Before Arrival

Before Arrival China Scout Real Estate

Tips before travel to China

 

1. Make sure you have chosen well the type of VISA in your Passport for your stay in China.

2. We advise you to change some money to Yuans (RMB) to have cash when arriving to the city.

3. It is better to have more than one credit card, just in case you are not able to pay with one.

(It almost depends on the type of card and on the establishment)

4. If you want to take a taxi/bus/subway from the airport in China to your hotel/house, the best will be to show the address written in Chinese characters (old Chinese). This way you can ask anyone in case you get lost or the taxi driver does not know exactly where the place is situated.

5. Take some medicines with you to avoid a bad trip if you feel sick. Of course you can find a Pharmacy in China but it depends where you are going to stay. Some Pharmacies in the country have not the same type of medicines and will maybe not have the same effect on you.

We recommend you to take medicines with you if you do not speak English/Chinese.

6. It is useful to buy a plug adapter to be able to use your electronic devices in China. High category hotels provide all rooms with a two-way-adaptor but if you stay in another place, you will probably not find one.

If you forget the plug, don’t worry because it can also be obtain in Chinese Supermarkets and Electronic stores. A plug adaptor costs around 5-10 EUR/6-11 USD but in China it will be 1/10 cheaper.

7. Tap water is not potable. The quality is poor and people always drink mineral water in order to avoid stomachache.

8. If you don’t have a strong stomach, try to avoid spicy food at least during the first weeks.

Chinese cuisine adds lot of spicy souces in mostly all dishes. It would be better to order your course without spicy ingredients.

9. Buy a map or a tourist guide to have a clear idea about the city at the begining.

10. Once you took up your residence, buy a Chinese mobile phone to call cheaper and have a look at www.skype.com for International free calls.

Umbrellas

Chinese umbrellas in colors

Ten things you should know about China

 

1. It’s a great country to have Spa treatments and massages.

China has developed the technique of massages for the last 5000 years. Spa treatments and different types of massage including manicures, pedicures and facials massages are part of the Chinese culture. You will find Centres in almost each part for economic prices.

2. You will find plentiful of restaurants to taste Chinese and International food.

In China you will find any type of cuisine from around the world : Indian, Persian, French, Spanish, Japanese…

3. Internet goes slow and some pages have limited access.

The access to networks in China can be frustraiting and used to work slow and not during all day. Have patience and do not expect high speed on your PC.

4. Chinese copied video games won’t work on official game systems.

You probably need to convert your gaming system for Chinese copied games. The cost is around RMB 40. If not you can buy a Chinese Playstation/Xbox/Nintendo but it is going to be more expensive than yours.

5. DVD’s are very cheap and easy to find.

You will be able to find very cheap DVD’s mostly in Chinese, English, French and Latin Spanish but with subtitles in other languages such as Japanese, Korean or Russian. Be prepared to pay between RMB 5-15.

6. Foreign-language books are hard to find.

You can find books written in English in some in big bookstores but it would be useful to bring a few books from home or buy an E-book. You can easily buy books on-line in www.Amazon.com

7. You can buy almost everything is big cities.

International name brands such as Mango, Zara, Nike, Only, H&M, American Eagle and others have also a place in China. The price is similar than in Europe/US. By the way, you will find a lot of Markets with copied bags and clothes for cheaper prices.

8. China is a cash society.

The best way to get around China i shaving cash in your pocket. Credits cards are useful but some of them do not work in many shops and restaurants. People are used to pay with cash anywhere.

9. Tipping is not necessary.

Do not tip anyone in China because it can result confusing and smiling. Just pay in the restaurant/taxi/hairdressing salon the indicated price.

10. Most people do not speak English.

Maybe you will meet Chinese people who speak English in main cities like Beijing or Shanghai. They will understand some words but do not expect more. In western brand stores, Starbucks, banks and touristic places it is usefull to speak English in order to tell them what you need.

We give you the advise of starting learning Chinese and to make the most of this experience abroad. Even if you don’t have a lot of time, Language Centre’s offer different lessons depending on the level and the hours you want to carry out.

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