Independent travel to China. Travel to China on your own

Modern China is very different from the ideas of those who have never been there, and is based on photographs of other tourists and TV shows. Moreover, if you have not been to the central cities of China for several years, your next visit to Beijing, namely, we will tell you about it, will greatly surprise you.

A trip to China: modern Beijing

I was in Beijing for the first time, but my "fellow travelers" who were already familiar with the capital of the Middle Kingdom, argued that much had changed.

If earlier the Chinese were openly staring at the Europeans, now they are no longer looking at us so vehemently, they take less pictures and do not point a finger. Of course, in tourist areas, visitors from the Chinese provinces click their cameras, trying to capture not only beautiful views, buildings or nature, but also you.

Some people do not mind taking a photo with you or your company in the background, they can also easily ask you for a joint photo. It is worth noting that such curiosity of the Chinese is reported by all guidebooks, and they are asked not to be angry with simple-minded Asians, but to smile at them in return.

The Chinese are very fond of being photographed with Europeans, which is the reason for this - a mystery. Photo taken from the Internet

The first few days, such attention was even flattered, but after four days of "selfies" with the Chinese, we are arrogant tourists, we asked for three euros for a photo, but no less arrogant Chinese, pretending that they did not understand anything, just took pictures on the background of us on the sly than just amused. But these are little things that can be experienced with ease and humor.

Guidebooks advise not to pay attention to some "childishness" of the Chinese, so they have a mentality. Photo taken from Internet resources.

I would also like to talk about smoking. If a few years ago the Chinese smoked everywhere: in public transport, at the reception in a hotel, in cafes and restaurants, now this trend has practically subsided. Peking smokers can be found only on the streets, and mostly men smoke, we have met a woman who smokes in 8 days in Beijing only once.

In some cafes, smoking is allowed if we are talking about the usual Chinese eateries, but it is better to ask the waiters or the owner of the establishment, as a rule, this is the same person. But it is better not to buy cigarettes in China. The tobacco in cigarettes there is much worse than in Russia, there are also world brands, but the price for them is higher than the Russian one by 20-30 rubles. That is why tourists fly to China with a box of their usual cigarettes.

There are no special waste bins for cigarette butts in Beijing, unlike most European countries, but this does not bother locals and tourists alike - rubbish is thrown directly onto the sidewalk. Despite this, Beijing is incredibly clean, but more on that below.

In how many cities and countries I have visited, and believe me, there are quite a few of them, I have never seen that they wash pedestrian streets, clean garbage cans with brushes, and people on special mopeds or bicycles with a small body rode around the city and collected garbage with "grabbing sticks" ... Before you open the candy, the worker is right there to pick up the wrapper, and when he sees you throw the wrapper into the trash can, either with relief or with annoyance, he sighs and leaves.

It is very easy to get used to such cleanliness, but it is difficult to wean it. And this purity is superficial. Beijing is a very dirty city, the government of which has been struggling unsuccessfully for several years with an impending environmental disaster.

The fact is that the highest concentration of nitrogen dioxin and other hazardous substances is recorded in the Beijing atmosphere. The main reason is the large number of cars on the streets of the city. In addition, the emissions of chemicals from factories in neighboring Hebei and Henan significantly increase the content of these very particles in the air. An enduring smog hangs over the city, the skyscrapers stand as if covered with soot, and the Chinese themselves wear masks. The Beijing authorities are fighting exhaust gas situations in various ways, we will tell you about one of them in more detail.

Renting bicycles in the capital of China is a common thing. Anyone can borrow it for temporary use, but there is one condition - you must have a special program installed on your mobile, for example OFO and Mobike. Of course, renting a bike, although it costs from 1 to 10 yuan, depending on the time, is still not free.

Therefore, a card must be attached to the program, your identity must be identified, and of course a local sim card with Internet access. This is necessary so that you can unblock and pay for transport online.

Each bike has a QR code that must be read using the program, then a code will be displayed on the screen of the mobile phone, which must be entered on the bike's code lock in order to remove the automatic wheel lock. The bike can be left anywhere, a special truck will come for it and take it to the parking lot, but this will be only at night.

In the daytime, bicycles are calmly left on the sidewalks, where the next tourists or city residents take them. It should be noted that there is no shortage of bike bikes, the online map of the application shows where the nearest bike is located.

