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Useful Beijing and China Tips, Advice and Information
There are hundreds of websites with useful (and not so useful) advice for Beijing and China travel and tours; it is a good idea to check several of them to get an overall feel for what information is valuable (but don’t forget to come back to Beijing Discovery Tours to book your tour). Here are some travel tips, advice and information that every traveler coming to tour Beijing and China should know:
1) Beware of “budget” or super-cheap tours in China.
There are many tour companies in China, especially in Beijing, that offer incredibly cheap tours, which is fine as long as you know what you are getting into. These “budget” tours will place you on overcrowded, often dirty buses loaded with Chinese tourists that will have numerous forced shopping stops and fake “sightseeing” stops that are little more than additional shopping stops. You will often spend more time in these shopping areas and getting everyone on and off the bus than you will at the sights you actually wanted to see, such as the Great Wall, for example. Be sure to ask questions about what type of tour you will be getting. All tours with Beijing Discovery Tours will be just you and your traveling companions, with private transportation - no crowded buses and no forced shopping stops.
2) Common Scams.
As with any large tourist destination, foreigners are often targeted for scams in China, and it may be worse here as foreigners are so easy to spot in China. Tourists with reputable tour guides are safe, but unescorted tourists should be aware of some common scams:
- “Black Taxis” - Probably the first scam you will face begins at the airport or train station with the “black” taxi drivers - people with unlicensed vehicles that will offer to take you to your destination. Anyone with a Western face will almost certainly be approached by someone coming up to you and saying “Taxi!” - do not even talk to these people. At the train station, follow the “Taxi” signs outside to find a line of legal taxis, and make sure that they start the meter when you begin your journey. At the airport, directly outside of the arrival terminal you will find a line of legal taxis to take for the 30-45 minute trip into Beijing. If you have any doubt as to whether it is a legal taxi or not, check the license plate on the back of the taxi, the second character on it should be a “B”, after the Chinese character for jing.
- “Tea Ceremony” - Common around Tian’anmen Square and The Forbidden City, innocent-looking young Chinese people will pose as students wanting to practice their English, older people will offer to act as your “tour guides”, or people will assume other innocuous-seeming identities that have been honed to attract sympathy from foreign tourists. These seemingly helpful people will take you to a teahouse for a “traditional” ceremony where the final bill can run into the hundreds of U.S. dollars - don’t fall for this one. There are honest tea ceremonies provided by reputable tour companies, but never go with someone off of the street, especially around the popular tourist destinations.
- “The Art Show” - Another common scam is the “university art student”, also seemingly earnest, telling you about an “art show” where they will take you to a shop and try to sell you outrageously overpriced “art” that you can buy in many markets around Beijing very cheaply.
There are countless such scams designed to separate you from your money - just use common sense and never go off anywhere with anyone that you do not know and trust, no matter how seemingly innocent and helpful they may appear.
 3) Bring Patience With You.
China is not ____________ (fill in the blank with the name of any other country). Just about everything is different in China, which is one of the things that makes it such an interesting place to visit. Bring plenty of patience with you; decades of Communist rule have led to sometimes unbelievable inefficiencies in the system, but things are (mostly) constantly improving. Also remember that China is the world’s most populous country, and places can be CROWDED - avoid Tian’anmen Square and the Forbidden City, for example, during any of the week-long Chinese holidays, which are in late January - early February for the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), and also the October 1 National Day. For now, the May 1 Labor Day holiday has been reduced to only a one day holiday, so crowds like the scene at the right on May 3, 2007 at the Forbidden City in Beijing should no longer be a big problem. If you can avoid it though, it is best to avoid scheduling your trip to China during the October 1 holiday. As with most places, patience, a smile and a friendly attitude will usually be rewarded.
2) Toilets and Toilet Paper.
