian Forum in Latinscrapers!!

Greetings from Colombia
Sorry,I don't know.
There are several chinese forumers understand French and German,maybe there are forumers understand Spanish ,too. :)

Should I post your request in some chinese Forum to find someone understanding Spanish for you?

well
how many days will you stay in china?

this itinerary is Ok,but may spend much of time.

And,Gilin,Canton are provinces,Which city will you want to go?

I recommend you visit Suzhou and Hangzhou by the way when you arrive shanghai.They are absorbing citys.

Yup,maybe someone can meet you over your journey :)
24-25 days in China!
:wink2:
Is there any Air Pass to fly within China? If not, which is the cheapest airline?
:?
Thanks for helping.
;)

24-25 days in China!
:wink2:
Is there any Air Pass to fly within China? If not, which is the cheapest airline?
:?
Thanks for helping.
;)
Wow
24~25 days~a long vocation

Sorry,I don't know which is the cheapest.Maybe other foumers can help you.I'm sorry.

After all,have a a good journey. :)

Any more info, please?
:?
Thanks!!
:bowtie:

Any more info, please?
:?
Thanks!!
:bowtie:

Why don't you just take the rail? Most trips are overnight, so you can save on lodging, and you can check your bags in the station in case you want to travel around the city first before checking in a hotel.

I suggest you open a new thread,maybe others didn't notice this thread.

During my time in Hong Kong i visited the Chinese tourism board. They gave me a map of Shenzhen and on the other side of the map they listed interesting things you can do in Shenzhen. One thing was very interesting. You can visit a kindergarden in Shenzhen. My question is why? What`s so interesting to visit a kindergarden? I don`t know the answer maybe there is something special i don`t know. ^^

My second question concerns the visa. I am from Germany and i made my visa in Hong Kong for China. It took much time and for 3 days i couldn`t leave Hong Kong because they had my passport. My question is: Will something change in the future? Visas are stupid. It`s not like i am from an enemy country or something.

^^

Well, Chinese from the Mainland have to apply for a Visa as well, when they want to visit Germany. And I don't think that Mainland Chinese are enemies of Germany as well.

During my time in Hong Kong i visited the Chinese tourism board. They gave me a map of Shenzhen and on the other side of the map they listed interesting things you can do in Shenzhen. One thing was very interesting. You can visit a kindergarden in Shenzhen. My question is why? What`s so interesting to visit a kindergarden? I don`t know the answer maybe there is something special i don`t know. ^^

My second question concerns the visa. I am from Germany and i made my visa in Hong Kong for China. It took much time and for 3 days i couldn`t leave Hong Kong because they had my passport. My question is: Will something change in the future? Visas are stupid. It`s not like i am from an enemy country or something.

the problem is that many countries dont want to allow Chinese citizens to enter their countries without obtaining visas, probably because of political concern and illegal immigration.

and you know visa-free agreements have to be signed by both countries involved.

During my time in Hong Kong i visited the Chinese tourism board. They gave me a map of Shenzhen and on the other side of the map they listed interesting things you can do in Shenzhen. One thing was very interesting. You can visit a kindergarden in Shenzhen. My question is why? What`s so interesting to visit a kindergarden? I don`t know the answer maybe there is something special i don`t know. ^^

My second question concerns the visa. I am from Germany and i made my visa in Hong Kong for China. It took much time and for 3 days i couldn`t leave Hong Kong because they had my passport. My question is: Will something change in the future? Visas are stupid. It`s not like i am from an enemy country or something.


i agree Sen's comment, it is about both side of two countries. It is really easy for you to obtain a CHinese visa with few days and few dollars.
For all mainland Chinese to obtain visa is a such big thing even though the situation gets better (change from impossbile to possible). However, may due to small portion of illegal Chinese, to obtain visa for many country in EU, such as German, Netherlands is a such drama.

I had a such painful experience to go to Netherlands for visiting friend after a conference in Cezch. The entire application took me 6 weeks with extremly uncomfortable questions, such as my job contract, my salary, my bank account, my parents (what a hell to do with my parents!!!!)...... of course, the return air tickets and insurance..... My friend in Netherlands also need face to questions, such as how did we know, where we met, how long we know each other..... It was full of discriminations . Moreover, I am always questioned at airport with a funny looks from the officer, plus I have to spent a day to deal with foreign police there to report my arrival (OMG, I only spend 4 days there). Whle I left airport the officer there again gave me a 'special care'. I told myself at end 'what a holiday in Nehterlands!!!!' and I told my dear friend (his is a Dutch). I will NEVER come back to that country. I do not need spend own my time and money to have holiday like that. S

i agree Sen's comment, it is about both side of two countries. It is really easy for you to obtain a CHinese visa with few days and few dollars.
For all mainland Chinese to obtain visa is a such big thing even though the situation gets better (change from impossbile to possible). However, may due to small portion of illegal Chinese, to obtain visa for many country in EU, such as German, Netherlands is a such drama.

I had a such painful experience to go to Netherlands for visiting friend after a conference in Cezch. The entire application took me 6 weeks with extremly uncomfortable questions, such as my job contract, my salary, my bank account, my parents (what a hell to do with my parents!!!!)...... of course, the return air tickets and insurance..... My friend in Netherlands also need face to questions, such as how did we know, where we met, how long we know each other..... It was full of discriminations . Moreover, I am always questioned at airport with a funny looks from the officer, plus I have to spent a day to deal with foreign police there to report my arrival (OMG, I only spend 4 days there). Whle I left airport the officer there again gave me a 'special care'. I told myself at end 'what a holiday in Nehterlands!!!!' and I told my dear friend (his is a Dutch). I will NEVER come back to that country. I do not need spend own my time and money to have holiday like that. S

How long was it ago ? I met some Chinese in the train. They travelled through Germany and than to Rome.

I believe it must be more easy now for a Chinese to get a Visa to Germany.

The problem i have is not as big as yours but it is still difficult for me to get a Visa for China in Germany. I must travel around 400km to the Chinese embassy.

The problem i have is not as big as yours but it is still difficult for me to get a Visa for China in Germany. I must travel around 400km to the Chinese embassy.

Maybe you can ask the Chinese government to open up a consulate in your
hometown ...

How long was it ago ? I met some Chinese in the train. They travelled through Germany and than to Rome.

I believe it must be more easy now for a Chinese to get a Visa to Germany.

The problem i have is not as big as yours but it is still difficult for me to get a Visa for China in Germany. I must travel around 400km to the Chinese embassy.

You can send them your Passport.

Wo wohnst Du denn? Generalkonsulate gibt es ziemlich viele.

Antragsformular zum Runterladen:
http://www.china-botschaft.de/det/qz/t92286.htm

Visa-Abteilung:
http://www.china-botschaft.de/det/qz/default.htm
:)

You can send them your Passport.

Wo wohnst Du denn? Generalkonsulate gibt es ziemlich viele.

Antragsformular zum Runterladen:
http://www.china-botschaft.de/det/qz/t92286.htm

Visa-Abteilung:
http://www.china-botschaft.de/det/qz/default.htm
:)


I live near Frankfurt.
I already bought an Shanghai travel guide and there is this written:
"Anträge (fürs Visum) müssen persönlich oder durch einen Vertreter bei einer diplomatischen Vetretung Chinas eingereicht werden. Unten drunter stehen 2 Addressen, eine ist in Berlin einer in Hamburg.

I live near Frankfurt.
I already bought an Shanghai travel guide and there is this written:
"Anträge (fürs Visum) müssen persönlich oder durch einen Vertreter bei einer diplomatischen Vetretung Chinas eingereicht werden. Unten drunter stehen 2 Addressen, eine ist in Berlin einer in Hamburg.

Dann dürfte diese Nachricht Dich freuen:

Bekanntmachung

Die Konsularabteilung des Generalkonsulats der VR China in Frankfurt am Main wird am 27.August 2005 von Bonn nach Frankfurt umziehen. An den folgenden drei Werktagen vom 29.August bis zum 31.August bleibt die Konsularabteilung vorläufig geschlossen. Am 1.September ( Donnerstag) wird sie in Frankfurt wieder eröffnet.

Die Adresse der Konsularabteilung des Generalkonsulats in Frankfurt am Main lautet:
Mainzer Landstraße 175, 60326 Frankfurt am Main.
Bürostunden der Konsularabteilung : Montag-Freitag (09:00-12:00)
Beratungstelefonnummer:069-75085548 (Paß), 06-75085549 (Beglaubigung), 069-75085534(Visa), Fax: 069-75085540
Telefonische Beratung: Montag und Mittwoch (15:00-17:00)
Das Generalkonsulat der VR China in Frankfurt am Main

http://www.china-botschaft.de/det/qz/t206663.htm

Ni hao!
:hi:
I arrive to Beijing on October 14th at 5.40am.
:)
Any suggestions for sightseeing?
Does anybody want to meet?
:?
My name is David and I am from Barcelona, Spain, Europe.
:wink2:

Ni hao!
:hi:
I am in Beijing 4 days.
Anybody wants to meet? :yes:
Which is the highest skyscraper in this city, please?
:wink2:
Xie Xie!!
:bowtie:

Now 5 days in Shanghai.
Maybe somebody here to meet up?
:wink2:

Nobody?
:(

Hello from Xi'an now!
;)
Anybody to meet here? :?
I won't give up.
:)

Hello from Xi'an now!
;)
Anybody to meet here? :?
I won't give up.
:)
I think you should open a new thread.
Nearly nobody notice this thread.

Hope you have a good journey in china.
by the way,I think go to Xi'an in autumn is really a bad idea.The bad weather. :)

OK, nobody yet...
:(
Maybe in Hong Kong. :yes:
:wink2:

Ni Hao Ma,

Hello my Chinese friends :) I will be visiting your beautiful country in June/July 2006. The cities I will be visiting are Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Nanjing.

Could you please reply to this thread with information about China. Just stuff that a visitor should know, maybe like what electricity do China use? What plug system? Which mobile phone company is the best? How to travel between HK, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Nanjing. What should I eat (anything special that I can't eat in Australia)?

My plan is to go HK first, then Shenzhen, then Wuhan and finally Nanjing, then to HK only for the return flight back to Perth.

I have to go to HK first and last as there is no direct flights between Perth and China.

Thank you very much in advance.

I'd try to learn a bit Chinese before I go, or at least buy a Chinese phrase book.

I'm not sure why you'd care about the mobile phone companies, you are not going to live
in China for more than a few weeks, right? You can always just buy phone cards in China
for international calls.

Food is too big a topic, I don't know where to start.

hi, In China (I mean mainland of China, not so sure about HK because never been there), the voltage is 220 v which is same as in australia. Most of the powerpoint, at least at hotle or most of the family, has tow style with one is exactly as the Aussie one and another is two cycle. So you do not need worry about it. Australia mobile phone will be connected within China (you check your mobile service to ensure). For the cheap or altenative way is buy a phone card (new nubmer) and use is in China. Indeed, according to my experience the signal of mobile is really good in china, subway, trains or lift has no problems.