In total, there are over 13 million bicycles in Beijing. They are used by street vendors, couriers, scavengers, public utility workers, office workers. In addition, since China does not recognize international driving licenses, many foreigners travel around the city by bicycle.

If you decide to download one of the applications for yourself, we recommend that you do this before entering the PRC, there you will not see many familiar Internet browsers and programs that are actively used in other parts of the world.

There are no Instagram, Google services, Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox and other less popular services throughout China. If you are an active user of the above, you need to install anonymizers on your VPN gadgets in advance, which will help you bypass the blocking.

It works as follows: when you visit the site, it changes your IP-address, hides your location and maintains anonymity in the browser. To simplify, using the program, you will enter the network from China, but the network will think that you are coming from India, the UK, the United States or any other country. Such a program "eats up" the battery very quickly, so we do not recommend using it for a long time.

If we talk about programs that will facilitate tourist travel not only in Beijing, but also in any other cities, then we cannot fail to mention MAPS.ME (MapsWithMe). This is a program with offline maps of the whole world. It helps a lot if you travel without a guide. Traveler's assistants include the metro map, which can be downloaded from the Play Store for android devices and from the App Store for iPhone.

In general, Beijing and its inhabitants, as well as tourists from other provinces, are very friendly and hospitable towards foreigners. Many speak English confidently and try to help you if you ask them to.

Undoubtedly, their culture, life rhythm and much more differs from those we are used to, but this is exactly what we travel for - to see how people live in other parts of the world.

* All photos used in the material were taken from open sources on the Internet.

Agree, we do not know so much about China. It is a rather closed socialist country with its own specifics. China is unlike any other country in the world, including those in Asia. The Chinese are completely self-sufficient - they do not know English, they have their own rules of life, their own characteristic mentality, their own Internet, search engine, their own social networks, their own payment system. The whole world uses things Made in China - from towels to phones, but no one knows what China really is ..

You don't need to know Chinese to travel in China. Moreover, many have lived there for years without knowing Chinese and feel great. Yes, not all Chinese speak English and not everywhere. Most often these are young people living in large cities. But - for travelers this is not a problem, because you can always use such means of communication as:

Gestures in China

Facial expressions and gestures are a universal international language that is understood by most of the peoples of the world. In fact, people do not perceive a huge part of information verbally. You don't even need a language for that. Where to find a place to sleep, where you can eat, how much a product or service costs - all this can be literally explained on one hand.

Translators and communication apps in China

Mobile applications for online and offline translation. If there is no internet, you can use offline-googletranslate and any other dictionaries and translators such as Pleco Chinese Dictionary, Chinese-Russian dictionary and others. But the best option, if there is a mobile Internet, is Baidu Translate... You substitute the microphone, speak the required phrase in English, and it is immediately translated into Chinese in writing. It is best to download this program, although all Chinese, even in not very large cities, have such a translator on their phone, and if they don’t understand what you’re trying to convey to them in English, they will definitely use it, they don’t even need to ask them about it. necessary.

Drawings

If neither gestures nor Google Translate helped and there is no Internet on the phone, and your interlocutor does not realize that you can use Baidu Translate, that is, the best tool is a schematic drawing. If you need to find out where and what time the bus goes to the place you want, just draw it on paper. For example, when I needed to know how to get to Huangshan National Park, I drew mountains, a bus and a clock with a question mark. Everything became clear.

Blanks on hieroglyphs

These are magic pieces of paper that open all the doors, you just have to show them and poke your finger at the right word. All words and names of settlements that may be useful to you on the road, it is advisable to prepare in advance, print or save screenshots with them on your phone. All other words and names, the need for which appears during the journey, it is best to ask to write the first Chinese who more or less speaks English and who meets you on the way.

I did this all the time, and it saved me a lot. No long explanations, you silently show a piece of paper, and they give you a ticket or show you the way.

→ In this note you can see and download pictures with some hieroglyphs:

Connection. Internet and mobile communications

SIM card

So, the simplest thing is to buy a Chinese SIM card in Сhina mobail still at the airport. If it was not there, then find a store in the city and buy it there. For this you only need passport and 70 yuan for the simplest plan with 2 GB of Internet. Do not buy SIM cards in private shops - they are 2-3 times more expensive there.

