China's size means the climate varies tremendously. Southeastern and central China are generally warm and humid, while the northeast and north are quite dry. Summer in central China is hot and humid with rain in the late months. In northern China, rain falls in summer. In southern China, with its sub-tropical climate, rainfall is more or less spread throughout the year. Southeastern China suffers from typhoons during the rainy season from July to September. Northern China can be extremely cold in winter, but winter in the Yangtze is milder.
The best months to travel are May, September and October.
HEALTH:
A Passenger's Health Declaration has to be completed on entry to China. Inoculations for smallpox, cholera or yellow fever are only required if travelers have been to infected areas within six days of arriving in China. Anti-malaria measures are recommended for visits to some parts of southern China. Inoculations against cholera, hepatitis, polio and typhoid are also advised. Rabies is another danger to watch out for.
Avoid raw or improperly cooked food and stick to eating salads in hotels. All fruit should be peeled and remember milk is unpasteurized. Only drink boiled water and be cautious of eating at roadside stalls. Salt and mineral tablets may be necessary for travel on the Silk Road where temperatures are high and the climate dry.
Bigger centers have separate hospital facilities - or at least a separate ward - for foreigners. Modern dental treatment is rare.
CURRENCY:
Chinese currency is called renminbi. The unit of denomination is the yuan. One yuan is divided into 10 jiao or 100 fen.
It is illegal to bring in or take out renminbi from China. Tourists are given Foreign Exchange Certificates, which have the same value as renminbi. Theoretically, foreigners are supposed to pay only with FEC; yuan are not accepted in places like Friendship Stores and some restaurants. Otherwise, yuan are taken almost everywhere. FECs can be re-exchanged on presentation of the exchange receipt, yuan can not. Hong Kong dollars are increasingly being used in China's southern provinces.
Tourist spots such as Friendship Stores and most hotels take major credit cards.
VISAS:
Passports valid until two months after the trip and entry visas are essential. If you are traveling with a group, a group visa will be issued. Visa extensions can be granted by the local security police.
WEIGHTS & MEASURES:
Both local and international weights and measures are used. For example, visitors might be quoted measurements in feet, meters or chi. One meter equals three chi which equals 3.28 feet. One kilogram is equal to two jin or 2.20 pounds; and one liter equals 0.22 gallons or one sheng.
ELECTRICITY:
Electricity is 220 volts, 50 cycles AC. Three-pin plugs are common, although newer hotels will have international standard two-pin sockets; adaptors are usually available as well.
COMMUNICATIONS:
The English-language newspaper, China Daily, is readily available except on Sundays. International publications such as the International Herald Tribune, the Asian Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, Far Eastern Economic Review and others are also sold at many of the large hotels.
Most hotels offer postal, telegram and telex services. Speedpost is also available, as are international courier services.
Local calls are generally free of charge. Long distance calls within China can take some time. International calls are quicker if these are booked through the operator. International Direct Dialing is available in major centers, but charges are high; it's probably cheaper to call collect.
ETIQUETTE:
Simple clothing is recommended, even for evenings out. This is mainland Chinese style. Keep finery for events or venues in top hotels.
Rules of politeness can be quite formal. Remain cordial at all times and avoid shouting, even if you are angry. Never cause a Chinese person to `lose face;' be tactful if you have to admonish or criticize someone. It is also considered extremely bad manners to be drunk in public, although eating noisily is quite acceptable. During meals, bones are put onto the table or the floor when you are finished with them.
Always address Chinese people by their family names, which precede their given names. You would, for example, call Mr Ho Kam Yuen, Mr Ho. Handshakes are fairly unusual, although acceptable with foreigners. Embraces or kisses are a definite faux pas. Flowers are not expected with dinner invitations, however, if you do take some, make sure they are not white - the color of mourning. Good contacts or connections are extremely important; invitations should be reciprocated. Punctuality is important, especially for business appointments.