From Shenzhen to Wuhan, train may be a good way because you can see the country. Wuhan to Nanjing also have good train connection.

Hong Kong - Shenzhen
The best way to get there is by KCR train. They have services from Kowloon to the border at Lo Wu, where you can connect to the brand new Shenzhen Metro.

The most convenient stations for tourists to get on this train will be either East Tsim Sha Tsui (there is a MTR connection) or Hung Hom. The fare is about HK$33-36.5 depending on which station you get on (Hung Hom is cheaper). Travel time is about 40 minutes.

http://www.kcrc.com.hk/eng/services/services/images/er_route.jpg

Since the border closes at midnight, the last train leaves East Tsim Sha Tsui at about 11pm. The last train from Lo Wu city-bound leaves at about 12:30am. Make sure you keep these last train times in mind if you are running late.

The border is still alive and well. Make sure you bring your passport and have the appropriate visas ready to enter China. You will go through 2 sets of immigration - Hong Kong and China.

Look out for the public washrooms and be ready to avoid them.

Thanks for your posts and replies.

I will learn chinese, try to anyway, it's quite difficult I find, I have purchased the Pimsuler CDs to learn from. I really hope I can learn and master this language.

I might go Perth - HK - Shenzhen - Wuhan - Nanjing - HK - Perth.

Do you think that's the way to travel?

How much is the train tickets for each Journey and plane tickets (I'll be looking for one way tickets), except Perth to HK where I'll be getting return tickets here in Perth. China Visa only allows me to stay 30 days, but I want 37 days so I hope the Chinese authorities are nice enough to extend my stay by 7 days.

Is the train safe in China? Will I have any problems with robberies or intimidation? Or will a plane ride be safer, more efficient. I hope I can afford plane tickets (my preferred way of travel).

HK to Shenzhen I will take the train.
Shenzhen to Wuhan I will probably take the plane
I really can't see a train line that goes from Wuhan to Nanjing directly so I might go on a plane again, it looks like they both are on the same river, can we take a ferry?

Nanjing to HK by plane.

In HK I will definitly visit Disneyland.

Do you have any other recommendations on what I should visit in each of those cities?

Thank you for your replies to.

PS: I was thinking of buying this travel book...http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1740596870/ref=pd_ts_c_th_3/102-7550872-4114564?v=glance&s=books&n=16785

Do you think it will come in Handy?

frankly speaking, learn chinese language isn't a smart idear. HK speak Guangdong dialect and Shenzhen may common language Wuhan is Hubei dialect and Najing also has it's dialect, chinese can't understand what people in other area say but clear understand what he write. But common language is most important, at least every chinese can understand what you say many can talk with common language, but even me can't understand many dialect-common mixed accent in many area.
if you want travel from shenzhen to wuhan or wuhan to nanjing by train,that is very long journey, you'd better by WOPU ticket, that make you comfortable.
about chinese power supply, 220V 50Hz, about the faucet, never worry about it, imo, most common worry in this world made in china, you can buy any kind worry you want. mobilephoto company in china has too biggest one, but mainland has different system about HK,if you buy mobilephoto in HK, it can't work in Shenzhen Wuhan Nanjing. specially, there is one kind mobilephoto called xiaolingtong, it's very cheap, but can't work if you change the city. Basicly, a common mobilephoto need 100 USD in china, the kind with camera may need 200 USD or more, according to the functions and quality.
Food, you needn't change you taste, there are many KFC or Western-style food eateries in china. but i suggest you have traditional chinese food, after all, you are in china, have the opporunity to enjoye classical chinese food, so why not.

have a good time in china!

Nowadays, you can travel just about anywhere in China and speak Mandarin. Even if some locals may prefer to speak their own dialect with each other, when spoken to in Mandarin, 9.9 out of them would respond in Mandarin. Those who don't know Mandarin (or at least not enough of it) are mostly older folks in southern China. Unless for some reason you specificly need to speak with older folks then learning a few Mandarin phrases would make your trip easier and more pleasant.

I see I will have to apply for a Visa to visit China. I don't need one for HK however.

The Visa will cost me $30 AUD, and I can use it for 30 days. It says I must visit a local police station in China to extend my Visa. I want to visit China for 37 days. I will try to extend the Visa in Perth before my trip, as I would like to plan my flights/accomodation before I leave, maybe my travel agent will do all this for me. I have never been to a country where I needed a visa before.

Since I (hopefully) will have 37 days in China, I need to spread them out over HK, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Nanjing.

How many days do you suggest I stay in each city?

I would be leaving Perth on Saturday 24th June 2006 and arriving back in Perth on Saturday 29th July 2006.

Thank you! or....xie xie :)

there isn't much to see in SZ, 2 days is enough..wuhan probably 5-6 days, the rest for Nanjing and Hong Kong, since you are in Nanjing, why not go to Shanghai? a shuttle bus will take you there.

Yes, while Shenzhen is a major city and well-developed, it's a rather "modern" city, meaning that most of it was built in the last decade or two and there aren't much to see as a tourist. However, if you are interested in Chinese culture, especially those of the Chinese ethnic minorities, there is a rather large Ethnic Minority Park in Shenzhen which I would recommend.

Like Sen said, I, too, would recommend you to take a bus to Shanghai as it's so close to Nanjing. It would be a shame to have gone to China and not to Shanghai :)

BEST CITY IS HANGZHOU

A quick question...

Can people go from province to province without restrictions?

In Australia, I can go from Western Australia, to New South Wales (for example) without any restrictions. All I need is my fare (bus, train, plane, car).

Thank you!

There aint any restrictions, as long as its temporary stay(not permanent livin'/workin').

^^ Yeah, and that policy really sucks.

Do you guys recommend any hotels for me to stay at?

I prefer hotels which are not too expensive, around 300 RMB a night, have double bed, own bathroom/toilets. Very close to restaurants and train stations.

I need a hotel in HK, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Nanjing and Shanghai.

Thanks.

^^ It's impossible to give you any useful suggestions since your departure data is so
far away, the best advice I can give you is to look at the online booking agencies
frequently.

Could someone please tell me what airlines fly from....

Shenzhen to Wuhan
Wuhan to Nanjinh
Nanjing to Hong Kong

Thanks :)

hi AdrianLee
^ this site can book hotels and flights of china mainland,It's a major travel site.
http://www.elong.net/

and this
http://english.ctrip.com/

In fact,they are the two largest travel site of china,and all in NASDAQ.So I think you can trust them :-)

Is there a great difference between travelling FIRST CLASS compared to ECONOMY class on airlines in China?

Thanks.

The difference between first class and economy class in China similar to that of Australia I would believe. Flights in China usually have pretty good service, much better than in the US. If you're flying on a flight that is longer than 2 hours, expect a meal. First class of course will have nicer meals, larger seats, and priority check in.

The difference between first class and economy class in China similar to that of Australia I would believe. Flights in China usually have pretty good service, much better than in the US. If you're flying on a flight that is longer than 2 hours, expect a meal. First class of course will have nicer meals, larger seats, and priority check in. The quality of economy class on most sectors are good enough so I don't think you'll need to worry about safety issues and the like.

From my personal experience, I find China's DOMESTIC FLIGHT to be much better than their INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT. I have no idea why, you'd think it should be the other way around.

I've flown with China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines on international flights and OMG, the service was barely acceptable, the seats were small (on CEA) even for coach and the crowd was just annoying. I would say CSA is at least acceptable on its international flights while CEA is simply intolerable.

On the other hand, my domestic flights with China Eastern Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, and Xinjiang Airlines were all superb. Excellent planes, most were small but comfortable, great food and great service. If I recall correctly, the flight attendants on Chinese domestic flights are also better-looking and younger than their counterparts on international flights ;)

I have a question:

I keep seeing slander against China by Japanese forumers, and the same from the Chinese to the Japanese.

Why do the Chinese and Japanese continue to tighten the tensions with each other, even in today's modern society? Of course there is the history, but the Japanese forgave the US.

^^

I have notice this to. But only Chinese propaganda against Japan. It's kinda pathetic, if it's only about a war 51 years ago.
I have always through the Chinese was as Japanese, very loyal and open minded.
But after i have visited SSC. I have found out that many of them are some ultra nationalists, who have allot of hate against other countries.

I have a question:

I keep seeing slander against China by Japanese forumers, and the same from the Chinese to the Japanese.

Why do the Chinese and Japanese continue to tighten the tensions with each other, even in today's modern society? Of course there is the history, but the Japanese forgave the US.

Utter ignorance. Read some history, read some newspaper, read a lot and use logic. They might help you understanding the situation. That also applies to comanche! :sleepy:

Utter ignorance. Read some history, read some newspaper, read a lot and use logic. They might help you understanding the situation. That also applies to comanche! :sleepy:

This is common...Like some Chinese never know why Israel combats with the Arab year by year...They don't want to know it, but just keep talking about it...

In fact, not only Chinese, Korean, and other Asians slander against Japan, too...

^^

I have notice this to. But only Chinese propaganda against Japan. It's kinda pathetic, if it's only about a war 51 years ago.
I have always through the Chinese was as Japanese, very loyal and open minded.
But after i have visited SSC. I have found out that many of them are some ultra nationalists, who have allot of hate against other countries.
Japanese are not your neighbour, we know them much better than you do, mate. Chinese in Japanese media is disgusting people. If you live in Japan and watch their TV a lot you will know it. They deny the rape of Nanking where 300k people get raped and slaughtered. They visit those murders every year 50 years later. They revise the history book to eliminate the evidence of the invasion during WW2.
Japanese might be "loyal" but very hypocryptical, and the "open mind" should be granted to Chinese. During 5000 years of history we only contribute to Japanese and other east Asian cultures without invading either of them but to protect, though our military and culture can dominate their territory as easily as flipping our hands. You know what, after learning everything from China, they totoally invade China 3 times!!!

From my personal experience, I find China's DOMESTIC FLIGHT to be much better than their INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT. I have no idea why, you'd think it should be the other way around.

I've flown with China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines on international flights and OMG, the service was barely acceptable, the seats were small (on CEA) even for coach and the crowd was just annoying. I would say CSA is at least acceptable on its international flights while CEA is simply intolerable.

On the other hand, my domestic flights with China Eastern Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, and Xinjiang Airlines were all superb. Excellent planes, most were small but comfortable, great food and great service. If I recall correctly, the flight attendants on Chinese domestic flights are also better-looking and younger than their counterparts on international flights ;)

This is exactly conform to my experience. Even ur last sentence... :)

I dont know why but I know Chinese airlines are all making huge profits on their domestic flights, but losing both money and market share on international flights.

Question:

If I want to come stay a year and teach English or work towards a graduate degree, what type of medium term car leasing is available?

Can I find someone to lease a Lexus/BMW/MB in the major cities? Secondary cities?

Cost really is not a major factor, but would be great to have a clue.

If anyone has leased a car and/or knows about someone else's experience, please share. I really am ignorant about the processes/regulations for such and some insight would be great.

First time to Chongqing, any interesting place that I must visit and anything I must watch out. What about Chengdu?

interesting? sure?