Ask to call

If you didn't manage to buy a SIM card or you regretted the money, it doesn't matter ( I, for example, could not buy, although I really wanted to, and I do not regret). The Chinese are not Russians, and when asked to call, they do not shy away from you, but, on the contrary, always willingly respond, it is even an honor for them that you are a foreigner, turned to them with a request, and for them to help you with joy. You just go up to any person on the street and ask him to call from his phone. You can use gestures. I did this all the time. And they will not only give you a call, but they will also find all the necessary information and give you money ( it happened a couple of times).

WiFi in the cafe

In China, in fact, you will never be truly disconnected. Almost everywhere, even in remote provinces and in the most godforsaken cafes, there is wi-fi. Therefore, if you need to find out something, urgently contact someone, communicate with your parents on Skype, you go into almost any cafe and ask for a password for Wi-Fi, and you don’t even have to order something there.

Ask to share WiFi

If there are no cafes on the horizon, and you are on a train or a bus, and you urgently need to get some information about the place where you are going or to contact those who are waiting for you, the simplest solution is to ask your neighbor to distribute Internet to you from your mobile phone.

At first, the Chinese themselves often offered me their Internet and always handed it out to me without any problems. When I realized that it was in the order of things for them, I began to use it all the time. I need the Internet, I ask, they give me out. Everything is very simple. And don't be shy to ask. This is not Russia, no one will look at you with a stern look, saying: “Dude, are you fucking crazy? Can't you dance the lezginka? "

Blocked Websites in China and VPN

As you probably know, resources such as Google, Facebook, Instagram, Wikipedia are blocked in China. But many Chinese people, like people around the world, get around the bans with a VPN. I have used different programs (for example, Super VPN), but the best thing for me in China was VPNRobot... You download it, open the application and press the connect button below, wait a little while it connects and then calmly post your photos on Instagram.

Money

Exchangers

So, in large cities there are always exchange offices, and there are ones with a very favorable rate. They meet in the center and at train stations. Friends told me about it. I myself, honestly, did not find such, although I was looking very actively. I found only one at the station, where they offered me such a predatory course that I refused. Until the end of my trip, I never changed a single dollar of my own. You may be more fortunate.

ATM machines

ATM machines are everywhere in China. And they all accept regular VISA bank cards. In all the cities where I have been, and in all ATMs from different banks, I have always withdrawn money without any problems, and at a good rate. Only once the ATM refused to read my card, but in the nearest store the sellers on a moped took me to another bank - it was faster and easier than explaining to me where it is. And another businessman told me that his platinum VISA card was not accepted by ATMs, so it is better to use ordinary cards and do not show off.

Transport

Trains. How to travel by train in China

There are several types of trains in China, they can be distinguished by the letter that appears in front of the train number. So,

The main types of trains in China

Category "K"... This is a long-distance train with seating. The ticket says that this is a hard seat. In reality, these are rather soft chairs on which you can lean back and sleep peacefully if you go into the night ( in the photo below). Quite simple and friendly people travel on the train. And they will feed and share wi-fay. The ticket is the cheapest. For example, I paid 172 yuan (1548 rubles) for the trip at 16 o'clock from Guangzhou to Zhangzatse (about 1000 km). In this video you can see how such a train looks from the inside.

Category "Z". The so-called "sleeper". Almost a copy of our reserved seat. Only there are no sidewalls, but instead of them there are 3 shelves in a compartment on each side, the most convenient in the center. There are small half tables and seating in the hallway. The ticket said "hard sleeping car", and I prepared for the worst, but it turned out to be a new, clean, modern train with a soft mattress on the shelf, a snow-white pillow and blanket, but without bed linen. Everything looked so clean that I did not even disdain to sleep like that, without a bed.

The washbasin area with three sinks is located separately from the toilet, which is very convenient because there is no need to wait in line to wash. True, there is no toilet paper or soap. There are a couple of sockets where you can safely leave your phone on charging, no one will pull it off.

The train is inexpensive. I bought a ticket from Shanghai to Guangzhou (16 hours on the way - 1200 km) for 365 yuan (3285 rubles). This is what a sleeper is:

Category "G ". This is a speed train (2nd class). Fast, comfortable super-modern train that travels at a speed of about 350 km / h. The place is sitting, comfortable, if you wish, you can recline the back and sleep. In 4 hours I covered the path from Changsha to Huangshan (700 km) on it. The ticket price is 331 yuan (2979 rubles). But in this video, again, you can feel like a passenger on such a train.

