Introduction to China

Jan 22 |14:08

elcome to the Great Red Dragon – Asia’s grandest travel destination and one of the world’s most complex, mysterious, and fascinating places.

The diversity of China is stunning: bordering Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Mongolia, and North Korea, the country offers a huge selection of travel delights. These include Himalayan mountains, lush tropical forests, ancient ruins, myriad mega-cities with all the trimmings, chilled out stoner zones, world-class trekking routes, thousands of nightclubs packed with hot chicks, and so on...

Our first objective is to get your head around the basic lay of the land. We’ve done so by dividing the country into eight unique zones, on top of which we’ve listed the seventeen cities that are of greatest relevance to tourists.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the highlights in each of the eight zones:

Industry

Industrial zone

The frigid lands of the northeast, once known as Manchuria, is now referred to by Chinese as Dongbei ("Northeast"). For four decades, Dongbei was the industrial hub of China, but the majority of the factories (stocked with 1950s-era machinery) have now closed. As a result, the region has undergone a tourism makeover in an attempt to replace the lost income from factory closures, but it is an uphill battle.

To be blunt, this is a difficult place to visit, with overpriced hotels, a general sense of malaise (due to the massive unemployment and dim future prospects), and very few English speakers. Unless you're a hardened traveler looking for a tough slog, we suggest you give Dongbei a pass.

If you're keen, however, the three main cities Shenyang: (a handful of historical sites and a whole bunch of closed factories), Harbin (a hard-drinking industrial town with a Russian flavor, frigid temperatures, and an annual ice festival), and Dalian (a fairly clean city with lots of Russians, Korean, and Japanese expats).

History

Historical zone

Beijing is one of Asia's most interesting cities, with an impressive array of historical sights (visits to the Great Wall from here is a tourist staple), a decent nightlife scene (too many girls "on the payroll", though), and all sorts of entertainment and shopping options. There’s not a whole lot you can do wrong here, other than spend waaay to much money.

Tianjin is one of the biggest industrial and port cities in China. The city is somewhat grotty, but its got a pleasant vibe, numerous sightseeing options, and a decent tourism infrastructure.

Xian is a lively tourist town with many interesting cultural and historical sites to check out, including the mausoleum of Qinshihuang (Terra Cotta Warriors) and adventure tours along the ancient silk caravan route. The shopping, nightlife, and accommodation options here are all decent.

Finance

Financial zone

Shanghai is China’s wealthiest city. Commerce is flourishing, and shiny new skyscrapers dominate the landscape. This vibrant town lack’s Beijing’s cultural and historical clout, but more than compensates with a wealth of 'Westerner-oriented' services and pretty kickin’ nightlife. Just make sure to bring lots of money.

Hangzhou is one of China's most popular tourist venues, with fine natural beauty and numerous cultural and historical attractions. There are tons of museums here, plus excellent shopping options and a bunch of decent expat-friendly bars.

Suzhou, often called the 'Oriental Venice', has attractive waterways, a mild climate, and a number of stunning gardens, many of which are on the World Heritage list. Well worth a visit for a few days (at least) of chilled out strollin’.

Nanjing, one of the six ancient capitals of China, is a solid tourist town, with many cultural and natural attractions. The city is attractive, with tree-lined streets and numerous parks. The pace of life is slower here, which makes a nice contrast to the brash modern vibe of Shanghai.

Farm belt

Chengdu is a modern city (skyscrapers, bustling commerce) with a relaxed vibe. A few days here will be plenty to see the sights, do some shopping, and sample some awesome Sichuan cuisine.

Chongqing is a gritty city with a seedy vibe that is close to the controversial Three Gorges Dam. Attractions include Yangtze River cruises, arguments with belligerent hoodlums, and the local specialty, spicy Sichuan-style hotpot.

Wuhan is known as one of China’s "Three Great Furnaces" because of the blistering summer heat. It is a huge metropolis and a big student town, but other than those "features", it’s an ugly mess of concrete and dust that has very few tourist attractions.

Port zone

Guangzhou is the capital city of Guangdong, and also the province’s political, economic, scientific, educational and cultural center. There's a lot of money flowing through here, and the town is rife with schemers.

Shenzen is a "Special Economic Zone" that in the last two decades has grown from an obscure fishing village into one of China’s most prosperous cities. There is a lot of money floating around here, but this glossy-looking town actually has very little substance.