Pandas, Pandas, and Pandas :) so cuteeeee

If you go to CQ,these places are "must go" in my opinion:

1.Hot spring.CQ is very famous of hot spring,and has the most ancient man made hot spring of the world.You can go to Tianci hot spring(天赐温泉),South and North hot springs(南温泉和北温泉).To get a hot spring bath is very good for your health and relaxing yourself.Most these hot springs are located in the forests,very natural.:)

2.Jinyun mountain(缙云山).Why should go there?because some very famous Taoist facilities are located there.Taoism is not only an excellent theory of human kind and the nature,but also a sophisticated theory of health care.Have a try,and you can eat some wild vegetable there.BTW,Wang fei(王菲) went there for these reasons when she was pregnant last year.;)

3.Ciqikou(磁器口),an ancient town,you can get an old Chongqing feel there.It's not a newly built town like some other "ancient towns" in China,hence it reflets better and in reality what a city and city life looked like in the past.

4.渣滓洞&白公馆.Very famous attractions.unfortunately,this place is being renovated now,and planned to expand.

5.Huangshan World War II ruins(黄山二战遗址).If you're interested in this period of history,it's worth visiting.

6.Three gorges museum,the People's Great Hall,曾家岩50号,红岩村.These places are actually very close with each other.Three gorges museum is a national museum and the second largest of China ahead by Beijing national museum.The People's Great Hall is the best architecture of southwestern China.曾家岩50号 is where CCP south board was located during the World War II.Huangshan I mentioned above is where KMT was located during that period.红岩村,hehe,Do you remember a song 红岩上红梅开...开,千里冰霜...

7.Chongqing cuisine.I think there're too many delicious food in Chongqing.You can ask taxi drivers actually.;)

8.Tank loft(坦克库艺术中心) and 501 art center.If you are interested in arts,this place is a must go.It's one of the leading contemporary art centers of China(no exaggerated).Hundreds of Chinese and foreign artists living there.

I'll be in Chongqing in June, so if anyone wants to meet?

I'll be in Chongqing in June, so if anyone wants to meet?

I'm not in Chongqing,otherwise I may be your guide.Wish you have fun in Chongqing.:)

There is a report that Malaysians visiting or working in China must register for temporary residence within 24 hours upon arrival or they will be fined.

They have to produce their visa, passport and residential documents and fill in the temporary residence registration form at the nearest police station. As for free, independent travellers, they have to produce their passport and register at the counter when they check into hotels.

Any body can confirm this requirement. It is apply to Malaysian only??

It seem like apply to whole China.

I'm not in Chongqing,otherwise I may be your guide.Wish you have fun in Chongqing.:)

thanks

do you know anyone else on this fourm who is from Chongqing?

I have 2 days by myself, and would like to meet up

i am in hangzhou ~~welcome

Sorry not in Hangzhou

For mainland China I am just in Chongqing and Nanjing

Sorry not in Hangzhou

For mainland China I am just in Chongqing and Nanjing

nanjing? the capital of my province. a tons of place you have to go in nanjing!!! nanjing has the longest city wall in the world, you can visit "钟山风景区","夫子庙","总统府","中华门"

Hi,
What's the weather like in Beijing and Shangai like now? Is there a big difference between the daytime and nightime temps?

Hi,
What's the weather like in Beijing and Shangai like now? Is there a big difference between the daytime and nightime temps?

beijing is much colder than shanghai in winter. beijing is even colder than most large europe cities.
winter(averagely):
beijing: -10~-3 degree
shanghai: 0~9 degree

summer
beijing:24-34 degree(cool at night,warm at daytime)
shanghai: 29-36 degree

thank-you. I was wondering what the weather was like now as I'll be going there.

嘿咯！

下个月我要去北京了。。呵呵。不过只是我第一次的，所以现在要问大家一下

1。 购物的地方？不是那些tourism place, pls ..
2。 该去的地方呢？
3。 我坐dragonair，请问这个会不会arrive在T3?


hmm... 其实我还不知我等一下要住哪里，哈哈！

谢谢大家！

1。 购物的地方？不是那些tourism place, pls ..
想要买什么？是衣服么？brand name stuff? cheaper, more trendy stuff? fake and knock-offs?
一般来说北京人爱去西单，中友百货和君泰都不错，华威和明珠有小店。想要高档品牌去东方广场和国贸，不过买这些香港更划算吧。五道口有兴趣也可以去看看。


2。 该去的地方呢？

做什么呢？名胜古迹我就不说了，自己看旅游手册就可以了。酒吧迪厅的话一个聚集地是工人体育场附近，还一个是五道口。其他地方比如大学附近也有，不过比较散。
要是对高楼感兴趣的话，CBD附近当然应该看一下。



3。 我坐dragonair，请问这个会不会arrive在T3?
恩对的。你从香港出发么？

Dragonair will move to T3 as of Mar. 26 :
http://www.dragonair.com/da/en_HK/aboutus/pressroomdetails?refID=e8a7e7f0ac1a8110VgnVCM32000011d21c39____

Sen,

thx for the reply .... :)

1. 是最时髦的咯。。冒牌也可以不过没牌也可以。我只要写下来那些地方的名字因为恐怕等一下我跟他们接不通。。 呵呵

2. 呀啦。。我是想天安门，长城，那些地方是应该的。but as wat u said, i oso want to see the skyscraper too. :P coz i'll b there only for 5 days leh ...

3. 对啊。在香港转飞机咯。在香港六个小时可以去哪里啊？还好香港就不用签证。。

SEN有中国的手机号码不？哪天你在北京联系你，免得迷路

你什么时候来？我现在还没回去呢。
回去以后告诉你。

btw, suddenly i need to go to shanghai next monday .... what kind of weather should I expect over there? arnd 8degree celcius? so cold leh if like that ....

Hi, i am interested to visit Chongqing. Earliest would be somewhere in 2009 but for my planning i need to know which month is the best for a trip.

I hope you can help me. Thanks in advance.

to be honest,i wanna say wait a few more years for all the construction work to be finished,for all the nasty streets to be cleaned ,but if so,then the best timing would be always in the futur.

so,welcome to chongqing

i recommand the summer,hot and spicy.

i recommand the summer,hot and spicy
Summer is so crazy,I went to to Chongqing when I was very young,the temperature is 42℃.

Summer is so crazy,I went to to Chongqing when I was very young,the temperature is 42℃.

O_O
That`s too hot. I spend 15 hours of a day, during my trips, outside walking around.

I am interested to see Chongqing before everything is completed. I also doubt there will be a time when this city stops to grow.

I planned in 2006 to go in 2010 to Shanghai. The SWFC should be ready at that time and there will be the World Fair was what i thought. Now this time is coming closer and they planning a 600m+ skyscraper in that city. There will be not a time where everything is completed, more spectacular project will follow. Booming cities are great.

Hi,
What's the weather like in Beijing and Shangai like now? Is there a big difference between the daytime and nightime temps?

the temp diff isnt as big b/c Chinese buildings are all made of concrete & there're a lot more ppl living in the cities. Here in Toronto the temp diff is so big that I have to wear long sleeves when I go out for walk at night.

Hi,
What's the weather like in Beijing and Shangai like now? Is there a big difference between the daytime and nightime temps?

For those who are interested in questions like this.

Maybe this is the best I can help

http://www.kinabaloo.com/bj11.html

You can check out the most updated weather and temperature of each Chinese city from that site as well.

Kind regards.

Ni Hao
:D :D :D

greetings to all in this forum and my warmest regard...:wave:

I'm very happy that I will visit China from 29 november (still unsure, could be 29 to 1 december depending on ticket availability) up to 26 december...:banana: it's part of an international study tour that my campus organised.

I will be arriving in Beijing and then heading down to Shanghai to meet up with the other students taking part in this study tour (This might sound weird but the reason I wanted to arrive in Beijing is because i wanted to land in the terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport...) :D the study tour itself is from 4-17 december. the rest of the time is for my own travel...

I'd like to have some questions...

1. Is it possible to get an overnight train ticket (say from Beijing to Qingdao or Nanjing) by purchasing on the day of departure? i've seen a few websites and saw there is an overnight train running between those cities... for more details I'll be arriving in Beijing at 14:50. I understand that the train to Qingdao leaves at 22:30 if i'm not wrong and would like to get a sleeper compartment...

I'll let you know if I have any further questions, and i'll post my travel itinenary as well later on...

thank you for your attention and thank you for your help...

regards,

ace4

:) :) :)

Welcome to China. I'm not in Beijing any more otherwise I can help.

You may use ctrip.com or elong.com, they have same-day air tickets delivery service. (don't know about trains)

Most hotels have train ticket agent (ask front desk), i'm sure that's the best way to get a same-day train ticket.

Ni Hao
:D :D :D

greetings to all in this forum and my warmest regard...:wave:

I'm very happy that I will visit China from 29 november (still unsure, could be 29 to 1 december depending on ticket availability) up to 26 december...:banana: it's part of an international study tour that my campus organised.

I will be arriving in Beijing and then heading down to Shanghai to meet up with the other students taking part in this study tour (This might sound weird but the reason I wanted to arrive in Beijing is because i wanted to land in the terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport...) :D the study tour itself is from 4-17 december. the rest of the time is for my own travel...

I'd like to have some questions...

1. Is it possible to get an overnight train ticket (say from Beijing to Qingdao or Nanjing) by purchasing on the day of departure? i've seen a few websites and saw there is an overnight train running between those cities... for more details I'll be arriving in Beijing at 14:50. I understand that the train to Qingdao leaves at 22:30 if i'm not wrong and would like to get a sleeper compartment...

I'll let you know if I have any further questions, and i'll post my travel itinenary as well later on...

thank you for your attention and thank you for your help...

regards,

ace4

:) :) :)

Have a nice stay and please do remember to take pictures. :)

Welcome to China. I'm not in Beijing any more otherwise I can help.

You may use ctrip.com or elong.com, they have same-day air tickets delivery service. (don't know about trains)

Most hotels have train ticket agent (ask front desk), i'm sure that's the best way to get a same-day train ticket.

Have a nice stay and please do remember to take pictures. :)

thank you for the reception and for the information...:cheers1:

here are some other things that I'd like to know about...

1. is the airfare posted on elong.com a good indication of what to expect for domestic Chinese airfares?

2. I have to get to the following address in Shanghai... this is where all of us are staying during our time in Shanghai

Green Tree Inn Shanghai Changyang Hotel
2669 Changyang Road
Yangpu District

I've seen in Google Map that this hotel is quite far away from a nearby subway station...:( would anyone that knows Shanghai quite well tell me how to get to this place from Shanghai Railway Station by public transport? I'd really like to avoid taking a taxi... but if there's no other choice then i'll have to use taxi then...:(

3. would anyone be interested in a forumer meeting...? :D I'll be in Shanghai from 4-11 december and in Beijing from 12-17 december... the rest of the time still undecided yet. i'll write down my travel itinenary later on...

thank you for your help...:)

==========================================================

of course my motivation is also to travel and see new and different places, I hope i will be able to take as many pictures as I can, just like what I've done during my previous travel experience...:banana:

For #1, yes all people are buying air tickets from elong.com and ctrip.com(my preference). their fare and service are quite good.

