China is a country full of a complex maze of culture and so much rich history. It is one of the most bizarre places in the world! Bustling metropolises like Shanghai and Hong Kong are contrasted by the amazing state-of-the-art technological advancement in every sphere of manufacturing units. However, planning a trip in China is not as easy as other destinations around the world. My earlier blog post on China Means Business Discipline received many positive feedback. In light of that, I am enlightened to post my second blog on China as a travel tip. You must need to do your research thoroughly beforehand to help your trip go smoothly. For most Bangladeshis and other travelers, I’m putting up “Sweet 16, China Travel Tips” below. I believe, it will help the first timer who are planning to visit mainland China.
1. PLAN FOR VISA IN ADVANCE I SWEET 16, CHINA TRAVEL TIPS
China requires visa from most countries. It’s best to prepare your application at least two months prior to your trip. Bangladeshis must submit an application form along with an Invitation Letter from your Chinese counterpart. Along with these, you need to pay a US$80 fee for the first-timer, need to take your valid passport, and must bring your flight itinerary to the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh. The entire process can be done by yourself or you may get the service from a reliable travel agent with the service charge included. I always prefer to do things by myself.
2. WHEN TO VISIT I SWEET 16, CHINA TRAVEL TIPS
From Bangladesh, business travelers are always traveling around the year. But if you want to visit solely for tourism purposes, I recommend visiting during wintertime. I went in November last week for my first trip to Guangdong Provinces (Guangzhou being the capital city) for both business and tourism purposes. On my second trip, I went to Zhejiang Provinces in the last week of November (Hangzhou being the capital city and Wenzhou being the industrial city) for business exploration only. I visited Yunnan Provinces both in April and November time (Kunming is the capital city) for business and tourism stopover purposes. I still cherish those amazing experiences!
3. WHERE TO VISIT I SWEET 16, CHINA TRAVEL TIPS
It totally depends on your tour plan. Based on your supplier’s factory and intention to attend exhibitions, you always should concentrate on visiting one or two cities. Remember, China is a vast country. An unplanned tour to China may drain out unless you have someone to guide you. In my case, I always plan my tour in advance with the supplier. While having my business trip, I plan local site seeing matter after talking to my supplier or hotel manager. Following the above tip may help you.
4. ALWAYS KEEP BUSINESS CARD I SWEET 16, CHINA TRAVEL TIPS
I suggest keeping the business card of your hotel. In a worst-case scenario, you may get lost while exploring. I always do this habitually. Interesting to share, I was lost in China while I went out to explore Guangzhou City by night all alone. Mainly, I went to observe the closing ceremony of Asian Games 2010 in Guangzhou from Baiyun Mountain Top. All localites gathered there to see the illumination of closing games over the downtown Guangzhou City from the mountain top. I was so lucky enough to see this while I had time in hand. After watching the closing ceremony, I lost my route to the hotel. However, I kept my nerve cool. Due to language problems, nobody understood what I was telling in English. I showed my hotel business card to the nearest police tower room. With the help of local police, I returned hotel safely by local taxi.
5. SET CHINESE PHRASES IN YOUR SMART PHONE
The best tip is to set a few phrases translated into Chinese and store them in your smartphone. So do speak, “I want to go the toilet”, it’s the classical example, every traveler should learn this in Chinese. Better if you have google translated screenshots of your desired Chinese relevant phrases, would be a great help. Now, listen to another weird incident that happened in Shenzhen City. While exploring the city all alone, I had a natural urge to go to the toilet. I asked a few passersby but none understood my language. I further knocked a couple of offices about my toilet matter, they still didn’t understand. Then I showed them sign language by pulling my chain up and down. Then they realized the consequences. Honestly speaking, if you follow this tip, it will help you a lot when you are in dire situations.
6. LEARN FEW BASIC LOCAL LANGUAGE
The locals will really appreciate it if you talk Chinese in a different dialect. Even simple words such as ‘Nihao‘ means hi and ‘Xiexie’ means thank you. During my stay in China, be it office work, be it supplier visits, be it hotel reception, be it local tourism, I used these two words Nihao and Xiexie. It goes without saying that learning the language of the country you’re visiting shows that you gave an effort to get in touch with the locals’ culture and it’s a gesture of respect. Also, you’ll earn major points and maybe get a better deal.
7. TECH CENSORSHIP
You’re probably aware that internet censorship in China is like protecting the Great Wall of China. My multiple visits to China, I couldn’t browse Google, YouTube or Facebook. If you’re tech-savvy person, you should buy a VPN proxy service like Panda Pow or ExpressVPN. You may install this software on your laptop or tablet or smartphone before traveling. It allows you to surf any website in China. It’s a lifesaver.
