If you're a US American or Canadian, Australian, British or European adult looking to travel or live in China for any length of time, read ahead and arm yourself with this knowledge, from packing your bags to dealing with the government.
1. Bring light clothes made from thin fabrics, and wash your laundry before you run out of clean clothes. Why? It's not the weather: although in many parts of China the weather is warm most of the year, it's a huge country, so look up the forecast for where you're going.
But even in winter, don't bring heavy canvas pants. Instead, pick light fabrics and a heavy coat, and layer smartly. It's easy to find washing machines for hire, but almost impossible to find a clothes dryer in most of China. So make certain to plan ahead, and wash your clothes a day early to allow for clothesline drying time!
2. Get your visa well in advance. Only a few areas in the US have their own Chinese consulates, and the turnaround time for visa paperwork by mail is typically long. There are visa expediting agencies - I used one - but they're expensive to use.
If you are traveling to China to work, rather than as a tourist, you'll want to make sure the papers from your employer are in order. Never go in on a tourist visa and expect to "get it changed" later - you'll end up needing to leave the country sooner than you planned!
3. While you're at it, get immunized. Typhoid and Hepatitis A shots are recommended for anyone who'll be in China longer than a couple of weeks.
It's also good to protect yourself against Hepatitis B, though this is harder to contract. Hepatitis vaccinations are performed as a series, so if you're staying long and you don't do it ahead of time, you'll need a booster while you're abroad. If you need any injections while in China, make sure to watch as they unwrap a fresh needle and syringe.
Malaria will be a hazard only in certain places and in certain seasons. Mosquitoes can be put off by the use of repellant and in-room "mosquito incense".
4. Eat carefully - and eat the street food. It's great. This may sound odd, but the dodgy-looking street restaurants can sometimes be the safest, especially in Eastern and Northern China. The key is how thoroughly the food is cooked. If it's cooked in front of you, you can watch to see that everything's well done. Also watch for these signs of a safer outdoor hotspot: a line of locals buying their food there (meaning fast turnover, and fresher food), bowls that are either lined with disposable plastic or sanitized with boiling water, and plastic-wrapped disposable chopsticks.
It's easiest to get a stomachache in Southern China, or elsewhere in the summer, where the local weather conditions can make food hygiene difficult. Be extra cautious in hot weather.
5. BYOTP, and prepare to squat. The Chinese-style squat toilet is the greatest surprise to most foreigners, and even in large cities is often unavoidable. Your hotel is likely to have Western-style toilet seats, and so will any Starbucks, but even American fast food chains usually have ground-level fixtures where you will have to balance carefully while doing your business.
And, unless you've stopped into a KFC, you'll need a packet of tissue in your pocket. This is why every convenience store sells tissue packets!
6. Drink bottled water. Many restaurants will offer you boiled tap water: it's free of germs, but I found after a while that it gave me indigestion, probably due to bad sources and mineral or chemical contamination that isn't removed by boiling. Stick to bottled water, and make sure the seal on the cap isn't broken.
7. Bring aspirin and deodorant. Most of your basic toiletry needs will be served by a Chinese supermarket, but aspirin is hard to come by, and antiperspirant deodorant is as well. When you go to China, make sure
you've stocked up on these Western essentials for the length of your stay. Tampons are another item that hasn't made a hit in the country yet, so if you need them, see that you have your supply.
8. Don't stress about the government. The last thing the Chinese government wants to do is offend any of the powerful, rich countries from which you're probably visiting. This isn't Soviet Russia; in fact, it's a wildly capitalistic place, with friendly opportunistic strangers trying to sell you goods at every street corner! The regime of the Chinese Communist Party may be oppressive, but it's growing less so. Nobody is going to disappear you, though if you do something blatantly illegal, you will probably be kicked out of the country, temporarily or permanently.
Just because you won't be shot for talking about politics, though, doesn't mean you should. The people around you may find it quite rude. Never bring up the three T's - Tibet, Taiwan or Tiananmen Square - except to someone you know very, very well.