For #2 and 3, anybody else can help?

From my experience, Shanghai's taxi service is one of the best. (not expensive either but avoid rush hours)

^^
thank you for the answer...:cheers1:

another question i have, is there usually left luggage facilities in train stations?

thank you...:)

yes normally they have, not been to Shanghai railway stataion though.

^^
thanks again...:cheers1:

anyway this will be my itinerary for the first leg of travel in China...

1/12 - arrive in Beijing, hopefully can get overnight train ticket to Nanjing
2/12 - in Nanjing
3/12 - visit Suzhou (arrive in Shanghai by night)
4-12/12 - study tour program in Shanghai
12-17/12 - study tour program in Beijing

does that travel itinerary look okay...?

can't wait to go...:banana:

I hope I can have a year 2009 like that :)

Just one suggestion: there are some distance from Beijing to Nanjing. An air trip might be more convenient. You can book online or get ticket from Beijing airport.

Enjoy the trip!

An overnight train is ok for a tough traveler. You can save one night in hotel. And, why not entry in Shanghai and exit in Beijing? Air China offers such deals and I suppose Aussie airlines have it too.

thank you for the reception and for the information...:cheers1:

here are some other things that I'd like to know about...

1. is the airfare posted on elong.com a good indication of what to expect for domestic Chinese airfares?

2. I have to get to the following address in Shanghai... this is where all of us are staying during our time in Shanghai

Green Tree Inn Shanghai Changyang Hotel
2669 Changyang Road
Yangpu District

I've seen in Google Map that this hotel is quite far away from a nearby subway station...:( would anyone that knows Shanghai quite well tell me how to get to this place from Shanghai Railway Station by public transport? I'd really like to avoid taking a taxi... but if there's no other choice then i'll have to use taxi then...:(

3. would anyone be interested in a forumer meeting...? :D I'll be in Shanghai from 4-11 december and in Beijing from 12-17 december... the rest of the time still undecided yet. i'll write down my travel itinenary later on...

thank you for your help...:)

==========================================================

of course my motivation is also to travel and see new and different places, I hope i will be able to take as many pictures as I can, just like what I've done during my previous travel experience...:banana:

1. elong.com is ok but I recommend http://www.51taopiao.com it's even cheaper!
However, i realized it doesn't have a English webpage, if you don't read Chinese, you can use www.ctrip.com, which has an English page.

2. after searching on map, it does not give a good public transit route, all buses do not go to train station, and it's 2km from the closet metro station, let me just say taking taxi will be your best bet, especially with luggage, it's not that far, under 10KM, so you are looking at probably 20-25 RMB tax fare. another way is to take subway line 4 at Shanghai Railway Station, get off at Dalian road, and then take a taxi...

^^
thank you for the answer...:cheers1:

another question i have, is there usually left luggage facilities in train stations?

thank you...:)

yes, but do not leave any expensive stuff there, I do not trust them.
for shanghai railway station it's at southwestern corner of nan guang chang (southern sqaure).

I hope I can have a year 2009 like that :)

Just one suggestion: there are some distance from Beijing to Nanjing. An air trip might be more convenient. You can book online or get ticket from Beijing airport.

Enjoy the trip!

thank you...:cheers1: have been enjoying the trip so far...:banana:

actually i took the overnight (yingwo) train from Beijing to Nanjing, although communication was initially a problem though for purchasing ticket at the Beijing Railway Station...:nuts:

An overnight train is ok for a tough traveler. You can save one night in hotel. And, why not entry in Shanghai and exit in Beijing? Air China offers such deals and I suppose Aussie airlines have it too.

actually to get to China i used my father's Singapore Airlines krisflyer points though... and they only allow one point of entry and exit... and i really wanted to land in the Beijing Capital International Airport...:D damn that airport is one of the most amazing i've ever seen, very striking in architecture and design...:cool:

1. elong.com is ok but I recommend http://www.51taopiao.com it's even cheaper!
However, i realized it doesn't have a English webpage, if you don't read Chinese, you can use www.ctrip.com, which has an English page.

2. after searching on map, it does not give a good public transit route, all buses do not go to train station, and it's 2km from the closet metro station, let me just say taking taxi will be your best bet, especially with luggage, it's not that far, under 10KM, so you are looking at probably 20-25 RMB tax fare. another way is to take subway line 4 at Shanghai Railway Station, get off at Dalian road, and then take a taxi...

haven't checked yet on ctrip.com, but will try to do so for comparison...

actually i got to the hotel from Shanghai Railway Station using the line 4 subway, get off at Dalian Road station, and took the no. 22 bus but unfortunately i got off a bit early so i had to do a bit of walking...:( but no matter now i know that the bus stop is located close to the hotel and i can use it whenever i need it...:banana: and cost is quite cheap as well, only 1 yuan...:banana:

yes, but do not leave any expensive stuff there, I do not trust them.
for shanghai railway station it's at southwestern corner of nan guang chang (southern sqaure).

this is a good consideration... thank you...:cheers1:

ace, we are very close according to your schedule

^^
that's a very good thing...:banana: where do you live?

^^
that's a very good thing...:banana: where do you live?
zhang jia gang city, a county belong to suzhou city.
张家港:)

^^
so you live around Suzhou...? just been there on Wednesday. really love the many gardens there, they are so beautiful and neatly laid out... my favourite would be the Humble Administrator's Garden...:drool:

can anyone suggest me some good places to take Shanghai skyline pics? i'd try to make it there if i have time...

thank you...:)

1\ climb on nanpu bridege
2\on the top of shimao building
3\ on the top of SWFC

^^
which way do you go to for climbing Nanpu Bridge, i tried looking for a way to go from the Nanpu Bridge subway station but did not find any... or are you refering to the Lupu Bridge?

is there some kind of an observation point on the Shimao Tower (this is the one on East Nanjing Road isn't it?).

i also went to the SWFC and Jinmao Tower to get up on the observation point, however the price was too expensive for me (70 yuan) so in the end i didn't go... anyway in the program schedule i will also go up to the Pearl Tower but if i feel like going up to the SWFC or Jinmao Tower maybe i'll do it...

Hello! I need to know how do you say "merry christmas" in chinese. I know chinese don't celebrate xmas but in chinese must have a form to express it. thanks!

Hello! I need to know how do you say "merry christmas" in chinese. I know chinese don't celebrate xmas but in chinese must have a form to express it. thanks!

chirsmas are madly celebrated in china like west. merry chrismas=圣诞快乐!!!

^^
which way do you go to for climbing Nanpu Bridge, i tried looking for a way to go from the Nanpu Bridge subway station but did not find any... or are you refering to the Lupu Bridge?

is there some kind of an observation point on the Shimao Tower (this is the one on East Nanjing Road isn't it?).

i also went to the SWFC and Jinmao Tower to get up on the observation point, however the price was too expensive for me (70 yuan) so in the end i didn't go... anyway in the program schedule i will also go up to the Pearl Tower but if i feel like going up to the SWFC or Jinmao Tower maybe i'll do it...

seems no subway to nanpu bridge, i take a bus to nanpu bridge, a lot of bus line can reach that bridge. when you get there, you have to buy a ticket (10 yuan), take a elevater to the top of nanpu bridge, great view

anyway it's goodbye Shanghai and hello Beijing...

你们好！
I was wondering if someone could give me some practical tip on what to think of, since it's my dream to work with city planning and urban design in China.

谢谢

I'm an architect made redudant this week (like many others :ohno:).

I am considering moving to China for jobhunting.

My first idea was Shanghai but I have talked to a couple of expats there and they told me it was quite tricky to get a job in SH in architecture due to the economical downturn.

They suggested that in Beijing could be easier since there are less expats there (at least in architecture industry).

Which are your two cents?

I'm scared Beijing is too cold and SH is much more appealing with the river and the sea nearby and a warmer weather than Beijing.

Winter in Beijing is like in the North Pole :lol:

I think you should try going to western/central China to cities like Wuhan since they are developing much faster than Beijing and Shanghai now

Move to a fast-developing first-tier city which few have heard of and where few expats are, like Tianjin or Chongqing. Beijing only has few expats compared to Shanghai, it still has a high number of them compared to everywhere else except Shanghai, so better try your luck elsewhere. I heard Dalian welcomes foreigners a lot, even Japanese, so that may also be a good choice. Where you can live depends on your Chinese proficiency, what section do you want to live in, which culture you want to experience, how fast the area is developing, etc... Consider all these factors carefully.

I'm an architect made redudant this week (like many others :ohno:).

I am considering moving to China for jobhunting.

My first idea was Shanghai but I have talked to a couple of expats there and they told me it was quite tricky to get a job in SH in architecture due to the economical downturn.

They suggested that in Beijing could be easier since there are less expats there (at least in architecture industry).

Which are your two cents?

I'm scared Beijing is too cold and SH is much more appealing with the river and the sea nearby and a warmer weather than Beijing.

try tianjin and chongqing.

Hi, i am going to China in late may/early june. Arrival in Beijing where i am taking the first flight to Lhasa, but will take the train back from Lhasa to Beijing. From Beijing i will take the train from Beijing to Shanghai before i continue the trip by plane.

Now, i guess i will book seats on the train Beijing - Lhasa first, but is that train often crowded? More important, what is the easiest, fastest trains from Beijing to Shanghai, and are these crowded in late may/early june? How long does that ride take? Price? Recommendations?

Can't wait to go, this is going to be awesome! :cheers:

the lhasa-beijing train won't be crowded at all...it's roughly a 2-day ride and will cost anywhere from 400-1000+ yuan ($50-$150 USD). the route is very scenic but it'll be more enjoyable with travel partners since 2 days is a long time to spend on a train.

as for beijing-shanghai, there's too many different trains with that route so you're probably better off finding the specifics out on your own.

Hi, i am going to China in late may/early june. Arrival in Beijing where i am taking the first flight to Lhasa, but will take the train back from Lhasa to Beijing. From Beijing i will take the train from Beijing to Shanghai before i continue the trip by plane.

Now, i guess i will book seats on the train Beijing - Lhasa first, but is that train often crowded? More important, what is the easiest, fastest trains from Beijing to Shanghai, and are these crowded in late may/early june? How long does that ride take? Price? Recommendations?

Can't wait to go, this is going to be awesome! :cheers:

Train tickets from Lhasa to Golmud or Xining is not hard to get at all. For onward trip to Beijing/Shanghai, I suggest you book it several days in advance if you want a sleeper. The ticket office of Lhasa railway station open at 7:00am every day. You can buy them at the train station at 7:00am on the day of departure.

The fastest train from Beijing to Shanghai is D301/D305, I think there should be more D3XX in May/June. The travel time is just over 10 hours. You can buy the ticket one or two days before your departure. The price is ¥655 (upper) ¥730 (lower) for a soft sleeper. The cheapest train from Beijing to Shanghai is 1461, only cost ¥88, but I don't think you want to try it. :-)

Hi, i am going to China in late may/early june. Arrival in Beijing where i am taking the first flight to Lhasa, but will take the train back from Lhasa to Beijing. From Beijing i will take the train from Beijing to Shanghai before i continue the trip by plane.