How to buy train tickets in China

It is better to take train tickets in advance, because good seats are quickly sorted out at a convenient time. And there is one great site where you can buy tickets for Chinese trains from your country - CTRIP- english.ctrip.com

Of course, you will have to pay a small commission for such a purchase, but on the other hand, you will already have tickets practically on hand. The most convenient way is to use the resource's mobile application, on the site you can immediately see how many places are left, and you can also receive bonuses for each purchase.

Electronic tickets will need to be printed at the ticket office before boarding the train.

At large train stations, this is done at the long-distance ticket office, so before getting in line, it is better to clarify whether this is the right ticket office. Otherwise, you will be standing in vain and you may miss the train. When it’s your turn, you can silently stretch your mobile phone with a screenshot of your e-ticket and your passport to the cashier through the window.

It is always better to arrive at the station in advance, because at the entrance you need to go through several checks, so there are usually huge queues there. It also happens that tickets are bought and printed in a separate station building, and it is not always easy to find it. Therefore, it is better to be at the station at least 1 hour, and even better, 1.5 hours before departure.

Buses in China

With bus tickets, everything is easier. You can just come to the bus station, name your destination or show a piece of paper with the name, and choose a convenient date and time when asked. Buses run in completely different directions and very often, so the nearest bus, most likely, will not have to wait long. The prices are tolerable, like in Russia.

How much money should you take with you to China? What Chinese food can you eat and what you shouldn't? How to avoid getting caught in a tourist divorce? And also about the specifics of the Chinese mentality and the attitude towards foreigners, read here: What you need to know when going on a trip to China? Part 2

In this article, we will tell you how to organize an independent trip to the Middle Kingdom so that it is inexpensive.

China is a magical country that beckons with its ancient culture and rich history dating back more than 5 thousand years. These are picturesque places and works of art, magnificent monuments and majestic temples ...

When planning an independent vacation in China in 2016, you will surely want to visit the main "places of power", including the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City, as well as see the Terracotta Army, Chengdu Wildlife Sanctuary with its huge pandas and the Guilin region with its tranquil landscapes.

A self-guided trip to China is not a two-week tour to Egypt, so be prepared for a variety of surprises and Asian specifics. Explore China is best done sequentially, starting with, for example, cosmopolitan Hong Kong and local Las Vegas Macau, and then visiting the Philippine Islands, Guangzhou and Hainan. And only when the most tourist places of the country are completely mastered, feel free to go on your own to China.

Keep in mind that most Chinese people do not speak English, with the exception of educators and students, so be prepared for the worst - you may need to use sign language.

And finally, the food here is quite specific, so if you are not a lover of spicy cuisine, it will not be easy for you in China. In addition, the menu of a typical cafe may not have an English version of the names of the dishes, and then you will have to order at random from the picture or by pointing to a neighbor's plate.

Another characteristic feature is the country's public transport. In China, people smoke almost everywhere, including buses and trains. They don't smoke except on airplanes, so if you are not a heavy smoker, choose air travel. But in general, transport is well developed here, and you can get to the desired place both by rail and along the highway in a rented car or taxi.

Travel organization plan

The price of a tour to the Middle Kingdom in agencies will be higher than the cost of an independent trip to China. So, if you want to save money, it is better to be patient and develop a clear plan for a trip to China:

1. Determine exact travel dates
2. Calculate your travel budget
3. Decide on a destination
4. Book a hotel or house
5. Buy plane tickets to China
6. Arrange the necessary documents (visa and insurance)
7. Pack your suitcase and hit the road.

Flights

Before you go to China on your own, you need to buy a plane ticket. You can fly to China directly with Aeroflot or Air China, or you can get there with transfers on Emirates, Air Astana and other airlines.

Aeroflot has regular flights from Moscow to Beijing and Shanghai. The flight duration is from 8 to 10 hours. The planes of China Eastern also fly to Shanghai, and the capital of China can be reached on regular flights by Hainan Airlines, Air China, Transaero and S7.

It is convenient to fly to Hong Kong from Moscow and St. Petersburg directly with the same Aeroflot, Transaero and Cathay Pacific, or with the help of Qatar Airlines and Emirates with one change. You can buy tickets (there / back) from 20,000 rubles. By the way, Hong Kong's international airport Chek Lap Kok, which is located on an artificial island, is considered one of the most comfortable air hubs in the world. You can get from one terminal to another in a few minutes by Aeroexpress.

