|
Taxi
China enjoys
adequate taxi service. In most cities, the taxi tends to be a
small local-made car painted in either red or yellow. In large
cities, there are luxurious sedans at a higher rate. Taxi fares
vary from city to city but they are always clearly marked on the
taxi window.
Most taxi drivers do not understand
much English, although those in tourist cities are encouraged to
learn and speak some simple English. Non-Chinese speaking visitors
are advised to have their destinations written down in Chinese and
show the address to the cab driver.
Telephones
and Postal Services
In towns and
cities, IDD service is provided at all hotels and post offices.
Phone cards are available in post offices inside hotels or on the
street. Even more conveniently, most newsstands in major cities
also carry phone cards. Telephone booths in the streets are mostly
for local calls.
Tourist hotels
provide postal services. If you want to send important items such
as antiques and cultural relics that are under customs control,
you will have to ask for the help of the local branch of the
international post office, instead of the small post office in a
hotel.
Shopping
for Souvenirs
Shopping in China
is getting more convenient. For those who are staying in the
country for more than just a few days, they may need their choice
brands of daily necessities which can be found in most of the
large department stores and shopping malls which are springing up
in the country. Western retail companies have established outlets
in major cities in China which carry both domestic and imported
goods.
For those who want
to shop for souvenirs to take home, they can look around, apart
from large department stores and shopping malls, in some of the
open markets such as the Xiushui Street and Panjiayuan Antique
Market in Beijing. Unlike large department stores where the prices
are fixed, these places are where you can and you must bargain.
Your local tour guides or hosts are the best help when you go to
these places. They will prove essential in finding the real stuff
and bringing the prices down!
Climate
and Clothing
China lies mainly
in the temperate and subtropical zones. Generally, its southern
part (East China, South China and Southwest china) is warm, humid,
and rainy; its northern part (North China, Northeast China, and
northwest China) is dry and windy.
In spring (March to
May) and autumn (September to November) 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.
Later 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.
|
|
Customs
Regulations
Entry:
Tourists must fill out a baggage declaration form (in two copies)
and hand it in to customs, retaining the carbon to show upon exit.
Personal
belongings will be admitted duty free, including food, two bottles
of liquor and two cartons of cigarettes. Wristwatches, radios,
tape recorders, cameras, movie cameras, and similar items may be
brought in for personal use but cannot be sold or transferred to
others and must be brought out of China.
Gifts
for relatives or friends in China, or articles carried on behalf
of other, must also be declared.
Visitors
can bring in an unlimited amount of foreign currency and Chinese
Renminbi traveler’s checks, and the unspent portion can be taken
out.
Bringing
in the following articles is prohibited:
1.
Arms, ammunition, and explosives of all kinds
2.Radio transmitters-receivers and
principal parts.
3.Renminbi (Chinese currency) in cash.
4.Manuscripts, printed matter, films,
photographs, gramophone records, cinematographic films, loaded
recording tapes and videotapes, etc. which are detrimental to
China’s politics, economy, culture, and
ethics.
5.Poisonous drugs, habit-forming
drugs, opium, morphine, heroin, etc.
6.Animals, plants and products thereof
infected with or carrying germs and insect pests
7.Unsanitary foodstuffs and
germ-carrying food-stuffs from infected areas.
8.Other articles the import of which
is prohibited by state regulations
Exit:
On leaving China, tourists must again submit the baggage
declaration form for customs inspection (the second copy).
Travelers by ship are exempted. Items
purchased in China with RMB converted from foreign currencies may
be taken out or mailed out of the country after receipts are
presented for customs inspection. In cities where a Customs Office
does not exit, this can be arranged through the local Friendship
Store.
Taking
out the following articles is prohibited:
1.
Arms, ammunition, and explosives of all kinds
2.Radio transmitters-receivers and
principal parts
3.Renminbi (Chinese currency) in cash
and negotiable securities in RMB.
4.Ungratified foreign currency,
foreign notes or
drafts.
5.Manuscripts, printed matter, films, photographs, gramophone
records, cinematographic films, loaded recording tapes and
videotapes, etc. which are detrimental to China’s national
security. 6.Rare and
precious copies of books about Chinese revolution, history,
culture and art that are not for sale.
7.Valuable animals, plants, and seeds
8.Precious metals, pearls, and jewels
(things declared to the customs are exempted).
9.Other articles the export of which
is prohibited by state regulations |
upper left
part on a field of red. The red color of the flag symbolizes revolution.
The larger star represents the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the
four smaller ones, the Chinese people. This expresses the great unity of
the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC.
