What You Should Know About China Packages, Travel In China & China Tours...
| Let's talk China.
So, you
want to visit the "middle
country"? Going to China is not your everyday trip to the park to
play ball.You need to prepare well for your trip in order to get the
most out of it. There is a lot to know and to remember. Whilst its
great to have surprises on your travels, its wise to have some
preliminary knowledge when preparing for China
vacations. There are five things you'll want to make sure you have sorted for your holiday in China: a visa in your passport; your return airplane tickets; an itinery of places to go and see; hotel or other accomodation bookings; a good guide to travel in China; a backup plan on the off-chance that things were to go wrong. |
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China has only relatively
recently opened up to the West and whilst tourism in China has grown
considerably over the last few decades, it would be wise for you to
remember that China has been very much self-contained throughout its
ancient history and as such, has its own deeply held beliefs, cultures
and ways of life.
China is proud of its rich heritage both in terms of its knowledge and wisdom and accomplishments and achievements. Whilst nothing can quite prepare you adequately for a vacation in China, that is, if you are to really experience China for yourself, the articles on this site aim to give you a solid foundation and background on a multitude of Chinese nuances, from simple etiquette, such as which way to point your teapot spout at a dinner table, to what to do in an emergency, such as your passport having been stolen.
Let's presume you're going to
arrive at Beijing
airport. As your plane lands, take a look around. When you
consider the size of Beijing airport, you will immediately check
yourself as you will not have seen anything of the scale before. This
is a taste of things to come if you are going to be exploring Beijing.
Here's a few universal travel tips for you to consider which will help you to prepare for your vacation in China:
1) Keep a small but handy travel bag in which you can keep your valuables safely, such as your passport; your camera; your wallet, so that you know where these items are at all times. This is not because China is particularly unsafe for foreign travellers in my experience, but rather, so that you have a few less things for your mind to be dwelling on amidst the heat (in summer) or cold (in winter) when you have "the masses" to be aware of around you as well. Remember, China is one of the most populous countries in the world. The city of Shanghai alone has a larger population than the whole of the UK for example.
2) Be aware that unlike European countries and even countries such as Thailand and India, generally people do not have a good grasp of English. You are bound to meet some very enthusiastic (and proud) English speakers, and this might come as a relief, but on the whole, don't expect your taxi driver to understand where you want to go, just because you are an American, or a European citizen. In other words, part of the culture shock will be that you are in the vast minority as an English speaker and communication can be an issue if you don't speak any Chinese. This is not so true of the biggest cities, but certainly, in most of China it is the case.
This article is continued on the China Traveling page...
China is proud of its rich heritage both in terms of its knowledge and wisdom and accomplishments and achievements. Whilst nothing can quite prepare you adequately for a vacation in China, that is, if you are to really experience China for yourself, the articles on this site aim to give you a solid foundation and background on a multitude of Chinese nuances, from simple etiquette, such as which way to point your teapot spout at a dinner table, to what to do in an emergency, such as your passport having been stolen.
Let's presume you're going to
arrive at Beijing
airport. As your plane lands, take a look around. When you
consider the size of Beijing airport, you will immediately check
yourself as you will not have seen anything of the scale before. This
is a taste of things to come if you are going to be exploring Beijing.Here's a few universal travel tips for you to consider which will help you to prepare for your vacation in China:
1) Keep a small but handy travel bag in which you can keep your valuables safely, such as your passport; your camera; your wallet, so that you know where these items are at all times. This is not because China is particularly unsafe for foreign travellers in my experience, but rather, so that you have a few less things for your mind to be dwelling on amidst the heat (in summer) or cold (in winter) when you have "the masses" to be aware of around you as well. Remember, China is one of the most populous countries in the world. The city of Shanghai alone has a larger population than the whole of the UK for example.
2) Be aware that unlike European countries and even countries such as Thailand and India, generally people do not have a good grasp of English. You are bound to meet some very enthusiastic (and proud) English speakers, and this might come as a relief, but on the whole, don't expect your taxi driver to understand where you want to go, just because you are an American, or a European citizen. In other words, part of the culture shock will be that you are in the vast minority as an English speaker and communication can be an issue if you don't speak any Chinese. This is not so true of the biggest cities, but certainly, in most of China it is the case.
This article is continued on the China Traveling page...