In addition to Chek Lap Kok, China has 5 dozen airports, so their choice will depend on which city you want to see first. It will be most convenient to come to Hong Kong, and then continue an independent journey towards Chengdu or Hainan. Or you can fly to Shanghai, and from there go to Guilin, Hangzhou and Longzi.

The most convenient way to book cheap flights to China is through the portal. To search for an advantageous offer, enter the codes of the airports of departure and arrival in the request line, select the dates of the trip, click on "search" and wait for the result. In a couple of seconds, you will see all available flights to China on the days you specified, which can be divided by the number of connections, ticket prices and other criteria.

If you know English, be sure to activate the search function for "English-speaking agencies" in the settings so that the system will return more results. If you wish, you can save the request data and subscribe to a constant price update from aviasales in the direction you need.

Low Price Calendar

How to organize your own travel to China in 2020! Visa, tickets, hotels, food, transport, security. How much does it cost to go to China? Costing, advice and observation.

The material was prepared based on the personal experience of an independent travel to China of the author of the text: three months of life in Shenzhen, as well as trips to Hong Kong and Guangzhou.

China is huge and very diverse, so it is impossible to clearly say where what prices and conditions are. I will build on Shenzhen - the center of all electronics, a young and rapidly growing city in the very south of China, which borders Hong Kong. I will tell you what is useful for a tourist when planning an independent trip to China in 2020, as well as give my own observations about the country and travel tips.

How to make a visa to China on your own

A visa to China for Russians is needed, except in rare cases. Regular single entry costs 1,500 rubles, double entry - 3,000, multiple entry - 4,500 rubles. Plus a bank commission of 2.5% per person is charged.

Urgent single entry - 2400, urgent double - 3900, urgent multiple - 5400. There is also an express review, it is more expensive.

Better to stay at chain hotels as they care about their reputation. A day in such a hotel costs from $ 30-40 for a double room. Chain hotels in Shenzhen: Greentree Inn, Sheraton, Novotel, etc.

Advice:

• Look for a soundproofed hotel - the Chinese are noisy.
• Photos of hotels are not always true.
• Sometimes the room can be clean and comfortable, but have foreign odors, such as dampness. Or overlook the courtyard, where a dump or a Chinese street cafe (which produces odors no better).

Rent. If you want a personal comfortable home, look for a room, apartment, or house on Airbnb. The choice of housing is huge. Renting an apartment in Beijing costs about $ 30-50 per day, in Shenzhen - from $ 27. You can rent an apartment for a month on Airbnb for $ 600-1500 (rooms - $ 500-900). The price depends on the city, area and state of the house. For example, in Shenzhen, near the beach in a resort area, an excellent apartment was rented out for $ 600. There are discounts for long-term rentals.

Chinese food and cuisine

Another challenge you will face when traveling on your own to China in 2020 is food. It is very specific here, so there are problems with going to a cafe, especially if you do not know the language. But here McDonald's and KFC come to the rescue. There are also many European well-known chains in which you can order food from pictures. However, the prices in them are much higher - for example, a side dish with meat costs from $ 6. Sometimes the price includes tea. At McDonald's Big Macs (potatoes, cola, double cheeseburger) will cost about $ 5.

In general, in a cafe you can eat for $ 5 or more, in restaurants a simple dish costs from $ 10.

Where you can eat inexpensively and tasty in China:

• Cafe for locals. You can have a hearty meal in them for $ 1.50, but no one guarantees the quality of the products and the observance of sanitary standards. The downside is that it is difficult to order dishes, since often there are no pictures or there are few of them, and if there is, it is not clear what it is.
• "Muslim women" are local cafes run by Muslim Chinese. The food there is prepared in compliance with all standards and is really delicious. I love their noodles very much and I advise you to try it. They prepare it in front of you, and it is interesting to watch this process. Cost from $ 1.5 for a huge portion.
• Supermarket. A kilogram of bananas costs $ 1-2, apples $ 2-3, tangerines $ 1-2. I do not recommend buying sausages. This is not at all what we expect: Chinese sausages are made from soybeans with a lot of spices and additives. They taste sweet and with a specific smell, but just for the sake of curiosity, you can try it once.

(Photo: [email protected]/ flickr.com / CC BY 2.0 License)

Internet and cellular communications in China

All sim cards are sold only with a passport in specialized places. The cost of mobile communication is quite high - from $ 20 per month, plus the same amount is charged for purchasing a card and choosing a tariff plan. To get a normal tariff and understand everything, you need to know the Chinese language. If you need internet in China, it is easier to use Wi-Fi while traveling - you can find it everywhere in big cities.

