China Travel Tips

Major Public Holidays:

New Year's Day 1st of January
Chinese New Year 2rd Feb 2011. (Year of the Rabbit) 7 days holiday
International Labour Day Holiday 1st of May (with 3 days holiday following)
National Day Holiday 1st of October (with 6 days holiday following)

Insurance:

Travel Insurance is highly recommended when travelling to China. Your choice of policy may be purchased through China Holidays (just refer to our friendly team members), or at your local travel agency.

Health:

All travellers are advised to check with their doctor as regards medical issues before departing for China.

Food in China:

Most of our hotels provide a full buffet style western breakfast. During the day, you will be granted the opportunity to sample some mouth-watering local cuisines at the settings for lunch and dinner. Prospects of savouring the fine local luxuries and thirst-quenchers are also available and on your return home, you will be master to all your mates in magic of the chopsticks. Enjoy!!

Beverages:

The most common drink in China (and is served through out every meal) is Chinese Tea. Other non-alcoholic beverages such as Coca Cola, Pepsi, Sprite, Fanta and, of course, water are available in most restaurants in China. Alcoholic beverages include beer and wine (both local and foreign) are also available along with China’s most infamous alcohol, Bai Jiu (白酒). Most people describe this drink (from its smell) as methylated spirits mixed with rocket fuel. Not for the weak hearted. Drinking tap water is definitely NOT recommended. Bottled water is readily available and (perhaps some other cold drinks) may be picked up anywhere in China at a reasonable price. Alcohol is not permitted onboard any domestic or outbound international flights in China. If you carry a bottle of water, it will be tested, so do not think you can sneak a “fixed” bottle of water onboard.

Traveller’s Safety:

When travelling any where you should make at least two copies of all documentation to be taken with you (i.e. passport, airline tickets, insurance forms), leaving one at home (with a family member or friend) and packing the other copy in a safe place in your luggage. Never leave your luggage unattended or accept unusual objects and avoid carrying large sums of cash in hand. You can stay up to date with any current events and laws and regulations by visiting: www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas

Shopping & Bargaining:

China now possesses a booming commercial industry – from that strange little Chinese Tea Set you’ve always wanted to an inexpensive, good-looking Western Style Business Suit for your daughter’s wedding, anything you wanted and more can be purchased in all the major cities in China! Whilst Government stores have fixed prices (strangely enough), you are expected to bargain for that odd memorabilia at smaller stores and markets (you never know if you never ask). The art of bargaining usually revolves around deciding on a price before asking, then offering the trader half of their opening price and working your way up. You can never pay too much for something you like, but if you can get it a little cheaper – that’s even better.

Toilets:

All restaurants, hotels, train stations and large department stores offer public toilets (some charge up to 1RMB for use) Is it essential that you carry your own toilet tissue with you as most toilets do not provide it. Squat toilets are still very popular in many places in China, so if you are not prepared to use one, make sure you go when you can see a western style toilet.
Although most toilets in China will now also have English on them, common sense should prevail if they don’t (a woman would not follow a man into a toilet). Here is a helpful tip: The Chinese character for female is 女 and represents a pregnant woman, while the Chinese character for male is 男 and represents a man working in a field (note the top part of the character looks like a field).

Main Voltage:

220 Volts. Nearly every power point in China support two types of plugs: the standard 2 pronged American plug, and some standard 3 pronged Australian plugs.

Visas & Passports:

When travelling to China you must carry a valid passport with at least 6 month validity and a Chinese visa in order to enter. If you are planning a trip into Tibet you will also need to apply for a Tibetan Permit in addition to your Chinese Visa. Visa application forms can be downloaded from the Chinese Consulate website. (http://sydney.chineseconsulate.org/eng/hzqz/t43861.htm) To apply for your Chinese visa you should visit your local consulate, embassy or ask your local travel agent.

Climate:

China is a country of extremes, with temperatures ranging from cold, dry winters to hot, humid summers. The best time to travel is generally during the northern-hemisphere Spring (March – May) or Autumn (September – November) months.
Average Minimum & Maximum temperatures:

Please note that these are average temperatures, these cities have been know to be 10C above or below par in any season.

Clothing:

With more and more western tourists visiting China each year, western style apparel is becoming more and more popular. Smart and Casual is the best rule when travelling in China. Please note that you should not wear anything too revealing and remember to pack for the right season: when Australia is experiencing a hot summer, Beijing is freezing. Comfortable walking shoes are also a must have.

Money:

The renminbi (literally "people's currency") is the legal tender in the mainland of the People's Republic of China. It is issued by the People's Bank of China (PBOC, central bank). The official abbreviation is CNY, although also commonly abbreviated as "RMB".
Chinese paper money usually comes in 1 fen (rare), 2 fen (rare),5 fen (very rare), 1 jiao, 2 jiao, 5 jiao, 1 yuan, 2 yuan, 5 yuan,10 yuan, 20 yuan, 50 yuan and 100 yuan.
One yuan is divided into 10 jiao. One jiao is divided into 10 fen, pennies in English. The largest denomination of the renminbi is the 100 yuan note. The smallest is the 1 fen coin or note. RMB is issued both in notes and coins. The paper denominations include100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 yuan; 5, 2 and 1 jiao; and 5, 2 and 1 fen. The denominations of coins are 1 yuan; 5, 2 and 1 jiao; and 5,2 and 1 fen.
In spoken Chinese, "yuan" is often called as "kuai" and the "jiao" as"mao". Fen-denomination RMB is rarely used, except at supermarkets.
The following are descriptions of major features of the above 1-yuan banknotes. It is easy to tell various denominations of RMB since there are corresponding Arabic numerals printed on every paper note or coin.



