9 Tips for Newbies (and Travellers) going to China

Some useful tips for students (and others) who are about to travel to Beijing for the coming semester (Feb). It will also come in handy for travellers as well!

1. Get a transport card - you can buy one at the subway station - it's very convenient to use it to pay the subway and the bus fares. You can refill the cards at the subway stations and won't have to line up each time you need to buy a ticket.
2. Girls should always carry tissues in their bags (might be a good tip for guys as well??) - public in China don't usually come with toilet paper, well, at least they didn't before the Olympics - things may have changed??
   
3. For those from countries like Australia, the cars in China drive on the left hand-side of the road, so do take care when you cross the road! Actually, everyone should extra take care when they cross the road - you'll understand when you get there!
   
4. If you have decided to buy a bike whilst in Beijing, buy 1-2 good chains to protect your bike. New bikes get stolen all the time. 


5. Bargain, bargain, bargain! - everywhere you go, except the supermarket and food stalls. In department stores, it never hurts to ask for a discount. When bargaining (in places like Silk Street), I always start with 10-20% of the price, but always do it with a smile. Never let on that you like the product. Criticize it - saying that you really want another colour, say that's it's too expensive, you're a poor student, etc, etc. If you've reached your limit, be prepared to walk away. Most likely the vendor will call you back for more bargaining. Yes, it's a tiring process and I used to hate it - until I think of it as a game and a chance to practise my Chinese. It's very important to keep the bargaining good natured and smile - you're more likely to get your way. 
6. Your favourite website may not be accessible in China. No worries! In this case, you can use a "proxy server" - the ones I used doesn't seem to be available at the moment. I found this one: http://www.xroxy.com/xrp/001010A. If you're in China, may be you could check it out to see if it works & let us know? Thanks!


7. Have an open mind & get out there and have fun! China is a whole new experience, but you'll find a lot of the Chinese generally very friendly and willing to help. The younger ones can probably speak, or at least understand a bit of English  although they may be a bit shy speaking it. 
8. I do find that I didn't have a lot of problems, especially in the city, but do still be careful have your wits about you, especially when you go to a small town, particularly near railway stations. There are a lot of touts trying to take you to places that you may not want to go, and a friend got cheated by a shoe-cleaning lady who refused to give her change from a big note. It wasn't a lot of money (for us), but does ruin your day. 
9. Buy the Lonely Planet China before you go.  It's not available in China, and I wasn't able to find another alternative there that is just as good and I really wished that I had a copy! 
    

Well, that's it for now. If anyone out there have any tips to add, please feel free to do so via the comment section. 

Immersion's Guide Mandarin Phrasebook

Yes, another ad! : )

This is the Phrasebook I used when I was studying in Beijing and found it to be very useful, especially for a person who will be living in Beijing (or China) for a period of time, and this is who the book is written for. 

Other than the usual pronunciation guides, grammar, and basic greeting phrases, what I found most useful about the book is that it also have very useful phrases that you're likely to need in your everyday life in China - things like searching for a home/apartment, negotiating the lease, booking a hotel room, how to make restaurant reservations and order food, applying for a job, etc.

There are also other interesting sections - eg. how to express/reject love, clubbing, emotions, body parts (which came in very useful when needing to go to the doctor's), what to do when you get a visit from the police (you never know, it could happen!). 

All in all, a very useful book. I even used it a few times as a quick reference dictionary. Highly recommended!

Streetwise Guide: Beijing

Ok, this is an ad, but I wouldn't recommend it unless I thought it was useful! : )

I used this guide when I was in Beijing quite extensively. I did also bring a Beijing Lonely Planet with me when I went to study in China. The Lonely Planet is very useful for a traveller, but I found it wasn't enough for someone who will be living in Beijing, or visiting for a period of time. 

The book is quite comprehensive, is printed in colour, has lots of beautiful colour photos, but not too big or heavy - you'll be able to carry it around with you in your bag. 

I think the best thing about it is that there is a very useful colour co-ordinated maps of the different districts of Beijing. eg. "Academic Northwest", "Historical Central", "Arty" Northeast, etc, as well as a very handy map of the subway system in Beijing. Another thing I found useful is that the book also tells you the major bus routes. There are maps with bus routes available that you can buy in Beijing - but they are in Chinese! 

Different districts are covered in Area Guides. Information contained include:

• "Sightseeing" - Info on important places to visit, how to get there - ie. bus routes, subway lines (and names of stations written in Chinese), entrance fees and map of the place if appropriate. 
• "Food and entertainment" section that has a restaurant guide and bar listing with price range. 
• "Shopping" and "Accommodation" guide
• Suggested Itineraries for each district - very useful for exploring Beijing! 
• "Bus Details" - major bus stops in the districts and useful bus routes - very useful if you don't want to take taxis all the time! 

There is also a great introduction. Topics include:

• "Best of Beijing" - information and colour pictures on the "must see" places to visit.
• "Art and Culture" 
• "Food and Drink" - including a picture menu with names written in Chinese, and price guide- very  handy, especially if you can't speak Chinese to begin with, and even then, I found it hard to remember name of dishes. 
• "Sports and Entertainment" - includes info or martial arts, bars & nightclubs, cinemas, etc

Travellers' Survival Guide

Lots of information in this section including:

• "Planning your trip" - Visas, Insurance, Budgetting, What to pack
• "Getting Around" - Airport shuttle bus, Subway guide, buses, taxis, bicycles
• "Useful Information" - Banking, Communications, Health, Toilets, Security, Shopping Tips (include info on common prices - very handy to get a rough idea so you don't get ripped off), etc, etc
• Language Guide - there is a few pages on useful phrases, but if you'll be in Beijing for a while, I would recommend a separate phrase book. 

So, I would highly recommend this book if you'll be going to Beijing to study, work, or even if you plan to stay in Beijing for an extended period of time. It'll make life a lot easier and more enjoyable!