There is another nuisance that many face is the blocking of all Google, YouTube, Instagram services. To access them, you need to install a special VPN program for yourself.

Transport in China

With transport in China, everything is fine. The infrastructure is very well developed. Airplanes, ferries, trains (including high-speed trains), buses, metro and taxis. You can get anywhere without any problems. Travel in buses - from $ 0.3, in the subway - from $ 0.5.

If you are going to travel to China for a month, buy a travel card. A plastic card can be replenished and used in the metro and buses, and then returned and refunded. Cost $ 4. It is very convenient: you do not need to find out the cost of tickets, buy tokens, stand in lines. Accordingly, the problem of language also disappears. For trips within one city, $ 10-30 per month is enough.

A very common type of movement is electric moped. In fact, this is a taxi, only less comfortable, more extreme and cheaper - from $ 2. The main advantage is the absence of traffic jams, as mopeds go wherever they want. The only negative is the language. You need to agree on the price and destination.

(Photo: Lαin / flickr.com / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 License)

ATMs and cards

Be prepared that in many stores your Visa or MasterCard may not be accepted, since in China another payment system is UnianPay. This card can be issued at any bank for free. If you need to withdraw money from your own, then there are many ATMs for this.

Chinese mentality

Don't be surprised if in China you feel like a monkey that everyone wants to take a photo with. For a Chinese, having a photo with a European is an indicator of coolness, status, so you will always be in the spotlight. They will always turn at you and, without hesitation, stare at close range. In addition to the increased interest, the Chinese will try to make money on the "white man". We are walking money for them, so bargain in all stores. For example, once we knocked down the price of a shirt from $ 35 to $ 5.

We can talk about the culture and upbringing of most Chinese people for a long time. Making way for a girl, letting her go ahead, letting those out of the transport pass, throwing garbage in the trash can - it's not about them. They also have no sense of tact. Do not be surprised if at the first meeting you will be asked about your personal life, salary and health. The Chinese themselves are very cunning and enterprising, but at the same time good-natured.

Useful Chinese Words for the Traveler:

Safety in China

Do you know where the tradition of wearing a backpack in front came from? From China. Petty theft is very common there. In big cities, you can find a police officer everywhere who will be happy to help in any situation. Also, in all buses, metro, shopping centers, and just on the street there are cameras, so in big cities there is nothing to be afraid of, walking along the streets in the evening. From personal experience: I walked with photographic equipment, and no one ever tried to pester me.

Also in China there is an unspoken rule that animals, children and laoyam(to foreigners) everything is possible.

(Photo: Today is a good day / flickr.com / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 License)

How much is an independent trip to China from Russia

Let's calculate how much a trip to China for two for 10 days costs when departing from Moscow:

• Single entry visa - $ 52.
• Flights from Moscow to Beijing and back - from $ 586. Find a ticket >>
• A hotel in the center of Beijing in low season - $ 130. Find a hotel >>
• Eating out for locals - $ 120.
• Insurance - $ 23.
• Transport and attractions - about $ 200.

So how much does it cost to travel to China on your own? The minimum cost of the trip, if you are ready to save, is about 1111$ for two for 10 days.

If you are used to living in comfort, then the trip will cost about 1711$ for two (accommodation in a 3 * hotel - $ 250 and meals in cafes and restaurants - $ 600). We spent $ 1,500 a month for two.

Check out our helpful tips for a self-guided travel to China in 2020:

• Before the trip, see how the Chinese people count on their fingers. The match with our score is only up to 4, then everything is different.
• Be sure to download a translator to your phone.
• Get the medicines you need, as you can hardly find anything familiar in Chinese pharmacies. More likely to come across a dried toad than activated charcoal.
• Download Baidu software and city maps where you are going to live on your phone. This program will help you choose the route, time and type of transport, determine the best route. You won't get lost with her. I highly recommend it!

I hope you have a general idea of ​​prices and conditions. And the problem of language, as you can see, is not so terrible. Travel, because there are so many interesting things in the world!

