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VISA:
All visitors to China and Tibet
must possess a Chinese visa and Tibet Visitor's permit
prior to departure from the US.
Passports ( with a six months validity after the date
of return) along with a passport type photo and a completed
Chinese Visa Application form must be submitted to a Chinese consulate in perso or througha representative.
We offer optional China and Tibet visa service for our
passengers at a cost of $100.00 per person, including
the cost of visa acquisition, handling, and express mailing.
China and Tibet visa application forms will be supplied
and must be returned to East Travel Consulting Services
along with your passports and one passport-type photograph
40 days prior to departure.
Get Chinese
Visa Form (PDF
file)
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TRIP
INSURANCE:
We strongly recommend passengers traveling to China to
take trip insurance, which covers cancellation, interruption,
health emergencies, accidents and baggage loses. There
are many programs in the markets. You may do your own
research or contact our office for suggestions.
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CLIMATE
AND CLOTHING:
China lies mainly in the temperate and subtropical zones.
Yangtze River divides China into Northern and Southern
regions. Generally, the South is warm, humid, and rainy;
and the North is dry and windy.
The best time to travel to China would be April, May,
October and November. These four months are the peak season
for traveling. The weather is temperate and nice. You
will need a lined jacket or woolen sweater over light
clothes.
In summer (June to August) cool cotton garments are recommended.
In winter (December to February) a light cotton-patted
coat will keep you warm enough in the south; but in the
north a heavy woolen coat or down parka is a must.
Late spring and late summer are often rainy especially
in the southern part of China, so you would be wise to
bring some rainwear with you. And of course good walking
shoes are essential at any time of year.
Get China
Temperature Chart
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US
EMBASSY AND CONSULATES:
The
following numbers are the US citizen assistance and
information lines for the US Embassy and Consulate-General
offices in China. If calling from outside of China,
dial the country code "86" for China, preceded
by "011" overseas access code. If you are
in the same Chinese city as the US Embassy or Consulate-General
office, you don't have to dial the city code as well.
(ex: "10" for Beijing).
| US
Embassy |
Beijing |
(86-010)-6532-3831 |
| US
Consulate-General |
Shanghai |
(86-021)6433-6880 |
| US
Consulate-General |
Guangzhou
|
(86-020)8188-8911 |
| US
Consulate-General |
Xi'an
|
(86-024)2322-0848 |
| US
Consulate-General |
Chengdu
|
(86-028)58-3992 |
| Consulate-General |
Hong
Kong |
(852)2523-9011
|
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ELECTRICITY:
Electricity supply in China is 220
volts, but sockets with adapters are available in the
washrooms of many luxury and medium-grade hotels.
WATER: Please do not drink tap water. Most restaurants
provide boiled water. You can buy bottle water at most
of the places. If cruising along Yangtze or traveling
to remote villages and towns, do not buy and drink bottle
water sold at the street. The quality can not be guaranteed.
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SOUVENIR
SHOPPING: As most of
the travelers believe, no travel is complete without at
least a little bit of shopping. Shopping in China can
be a very nice experience. There are a lot of choices
with unique aspects in each of the city. Local markets
are usually worthwhile to explore. The number one lesson
you have to take before shopping is learn to bargain.
This is another type of fun. Friendship Stores, which
used to be believed to be the best shopping place in China,
have now become old-fashioned.
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IMMUNIZATIONS
: Currently, there are
no required immunizations for entry to China. However,
it is best to consult your physician or international
health advisories form the US State Department services
Bureau of Consular Affairs in Washington. You can visit
their Web site at : http://www.travel.state.gov/travel
warnings.html
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GETTING AROUND IN A CITY:
TAXI:
In most of the big cities in China,
you can waive your hand and get a taxi on the road. Taxi
fares vary from city to city, ranging from 1 to 2 yuan
per km. You should always be charged based on the figure
shown on the meters. However, cases are, taxi drivers
tend to take advantages of tourists and charge you more
especially when you do not speak Chinese. You'd better
choose a taxi with a business permit, and before you disembark
from a taxi ride, ask the driver for a receipt. We do
not recommend you take a taxi outside Beijing and Shanghai.
If you have to, ask hotel staff to help you get a taxi
instead of finding one yourself. Those taxis that hotels
contract are a little bit more expensive, but they are
regulated and safer.
Most taxi drivers do not understand
English. Thus, it is always
a good idea to have your destinations written down in
Chinese. Always bring a copy of the hotel's brochure or
business card with you so that at least you won't get
lost by the end of the day..