Now, i guess i will book seats on the train Beijing - Lhasa first, but is that train often crowded? More important, what is the easiest, fastest trains from Beijing to Shanghai, and are these crowded in late may/early june? How long does that ride take? Price? Recommendations?

Can't wait to go, this is going to be awesome! :cheers:

I think Lhasa-Beijing train is not crowded, as long as you book in advance.

the fastest Beijing Shanghai train is the D31 train, departs 11:05 in Beijing South station, Arrives 20:40 in Shanghai.
If you want to take the overnight train, there are Z1, Z13, Z21 , Z5, Z7, they all depart around 8pm, and arrive in Shanghai around 7am.

u r looking at rmb 400-500 for a sleepr in the Z trains or an seat in the D trains (D train uses Shinkansen trains, no sleeprs).

EDIT: There is also D301 that departs Beijing at 21:39 and arrives Shanghai at 7:38, it has sleepers for RMB 799, For Beijing Shanghai I really suggest you look for a discounted plane ticket, u can sometimes find it for 300-400

Good evening and hey to the China subforum :banana:

I will be visiting the great city of Beijing from the 3rd of April to the 10th of April god willing for Business and i was wondering about a few things if you guys dont mind helping me out.

1- Do i need to bring a thick jacket or coat with me?
2-Does it rain often?
3-Is the Beijing Hyatt hotel any good ? any other hotel near it that has cheaper rooms maybe ?
4-Are there any Arab or Halal serving resturants in the area or the city?
5-How safe are the streets during the night?


ok so five questions for now :D ill see if i can think of anymore later ..

Thanks in Advance

1- Do i need to bring a thick jacket or coat with me?
April is still cold, so you need a jacket.

2-Does it rain often?
April is no a rainy season, but there might be some sandstorm.

3-Is the Beijing Hyatt hotel any good ? any other hotel near it that has cheaper rooms maybe?
The Grand Hyatt at Chang'an Jie is cool, but a bit expensive. There are tons of great hotels in the centre of the city. Try elong.com, you would get a better rate than booking directly.

4-Are there any Arab or Halal serving resturants in the area or the city?
China in general is a great place for halal food as China has a big muslim population. Beijing's Niu Jie is famous for the many muslim restaurants and the old muslim community.

5-How safe are the streets during the night?
Very, very very safe.

Have fun and success in Beijing! :)

3-any other hotel near it that has cheaper rooms maybe ?


The district of Wang-Fu-Jing has lots of hotels. And it's very convenient because you can walk from there to Tian'anmen, and the district itself have loads of shopping and dining options.

Originally Posted by Dubai_Boy
3-any other hotel near it that has cheaper rooms maybe ?

you can go to ctrip.com or elong.com to select your hotels.

thanks alot guys :) i appreciate the help.

I've found some extremely good deals on AsiaRooms (http://www.asiarooms.com/) as well. Especially at 4-5 star establishments in "secondary" cities (Shenzhen, Qingdao etc.).

I hope you'll enjoy your visiit to China, GO_UAE.

Thank you Staff :) ive already settled for the grand suite at the hyatt for CNY2971

but we will be three friends staying in this one suite so its ok :)

thanks again.

ne how= hello ^ ^

Ha, I also use AsiaRooms but only use it to book hotels in SE Asia. I don't even know its existence in China, thanks!

Thank you for these replies. We will go by plane Beijing-Shanghai, since i found it cheap.

But the Lhasa-Beijing train.

I would like to stop in Xi'an and stay there a night, does anyone know where i can find a time-table + prices of the trains running Lhasa-Xi'an-Beijing?

http://lieche.huoche.com/c502/

Lhasa, 08:30
Xi'an, 20:12, next day
Beijing West, 07:30 third day

Hi

My father is visiting China soon. What is a good place for a foreigner to buy a cellphone? There is a Chinese cell phone that I want him to bring me. The CECT P168. Where can he get it in Beijing and will the sales people understand English?

^^ there are many cell phone malls in Beijing Zhong GuangCun area. i.e.

Zhong Guan Cun e-world
Hailong Plaza 海龙大厦
Ding Hao e-City 鼎好电子城
ZHong Xin Digital City 中芯数码城
Kemao Plaza 科贸大厦

They may not speak good English. It's recommended to have a local friend acompany with your father if possible.

And Di Xin Tong (迪信通) is a nation cell phone wide chain store, there are over 80 stores in Beijing.

Hi

My father is visiting China soon. What is a good place for a foreigner to buy a cellphone? There is a Chinese cell phone that I want him to bring me. The CECT P168. Where can he get it in Beijing and will the sales people understand English?

hello

Basically, there are two major places for cellphone sales in Beijing. One is at ZhongGuanChun(中关村), take the metro Line 10 to WanLiu(万柳) and get off at the HaiDianHuangZhuang(海淀黄庄) station then walk due north, it's a short way about 5 mins' walk, when you see a huge "e" on the e-world building or Sinosteel Tower or Carrfour, then you arrive. Another is near GongZhuFen(公主坟) station that is a transfer station of Line 1 and Line 4. Both places have tens of thousands of stores to sell all kinds of cellphones, so if you can make a good bargin then you can get a good deal, however to a foreigner it becomes a problem since the prices are very disordered, so I suggest your father go to GuoMei(国美), SuNing(苏宁), Zhongfu(中复) or DiXingTong(迪信通) those chain stores to buy what you want to buy.

Hi

My father is visiting China soon. What is a good place for a foreigner to buy a cellphone? There is a Chinese cell phone that I want him to bring me. The CECT P168. Where can he get it in Beijing and will the sales people understand English?


and why do you buy CECT P168, it's just a Shanzhai(knockoff) SE P1 and a little bit dated and barely seen on the streets, there are much better alternatives such as shanzhai Iphone, shanzhai Blackberry 9000 or shanzhai Sumsung i908 Omnia or shanzai Nokia E71/E90 and the like all charged at around $100.

Iphone vs shanzhai Iphone (Ciphone)
the left is Iphone, the right is Ciphone
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/allimg/090118/1419571.jpg
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/allimg/090118/1419573.jpg
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/allimg/090118/1419575.jpg
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/allimg/090118/1419577.jpg
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/allimg/090118/14195710.jpg
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/allimg/090118/14195711.jpg
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/allimg/090118/14195715.jpg
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/allimg/090118/14195719.jpg
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/allimg/090118/14195725.jpg


shanzai Blackberry = Blueberry 9000
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/userup/0903/1101005X602.jpg
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/userup/0903/1101004LS5.jpg
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/userup/0903/110101191036.jpg
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/userup/0903/110101392F6.jpg

shanzhai Sumsung i908
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/userup/0902/2100430141S.jpg
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/userup/0902/2100463W341.jpg
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/userup/0902/2100544A0G.jpg
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/userup/0902/21005433M53.jpg
http://www.shanzhaiji.cn/uploads/userup/0902/21010554PQ.jpg

7freedom7 can take brightside's father to buy one :P
or give him a road map.

Thank you guys for the info! :happy:

7freedom7, I'll definitely consider those phones, infact the CiPhone looks amazing :eek:
Definitely getting that one now :banana:

Uh...just 1 final question. The CiPhone bought in China will have the English language installed on it right? As for sending my father to buy it, I think that can be arranged.

:cheers: It won't be a problem, every brand shanzhai phones(including Ciphone) have English OS installed before delivery for exporting, however, it's very likely that you can't find them(highly copy phones) in Chain stores for a reason, but they are available in small shops/counter shops in ZhongGuanCun or GongZhuFen area (buying a decent phone at a low price from those small shops or counter shops has been a normal practice for most of ppl). Speaking of the price, I believe you can get the Ciphone 30% or more Cheaper than charged(about 900RMB), and if you dont mind giving up the warrant and taking the risk, you may get it more Cheaper. Hope to see you will get a decent phone!

Hello..

I am taking my first trip to china. starting in Aug 2010 for the expo. I leave home on Aug 04 and come back about 3 weeks later..

I am going to Hong Kong and then to Beijing and then to shanghai for a week Id be grateful to anyone that give me pointers on where to go.. I'd like to go to the store caled "Silk King"

can anyone tell me what the weather is going to be like ? I read hot and wet...

A.

Shanghai will be hot. Also, realize that you will not be able to use facebook, twitter, or youtube due to the governments paranoia.

use a VPN, like this: https://www.ipredator.se/ :P

Dajia hao!!

I am going to China next february for 1 year to Sun Yat Sen University.

Now my question (just one of them) is... is Guangzhou is good place for shopping compared to other chinese cities? For instance, I would like to buy a professional camera... I don't know if Guangzhou would be a good place to find a cheaper one or maybe a city like Shenzhen?

Xiexie (duoxie) :-P

Dajia hao!!

I am going to China next february for 1 year to Sun Yat Sen University.

Now my question (just one of them) is... is Guangzhou is good place for shopping compared to other chinese cities? For instance, I would like to buy a professional camera... I don't know if Guangzhou would be a good place to find a cheaper one or maybe a city like Shenzhen?

Xiexie (duoxie) :-P

shenzhen and guangzhou are the center of electric equipments, you will be happy there.

^^
xiexie :D

Hello,

I'm coming to Shanghai in September for the World's Expo. I have a few questions concerning Shanghai and China in general because I have never been out of my country (I'm from Long Beach California, USA).

1) Will it be difficult to navigate through the city if I don't know any Mandarin? I can only speak English. Should I take the time out to learn some Mandarin?

2) What are some affordable hotels near the area of the Expo? And what part of Shanghai will Expo be held?

3) What other sightseeing areas can I go to in Shanghai? I know of the Bund, what about any other spots where tourists go?

Thanks in advance!

Hello,



3) What other sightseeing areas can I go to in Shanghai? I know of the Bund, what about any other spots where tourists go?

Thanks in advance?

welcome to shanghai !
for question 3, i'd like to list some: you can write down these chinese characters and pass to taxi drive, they will pick you there. you can also go to a book shop (书店),to buy an english version shanghai travel guide.
shanghai museum(上海博物馆):chinese history and culture
yuyuan garden(豫园); chinese traditional building and culture
hengshan road(衡山路), duolun road(多伦路):just walking down the street,discover something interesting.
shanghai science&tech museum(上海科技馆): science impact
century park(世纪公园),changfeng park(长风公园),gongqing forest park(共青森林公园): just some parks

and why do you buy CECT P168, it's just a Shanzhai(knockoff) SE P1 and a little bit dated and barely seen on the streets, there are much better alternatives such as shanzhai Iphone, shanzhai Blackberry 9000 or shanzhai Sumsung i908 Omnia or shanzai Nokia E71/E90 and the like all charged at around $100.

This is very interesting for just USD 100.

Where I can find more info about this phone? Like the review.

If the different between the real and the shanzhai version is not much (especially in the feature, menu, LCD and technology), I will consider to buy it.