(Photo: monkeylikemind / flickr.com / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 License)

First photo: mandylovefly / flickr.com / License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

China is a very ancient state in East Asia with a huge population and the same vast territory, covering 7 climatic zones. There are deserts, waterfalls, mountains, lakes, forests and even tropical islands in the south. At the same time, in one corner of China it can be –40 ° С, and in another + 40 ° С. Be sure to stock up on an umbrella as it rains a lot, and bring comfortable hiking shoes and warm clothing if you travel inland, especially in the mountains. The main tips when traveling to China: choose clothes that will be "neither hot nor cold", that is, it is convenient to move around the country.

Food and water

Equally important tips for China are the choice of water and food in places that are safe for Europeans. The quality of water and Chinese food must be taken extremely seriously. The kitchen is quite exotic, but the sanitary conditions are not always up to the mark. Better to choose dinner in a cozy Chinese restaurant - on the recommendation of your guide or hotel staff. You need to be no less careful with water, tourists are advised to drink only purchased bottled water, as well as from special thermoses installed in hotel rooms.

Health

In advance, you need to think about what medicines to take to China. If these are not illegal drugs (narcotic and psychotropic drugs), then there are no special restrictions. You need to prepare the minimum necessary set of medicines for personal needs, including stomach, headache, heart, etc.

General tips for China: get to know this country from the inside, respect local customs and political sympathies of the people, be polite and smile. You are a guest! And guests in China are always welcome!

How much money to take to China - we calculate the required minimum

How much money to take to China and what currency to take to China - these questions arise for those who go there for the first time. Let's start in order. How much money you need to take to China to meet the most average tourist needs, without any frills. If you are traveling from an operator or travel agency, then your accommodation and meals are already included in the price of the voucher. The most minimal and not absolutely necessary expenses remain: a taxi (from 3 to 10 yuan at a time), street food you like, pastries and sweets (10-20), beer (4-6) and wine (20), seafood delicacies ( up to 60), excursions and souvenirs for friends. All this can be spent from 50 to 100 yuan per day or more. Based on this, you must decide how much money to take to China. If you are not too constrained in funds, take it, with a margin - at the rate of up to $ 100 per day of stay, in the case when accommodation and flights have already been paid for.

In order not to worry once again about finding exchange offices in China, immediately decide what money to take to China. Advice on China regarding this converge on one opinion: it is better to convert the entire amount that you will need in Chinese currency or US dollars. Ideal: 60% in yuan, 40% in dollars. You will definitely not change rubles here, and you will not be able to buy dollars for rubles. In China, currency can be changed at state banks and exchange offices, and we advise you to keep the exchange receipts until the end of the trip. You can take with you up to 3 thousand dollars without certificates and documents and up to 10 thousand dollars - with entry into the declaration.

What You Need to Know About China - Primary Truths

Communication

The main thing you need to know about China is that it is strikingly different from Russia in literally everything. Everything here lives according to its own laws, which are not always understood by people of other nationalities, especially Europeans. When communicating, remember that the Chinese do not know English well, and there can be no question of Russian (with the exception of international exhibitions, trade and purely tourist sites and sites). You should prepare well before the trip, study materials about local customs and culture, print, if necessary, maps and routes for independent travel, learn the basic phrases of greetings and addresses, change the required amount of money at home.

Shopping home

Decide in advance what souvenirs to bring from China. It can be porcelain, swords, fans, silk blankets, decorative boxes and exquisite sweets, and ... anything you like - after all, today's China, without exaggeration, is the world's greatest "craft shop". Do not hesitate to bargain, the Chinese themselves do it with pleasure and expect the same from you. Sometimes the initial price for a tea set, equal to 300 yuan, eventually drops to 20 ...

What to take to China from home

Information for tourists

In terms of territory, the People's Republic of China is in third place in the world, second only to Russia and Canada. In the north, China stretches to Mongolia, in the west to the Himalayan and Tibetan mountains, in the east, the country is washed by two Chinese seas. Politically, China consists of 22 regions, 5 autonomous regions, special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, as well as the island of Taiwan, which is claimed by all neighboring states, including China itself.

The capital of the state - Beijing - is the administrative and cultural center of the region, while Shanghai and Chongqing, surpassing it in terms of the number and density of population, share the main economic spheres of the state. Both the local population and visiting tourists prefer to indulge in rest on the island of Hainan, which behind the eyes is called "Eastern Hawaii", and where the best resorts in China are located: Dadonghai (Great East Sea), Yalunwan (Dragon of Asia) and Sanyavan. But travel to China should not be limited to visiting only one of the beach recreation areas, this ancient country deserves a closer look.