Always bring toilet paper with you - toilets here are rarely, if ever, stocked with a supply of toilet paper. And you never know when that “squid on a stick” that you ate at lunch or dinner might strike back. Most public toilets in China outside of the hotels are of the “squat” variety and thus have no seats, which can be tough on Western legs that are not used to it. McDonalds and KFC restaurants are ubiquitous in the larger cities and they can be lifesavers at times for their clean restrooms. Some of the public toilets are little more than a series of communal holes in the ground with no privacy dividers between them - these are best avoided if at all possible. Beijing has implemented a star grading system for public toilets in advance of the 2008 Olympics and also added numerous relatively clean toilets for public use.
3) Tap Water.
Somewhat related to number 2), water in Beijing and China is not safe to drink straight out of the tap. Drink bottled water or use water that your hotel has boiled and supplied to you for coffee or tea. In most places, tap water is safe enough though for brushing your teeth though, just try not to swallow too much of the water. Bottles of water are readily available just about everywhere for around 2 Chinese Yuan, or 3 Yuan inside some of the more popular tourist sites.
3) ATMs.
ATMs are readily available in the big cities, not so much, if at all, in rural areas. They are usually the best way to get good exchange rates; it is a good idea to check with your bank at home to see how much your own bank will charge you for foreign withdrawals and how much you can withdraw each day. Most Beijing ATMs have a withdrawal limit of 2000-2500 Chinese Yuan (although we know of one with a 5000 CNY limit), but most will let you make multiple withdrawals up to your home bank’s daily withdrawal limit. Just be sure that you use your debit or cash withdrawal card rather than a credit card to avoid those outrageous cash advance fees and the high interest rates.
4) Credit Cards.
Credit cards are not yet widely accepted in China. Some of the better hotels will take Visa or Mastercard, and some of the more expensive shopping areas will accept those cards and American Express. As with everything else in China, this is changing, but it is best not to count on using your credit cards much while you are in China; the same is true of traveler’s checks. Some banks will cash traveler’s checks, but the fees are expensive.
5) Internet.
Internet access is usually available in the better hotels, but it is relatively expensive if it is not provided for free as part of your room deal. There is an increasing number of free wi-fi hotspots in airports, restaurants and bars that are popular with foreigners. For the more adventurous, ask your hotel or your tour guide where the nearest Internet cafe is - they are usually inexpensive, just a few Chinese Yuan per hour, but they vary from passably clean to downright filthy.
6) Electricity.
China operates on 220-240V/50Hz, which is different than that of North America (except Greenland) and South America. Most of the better hotels can provide you with an electrical converter, but if you are not staying at a 5-star hotel or if you are traveling outside of the main cities, it is a good idea to bring a voltage converter with you if you have electrical items that you want to use while in China.
7) Chinese Visas.
For Beijing tours and China travel, tourists will need an “L” visa, which is normally good for 30 days, long enough to cover most Beijing and China tours. In the United States, unless you are close enough to the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. or one of the 5 Chinese consulates-general to go there in person, you will need to go through an agent. Our partner can help U.S. citizens and U.K. citizens in the U.S. with their Chinese visa applications. Travelers from other countries should check with the official Chinese embassy website, which has a list of Chinese embassies and consulates-general worldwide at http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/gjhdq/.
8) Crime in China.
Serious crime against foreigners in China is almost unheard of, but it can happen. As with anywhere you go, be careful and keep your valuables close to your person at all times. What few problems there are lie with petty theft and pickpockets, but using common sense such as carrying your wallet in your front pants pocket and using a hidden money belt can help you avoid any problems at all. Our tour guides at Beijing Discovery Tours can help keep you out of trouble and from getting cheated in the local shopping markets.
9) If you have any questions about any of our Beijing tours and travel, China tours and travel or what to expect on your visit to China, feel free to contact us at info@beijingdiscoverytours.com.
10) To pick up a few helpful Chinese words before your Beijing or China tour, check out these pages on our website:
Free Chinese Lessons
English-Chinese Photo/Audio Dictionary
11) Here are some useful websites that may be helpful in planning your trip to Beijing:
China One Call - China ONE call provides a 24/7 telephone link to professional English & Mandarin speaking staff who can communicate on your behalf. www.chinaonecall.com
China Travel - An interactive China guide and travel community. www.chinatravel.net
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