Hello,

I'm coming to Shanghai in September for the World's Expo. I have a few questions concerning Shanghai and China in general because I have never been out of my country (I'm from Long Beach California, USA).

1) Will it be difficult to navigate through the city if I don't know any Mandarin? I can only speak English. Should I take the time out to learn some Mandarin?

2) What are some affordable hotels near the area of the Expo? And what part of Shanghai will Expo be held?

3) What other sightseeing areas can I go to in Shanghai? I know of the Bund, what about any other spots where tourists go?

Thanks in advance!
Chinese pinyin -ne hao ( English ni how)=hello
Start to learn Chinese now,its fun,I have been learn it for 80 hours,I can type Chinese simplified now.

I'm planning to visit China in summer, do you know what's the best/cheapest connection/way to Harbin from Vladivostok? wanna go to Vladivostok from Europe by transsiberian railway and then China from North to South (to Vietnam border)

definitely train, it's just a short trip from Vladivostok to Harbin and shouldn't take more than 12 hours. Once you get into China, leave from Harbin explore Dalian, then take the ferry to Tianjin, take the HSR to Beijing, then once in Beijing, take the slow train (no HSR available yet) to Zhengzhou, then HSR to Xi'an and back, then go to Wuhan, then HSR to Guangzhou, maybe take a side trip to Hong Kong, then go to Yunnan which is definitely one of the most interesting areas of China. Once there, first see the beautiful capital, Kunming, then explore the northwest part of the province around Shangri-La with its awesome natural beauty, then go to south Yunnan in Xishuangbanna to explore unique ethnicities/beautiful jungle, and finally go a little bit east and cross the border to Vietnam, if you want.

from vladivostok to xishuangbanna? i know it'd be interesting. i also have a feeling most people would tire from all the travel. but then i kinda wish i had the opportunity to explore the world at a leisurely pace.

Hello!

I'm from Vienna(Austria) and i am planning to travel to China with 2 friends(so we are 3) from July 1 till 14.
We found a cheap flight(413) euro vienna-moscow-shanghai. We also want to travel to Beijing and Hongkong. We are students so we want cheap hotels, i looked up on chinahotels.org and the usual prices are between 150-300 remimbi for 2-4 class star hotels which is pretty affordable.

What i want to know is about Hotels, are there things we have to look up? Is a price between 150-300 remimbi for a 2-4 star hotel okay?(i guess it is, just checking :P)
Where can i find cheap flights for Shanghai - Hongkong and back, Peking-Hongkong and back and Shanghai - Peking. What are the usual prices in summer? Is a one way ticket for 1200 yuan from Peking to Hongkong normal?
I'm a Muslim so i want to know if there are any Halal Restaurants in Shanghai/Peking/Hongkong?

thanks!

greetings

Hello!

I'm from Vienna(Austria) and i am planning to travel to China with 2 friends(so we are 3) from July 1 till 14.
We found a cheap flight(413) euro vienna-moscow-shanghai. We also want to travel to Beijing and Hongkong. We are students so we want cheap hotels, i looked up on chinahotels.org and the usual prices are between 150-300 remimbi for 2-4 class star hotels which is pretty affordable.

What i want to know is about Hotels, are there things we have to look up? Is a price between 150-300 remimbi for a 2-4 star hotel okay?(i guess it is, just checking :P)
Where can i find cheap flights for Shanghai - Hongkong and back, Peking-Hongkong and back and Shanghai - Peking. What are the usual prices in summer? Is a one way ticket for 1200 yuan from Peking to Hongkong normal?
I'm a Muslim so i want to know if there are any Halal Restaurants in Shanghai/Peking/Hongkong?

thanks!

greetings

150-300RMB room is very okey for me. large color tv,nice toilet, clean and well decorated. in smaller cities, even 100RMB can give you a nice room.
one way 1200 yuan from beijing-hongkong can't say cheap i think.

Halal restaurants are everywhere, lots of Muslim noodle shops, kebab sellers, btw, the kebap places in Vienna were ridiculously tasty, on Lasallestrasse, some of the best food I have ever tasted! :cheers: Between Shanghai and Beijing, you can take the semi high-speed train instead of the airplane, its slightly cheaper, however, between the other destinations air would be the best choice.

Halal restaurants are everywhere, lots of Muslim noodle shops, kebab sellers, btw, the kebap places in Vienna were ridiculously tasty, on Lasallestrasse, some of the best food I have ever tasted! :cheers: Between Shanghai and Beijing, you can take the semi high-speed train instead of the airplane, its slightly cheaper, however, between the other destinations air would be the best choice.
haha yeah the kebap in vienna is really great, it is made mostly by turks but it doenst taste as good in turkey, i tested it :D

anyway i got a question
a friend of mine got a tour that we could attend and i want to know if its pricely ok

it costs 3850 yuan

it includes:
one way ticket shanghai-beijing
shanghai:
Expo ticket
technichal museum
shanghai pearl tower
tour around shanghai
beijing:
forbidden city
a trip to the great wall
tour arround beijing
a few museums though i dont really know which one

it also includes hotels for 7 days and food for that 7 days

i dont know which hotel though:X

could we get that cheaper? we wouldnt want a fancy hotel, just must be clean and not far away from a metro station, i dont know about the food prices and about the costs for the attractions(expo, pearl tower, etc.)
what do you think?

thanks and greetings!

haha yeah the kebap in vienna is really great, it is made mostly by turks but it doenst taste as good in turkey, i tested it :D

anyway i got a question
a friend of mine got a tour that we could attend and i want to know if its pricely ok

it costs 3850 yuan

it includes:
one way ticket shanghai-beijing
shanghai:
Expo ticket
technichal museum
shanghai pearl tower
tour around shanghai
beijing:
forbidden city
a trip to the great wall
tour arround beijing
a few museums though i dont really know which one

it also includes hotels for 7 days and food for that 7 days

i dont know which hotel though:X

could we get that cheaper? we wouldnt want a fancy hotel, just must be clean and not far away from a metro station, i dont know about the food prices and about the costs for the attractions(expo, pearl tower, etc.)
what do you think?

thanks and greetings!

can't anyone tell? or did i maybe write it to confusing? sorry for beein anoyin but i need a quick answer :)

you can do cheaper by yourself without a tour, however, this tour isn't expensive by European standards and has a big plus: it will guide you through China, which is very important if you don't know Chinese (since only the expensive hotels know English). I say go for it, on return trips to China you can try out traveling solo :)

I'd like to add that I'll be seeing Shanghai and Beijing in May.

So far for Shanghai
-Expo
-Pudong area

So far for Beijing
-Forbidden Palace
-Great Wall

I could easily search up popular touristy sites. I'm asking you for help with unique places. Suggestions for more sites greatly appreciated, thanks.

heres an article about the "censorship issue".
but im not interested in that .
in it says
"there are an estimated 100,000 cases of mass incidents - riots and disturbances - every year,"
quoted from willy lam ex soth china morning post..
would forumers agree with his figures?
i ask in the light of the recent naxalite activity in india

To police the internet China has employed what is regarded by many as the world's most formidable censorship machine. But as ever more Chinese get online, more and more users also understand what it means to jump over the government's "Great Firewall of China".

The country's firewall system is complex and multi-layered, says Isaac Mao, one of China's first bloggers.

"The first layer is technical. The government has invested a lot to build routers and other infrastructure to filter, monitor and block websites and look into how people communicate," he says.

Even an innocent children's song - I love Beijing's Tiananmen - can fall foul of the censors

"The second layer is the 'social layer'. It deploys many people to monitor and track people's activities online.

"The most important part is the third layer. I call it the 'psychological layer'. Because of the technical settings and internet police, internet users have become more self-censored, fearful of being tracked."

Changing blacklist

The impact of censorship is felt keenly by internet users in China, even affecting their everyday online search results, says Dean Peng, an independent commentator and columnist in Beijing.


"Every day when I search for something which may be regarded as sensitive by the authorities, I encounter difficulties," he says.

"The search engine would tell me that the results that you are looking for will not be shown due to the local laws and regulations."

Topics regarded as sensitive include anything to do with Charter 08, an online campaign for democratic reforms launched by dissident professor Liu Xiaobo, who has since been jailed.

Other topics include the names of political leaders, banned religious group such as the Falun Gong, the restive province of Xinjiang and its Uighur people, Mr Peng says.

"And the blacklist changes from time to time," he adds.

The BBC conducted its own experiment, using China's most popular search engine, Baidu, and the results broadly confirmed the picture painted by Mr Peng.

Absurdities

Sometimes, the censorship can throw up real absurdities, according to Mr Mao.

Even an innocent children's song - I love Beijing's Tiananmen - can fall foul of the censors, he explains.

"Initially they block the word Tiananmen because it is associated with the Tiananmen crackdown 20 years ago," he adds. "Then they block the word Beijing because there are many things that happened in Beijing."


The erection of the so-called 'Great Firewall of China' is a pre-emptive strike against possible potential destabilising factors getting worse

Willy Lam, former China editor, South China Morning Post
"The government also restarted the campaign against online pornography last year, so 'I love' also becomes a sensitive key word.

"Now, if you search for the song, the results returned can be: 'sensitive key word, sensitive key word, and sensitive key word'."

According to Willy Lam, former China editor of the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, China has every reason to control the internet.

"It is quite obvious looking from outside or the Western perspective that the Communist Party regime is quite stable. However the social and political situation in China is potentially unstable."

There are an estimated 100,000 cases of mass incidents - riots and disturbances - every year, Mr Lam says.

And the gap between the rich and poor is widening, resulting in "a severe situation of class antagonism between the newly rich entrepreneurs, senior party leaders on the one hand, and the so-called disadvantaged sectors - the peasants, migrant workers", he adds.

"The erection of the so-called 'Great Firewall of China' is a pre-emptive strike against possible potential destabilising factors getting worse, particularly given Beijing's suspicion that there are so-called anti-China organisations in the West, in the US in particular, who want to exploit these potential destabilising factors in China to make trouble for the regime."

Anonymity software

But the firewall is not unbreakable, at least to some Chinese internet users.

"Just two years ago, only 5% of Chinese internet users knew that the government censored the internet," Mr Mao says.

Roughly 20% of Chinese internet users now understand what 'Fan Qiang' ('circumventing the firewall') means, and they also have a strong determination to do so

Zhou Shuguang, blogger
"But today, information flows faster and faster and people try to use different tools to spread information between social networks."

"There are a minority of users who can use technology to bypass censorship. No more than one or two percent. More users - about 18% - have become second-hand information consumers from those savvy users."

"So roughly 20% of Chinese internet users now understand what 'Fan Qiang' ('circumventing the firewall') means, and they also have a strong determination to do so."

Stopping people evading the firewall is not easy, says Zhou Shuguang, an active Twitter user and blogger from the central province of Hunan.


Tor helps users defend against network traffic analysis by security services
He cites the availability of free, open-source, peer-to-peer (P2P) software such as Tor.

"Everybody can use it. If you can pay some money, you can get a virtual private network (VPN) account so you can get a faster connection to the internet."

