Adventures in Asia: China Travel Tips

If you can read this, you probably need a visa.

After several friends and family members visited me this year, I thought I’d share some basic tips for those who are curious about life in China or plan to visit this amazing country someday soon!

PART I: TIME & MONEY

Although China is a huge country, the whole thing runs on Beijing time. There are no other time zones.

Money in China is called RMB (which stands for renminbi), yuan, or kuai.

You may be able to use your card at an ATM in China to withdraw cash, but it probably won’t work in restaurants and shops. It’s always best to exchange money in a bank (back home or in China), though the airport will do the job too.

No need to tip.

You can often haggle for a lower price in smaller shops and markets. Start really low and don’t feel bad if the seller acts insulted. Pretend to lose interest and leave the store if they won’t come down – they will once they realize they might lose the sale. Paying half of what they originally charged is usually good. You can’t barter in shopping malls or grocery stores.

Things you buy are not taxed.

Pick up a SIM card so you can access maps and have a phone number in emergencies. Most airports have short term SIM cards for sale, or you can stop in a phone store, such as China Mobile or China Unicom.

Just because something is made in China doesn’t mean you can buy it in China. Knockoffs and fakes are plentiful. 

PART II: MAKE SOME FRIENDS

It is acceptable to shamelessly take pictures of everything. Some locals might take pictures of you.

When making friends with locals, avoid sensitive topics involving politics or religion. Completely avoid the three T’s: Tiananmen, Tibet, Taiwan.

The social media app to have is called WeChat. It has a translator function built in. It’s very private in that you can’t see likes or comments unless you are friends with a person. Don’t chat about sensitive topics on there, either. You can add friends by searching for their ID or phone number, or scanning their QR code.

As of this writing, you cannot access facebook, Instagram, or anything Google (including gmail, drive and maps) from within mainland China (without some help called a VPN… You didn’t hear it from me).

In Chinese culture, it’s polite to argue over who will pay the bill. If you see loud arguments in a restaurant, they’re probably actually friendly in nature.

Smoking is incredibly common and accepted almost everywhere. (For example, the hospital, or around children. However not allowed on trains or planes.)

Chinese people usually don’t greet or make eye contact with strangers, but they may be extra friendly toward you as you’re a foreigner.

Download some translator apps if your Chinese isn’t great. Some of them you can speak into, and it will translate and read what you said aloud in Chinese.

If a friend hosts you in their home, bring a gift and take off your shoes at the door.

PART III: TAKE THE BUS

Public transportation is great. Apple Maps provides a decent English map with step-by-step directions to catch the bus or the metro.

Sit in the back seat of the taxi and make sure the driver hits the meter so you know you’re being charged a fair amount.

If at any time you feel unsafe in a taxi, take a photo of the driver’s details, which are usually posted on the dashboard, in order to report him/her later. If the driver doesn’t match the posted details, take a picture of him/her, too.

It’s cheap, convenient, and fun to stay in youth hostels. A hostel is similar to a hotel, but you book a single bed in a shared room or dormitory. This includes a locker for you to keep your things. (Hostels also usually offer regular hotel rooms, too.) There are gender segregated rooms and mixed rooms. Hostel staff often speak English and can recommend local restaurants, massage, sightseeing, etc., and call a taxi for you.

PART IV: CHINA IS BIG AND DELICIOUS

China is a huge country and the weather depends on what region you are traveling to. If you’re visiting the ice castles in Harbin, it’s going to be a dry -20 degrees. Shanghai in summer will hit a humid 100 Fahrenheit.

China is a huge country and the food will differ from region to region. It’s all delicious! Enjoy!

Slurp, stab, scoop, burp, pick up your bowl. The only eating etiquette is to never touch food with your hands. And do not lick your fingers! Your hands are dirty.

The floor is also dirty. Put your bag on the chair next to you.

When having a meal with friends, they will politely urge you to eat more. Thus, it’s best to start mentioning that you’re full when you are actually about 85% full, so you can keep eating when they tell you to.

PART V: THE TOILET

Always carry pocket tissue and hand sanitizer with you. Public restrooms are not always equipped with TP or soap.

Don't flush tissue or TP. Put it in the little garbage can.

Most public restrooms have squatty potties. Face the door, put one foot on either side of the toilet, and squat. As long as your pants are around your knees, they will not get soiled. You may want to practice squatting if you aren’t used to it. Don’t fall in!

There’s more to say, but then you wouldn’t have any adventures!

The Lonely Planet books and the site/app Trip Advisor are helpful for planning a trip to most anywhere, including here.

A lot of what makes China so modern and convenient is the ability to pay for everything through apps WeChat and Alipay, food delivery, bike rental, Didi (aka Uber), and online shopping via Taobao, where shipping costs the equivalent of a dollar and your order arrives in a day. Unfortunately, these things are not available unless you decide to settle down and open a Chinese bank account.

Which, of course, I recommend. J