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Business Hours

Government stipulated working days are from Monday to Friday. Banks, offices, government departments and public security bureaus open 08:30 to 18:00, with a lunch break from noon to 14:00. Stores usually remain open every day, including public holidays. Opening hours are usually from 9:00 to 21:00. Monuments and museums usually are open seven days a week. Restaurants and bars stay open later at night. It is possible to eat late at 22:00. Some open-air restaurants even stay open into the small hours. Times are approximate and subject to local variations. In western China, for example, because of time difference with the Beijing time, offices often open later.

Electricity

In the PRC, the electrical supply is 220 volts, 50 cycles AC. meaning anything running on 110 volts will be fatally zapped the moment you plug it into a Chinese socket. Most hotels in China's major cities feature special 110-volt outlets in all bathrooms, but everywhere else it's 220 or bust.

Drinking Water

Do not drink water from the tap in China. Water in China is not safe to drink and needs to be boiled to kill bacteria that may exist. Most hotels supply boiled water in a thermos and flask or a glass of tumbler with cold water, and mineral water in plastic bottles is readily available in most cities.

Emergency

China has a low crime rate; however, crime has increased in the past few years principally in the major cities. Heated arguments in China sometimes attract large crowds of onlookers who, on occasion, have become abusive. Theft is the most common crime affecting visitors and occurs most frequently in crowded public areas, such as hotel lobbies, bars, restaurants and tourist and transportation sites. The loss or theft of a passport should be reported immediately to the local police and to the nearest foreign embassy or consulate. Police reports of the theft are required before travelers may obtain new visas from Chinese authorities. Chinese authorities require that travelers have valid visas to exit China, and even to travel and register in hotels within China. Useful information on safe guarding valuables and protecting personal security while traveling abroad is provided in the Department of State pamphlet "A Safe Trip Abroad." It is available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

Loss or Theft of Belongings: When you've lost something, notify the hotel, tour group leader, transportation authorities, and the police. If credit cards or traveler's checks have been stolen, inform the issuer as soon as possible. If in serious difficulty, get in touch with your embassy.

Luggage

Designer luggage with fine leather isn't suitable. Take sturdy luggage. This is especially recommended if traveling independently or away from the catered tourist venues. Sometimes luggage is required to be lockable for transport.

Media

China Daily, an English-language newspaper, is published in China daily except on Sundays. It is informative. Often obtainable from the big hotels for free, it contains the television schedule and a diary of cultural events in Beijing. Unfortunately, same-day editions are available only in large cities; elsewhere, they'll probably be several days late. Two other English-language publications, the Shanghai Star and Shanghai Talk, are also available. Foreign-language newspapers and journals, including the International Herald Tribune, The Times, Asian Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, Far Eastern Economic Review, and many more are available at most large hotels. The overseas edition of the party newspaper Renmin Ribao (People's Daily) is also sold there.

The CNN world service may be received in all hotels expect the remotest corners of China.

Medical Service

In China, urban and rural medical services differ a lot from each other. If travelling in the countryside, there may be no appropriate medical services beyond primary health care. Some hospitals in cities have special sections for foreigners and English is spoken there. Doctors may be found in many of the large hotels in China. Payment must be made on the spot for treatment, medicine and transport. If planning to visit areas outside of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, emergency evacuation insurance is advised.

Photography

Taking photographs or videos of military installations is prohibited. Most museums, palaces, or temples will not allow photograph to be taken, notably the main pit of the Terracotta Warriors, but some institutions permit it on payment of a fee in advance. As the atmosphere in China is often hazy, filters are advisable. Color print film is widely available, black and white or slide film much less so. Video film can be found but not always readily. All security X-ray machines on mainland China and at Hong Kong airport are film-safe. Cameras must be declared when arriving in China. If video or movie cameras are for professional use, special permit must be claimed.

Post and Telecommunication

Post: please click here to see the postcode list.
Domestic mail delivery is exceedingly fast and cheap. Within some cities, there is often same-day delivery; between large cities, delivery is usually overnight. International mail, too, is efficient. Postal services are usually provided at hotel desks. Large hotels have mailboxes and sell stamps for letters, post cards and parcels. Post offices, with eye-catching green emblems, are usually found on main streets, at railway stations, the airport and major scenic spots. They are open seven days a week from 9:00-17:00. DHL, UPS, EMS, TNT and FedEx provide express mail services for urgent documents, parcels and other items to more than 10,000 cities in 170 countries and regions. EMS is the only official one in China that can handle private letters and has particular advantage handling mail within China. Many express delivery services have offices in major hotels and office buildings. Check the building directory in the lobby for their locations please.

Local calls in the hotels are usually free of charge. Direct long-distance dials (DDD) can be made from most hotels to some 2,000 localities throughout China. International calls made from hotels typically have high surcharges, from 10 to 20 percent, added to the already high IDD rates. Alternatively, you may look for roadside kiosks with the IDD and DDD sign. Most post offices provide the IDD and DDD service. If your call between 21:00 and 07:00 the next morning, it is just half the daytime price. Country code for China is 86. To call abroad, dial 00, then the country code and telephone number. Like many nations expanding their domestic telephone networks, China's telephone numbers can change without too much fanfare. If you hear a funny ringing sound on the line and can't get through, the number may have changed.

Road Names

Street names may have suffixes to indicate north, south, east or west, and additionally, to indicate the middle section. The middle section is called zhong; nan means south; bei, north; dong, east and xi, west. A main road is lu or dao, smaller is jie. A small lane is named xiang.

Special Information

Children: Since the Chinese are fond of children, traveling with children in China is not difficult. If with toddlers or babies, note that disposable nappies and baby food in jars are not readily available. Big hotels offer childcare for a fee. On trains and planes, children travel at reduced cost.
Disabled: In recent years the needs of disabled people begin to receive attention in China. In general, towns, institutions, public transport and sights offer little accessibility for the disabled. Modern hotels are well equipped; airlines and airports have made efforts to improve their facilities, and wheelchairs are available. Information about special trips for the disabled are offered by the China National Tourist Offices
Students: Since the student cards of foreign students studying in China are usually recognized, students studying in China may travel at a reduced cost. Other international students will not benefit from the student card when traveling in China

Tipping

In China, tipping is now accepted by tourist guides and bus drivers. Hotel porters will usually happily accept a tip. Tipping is still not accepted in most restaurants and hotels, although it is common in the top-class hotels and restaurants. So ask the guide whether a tip is necessary and how much. Sometimes it may be part of the ritual that any gift or tip will, at first, be firmly rejected.


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