In my many months of living in China, I did enter some conversations on these topics, but they were always started by locals, after we had taken time to build a little trust. Many locals will agree with their government's policies; a few will not; but the majority, in my experience, simply want to get on with their lives, and don't want to hear about politics at all. In all cases, be polite.
As a side note, internet access is restricted, around sensitive political topics but also around blogging and social networking sites. You can get around it easily enough by using a proxy, either a program like Tor or a website like Anonymouse. You won't get in trouble for this. However, avoid trying to bring in books promoting Tibet or Taiwan as independent countries, or religious tracts.
9. Watch your wallet and wear a money belt. As a tourist or expat, you're unlikely to suffer violent crime, but I had my camera plucked from my purse while navigating an underground street crossing in Shenzhen, an area infamous for pickpockets. Especially if you're white or dark-skinned and thus don't resemble a local, you'll be a target. Keep your hand on your possessions, and always keep your passport, credit cards, and the majority of your cash in your money belt under your clothes. And while you're at it, don't use those credit cards too much - especially in large cities, you never know who's going to copy down the number.
Also be careful of scammers. Anyone who comes up to you and offers a free or bargain tour - often these people will claim to be students, and sometimes it's true! - is probably trying to lead you into an overpriced shop, or a situation leading to theft. Avoid them with a polite but firm "bu yao xie xie" (pronounced boo yow shay shay): even if they have approached you in English, they'll only take no for an answer in Mandarin.
10. Expect stairs, and stares! You'll climb flights of stairs to get in and out of your hotel and across any major street, but you'll stay in shape. If you have limited mobility, however, stick to Shanghai or Beijing and find a reliable tour company.
As a foreigner in China, you'll attract lots of attention. Many people will say "hello" to you in the streets. Some of them are just gawking, but some are genuinely interested in talking with you. You'll make friends if you stay any length of time.
Despite all the challenges for a visitor, China can be a friendly, fascinating and remarkable place. I've gotten badly lost and found friends in the strangest situations. Look for young people if you're in need of help; they're most likely to speak English. Whenever I went awry, someone always came to my aid.
For more information, read the Wikitravel China travel guide, an article which I both used as a resource and worked on personally during the course of my stay.
Look for my follow-up article, on finding teaching jobs abroad, coming soon!
1. Bring light clothes made from thin fabrics, and wash your laundry before you run out of clean clothes. Why? It's not the weather: although in many parts of China the weather is warm most of the year, it's a huge country, so look up the forecast for where you're going.
But even in winter, don't bring heavy canvas pants. Instead, pick light fabrics and a heavy coat, and layer smartly. It's easy to find washing machines for hire, but almost impossible to find a clothes dryer in most of China. So make certain to plan ahead, and wash your clothes a day early to allow for clothesline drying time!
2. Get your visa well in advance. Only a few areas in the US have their own Chinese consulates, and the turnaround time for visa paperwork by mail is typically long. There are visa expediting agencies - I used one - but they're expensive to use.
If you are traveling to China to work, rather than as a tourist, you'll want to make sure the papers from your employer are in order. Never go in on a tourist visa and expect to "get it changed" later - you'll end up needing to leave the country sooner than you planned!
3. While you're at it, get immunized. Typhoid and Hepatitis A shots are recommended for anyone who'll be in China longer than a couple of weeks.
Malaria will be a hazard only in certain places and in certain seasons. Mosquitoes can be put off by the use of repellant and in-room "mosquito incense".
4. Eat carefully - and eat the street food. It's great. This may sound odd, but the dodgy-looking street restaurants can sometimes be the safest, especially in Eastern and Northern China. The key is how thoroughly the food is cooked. If it's cooked in front of you, you can watch to see that everything's well done. Also watch for these signs of a safer outdoor hotspot: a line of locals buying their food there (meaning fast turnover, and fresher food), bowls that are either lined with disposable plastic or sanitized with boiling water, and plastic-wrapped disposable chopsticks.
