know before you go to China
China cannot be conveniently pigeonholed. It is a country of mesmerizing contradictions. You will see here things you have never seen before, eat things you have never tried before and never ever thought you would even put into your mouth and hear a lot things that do not make much sense.
Planning a trip to China might be a bit intimidating. After all, China spans the range from alpha to omega, so how to get ready for its vast richness? No matter how much time you spend traveling in China, and how much effort you put into preparations, it will surprise you and leave hungry for more. Despite this fact, there a couple of things you better know before you cross the Chinese border.
leave your “western” sense of “privacy” & “intimacy” at home
China does not operate by westerns’ laws and standards. For clarity, you land in the People’s Republic of China. The estimated number of 170 million of CCTV cameras currently operating in China means that there is one for every 12 people in the country. China is also introducing some of the world’s most advanced artificial intelligence and surveillance software to keep a closer eye on its population and all the tourists. So you better behave yourself because despite appearances you will not blend in, sneak in and get away with it. China has the highest number of police officers in the world and that might come as a surprise to you but none of them will coddle you. Capital punishment is legal in China so do not try any funky stuff.
All foreigners entering China need to give their fingerprints. I mean you have no alternative if you want to put your foot on the Chinese soil. All subway and railway stations are “protected” by high security surveillance. You must walk through and place your carry on luggage in the metal detector. There are no secrets and nothing passes unnoticed in China so bear it in mind. In return you get a higher level of safety in China. Tourists usually fall victim of a petty crime e.g. theft or rather a flair of canny Chinese. But serious crime is very rare and foreigners are not the main target.
Get ready to get physical, and push your way through the crowd. It is no secret that China cities have some of the world’s worst traffic and one of the world’s worst crowded metros. After all, you share your personal space with 1.417 billion of Chinese people. Chinese might not understand some of the western standards or you might not understand some the Chinese standards and “spitting” culture. Things might get a bit disgusting.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO GO TO CHINA?
Weather-wise, the best time to go China are months of April-May and September-October. Weather is warm and comfortable. The worst time to visit China is during the holidays and festivals in China when 1.417 billion of Chinese people embark on a journey and visit their families. Avoid Chinese National Day Holiday (October 1-7), Chinese New Year Holiday, Labour Day Holiday (May 1-3).
VISA, ACCOMMODATION & MONEY IN CHINA
Check the validity of your passport & determine whether you need a visa (single, double, or multiple entry) and apply for it in advance or check whether you qualify to take an advantage of up to 72h/144h visa-free transit while transiting via selected airports in China.
Make any necessary bookings for accommodation and travel in advance. Print the confirmation of your reservations. If you want to book your train tickets, use China-DIY Travel or China Highlights. They will help you to sort it all out.
Organize your travel insurance.
Inform your credit/debit card company about your travel plans. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted in big cities and tourists towns but you might encounter issues so you better always carry cash. You can change money at hotels, large branches of Bank of China and international airports. There are 24-hour ATMs available at Bank of China and ICBC branches. Fake money in China is a really big problem. Be aware of it. It is smart to get some of the local currency before you actually enter China e.g. 500-1000 RMB.
INTERNET & phone IN CHINA. WHAT mobile APPS DO YOU NEED in china?
Check if you can use your mobile/cell phone while in China. You might consider to get a local sim card when arrive to China or pre-order it and collect at the airport or at the hotel of your choice. Please note that only China Unicom or China Mobile do work on foreigner’s mobile phones. Recommended best sim card is China Unicom. Just make sure your phone is actually unlocked. You must register your passport to activate the simcard in China. The price of the sim card purchased on the airport is outrageous. I paid 180 RMB in October 2019 at the airport in Guangzhou. So you better visit an authorized telecom shop to get one. You can get a 10 GB Nationwide Data King Plan for approximately 69 RMB.
Download WeChat. It is the biggest mobile app in China and one of the biggest in the world. There is no app in the West that does all the stuff that WeChat does. You can chat with your friends, you can send them money through WeChat or pay your utility bills, your meal or rent a bike through WeChat or take and pay a taxi through WeChat. It is so convenient. You can do almost everything through the app. It might even feel like WeChat knows everything about you and is actually watching you and you know what? You are quite close to the truth…Bear it in mind. All eyes are on you. Please note though that if you do not have a Chinese bank account you cannot connect your credit card to WeChat to make the payments in China but even without this functionality the app does make your life easier when being in China.
Due to the Great Firewall, you will not have access to WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram while being in China and wait that is not all… Gmail and Google Maps are highly likely to be blocked too along with many of your favourite websites. Your contact with external world might be a bit limited and enable you to “switch off” completely.
You might want to get a VPN in order to unblock your favourite websites and the before-mentioned apps, but you need to set up your VPN before you go to China. You will not be able to do so when you are already there as all VPN websites are blocked in China. Even if you have one there is no guarantee it will work anyway. One of the most recommended VPN’s is the ExpressVPN. Unfortunately during my last trip to China it was not doing its job. Gentle reminder, you go on a trip to the People’s Republic of China and nobody said that was going to be easy.
In China the phrase “ It all sounds Chinese to me” really makes sense. Do not expect that people will talk to you in other than Chinese language. Hello?? After all, you are in China. This approach will help you to avoid the feeling of disappointment & frustration. Download Google Translate (surprisingly Google Translate is not blocked in China) and/or Pleco. I cannot stress out enough how important it is. It truly does wonders.
Google Translate - Yes, but Google Maps - No, it does not work in China in general so another app you need to set up is Baidu Maps. It is only available in Chinese language version but despite this fact you will find it very helpful.
Can you use Uber in China? You cannot use the “Western” Uber, you can use DiDi - the Chinese Uber.
Get a Currency Converter.
HAGGLING & prices in china
As a “paleface” you might be prone to fall victim of the Chinese “flair” and broadly understood “overcharging” or rather “ripping off” practices so do not be a “stupid” tourist, be a smart tourist! Bargaining is a common procedure in markets and shops (outside of department stores and malls) where the prices are not marked.
*** Before you take a taxi in China, enquire external party (i.e. not a taxi driver) on the approximate price of the “ride”.
*** Before you buy something, particularly at the Silk Market in Beijing, enquire external party (i.e. not a shop assistant) on the approximate price of the good.
*** If it happens you are at the Silk Market in Beijing, and you find an item that you would like to purchase, bargain hard. I mean completely ignore the price on the label and do not feel bad about it. Example: For a silk pyjama with a price labelled 2100 RMB, I paid 375 RMB. Be tough.
*** Be realistic. If the reflection in the mirror shows you as a man that resembles more a “Santa Clause” rather than Bradley Cooper and it happens that a very young and an attractive girl approaches you, inviting for a cup of tea or massage, just run! Do not get me wrong. She is just not that into you.
CAN YOU DRIVE TO & IN CHINA IN YOUR OWN VEHICLE? overlanding experience in china
If you look for a bit of different experience in China and you do not want to board a plane and cross the Chinese border via air, there are different options available to you. It ain’t gonna be cheap and it requires some serious preparations. But it is certainly doable and worth it. Driving a car in China with a foreign or even international driving licence as a rule is not allowed. You need to have a Chinese driving licence. You cannot simply rent a car and drive through the country on your own without it. You can find out more about the Overlanding Experience in China at the OverlandSite.