According to internet users in China, you can download the P2P software from the Tor website. However, the site itself has been blocked in China.

Nevertheless, more and more so-called "mirror sites" - exact copies - are now emerging.

"They can block one. Maybe five will appear tomorrow," Mr Mao says.

cheers d

^^
100,000 mass incidents? It sounds unreal.

I live in eastern China now and tavel frequently in China but neither me or my friends/relatives have experienced or heard any mass incident since Xinjiang riot, maybe it happens in remote areas only?

My recommendations

So far for Shanghai
-Expo
-City Planning Museum
-Pudong area (SWFC observatory deck)
-The Bund

So far for Beijing
-Forbidden City
-Great Wall
-Heaven's Temple
-Roasted Duck

I'd like to add that I'll be seeing Shanghai and Beijing in May.

So far for Shanghai
-Expo
-Pudong area

So far for Beijing
-Forbidden Palace
-Great Wall

I could easily search up popular touristy sites. I'm asking you for help with unique places. Suggestions for more sites greatly appreciated, thanks.

^^
100,000 mass incidents? It sounds unreal.

I live in eastern China now and tavel frequently in China but neither me or my friends/relatives have experienced or heard any mass incident since Xinjiang riot, maybe it happens in remote areas only?

interesting.cheers

there's an estimated 100k protests in China per year, not riots and "mass incidents" though

yeah that number sounds about right. Most of these protests would be near riot like.

Just recently people in Guangzhou used violence to protest land repossession.

http://www.56.com/u28/v_NTA4NTM3MjE.html

:):ohno::ohno:
hi there ! I am visiting China in July, are there any recommendations which cities or spots should I visit? Beijing? Shanghai ???or ?? And is there any organization in China that can offer a platform for foreigners experience the life of averiage Chinese families? I only know one named tourboarding.com, which is a platform to offer free accormodations , is there any more??:banana:

Beijing and Shanghai are musts, just like you wouldn't go to the U.S. without visiting New York or Los Angeles :)

As for other places, it really depends on your personal interests. Do you like seeing historical stuff? Nature? Shopping? Eating?

It will be very hot in July though right?

Beijing is hot during July & August, like unbearably hot. It's just fine in June and gets nice again in September. Shanghai will definitely be hot during July.

Hong Kong in July is very hot!
Foods are exellence in HK!

http://i969.photobucket.com/albums/ae173/Lhasaguy/jiaozi.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s57/world-2/1197435348.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s57/world-2/56170_27.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s57/world-2/2008122922322977_2.jpg

http://i969.photobucket.com/albums/ae173/Lhasaguy/CHASHAO.jpg

Mmmmm, I love dumplings ... and when you say Hong Kong is very Hot are you referring just to the weather? :shifty:

Yes it is very hot in summer,but you don't have to go under the sun,because shopping centers are everywhere in HK ;)

Oh, that ... I thought/hoped something else :(

I'm planning on going to Shanghai in a few months. I've been there before but I still have some questions.

How long does it take by train from Shanghai to Suzhou and how much are the tickets?
Besides the Oriental Pearl Tower, Jinmao Tower, Shanghai World Financial Tower, are there any other skyscrapers with good observation decks? Preferably in Puxi so it gives a different view :)
Any recommendations for hotels? I won't need a luxurious hotel, as long as it's safe, convenient, close to a subway station.
I may have more questions later, thanks in advance!

I've got 2 months single entry visa and plan to stay in China for max. two months or less (it's quite expensive compared to countries at south from China from what I've read in travel diaries) what itinerary would you advise heading in direction (North-South) from Beijing to Vietnam/Hanoi? I don't have particular interest in history, just wanna see country, some nature and the biggest highlights maybe. I'm arriving next tuesday 10th August.

I have this for start (flexible, open to changes):
Beijing (Hebei/Tianjin/Great wall day trips)
Pingyao, Shanxi - ancient city wall, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Xi'an, Shaanxi - Ancient City Wall, Terra-cotta Warriors
Chengdu - Emei Shan tour maybe?
Chongqing, Chongqing - Great Hall of the People, Hongya Cave,Three Gorges Museum, Yangztze river cruise
Yangshuo, Guangxi - Moon Hill (Yueliang Shan) and karst mountains

Kunming/Nanning - vietnamese visa

China's very cheap if you know how to speak Chinese, even if you don't, although you'll get ripped off when buying at local markets the prices are still much lower than in Europe. Anyway you have a very long time in China, you should also visit Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, Zhengzhou (all with high speed rail) along with Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Chengde, (last 2 can be day trips from Beijing) Dalian, Xinjiang, Lanzhou, maybe even Tibet if you're really adventurous (but I don't recommend it)

Hi guys and girls,

My cousin was recently accepted to do medicine at Jilin University in Changchun. We are seriously considering taking up this wonderful opportunity, but we want all our bases covered before we do. We need as much information possible.


So we need some few questions answered to help us determine whether we should accept this invitation or nor.
1) What the crime rate in the city? Is it safe or not?
2) Is it safe for African students, preferably female? Would she encounter racism of some sorts?
3) What the reputation of the University.
4) How is the lifestyle of the city?
5) How is the justice system in China if somehow things turn ugly?

Thanks in advance

I have send your question to my Changchun friend,I hope he will reply :)

1) low, should be no worries unless if she is just asking for it
2) yes, and yes (more of the "curious" than hateful variety)
3) no idea
4) no idea
5) it's better to solve things yourself, but they are there as a last resort. It's unreliable, so who knows what your result will be?

Hi guys and girls,

My cousin was recently accepted to do medicine at Jilin University in Changchun. We are seriously considering taking up this wonderful opportunity, but we want all our bases covered before we do. We need as much information possible.


So we need some few questions answered to help us determine whether we should accept this invitation or nor.
1) What the crime rate in the city? Is it safe or not?
2) Is it safe for African students, preferably female? Would she encounter racism of some sorts?
3) What the reputation of the University.
4) How is the lifestyle of the city?
5) How is the justice system in China if somehow things turn ugly?

Thanks in advance


I just want to mention that, with regard to 3), the university is one of the well-known ones in China. Put it this way, it is one of the 6-7 Universities in China that I know the names of. It is surprising that BarbaricManchurian claims he has "no idea" about the university's reputation, as it appears that he lives in China.

Also with regard to 5): it is true that chinese judiciary system is not as reliable as say the European one. But foreigners (anyone, not just european foreigners) generally tend to get preferential treatment. I really would not worry about it.

So the bottom line is that Jilin University is one of China's "Ivy League" Universities located in a large, well-developed city of China, where people tend to be friendly towards foreigners. I think it's a great deal.

ok, come in to our forum and act like you know what you're talking about :nuts:. Changchun is not exactly a big destination even within China, and based on their low exposure to foreigners, yes people will be friendly but your cousin will probably get more stares than she would probably like (even within the university). Tianjinese are still dealing with how to react to the influx of Africans so there have been a lot of stares and curious questions, but at least in Tianjin, people are somewhat beyond that point now (people don't randomly ask every black person questions and/or stare intently). Changchun's probably experiencing the first wave of Africans due to it being a somewhat smaller city so there's likely to be a lot of curiosity from people. Anyway it's a great education at a low cost, none of these opposing factors are deal-breakers really.

ok, come in to our forum and act like you know what you're talking about :nuts:.

No reason to get aggressive. It's not "your" forum. Someone asked for information and I told him what I know.

@Nomadic Warrior. there are some photos of campus life at the medical school of Jilin University here:

http://bqeyxy.jlu.edu.cn/cms/wslxs/content.php?contentid=777&status=Album%20%20and%20video

As you can see, there are a lot of foreign students (including many Africans) in the medicine program. So at least in the university, I don't think your cousin will be the only "curiosity".

i remember there being a forumer from morocco who is studying in changchun

found a thread by him here:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1166627

you should probably contact him since he is also a foreign student in the city

ok, come in to our forum and act like you know what you're talking about :nuts:. Changchun is not exactly a big destination even within China, and based on their low exposure to foreigners, yes people will be friendly but your cousin will probably get more stares than she would probably like (even within the university). Tianjinese are still dealing with how to react to the influx of Africans so there have been a lot of stares and curious questions, but at least in Tianjin, people are somewhat beyond that point now (people don't randomly ask every black person questions and/or stare intently). Changchun's probably experiencing the first wave of Africans due to it being a somewhat smaller city so there's likely to be a lot of curiosity from people. Anyway it's a great education at a low cost, none of these opposing factors are deal-breakers really.

^^Agreed.

I wanna create another ' Landscape of China -2' thread,I have plenty pictures to create it!

Hi, guys!
I'd like to ask you a question:
Are there any government restriction for Chinese citiizen to buy a property abroad?
Are Chinese managers and businessmen interested in buying property in Europe?

Thanx for the answer :cheers:

^^No restriction and as long as it good investment, they will buy.

I heard a lot of mainland rich men buy property in US and HK.

London is full of Chinese buyers as well

^^ Thanx for the answers. :okay:

Much appreciated.

glad to see two destinations for my next China visit in August - September. Do you think this is a good time to visit Xi'an and Yunnan (weather, amount of travellers during that time etc.)?

...............

Hello friends,

I do not know if this is the right thread to ask for this, but...

On Easter I am going to stay 5 days in Hong Kong and 3 more in Taipei.
From Hong Kong I would like to visit the cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

Can please answer the next questions?

1) Is it possible to visit both cities without a guide? I mean if I can visit the cities alone, by myself ?
2) How can I go to Shenzhen? Is it possible by metro? (Hong Kong metro to the Chinese border and then Shenzhen metro?
3) is there a railway service from Hong Kong to Guangzhou? I would like to stay just 6-8 hours in Guangzhou, arriving early in the morning and coming back to Hong Kong on the evening. Where the train departs from ? Do you know how much is a return ticket? Where can I buy the tickets?
4) I know I need a visa to visit China. I will get it from the China Embassy in Spain. But do you know if the border procedures are long? Lots of questions? Problems with the Language (Unfortunately, I do not speak Chinese...)
5) If I take the train to Guangzhou, where will be the border procedures?
6) What do you recommend to visit in Shenzhen and Guangzhou? (I like skycrapers, metro, and the historical center of Guangzhou...)
7) Anything you consider worth telling me, I will appreciate it.(food, safety tips...)

Thank yoy very much
Jordi Serradell

1) of course, why not? just check Wikitravel and LP
2) subway to border Lo Wu AFAIR, walk through border and board subway on the other side or go straight to railway station, it's just after immigration
3) yes, there are direct trains from HKG to Guangzhou, but from border (Shenzhen side) it's even more trains and cheaper
4) no language needed, very fast procedure, depends on queues, it took me about 10-20mins max., you can get visa in HKG as well, maybe cheaper and easier than in Spain (no documents needed except photo and passport, price depending on speed, next-day visa of course pricier than 3rd or 4rd day visa), but only for 30 days for mainland China, HKG 90 days visa free for EU citizens
5, 6 and 7) would consult with Wikitravel, I just passed through Shenzhen on my way from HKG (great city) to Beijing

Hello Aan

Thank you very much for your tips about my travel to Hong Kong-Guangzhou. They´ll be very useful to me.
I did not know about wikitravel ! Today I visited wikitravel and there is a lot of information, with even a train timetable!
But of course I prefer your first-hand counsel.

