Going to China for the very first time, How should I prepare?

Question

Wife and I are going to China (Beijing) for the very first time in early October. Since we don't speak the language and definitely look like tourists, we want to have a general idea of how much things go for over there. For example what a good rate would be to pay for a decent hotel to spend the night at? or what a reasonable cab fare would be? as well as suggestions for sites to see and places to go?

Answer 1

Since almost everyone hit on most of the subjects I'd be telling you I will tell you one of my biggest delights.

Shopping -- hey I'm a guy, but I love to haggle.

Tip

The big department stores are state run. Most will tell you that you can not haggle there, but you can. The quality is usually good, but you can't go down a lot on price. Say they ask 100 rmb, tell them 80.

On the other hand, the small shops you can haggle like a bar fly doing shots and chasers. For clothing, 1/3 the asking price and I am not kidding. Stick to it and they WILL SELL IT TO YOU FOR THAT PRICE. If you buy it at full price you are getting major league ripped off and they will laugh behind your back. You'll earn their respect if you haggle and truely, its a lot of fun. However, word to the wise, check zippers, fabric and stitching. Zippers are notoriously bad but easy to replace. Fabric and stitching is another thing, so be very very careful and look closely. The shop owners will try to put some pressure on you, just take your time and don't be in a hurry.

My last visit to China I took two shirts, a sweater and a pair of pants and enough underwear for a few days. Then bought a whole new wardrobe and a large suitcase to carry it home in for about $300. That included jackets.

Shoes, look carefully and again bargin. I got a very good pair of Italian Shoes at a state run department store for 150 RMB, the asking price was 400. It helps to know people as I live here now. Oh yea, look at even the Italian shoes in the states, the fine print will say "Made in China" Damned fine leather.

As far as electronics, buy in the states. You can save a few bucks here, but all the instructions are in Chinese. Guaranteed to drive you nuts. The exceptions are MP3 and MP4 players. The good quality ones. Those are a steal at IPOD prices. I got a damned fine 4gb MP4 (video and music) player for about $130 usd. Make sure they can tell you how to change the language settings at the store. They are pretty intuitive if your a gizmo nut like me. You can buy an IPOD here at USA prices.

As far as the handle "I Hate Commies" the guy is a nutcase. He's just plain mental. But I assume you already figured that out.


Peace

Jim

.

Answer 2

Go to www.frommers.com and read their China section. Their explanation re Chinese hotels is especially helpful. I usually book hotels through ratestogo.com (although I guess this site is more for booking last minute bargains), but read what the Frommer's site has to say (re choosing a hotel) first.
There are definitely some beautiful hotels in Beijing and you can get a lot for ~100USD/night.
Or if you want to economize--I actually stayed at the Drum Tower youth hostel the last time I went. It is very new, cute and clean. When we stayed there were a couple of tourist families w kids, so it's not all backpackers. You can get your own private room and bath, they have computers w internet access, the staff speak English (and can organize tours for you) and there is a kitchen and bar on the roof of the building (w excellent views). The location is also excellent--within walking distance of the drum tower and bell tower. I don't know if they have a website, but their email address is [e-mail].

General advice, keep passport and other valuables locked in the hotel or room safe when you go out. Do not take your passport out w you when you're sightseeing. Make a copy of the first page and carry that copy in your wallet instead.

Be wary of pickpockets at all times. Make sure your pocket is buttoned; you and your wife should carry bags that zip (as opposed to an open totebag style). I usually fasten the zipper with a safety pin, which is enough to discourage a pickpocket.

Vendors will probably try to charge you more--just decide on what you are willing to pay for something, and compare the prices of several shops before you buy things. If you wind up paying a little more than average it will probably still be cheap by US standards. People WILL be in your face, constantly trying to get you to buy something. . .just keep walking if you aren't interested.

Have fun!

Answer 3

First things first, as you arrive at the airport DO NOT go with anybody who offers you a cab ride. They're all illegal cabs and will charge you 4-5 times the price you have to pay because they have tampered with their meters. Get in the line waiting for a taxi (it's easy to spot) and don't worry, it looks like a long wait but actually is not. The attendants at the airport will jot down the numbers of the cabs and will help you tell the driver where you want to go. However, it is always good to print out the Chinese address of your hotel (including phone number) so you can show them since the English and the Chinese names of hotels are vastly different. A cab ride from the airport to downtown Beijing should cost you between 80-120 RMB (depending on the exact location) and this already includes the 10 RMB highway fee.

As for the hotel room, try to book it before you start your trip. If you're coming in the first week of October be reminded that this is the holiday season for the Chinese National Day (1st October 1949, founding of the PRC) and all of China has 1 week off, i.e. it's very hard to find a hotel room and if you do it's quite expensive. Don't worry about getting cheated in hotels for the room rate, they won't do that unless you go to a small local hotel but believe me when I say you don't want to do that. I'd say you can find a decent hotel starting from 100 USD but you can also pay a lot more, of course. I'd say if you get a room (double) for about 150 USD/night it's pretty okay. Don't expect the ultimate luxury for this price but do expect a clean decent room.