Zuhai is a much more authentic "Special Economic Zone" that has numerous attractions including cultural sites, golf courses, and natural hot springs.

Sanya, Hainan Island’s most famous tropical resort town, features some of the most beautiful and well-maintained beaches in Asia. The town itself is a bustling, atmospheric place, with naval officers, prostitutes, and fishermen drinking, fighting, and fucking enthusiastically around the docks and wharf area.

Nature

Nature zone

Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, is a popular tourist town with a unique history and a rich mix of ethnic minorities. However, while the city is pleasant enough, the real gems are several hours outside of town, such as the quaint little village of Dali.

With its wonderful scenery, numerous waterways, and towering forested peaks, Guilin has long been regarded as one of the most beautiful places in China. Despite this, many travelers simply pass though through here en route to Yangshuo, a backpacker’s mecca with a relaxed vibe, good food (they even have banana pancakes!), cheap weed, friendly people, and gorgeous natural surroundings.

Himalayas

Himalayan zone

Make all the dusty old "Free Tibet" chants you want: with the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway in 2006, Tibet now is part of China. Hundreds of thousands of Han Chinese have settled here, and more are on the way. Oh well…

Lhasa is changing rapidly, from a mysterious center of Buddhism to a raucous town of karaoke bars, cell phone shops, and noodle shacks. After seeing for yourself how lame this town's become, we suggest you book a tour to either Mount Kailash in the western wilds, or else to Kathmandu. Both adventures will take you through amazing mountain landscapes that include a close pass by the biggest mountain in the world, Everest.

Visas

Most travelers to the mainland (except those from Singapore, Brunei, and Japan) will need a visa, which must be obtained from a Chinese embassy in advance. Chinese embassies charge $35 for an L visa, which comes with a minimum four day wait. If you’re willing to pay an extra fifteen bucks, however, the stamp will appear in your passport within four business hours. Ugh. Here are the main classes:

Some schools ask teachers to come over on F visas, with a promise to get their working visa later. Don’t! Working on an F visa is illegal, which means you won't have recourse should the school decide to scam you.

L visa: tourist visa, good for 30 days (60-day visas are available in Hong Kong, Macau, and some international embassies). The price of the 30-day is USD$35 for the citizens of most countries, but USD$50 for Yanks.
F visa: 90-day visa for business trips, internships, and short periods of study. Invitation letters plus supporting official documents are required.
Z visa: working visa, which requires a number of documents from your employer plus a medical exam. Don’t worry, stoners: they don’t test for ting-ting.
X visa: study visa valid for 6 months. Official documents from a school are required.

If you plan on leaving and re-entering China during your visa period, make sure you’ve got a multiple entry -- if you enter on a single-entry visa and then go to Hong Kong, Macau, Tibet, or Taiwan, you will need to arrange a new visa before returning.

Getting into China

Flying in

Try to arrange your flight in with an Asian airline rather than a Western one. The former typically offers larger cabins, better entertainment, and superior service -- from totally hot Asian kittens. The latter usually has mannish spinsters dishing gruel with attitude. Blech!

Although several major airlines make international runs to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, seats can be hard to come by, especially during the major Chinese holiday periods. There are two you should definitely try to avoid:

May-September: summer holiday, when millions of Chinese students from all over the world fly home -- and then back out again at summer’s end.
Jan.- March: Chinese New Year, the biggest (and longest) holiday in the country, when tens of millions scatter across the globe on huge organized tours.

Getting in overland

From Pakistan: If your paperwork in on order, take the Karakoram Highway from northern Pakistan into Western China and enjoy some of the most spectacular scenery (mountains, moonscapes, tribal villages, etc) and potent hash in the fuckin’ world.
From Russia: Two lines of the Trans-Siberian Railway (the Trans-Mongolian and Trans-Manchurian) run between Moscow and Beijing.
From Central Asia: There is one route, from Almaty, Kazakhstan, to Urumqi (in the northwestern province of Xinjiang). It’s a real bitch, with maddeningly long waits through the queue at the border. When you get back to the train after your customs nightmare, you’ll be pleased to see dudes changing the wheels on all train cars -- Kazakh tracks are different. Wheel-changin’ takes twice as long as the fucking visa hassles…
From Hong Kong: Regular trains run from Hong Kong to both Shanghai and Beijing.The trip to Beijing takes around 14 hours and costs roughly USD$30.
From Vietnam: There are bus and rail links to Nanning (Guangxi province) and Kunming (Yunnan province), and sleeper bus links to Guangzhou (around 180 RMB, 13.5 hours) and Shenzhen (around 230 RMB, 12 hours).
From Laos: From Vientiane, there is a direct Chinese sleeper bus to Kunming that costs around 300 RMB and takes a punishing 32 hours to complete.
From Nepal: The trip from Katmandu to Lhasa is equally amazing, and even passes near Mount Everest. Unfortunately, entering Tibet from Nepal is only possible for tourists on package tours, which disallows onward travel into the mainland.