Forget all etiquette on public transport, it does not seem to apply. Pedestrians have no rights either, so be careful when crossing the road.
TRANSPORT:
SHIPS:
Ferries run regularly between China's main coastal cities. The ferry from Hong Kong to Shanghai takes 60 hours and costs HK$1,000 one way. Other routes include Guangzhou to Jungxiang, Shanghai to Jungxiang and Guangzhou to Shanghai.
AIRLINES:
Many international airlines now fly to Beijing. These include:
AEROFLOT
AIR CHINA
AIR FRANCE
ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS
BRITISH AIRWAYS
KOREAN AIRWAYS
DRAGONAIR
JAPAN AIRLINES
LUFTHANSA
MALAYSIA AIRLINES
SINGAPORE AIRLINES
SWISSAIR
THAI INTERNATIONAL
UNITED AIRLINES
Domestic airlines can be confusing: Civil Aviation Administration of China - the much-maligned CAAC - has more or less been replaced with six regional airlines. The CAAC remains only as an administrative body. The new airlines are Air China, China Eastern, China Northern, China Northwest, China Southern and China Southwest. Other airlines that operate internally are: Xiamen Airlines, Yunnan Airlines, Shanghai Airlines and the Beijing-based China United Airlines.
RAILWAYS:
Train fares are usually higher for foreigners than for locals. Chinese trains have four classes: soft-sleeper (Ruanwo), soft-seat (Ruanzou), hard-sleeper (Yingwo), or hard-seat (Yingzou). The four-bed, soft-sleeper cabins are recommended for long journeys. There are washrooms in both sleeper classes, and dining cars on long-distance trains. Advance bookings are advised. Trains also have four speeds: slow, fast, express and inter-city.
BUSES:
Buses are the least expensive means of transport. They can also be the slowest. Modern buses with air conditioning are available in bigger centers. Foreigners may have difficulty using the bus service because maps are only printed in Chinese.
Hiring a car and a driver is possible through travel agencies. Taxi companies will also hire out cars and drivers for set times.
In Beijing, taxis, buses or bicycles are the most common forms of transport. Taxis can be asked to wait - the waiting fee is small. Taxis in most cities are metered.
TOURS:
There is no comfortable substitute to touring China with an organized group. It is also less expensive than individual travel, which is inadvisable unless there are no time or patience constraints. Independent travelers have been known to stand around for days waiting for a single train ticket.
The best place to organize tours is the China International Travel Service (CITS), the official body that deals with visiting foreigners. The head office is in Beijing (6 Dong Chang'an Dajie. Tel: 55-10-31).
The China Travel Service (CTS) organizes tours for local Chinese as well as those from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
HOTELS:
Beijing has a glut of top-quality international hotels. They are also relatively expensive, although there are some good deals to be had because of the over-supplied market. There are also a number of renovated Chinese hotels which offer comfortable accommodation and a range of restaurants. Cheaper hotels tend to fill up quickly in the summer. Various rules on which establishments can put up foreign guests may make it difficult for foreigners to stay in some guest houses or smaller Chinese hotels.
Northern Chinese cuisine - Peking duck especially - is Beijing's primary culinary offering, although other types of food, such as Cantonese - including the popular snake - Italian and Japanese, are available. Noodles are popular in northern cooking, as is Chinese cabbage. Authentic Chinese banquets are an experience in excess; course after course after course all delivered in accordance with principles of harmony and balance. Desserts are not particularly popular in China. Eating outside of hotels or beyond the reach of tour operators and their organized meals may require lots of pointing at other diners' plates; it's worth the experience though. Tea is served throughout Chinese meals.
MUSEUMS:
The Great Wall at Badaling, which includes it's own primitive museum of relics alongside a thriving tourist souvenir trade, is divided into difficult and less difficult climbs. The relentless stream of tourists continues unabated on both though, as it does over the entire access and entrance area.
The Great Wall at Mutianyu is less crowded, although it's further away - about 75 miles - from Beijing.