8. CULTURAL SHOCK
Chinese lifestyles are very different than most of the world. So, try to study Chinese culture and traditions before you visit them. Sharing a few of the experiences that I gathered in China.
i) In every office I visited during my trip, they offered me green tea. Once I finished sipping the tea, then again they filled up my cup. Unless you stop them, they’ll refill your cup. I was a bit surprised by these cultural differences.
ii) Due to air pollution in a big city like Guangzhou where I went in my first trip, people wear surgical masks to protect their lungs. But in recent times, the whole world is wearing masks due to the advent of Covid19.
iii) When it comes to street vendors, it is perfectly acceptable to negotiate prices. That being said, if you are not planning to buy anything, do not ask about price, because if you do, the vendors may follow you around for a bit, seriously.
iv) This is a small but very important China travel tip. A lot of times, even restaurants won’t always have toilet paper in their restrooms, or tissue on the dining tables. The good news is, you can buy cheap little packs of tissues in convenience stores.
9. YOU MAY BE THE TOURIST ATTRACTION
Understanding the local culture outside the main cities like Beijing and Shanghai, the locals are not used to seeing foreigners. You may find that people stare at you and even take photos of you – smile pretty! During my maiden trip to China, I was offered for surprise picture at least 5 times from local people. Asian Games 2010 could be the main reason to take a surprise picture of mine. Or I look completely different to them. My personal opinion about taking surprise pictures, it is a great way to respect them. They are just curious when they see you, exactly the way we see foreigners in our country likewise. Be polite to strangers, but, like everywhere else, keep your brain working from the unwanted matter.
10. STAYING HEALTHY
My biggest tip is to be cautious when trying street food in China. You may encounter stale oil or old leftovers. It will cause stomachache. While traveling, make sure to bring some ENO, as your stomach may not agree with some of the traditional cuisines. Nonetheless, I tried fried squid to taste my bud from the street cart in Guangzhou. I still recall that food.
My advice would be to eat fruits, salads, biscuits, and Toblerone Bar while traveling abroad to stay healthy and fit. Ready food like sandwiches and noodles bowl is also available. I follow this type of diet while traveling.
11. STAYING ALERT
In any big city, the risk of pickpocketing or robbery is a possibility to happen. Or the worse may happen is that you could be over-charged for the items that you purchase from street vendors. Just stay aware of your surroundings, don’t get drunk in public, and don’t open your door at midnight if you stay in a Chinese Hotel. Always use your common sense to stay safe in China. You never know what surprises are there for you!!
12. BARGAIN WHILE SHOPPING
If you’re shopping in boutique stores nearby to your Chinese Hotel, you can always bargain. Do remember; keep a calculator for showing bargain amount to the shopkeeper. Try to bargain to the extent that doesn’t look odd. But it doesn’t happen in the superstore. However, if you’re on a budget, learn to negotiate. Get your stuff; don’t just go away after bargaining. It doesn’t give you a good impression as a traveler.
13. LONG QUEUES MOVE SLOWLY BUT STRUCTURED WAY
China has one of the highest populations in the world. Be prepared for long queues when visiting popular landmarks. And in major cities, expect local tourists and transportation to be crowded. It’s especially crazy during big occasions as a lot of traveling happens for the locals. I have experienced this type of crowd in China. My first trip to China took place during Asian Games 2010 and another trip to participate in Canton Fair in 2013. This is more of a friendly warning not to feel offended when and if someone gets a little too close.
I have to mention one positive thing, during Asian Games 2010, there were thousands of voluntary local boys and girls. All around Guangzhou City, this volunteer organize long queues, to help elderly tourists and to help foreign tourists like me. This is nothing but sharing the right information from going from one place to another. China does it so right whether you are in big games or in big exhibitions!
14. DO NOT LEAVE SPARE CHANGE AS TIP
When dining in restaurants, you are not expected to tip at all. However, if you find the service to be exceptional and want to show your appreciation, don’t just leave coins/change on the table, this may actually offend the waiters. You can call the waiter and tip them in person. I observed this trait while I had an official dinner with my Chinese counterpart.
15. CASH PREFERRED I SWEET 16, CHINA TRAVEL TIPS
The majority of businesses and restaurants will not accept foreign credit cards. Cash is the best currency for local payment. However, I advise taking your dual currency International Credit Card. But if you’re traveling in China long-term, setting up a local bank card will also allow you to use WeChat Pay and DiDi (an app similar to Uber).
DiDi now accepts foreign credit cards. Though I’m not sure about this card and app, but I rely on cash while being in China.
Sajjad Travelogue
16. ALWAYS CARRY PASSPORT I SWEET 16, CHINA TRAVEL TIPS
If you need to purchase a train ticket or buy a local SIM card in China, you must carry your passport. The officer, who is attending you, won’t sell a ticket without it. Every time I purchased my train ticket, I always had to show my passport. On top of that sometimes there could be unprecedented needs that may pop up while exploring cities in China.
CONCLUSION
To conclude my “Sweet 16, China Travel Tips” of this blog, China is a must-visit country for any traveler to venture out of their comfort zone. Try some unorthodox local food, and explore its rich history and diverse cultures. After traveling so many places, I feel that
“If you don’t visit China, your knowledge level is 50% uncurated”
Sajjad Travelogue