By boat

Subland to Mainland: regular ferry and hovercraft services run between Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Hong Kong, and Macau to various points along the eastern mainland coast.
From Japan: 2-day ferry services run twice weekly from Osaka to Shanghai and Tianjin. A twice-weekly ferry also connects Shimonoseki with Qingdao.
From South Korea: ships run regular routes from Incheon, Korea’s main port, to Shanghai, Tianjin, Quingdao, and Weihai.
From Thailand: the Golden Peacock Shipping Company runs a speedboat three times a (from Chiang Saen and up the Mekong) to Jinghong in Yunnan. Much of the trip skirts both Laos and Myanmar, but you won’t be allowed to disembark until you reach the mainland.

Getting around

By plane

There are tons of domestic flights to all major cities and tourist destinations. Discounts on listed prices are common. Even without discounts, however, fares to most destinations are very cheap, with most prices between 700 RMB-2000 RMB.

By train

Most Chinese travel by train, and the network is extensive.

The five classes of travel are: hard seats, soft seats, hard sleepers, soft sleepers, and standing.

Sleepers vs non-sleepers

Soft sleepers have four bunks, with a fair bit of space per head. Hard sleepers are similar, except that each compartment has six bunks.

Hard seats (yes, they’re padded) are five seats wide (three seats, aisle, two seats), while soft ones offer slightly thicker padding. If you choose this option, try to ignore negatives (the bulk of passengers make mass chaos in groups) and focus on the positives (most folks are totally chill once you've broken the ice).

It’s got the potential to be good fun, but make sure not to lose your head and let your guard down, as train thefts are common.

Booking tickets

Ideally, train tickets should be purchased at least five days in advance. However, there are always spaces available.

In a pinch, go to the platform and track down the conductor. Speak a few words of Chinese, bust into a "crazy foreigner" routine and watch the conductor's eyes light up.

Give 'em a good laugh, you’re in. You will get on that train, and be given 5-star personal service to boot.

Train life

Bathrooms are all squat style. 'nuff said.

On-board service is decent, as girls will wheel by with trolleys of fruit, snacks, and (warm) beer. Come dinnertime, look out for a chick selling styrofoam lunch boxes – rice meat & veg meals for around 20 RMB – it does the job.

If you want to go cheaper, you can always wait until the train comes to a station, and then look for a vendor on the platform. It’s a sound theory, but when PAzine travels by train here, we never see any vendors on platforms at all…

By road

Long distance bus

Long-distance buses are the cheapest – and foulest – of your options.

These are all sleeper buses: instead of seats, they have bunk beds. This is not good. Lying down while going over bumpy roads might not sound so bad, but the fact is, you’ll find that sleeping will be difficult, as also that you’ll feel quite queasy.

Compounding the queasiness is the fact that you have to remove your shoes as you enter the bus (a plastic bag is provided to store them in).

How do you figure 40-odd pairs of unwashed feet in a closed compartment is gonna smell on an 18-hour journey?

Rural bus

Personnel are brusque and fellow passengers are apelike -- spitting, farting, nose picking, smoking, and full-on staring...

It’s the wild west. Personnel are brusque and fellow passengers are apelike -- spitting, farting, nose-picking, smoking, and full-on staring and pointing at the foreign monkey.

The driver will stop for whomever flags him down, meaning that eventually, you’ll be packed three to a seat. If you get sat next to a rogue or a drunk, you’re in for a lengthy psychic battle that you will not win.

Add to this the fact that roads in rural China are heavily potholed, which makes for a fucking bumpy ride.

Metro

Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Nanjing all have subway systems that are clean, modern, and efficient. New lines are currently being constructed in Hangzhou and Xian.