The 1-yuan banknote has two types, the red one debuted in 1996 while the green one in 1999. The obverse of the 1996-type 1-yuan note is a portrait of two women from two minorities, and the reverse is the Great Wall. The obverse of the 1999-type 1-yuan note is a portrait of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, while the reverse is the Xihu Lake in the southeastern Chinese city Hangzhou.


The 2-yuan banknote is in green. Its obverse is also a portraitof two women from another two minorities, and the reverse is the South China Sea.

The 5-yuan banknote also has two types, the brown one designed and issued in 1980 while the purple one in 1999. The obverse of the 1980-type is a portrait of two minority people - a Tibetan woman and a Muslim man, while the reverse is a scenic picture of the Yangtze River, the country's longest one. The obverse of the 1999-type is a portrait of Mao Zedong and the reverse is Taishan Maintain, a mountain in east China's Shandong province listed by the UNESCO as a world natural and cultural heritage.

The 10-yuan banknote also has two types - the ordinary one debuted in 1999 while the special note was issued on July 8 by thecentral bank to mark the Beijing Olympic Games. The obverse of theordinary one is a portrait of Mao Zedong while its reverse is the drawing of the scenic Three Gorges. The special banknote issued onJuly 8 has a picture of the National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, on its obverse, while its reverse features the famous ancient Greek marble statue of a discus-thrower, Discobolus, portraits of athletes and the Arabic numeral "2008".

The 20-yuan banknote, debuted in 1999, has a portrait of Mao Zedong and its reverse features a drawing of the scenic Lijiang River in South China.

The 50-yuan banknote has two types - one in yellow and pink debuted in 1990 while the other in green was issued in 1999. The former type has a portrait of an intellectual, a farmer and a worker on its obverse while its reverse features the Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River. The 1999-type banknote is currentlymuch more widely circulated. Its obverse is a portrait of Mao Zedong and its reverse is the landmark Potala Palace in Lhasa.

The 100-yuan banknote also has two types - one in gray blue which debuted in 1990 while the other in red which was first released in 1999. The 1990-type note has a portrait of four formerChinese leaders, namely Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi and ZhuDe, on its obverse while its reverse is the Jinggangshan Mountain in South China. Very few of the 1990-type 100-yuan paper notes arecurrently circulated in China.

The obverse of the 1999-type 100-yuan notes is a portrait of Mao Zedong while a picture of the Great Hall of the People is printed on the reverse.

Tipping:

Tipping in China is gaining increasing popularity with the introduction of the foreign market and is now part of the tourist organisation. It is essential to tip tour guides and drivers to ensure that full service is obtained. Whilst tips are included in the tour price in the case of hotels and cruise ships, gestures of gratuity are always appreciated. Giveaways and novelties are also a great form spreading amity and goodwill – especially amongst children.

Time:

Time throughout China is set to Beijing time. Sydney (AEST) is 2 hours ahead of Beijing and 3 hours ahead during daylight savings.

Checklist: 

• Informal clothing, with an emphasis on comfort and versatility 
• A pair of non-slip shoes 
• Electrical converter and adapter plugs. China's electrical system operates at 220 volts
• Personal Medical Kit (with a supply of common cold & stomach trouble remedies). Please remember to keep handy a copy of the prescription for any medicine you intend to bring on the trip
• Reading material, including a guidebook on the places you will visit
• Suntan lotion and sunglasses 
• Camera, Films (or extra memory stick) & be sure to pack extra batteries
• Currency: Chinese currency is known as the Renminbi (RMB: The Peoples Money) or commonly as Yuan
• 1 Yuan is divided into 10 Jiao
• International travellers’ cheques or cash can be exchanged for Chinese currency at your point of entry into China or at the Bank of China and in many hotels all over the country. Major foreign credit cards are now widely acceptable in shops, hotels and large restaurants in many cities throughout

Accommodation and Itinerary Changes:

While China Holidays makes every effort to provide correct information in this brochure, individual operators reserve the right to make changes to itineraries and property facilities. If at all possible, however, China Holidays will advise you of late changes. Advice regarding your final hotel selection and itineraries will be provided on the first day of your tour.

PLEASE NOTE:

Whilst we take great care to ensure that the information in this booklet is correct at the time of printing, we urge you to check the details of your selected holiday with your travel consultant prior to booking. You should enquire about local issues and conditions at the destination. Travel advice can be obtained from various sources including local governments, local consulate offices and the website of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas.

Chinese:

There are many different types of Chinese dialects in China, with the two common ones being Cantonese (mainly spoken in the south of China around Guangdong – Canton – and in Hong Kong) and Mandarin. Mandarin has become the official language of China, and whilst people in Guangzhou and Hong Kong still speak Cantonese, most of them will also speak Mandarin. In fact, it is rare to meet someone in China that does not speak Mandarin. Chinese writing is well known for its baffling Chinese characters, but did you know there is also a Romanised system of writing? You’ll find these utilised in China (along with characters) and for Children (as well as foreigners) when learning to write Chinese Characters.