It's easiest to get a stomachache in Southern China, or elsewhere in the summer, where the local weather conditions can make food hygiene difficult. Be extra cautious in hot weather.
5. BYOTP, and prepare to squat. The Chinese-style squat toilet is the greatest surprise to most foreigners, and even in large cities is often unavoidable. Your hotel is likely to have Western-style toilet seats, and so will any Starbucks, but even American fast food chains usually have ground-level fixtures where you will have to balance carefully while doing your business.
And, unless you've stopped into a KFC, you'll need a packet of tissue in your pocket. This is why every convenience store sells tissue packets!
6. Drink bottled water. Many restaurants will offer you boiled tap water: it's free of germs, but I found after a while that it gave me indigestion, probably due to bad sources and mineral or chemical contamination that isn't removed by boiling. Stick to bottled water, and make sure the seal on the cap isn't broken.
7. Bring aspirin and deodorant. Most of your basic toiletry needs will be served by a Chinese supermarket, but aspirin is hard to come by, and antiperspirant deodorant is as well. When you go to China, make sure
8. Don't stress about the government. The last thing the Chinese government wants to do is offend any of the powerful, rich countries from which you're probably visiting. This isn't Soviet Russia; in fact, it's a wildly capitalistic place, with friendly opportunistic strangers trying to sell you goods at every street corner! The regime of the Chinese Communist Party may be oppressive, but it's growing less so. Nobody is going to disappear you, though if you do something blatantly illegal, you will probably be kicked out of the country, temporarily or permanently.
Just because you won't be shot for talking about politics, though, doesn't mean you should. The people around you may find it quite rude. Never bring up the three T's - Tibet, Taiwan or Tiananmen Square - except to someone you know very, very well.
In my many months of living in China, I did enter some conversations on these topics, but they were always started by locals, after we had taken time to build a little trust. Many locals will agree with their government's policies; a few will not; but the majority, in my experience, simply want to get on with their lives, and don't want to hear about politics at all. In all cases, be polite.
As a side note, internet access is restricted, around sensitive political topics but also around blogging and social networking sites. You can get around it easily enough by using a proxy, either a program like Tor or a website like Anonymouse. You won't get in trouble for this. However, avoid trying to bring in books promoting Tibet or Taiwan as independent countries, or religious tracts.
9. Watch your wallet and wear a money belt. As a tourist or expat, you're unlikely to suffer violent crime, but I had my camera plucked from my purse while navigating an underground street crossing in Shenzhen, an area infamous for pickpockets. Especially if you're white or dark-skinned and thus don't resemble a local, you'll be a target. Keep your hand on your possessions, and always keep your passport, credit cards, and the majority of your cash in your money belt under your clothes. And while you're at it, don't use those credit cards too much - especially in large cities, you never know who's going to copy down the number.
Also be careful of scammers. Anyone who comes up to you and offers a free or bargain tour - often these people will claim to be students, and sometimes it's true! - is probably trying to lead you into an overpriced shop, or a situation leading to theft. Avoid them with a polite but firm "bu yao xie xie" (pronounced boo yow shay shay): even if they have approached you in English, they'll only take no for an answer in Mandarin.
10. Expect stairs, and stares! You'll climb flights of stairs to get in and out of your hotel and across any major street, but you'll stay in shape. If you have limited mobility, however, stick to Shanghai or Beijing and find a reliable tour company.
As a foreigner in China, you'll attract lots of attention. Many people will say "hello" to you in the streets. Some of them are just gawking, but some are genuinely interested in talking with you. You'll make friends if you stay any length of time.
Despite all the challenges for a visitor, China can be a friendly, fascinating and remarkable place. I've gotten badly lost and found friends in the strangest situations. Look for young people if you're in need of help; they're most likely to speak English. Whenever I went awry, someone always came to my aid.
For more information, read the Wikitravel China travel guide, an article which I both used as a resource and worked on personally during the course of my stay.
Look for my follow-up article, on finding teaching jobs abroad, coming soon!
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