Taxi

Taxi'ing around despite the language barrier is very easy. Just have your intended destination written down in Chinese. Watch the driver’s body language as he reads the slip, and you’ll see if he understands. Really. Else, carry a cell phone with you, and have a Chinese buddy deal assist.

Taxi fares range from 5 RMB in small towns to as much as 12 RMB in big cities. The classic scam ? where drivers try to cheat you by taking a longer way ? is not unheard of, but isn’t common. Also, tipping is not expected. Wait for your change, and you’ll get it.

Flagging down taxis in China is a mosh-pit with the only rule being "first one inside the cab gets it". If people push you out of the way, or dart through your legs or something, keep your cool. It’s only rude behavior if foreigners do it.

China is a strong collective, and if you go against that with a flare of western anger, you will lose. Every time. Regardless of situation. Guaranteed.

People

The National Bureau of Statistics estimated in 2005 that the total population on the mainland (thus excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) is around 1.2 billion people. Likely, these numbers are much higher: in addition to the difficulty of counting so many people over such a wide area, the flexible nature of the one-child policy (there are loads of ways to beat the system) makes an accurate assessment near impossible.

Here are a few other statistics compiled during the survey:

The urban population is around 561 million, or around 42% of the total population.
The Han nationality made up 90.56 percent of total population. The rest are mainly ethnic minorities.
Between 2000-2005, the population grew by an average of 8 million people per year.

Regional dialects

The official language of China is Mandarin (Putonghua). It has been the only language used in education on the mainland since the 1950s, which means that most people speak it. However, many regions - especially in the southeast - also have their own "dialects". These distinct languages are totally different.

The largest dialect groups are Cantonese (spoken in Guangdong and Hong Kong), Shanghainese (spoken in the Shanghai region), and Minnan (spoken around Xiamen). In the far western reaches of the country, Turkic languages (Uighur, Kirghiz and Kazakh) are spoken by some non-Han ethnic minorities.

What to expect

After first arriving in China, expect to be shocked by the sheer mass of humanity: everywhere you go, you'll be battling for space with waves and waves of people. It gets worse, when you come to realize how rude, barbaric, and downright ape-like the majority of them appear to behave (look closer and you'll see beauty in the chaos). Anyway, here is a summary of the lowlights:

Spitting

China's got 5,000 years of history and equally ancient habits. Spitting is the norm, always preceded by a guttural throat-clearing sound that will make you cringe. While spitting is a man's sport, nose-picking is wholly co-ed.

Also, most children don't wear diapers, but rather pants with slits cut between the legs. This is for quick and easy toilet fun -- often in plain sight at public places.

Queue jumping

Chinese regularly regularly push ahead of others in queues. If you should dare protest, expect the offender to look at you, then look through you, and then jab you with an elbow to clear themselves some space to wriggle past.

The only way to handle this, in our opinion, is to stay cool, resist the urge to retaliate, and just do your best to (gently) push against the throng.

Dodgy service

Public servants (bank staff, immigration clerks, etc) tend to view work as a place for tea breaks and chatting sessions -- if you interrupt, expect a frigid response, loud sighs of disgust, and very slow service.

On the flipside, in the retail sector, you'll have to deal with overzealous staff -- they'll tail you relentlessly while babbling frenetically, making casual browsing impossible.

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Shouting "Helloooo": this one might really grind your gears, mainly because most people will not say this to your face. Rather, they will wait until you have passed them, and then call it out at your back – usually to a round of giggles from their mates. Just shrug it off. After a while, if you practice, it gets easier to ignore.
Staring: expect to be started at everywhere. Sometimes it might make you fell like a rock star, but sometimes, it'll just make you seethe. In those cases, be like the Buddha and just let the fuck go.
Public displays of chaos: just imagine a swirling maelstrom of traffic jams, bicycles, rickshaws, pedicabs, shoppers, bemused old folk, shitting kids, and spitting men. The spectacle is so intense that you might be compelled to scurry back to your hotel in a blind panic. Don't worry: desensitization usually happens quickly.

So why visit, if it's so bad?