When it comes to sightseeing you're right in Beijing. Here are some things you might want to see, i.e. THE sights of Beijing and surrounding:
1. Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square
2. Mausoleum of Chairman Mao (on Tiananmen Square)
3. The Great Wall of China (various locations)
4. The Ming Tombs (on the way to the Great Wall)
5. Marco Polo Bridge
6. Summer Palace
7. Lama Temple
This is just a short list, for much more information check out this site: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/

Have a great trip!

Answer 4

Cabs are cheap, you don't tip anyone...it is against the law and not expected. When you get off of the plane, pass up the guys saying they are a taxi..they are rip-off artists.

You can negotiate with the hotels when you show up if you do not have reservations (just the opposite from the US) but I found it better to shop over the internet. I stayed next to The Square which was close to the Back Lakes and the Hutongs next to them...a can't miss. Forget the pictures and enjoy the walk along the lake in the evening. I stayed at the hotel connected to the Hard Rock Cafe and was very pleased. The cost was reasonable, the location was good and the hotel was very pleasant by our standards. Don't visit the Hard Rock at night, though unless you want to watch the young girls making a living.

See the Great Wall. Hire a private guide and go to the one farthest away from the city. It is all worth the drive and worth getting away from the crowds. Visit the Silk Store run by the government and have your guide take you. Have her take you to the Hutong too so she can order dinner for you.

I envy you. I just got back. Contact me and I will be happy to give you my guide's name. She was a delight. Enjoy!

Answer 5

I started and finished a backpacking tour of China there this year and I found things in general to cheap and good value for money.
The currency is Yuan. £1(British) or $2(American) is 16Yuan. My first hotel was booked online before I left. It cost me 500Yuan(£33) per night for a 4star hotel. When I came back 5months later I book a hotel at the airport. It was a 3star hotel and it cost 350Yuan(£23).
The cab from the airport will cost you between 100-150yuan. Most drivers will try to take advantage of you and make sure you go to a legit cab. You can get took straight to your hotel in a mercedez for 200Yuan if you want to and easy life and to avoid the hassle. Book it at the hotel reservations desk at the airport.
Go to www.travelblog.org/bloggers/storrie if you want to read about the places I went to in Beijing. Any more questions or advice I'll be happy to help

Answer 6

china is a beautiful place to visit cabs a realitive cheap compared to america if you can try to hire a translator for your trip and when going to the market or shopping always haggle with them because their prices are always higher for americans be sure to go to the great wall
here is a website you can go to to check out prices on hotels and for sightseeing attractions www.ctrip.com
enjoy your trip

Answer 7

Dont listen to "I hate commies'. He is a ideologist bias asz o. Go to china and you will feel the warmth welcome of the people overthere. I have been staying in China for three years and i think the place is not as dangerous as what the 'I hate commies' said. He didnt come to china to see the truth so, dun juz let him spoilt your mood. Eventhough I m Japanese and living in Tianjin,the people there treat me well and no bias to me. Visit China now!

Answer 8

After visiting beijing,visit more other places.For example Guilin yangshuo,yunnan lijiang,sichuan jiuzaigou,tibet...i used to study in guilin,but now i work in another place.if i still in guilin,i love to be your guide there.Welcome to visit China.

Answer 9

First of all, DON'T GO TO CHINA!!!!!!!

If you go to China and buy their produces what you are actually doing is funding the largest and most dangerous country in the "axis of evil". The Chinese are our enemy and they hate us. They will invade us. They hate everything we stand for. They want us dead.

One of my friends has been to China last year, he told me that they will have SPIES and secret police watching you at ALL times. When he spent time in china and they had spies watching him at all times. He was chased thru parks and everything else when he noticed they were spying on him. They even broke in to his hotel room and search his things.

China have some diabolical schemes to kill us all in a chemical and biological warfare. We are slowly being poisoned by China. First it was our dogs with poisoned dog food... Next our pork, now our children with lead poisoning. I bet in a year they'll be selling posioned lotions that can kill you in one usage. or even posion shampoos!

In China everything belongs to the state. Everything are given by the state and may be taken away anytime the state see fit.

China's government is absolutely cruel and intolorable. So ones you get there the police will take all of your things then put you and your family into communist concentration camp for re-education (brainwash). If you are lucky you may live, but as a mindless slave.

China's a terrible country that's morally bankrupt. The US and China have gotten to a huge breaking point and something incredibly bad could happen in their relationship. I don't recommend visiting them or wanting to work there.

But if you still want to go then prepare....TO DIE!!!

In the name of freedom!

Answer 10

a light sweater and some money.