If anyone on the Chinese forum can help me with more answers to my questions on the previous page, I will be very grateful.

Thank you very much again.
Jordi

Hello friends,

I do not know if this is the right thread to ask for this, but...

On Easter I am going to stay 5 days in Hong Kong and 3 more in Taipei.
From Hong Kong I would like to visit the cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

Can please answer the next questions?

1) Is it possible to visit both cities without a guide? I mean if I can visit the cities alone, by myself ?
2) How can I go to Shenzhen? Is it possible by metro? (Hong Kong metro to the Chinese border and then Shenzhen metro?
3) is there a railway service from Hong Kong to Guangzhou? I would like to stay just 6-8 hours in Guangzhou, arriving early in the morning and coming back to Hong Kong on the evening. Where the train departs from ? Do you know how much is a return ticket? Where can I buy the tickets?
4) I know I need a visa to visit China. I will get it from the China Embassy in Spain. But do you know if the border procedures are long? Lots of questions? Problems with the Language (Unfortunately, I do not speak Chinese...)
5) If I take the train to Guangzhou, where will be the border procedures?
6) What do you recommend to visit in Shenzhen and Guangzhou? (I like skycrapers, metro, and the historical center of Guangzhou...)
7) Anything you consider worth telling me, I will appreciate it.(food, safety tips...)

Thank yoy very much
Jordi Serradell
1) Generally, the major attractions are accessible by subway in both cities, which have English signage. You can easily visit on your own. English is not widely spoken in either city, so bring a good map. You can buy street-level maps for both cities in Hong Kong.

2) You can reach Shenzhen from Hong Kong via either Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau. Both border crossings connect to the Shenzhen subway network. Lo Wu connects to the CRH on the Shenzhen side, while Lok Ma Chau is closest to the new financial district Futian.

3) Guangzhou for a day trip is a bit tough, since even the through train takes 90 minutes or so + immigration. I recommend you stay overnight. The through train website is : http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/getting_around/intercity_index.html. Even transferring to the CRH in Shenzhen will take a while (45 minutes to the border on the Hong Kong side + immigration + 1hr10 CRH to Guangzhou East). The cheapest option is actually by bus from various points in Hong Kong (Prince Edward, Wanchai CTS, etc.) but it may be a bit challenging if you don't speak Chinese. Travel time by bus is 3 hours.

5) Yes - all travel to/from China will require immigration formalities. If you carry a foreign passport, check whether you need a visa to enter China (likely). You may not need a visa for Hong Kong but you may need one for China.

6) Both Guangzhou and Shenzhen have sparkling new business districts with plenty of skyscrapers. Guangzhou also has some historic attractions as well. You can check my website for photos and places of interest.
http://www.globalphotos.org/guangzhou.htm
http://www.globalphotos.org/shenzhen.htm

7) Avoid hot-pots. There is a recent scandal on eateries using recycled waste oils that will greatly harm your health. Food scandals are common nowadays in China. Eat at reputable establishments (not your neighborhood food stall).

Hello hkskyline

Thank you very much for your answers and for your travel tips.

About my trip to Guangzhou:

- I prefer train to bus. I am sure it will be easier for me.
- I would like to take the T812 train departing Hung Hom at 07:25 in the morning (arrives Guangzhou East Station at 09:20). I suppose bording procedures are included in this timetable?
- I would like to return to Hong Kong with the T819 train departing Guangzhou at 18:15 and arriving in Hong Kong at 20:08.
- if I could take this trains I would be in Guangzhou for nearly 8-9 hours. I think it is Ok. And in fact, (unfortunately) I do not have more holidays.
- Do you think all this is possible?
- Is it possible to buy a return ticket? Or I have to buy two different tickets (HK to Guangzhou and another one for Guangzhou to HK?)
- I do not remember now where I read that I need to buy the Guangzhou to HK ticket 6 hours in advance. Do you know if this is true?

And more questions:

- Are the signage in Guangzhou railway station (platform number, train to...) in English?
- Subway ticket machines in English?
- apart from the Guangzhou TV tower is it possible to go another observation deck (in Guangzhou and Shenzhen?) (by the way, your pictures are absolutely amazing, stunning and very very nice!!!, thank you very much for the link)

And thank you for your tips about food! It is always better to go to reputable restaurants!

Thank you very much again.

(Maybe I will ask you more questions...):)
Jordi

- I would like to take the T812 train departing Hung Hom at 07:25 in the morning (arrives Guangzhou East Station at 09:20). I suppose bording procedures are included in this timetable?

You need to arrive earlier to factor in immigration formalities. The train will depart at 0725 assuming you've cleared immigration.

- I would like to return to Hong Kong with the T819 train departing Guangzhou at 18:15 and arriving in Hong Kong at 20:08.
- if I could take this trains I would be in Guangzhou for nearly 8-9 hours. I think it is Ok. And in fact, (unfortunately) I do not have more holidays.
- Do you think all this is possible?

Should be a good day trip if you can get 8-9 hours, although it will be very exhausting! Not all of Guangzhou's key attractions are near the main railway station Guangzhou East.

- Is it possible to buy a return ticket? Or I have to buy two different tickets (HK to Guangzhou and another one for Guangzhou to HK?)
- I do not remember now where I read that I need to buy the Guangzhou to HK ticket 6 hours in advance. Do you know if this is true?

Not sure if you can buy a return ticket but you should check with the Hong Kong agent in advance as they're likely able to communicate in English. Seems the Guangzhou side imposes more time restrictions on ticketing, such as the 6-hour deadline. For full details, check : http://www.it3.mtr.com.hk/B2C/frmNotice.asp?strLang=Eng

If possible, get a return ticket from the Hong Kong side. I recall the Guangzhou East ticketing desk is very small and the station is quite run-down.

And more questions:

- Are the signage in Guangzhou railway station (platform number, train to...) in English?
- Subway ticket machines in English?
- apart from the Guangzhou TV tower is it possible to go another observation deck (in Guangzhou and Shenzhen?) (by the way, your pictures are absolutely amazing, stunning and very very nice!!!, thank you very much for the link)
Shenzhen has an observation deck at Shun Hing Square (Metro : 大剧院)
Guangzhou views can also be seen from Baiyun mountain, although it's a bit off-the-beaten track and not near the subway so best to skip it on your day trip. Beware that the TV tower is very popular. I waited in line for about 90 minutes when I visited in January.

I recall the subway ticketing machines have English, and the CRH section at Guangzhou East had some English signage :

http://www.globalphotos.org/guangzhou/20090906/IMG_3627.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/guangzhou/20090906/IMG_3637.jpg

Thank you very much again Hkskyline for your answer.

Yesterday I sent an e-mail to the MTR link you posted. I asked them lots of questions. I am waiting their answer.

But unfortunately I do not yet know if it would be possible to buy both train tickets in advance (via web site or in the Hung Hom station).

And I do not understand what this text means: (from the MTR web site) :


Intercity Through Train Customer Service Centre at East Rail Line Hung Hom Station 20 mins before train departure

* 6 hours before train departure for Guangdong Line
5 days before train departure for Beijing/Shanghai Line


Do I need to BE in the Guangzhou station 6 hours before train departure?
Do I nedd to BUY the Guangzhou to Hong Kong train ticket 6 hours before train departure? (just in case I can not buy the return ticket in Hong Kong...)

It is a little confusing...

Thanks again
Jordi Serradell

Intercity Through Train Customer Service Centre at East Rail Line Hung Hom Station 20 mins before train departure

* 6 hours before train departure for Guangdong Line
5 days before train departure for Beijing/Shanghai Line


Do I need to BE in the Guangzhou station 6 hours before train departure?
Do I nedd to BUY the Guangzhou to Hong Kong train ticket 6 hours before train departure? (just in case I can not buy the return ticket in Hong Kong...)

It is a little confusing...

Thanks again
Jordi Serradell
The latest you can buy tickets for the train is 20 minutes before departure at the Hong Kong ticket counter and 6 hours before departure at the Guangzhou counter. I suggest you try to buy a return ticket in Hong Kong. If not, get it upon arrival in Guangzhou that morning. I doubt you need to be at the train station 6 hours before departure in Guangzhou - they must be able to sell advance tickets if their cutoff is so early.

In the worst case where they give you trouble when trying to buy a Guangzhou - Hong Kong ticket, go for the CRH to Shenzhen and walk across the border at Lo Wu, then transfer to a local MTR East Rail train. CRH trains run very frequently (every 10-20 minutes) and you will likely find a ticket for the next train or the one after.

Thank you hkskyline:

I have just received the answer from the MTR web site (Thanks for the link you sent me...), and they said that I can reserve both tickets (Northbound and southbound) by e-ticketing, and then I can collect them in Hung Hom Station (both tickets).
I think this is perfect as I do not need queuing in a Ticket desk in Guangzhou and I no need to worry about the 6h timeline. I have just to be 1h in advance for border procedures /clearance.

Thank you very much again, and if you have more counsels / tips, please let me know. They will be welcome. Surely, in the next months, while planning the trip, I will ask for more counsel!

Jordi Serradell

I have a new question for you:

On 4th April, 2012 I am going to stay in Taipei (or Hong Kong, I do not know, it depends on the flight booking...).
I have read that 4th April is Tomb Sweeping Day and a public Holiday in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
I would like to ask you some questions about this day:
- Do you know if the public transport is running that day? (I mean buses, subway, planes, taxis...)
- Do you know if restaurants are open this day?
- Do you know if museums and public attractions are open?

Any other tip on this day will be very appreciated
Thank you very much

you should ask this question in the Taiwan or HK forum since that's where you gonna be next year.

I have a new question for you:

On 4th April, 2012 I am going to stay in Taipei (or Hong Kong, I do not know, it depends on the flight booking...).
I have read that 4th April is Tomb Sweeping Day and a public Holiday in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
I would like to ask you some questions about this day:
- Do you know if the public transport is running that day? (I mean buses, subway, planes, taxis...)
- Do you know if restaurants are open this day?
- Do you know if museums and public attractions are open?

Any other tip on this day will be very appreciated
Thank you very much

Public transport runs on all public holidays and restaurants are open. Exception is during Typhoon 8 signal but even then, there is still some MTR service.

I believe most attractions remain open as well but best that you check each one's website to confirm.

Thank you!
I hope there will be no typhoon on April !!!

ni hao peng you, heard that these days, any tourist including muslims, can't have their technical visit to all old mosques in all over beijing n tianjin. Is that true? Can anyone please explain it?

Hi...greetings from Bali...

I'll be in China with friends between June 16-30. I'd like to meet Chinese forumer if possible.

My scheduled will go to the following cities like Shanghai, Zhengzhou, Xian, QingZhou and Beijing.

Please PM if anyone lives in those cities, i looking forward to meet local forumer :cheers:

Cheers