Last Updated on 2016-05-19 , 1:52 pm
Most people know of China as the factory of the world, the country with the largest population on Earth, and home to all kinds of political, health and food scandals. Regardless of how your impression of China is, it is a country that has almost all the types of climates on Earth and features all the scenery that you could possibly imagine; it is virtually impossible to tour just the whole of China within a person’s lifetime. If you want to start travelling to China though, better read these tips to make sure it is a pleasant one.
Know where you’re going
China is a huge place; it is the size of 13,000 Singapores. All of its cities are split into four tiers (five if you include the rest) according to their GDP per capita and other economic figures, with tier 1 being the most developed. Cities in each tier are very different in terms of amenities and infrastructure; you’ve got to know where you’re going to.
Bring a water bottle
Water is not safe to drink from the tap in China; in fact, tap water isn’t safe to drink in most other parts of the world. While you’re not going to have to bring water purifying pills all over the place, make sure you boil your water even in the hotel and carry the boiled water with you. Buy bottled water if you need to.
Ready your umbrella
It isn’t going to rain all the time, but you should get ready to take out your umbrella when you cross customs. It is one of the items that China’s aviation laws states must be checked if you’re bringing it onto a flight.
Power bank
Make sure your power bank is clearly labelled with its power rating, otherwise it will get confiscated. China’s aviation laws prohibit bringing any batteries or similar devices over a certain power rating.
Exchange your RMB back home
Because of China’s strict monetary policies and tight control over its currency, you’ll find that exchanging money is a chore in China. Make sure you exchange enough before you land, because you’ll need to fill in forms and show your passport whenever you try to exchange currencies in China. Moreover, if you’re going to anywhere other than a tier 1 city, banks might not even accept or stock enough foreign currency.
Cash
The largest bank note in China is the 100 yuan note, which is also the most counterfeited note in China. You’re not going to have a problem in most urban areas, but do try your best to make sure the vendors don’t swap your 100 yuan note and return it to you, asking for smaller change or saying that your note is counterfeit. Stay alert, but you don’t need to overdo it.
Taxis
Metered taxis are now easily available in most, if not all cities. As long as you’re not going to some kind of remote village, the cabbies will get your easily from place to place, and the vast majority of them follow the rules and use the meter. On the other hand, China’s version of Uber named Di Di Travel (滴滴出行) will help you to get a taxi or any of the registered drivers to bring you to your destination. Other than these two methods, do NOT get onto anyone else’s car.
Toilet paper
There is absolutely no toilet paper in public toilets in China, so bring your own. In any case, head to the nearest decent looking hotel if you don’t have any.
Hotel Standards
Compared to the hotels in Singapore, China’s hotels are actually a slight notch below; while a 3-star hotel in Singapore or Hong Kong might be decent, you don’t want to settle for anything less than four stars in China. It usually isn’t that expensive anyway, unless you’re visiting the tier 1 cities.
People
Many Singaporeans might have the impression that Mainland Chinese are obnoxious barbarians. I can also now tell you that most of the world has not heard of Singapore and think we’re part of China, which makes us equally obnoxious and barbaric.
Remember that China is a country ravaged by the Cultural Revolution that has stripped the intelligence, culture and values from an entire generation of people before it opened its doors in the 1980s, so there is a stark contrast between the elderly who still remember the past, the middle-aged who grew up during the Cultural Revolution, and the young working adults who grew up with the rest of the modern world.
If you can bring yourself to understand this, you’ll have no problem interacting with the locals.
Top Image: chungking / Shutterstock.com
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