Visa & Passport Services: China Travel Basics TexasTower

Whether you're going for the 2008 Olympics or it's always been your dream to explore the beautiful country of China, you need to know a few things to make your traveling within China a lot easier.

Which Language?
In 1949, the Chinese government made Mandarin Chinese (Putong Hua) the official national language. This was a major factor in the unification of China. Before this each group of Chinese spoke their own native dialects - meaning neighbors from the same region but different ethnic groups couldn't communicate through the spoken word.

In present day China, most Chinese know Mandarin Chinese as well as their local dialect. For example, residents of Shanghai speak Shanghainese, which is unintelligible to Chinese living in other regions of the country, but by speaking Mandarin, they can communicate easily. Interestingly, all dialects use the same written characters.

Pinyin, is the official romanized spelling of Chinese and is used in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, but most locals don't read it. For your trip to China, a phrasebook that has English, Pinyin, and Chinese characters will prove invaluable.

What Your Tone!
Remember tones if you try to speak Chinese. There are four main tones in the Chinese language: four tones commonly known as high, rising, falling-rising, and falling. Chinese is known as a difficult language to master for good reason. A good example of the necessity of rising and falling tones is with the simple and yet common Chinese word "Ma". Depending on the tones you use, you could be saying "mother," "troublesome," "horse," or "to scold."

Paying for Items
The official currency is the Renminbi (RMB). One RMB equals 100 chiao or 100 fen. Notes come in denominations of RMB 100, 50, 10, 5, 2, and 1 as well as 5, 2, and 1 chiao. Coins come in denominations of 1.5 chiao and 5, 2, and 1 fen.

Foreign currency is not officially accepted in China. However, if you are shopping in an antique market or other street businesses (silk market in Beijing), U.S. dollars may be accepted and even preferred. Travelers' Checks are not accepted by most Chinese businesses, you will need to cash them and change them into Renminbi before you spend. Check with your tour guide or hotel desk before you go shopping to find out what is accepted in your area.

Watch the ATMs
ATM's are notorious in China for not working with tourist credit or bank cards. Major cities have their fair share of ATM machines, however the majority of these machines work ONLY with Chinese cards. If you need cash, go to a major bank and upon presenting your passport and credit card, you should be able to get cash.

Credit Cards
Major credit cards may be used at most hotels, restaurants, and shops that do business with foreigners. Smaller shops, open markets and hotels in smaller regions may not have the ability to accept foreign credit cards.

Tipping for Services
Gratuities are not usually included in rates. The standard tipping amount for restaurants, hotel rooms, parking attendants, hair care and other personal services will range from 15% for restaurants to 10 to 20 yuans at the other places.

Should you need an American Embassy:
American Embassy
Beijing
2 Xiushui Beijie
China
Tel: +86 10-6532-3431
Fax: +86 10-6532-6057

Use these tips and make your trip to China a great one!

Labels: china travel, chinese visa, passports, travel

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