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.