Subway: Subways are another convenient means of transportation
for those traveling in downtown. So far subways are available
in four Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou,
and Tianjin.
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Bicycle:
There are bicycles for rent in some
hotels in Beijing and some other tourist cities. Riding
old-fashioned Pedi cabs for a tour of Beijing's hutongs
and back alleys proves a unique tourist experience.
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TIPPING:
Tipping is not a custom is China.
However, those who works in the travel and hospitality
industries are now expected to be tipped. The amount is
discretionary. It commonly ranges from U.S $ 8-10 per
person per day for the guides and $ 3-5 per person per
day for the drivers. Luggage handling is $1-2 for the
whole service.
It is not required to tip waiter and waitress. To acknowledge
good service, you may tip up to 5%.
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LUGGAGE
& AIRPORT TAX: Airport
Fee: For domestic flights, the airport tax is 50 Yuan.
A 90-Yuan airport fee shall be collected from passengers
departing from any international airports in China. Children
under the age of 12, are exempt from the airport fee.
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Luggage
Allowance: The free luggage
allowance by weight for every passenger holding a ticket
with full fare or half fare for an international or regional
flight is 40 kg for a first-class ticket, 30kg for a business
class ticket, and 20kg for an economy class ticket. Domestic
flights are limited to check-in one piece of luggage per
passengers.
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Carry-on
Baggage: 2
pieces for a passenger holding a first-class ticket; and
1 piece for a passenger with a business or an economy-class
ticket. The dimensions for each piece of luggage allowed
should not exceed 20¡Ñ40¡Ñ55cm, and the maximum weight shall
not exceed 5kg. You'll have to pay if you bring more luggage
aboard than is allowed in terms of piece or weight.
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TELEPHONE
AND POST SERVICES: In
towns and cities, IDD service is provided at all hotels
and post offices. Phone cards are available in post offices
and in most of the hotels. You can also find vendor machines
in airports and some major attractions. Most newsstands
in major cities also carry phone cards.
Tourist hotels provide postal services. It costs 60 Yuan
to mail a post card back to the US.
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MONEY
MATTERS:
Chinese Currency: The Chinese currency is called Renminbi
(people's currency) and is often abbreviated to RMB. The
basic unit is Yuan. The exchange rate between Yuan and
Dollars is approximately 8 to 1. RMB can't be used in
Hong Kong.
Hong Kong's currency is the Hong Kong Dollar, usually
refers to HKB. The exchange rate between HKB and USD is
to 7.7 to 1.
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Credit
Cards: Credit cards are gaining more
acceptance in China for use by foreign visitors in major
tourist cities. Useful cards include Visa, Master Card,
American Express, JCB and Diners Club. They can be used
in most mid-range to top-end hotels (three star and up),
Friendship Stores and some department stores. Note that
it is still impossible to use credit cards to finance
your transportation costs; even flights have to be paid
for in cash.
Credit card cash advances have become fairly routine at
head branches of the Bank of China, even in places as
remote as Lhasa. Bear in mind, however a 4% commission
is generally deducted.
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Travelers
Checks: Besides the advantage of safety, travelers
checks are useful to carry in China because the exchange
rate is actually more favorable than what you get for
cash. Cheques from most of the world's leading banks and
issuing agencies are now acceptable in China - stick to
the major companies such as American Express and Citibank.
However it is only acceptable in the bank and hotels instead
of shopping centers.
At the present time, ATMs that work with foreign currency
are hardly found out of Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai.
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VISITING
TIBET:
If you have heart disease, high
blood pressure, or asthma, you should consult your doctor
before you take a trip to Tibet or any other plateau.
Anyone who plans to visit Tibet must be careful about
plateau reaction. Due to the reaction to the altitude,
you may find it hard to breathe and may emerge symptoms
including feeling dizzy, thirsty, nervous, pasting, rapid
heart beating, nose bleeding and muscle pain. It is always
a good idea to allow at least one afternoon to rest completely
and acclimate.
Besides, you should avoid tight schedule and do not carry
heavy luggage while touring around. It is a good idea
to eat more vegetable and fruit when entering Tibet.
As soon as plateau reaction happens, you have to stop
traveling and take oxygen at once. You can buy the oxygen
bag in the hotels. If you have slight reaction, you can
recover quickly after breathing oxygen. If it is getting
serious, you should tell your guide immediately and ask
he / she to assist transfer you to the hospital.
Get
more information for Tibet
Travel Tips
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