Rude people with unsavory habits notwithstanding, there are several positives that make this country worth visiting:

The people: despite the horrid first impressions, the Chinese are an extremely social people that usually display (once the ice is broken) genuine warmth and a desire to please. You're not likely to meet more gracious hosts anywhere in Asia. If you can look past their gritty exteriors, chances are good that you'll be richly rewarded.
Low prices: outside of big cities, traveling in China is very easy on the wallet. Hostels cost about USD$5/night, a meal in a typical restaurant between $2-3, and a 600ml bottle of beer less than $1.
Spectacular sightseeing: China boasts some of the most amazing natural scenery in the world, ranging from towering snow-capped peaks to raging rivers to pristine subtropical forests.
Excellent food: this one's debatable, as many complain that typical dishes are too salty and oily. Those less finicky, however, will enjoy an amazing variety of hearty fare that really sticks to your ribs.
Rich culture: traces of China's 5,000 year history can be found all over the country, in the form of ancient temples, time-honored traditions, excellent music, colorful festivals, etc. For those interested in history, languages, and culture, China offers innumerable learning opportunities.
Safety: one of the upsides of the Communist regime is that overt criminal activity is almost unheard of. Those who stay out of nightclubs after midnight -- even if traveling solo -- should expect very few hassles (watch out for pickpockets, though).

Money

The official currency is the Renminbi ("People's Money"), or RMB. The base unit is the yuan (USD $1 roughly equals 8 RMB). Yuan comes in denominations of one, five, ten, twenty, fifty, and one hundred. Ten jiao equals one yuan. Yuan are often called "kuai", and jiao are often called "mao".

Try to avoid paying for taxi fares with large bills, as the driver will have to give you back a large wad, which leaves you susceptible to chicanery.

For a proper list of numbers in Pinyin with audio samples, check out WordChamp

Changing money

Fake money There are a lot of counterfeit bills floating around, and few Chinese will accept a 50 or 100 RMB bill without first checking its authenticity. Before accepting a large bill from a street peddler (most retail shops are fine), look for a watermark. Foreign currency and/or traveler’s cheques can be exchanged into RMB in most hotels and banks -- with varying levels of difficulty. Bring along your passport and be prepared for the fact that if there’s some way to fuck up your transaction, the staff will find it. Give yourself at least 30 minutes to complete the deal.

If you get a chance to buy RMB before entering the mainland (usually in Hong Kong and Vietnam), check it out, as the rates are usually quite favorable (after you negotiate, of course). US Dollars, Euros, British Pounds, and Japanese Yen are the easiest currencies to exchange.

Accommodation

Looking for a hotel upon arrival in a town you're not familiar with can be a daunting task. Mobs of touts will rush you as soon as you get off a bus or train, and if you go with them, they'll gouge you hardcore, for between 2-300 RMB.

There are tons of cheaper options, of course (hostels and dorms for between 50-100 RMB), but you're not likely to get a cabbie to take you to one, unless you can speak the language. Also, note that not all hotels are licensed to accept foreigners, so don't protest too much if you're refused a room in a cheaper place.

Whatever range of room you're gunning for, keep in mind that prices are usually negotiable. Try "zuidi duoshao" ("what's the lowest price?") and see what happens.

Other services

Laundry

Laundry services are generally quite expensive: upper-end hotels charge between 10-30 RMB per piece, while smaller places charge between 2-5 RMB per. Expect to do a lot of your washing by hand. Try to stick to quick-drying materials, because stuff like jeans can take days to dry.

Internet

There are a lot of Internet cafes around, most of which are geared towards gamers (don’t expect to be able to use CDs or print stuff). Speeds are slow-ish broadband, and rates are around 1-5 RMB per hour.Wi-fi is common in many big-city cafes, and pretty much non-existent in the sticks.

Cell phones

China uses the CDMA and GSM standard. Cell phones are cheap (prices start at around 200 RMB for low-end models) and are never "locked", which means they will work with any SIM card, not just cards from one vendor.

Note that some SIM cards only work within the province you purchased it from -- if you’re planning on wandering around, be prepared to purchase multiple cards..

Once you buy your phone, you next need to purchase the SIM card, which will come with a telephone number and a number of minutes of usability. After your minutes run out, you need only buy prepaid service cards, which come in 50 and 100 RMB units.

Conclusion

Going in blind to a country as complex as China is definitely not a good idea. This introduction is designed to remedy that. Whether you've read this entire article or just skimmed, we're confident that it will give you enough of an awareness of the big-picture parameters to enjoy your stay.

Stay safe, and good luck!

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