Exploring China, the third largest country in the world
China is the most populous country in the world. It covers an area of 9,560,960 sq km, making it the largest country in Asia, and third largest in the world behind Russia and Canada. China's population of 1.29 billion is also the biggest in the world. There are countless places to visit in China. Famous sights include the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the Terracotta Soldiers of Xi'an. These are just three out of a huge treasure trove of sights we will explore in AsiaExplorers.
China is too vast for generalisation. As the third largest country in the world, China shares a common border with North Korea, Russia, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.
China consists of mountain ranges (35%), high plateau (27%), basin and desert (17%), hilly terrain (8%) and plains (13%). Only 7 percent of the country can be used for agriculture. China is very densely populated, especially along the eastern coastal provinces, while the western end is sparsely populated.
What to see in China
Being such a vast country, China has so much to offer visitors. Megacities such as Shanghai and Beijing are the main gateways to the country. These huge cities also has a lot of tourist attractions and nearby destinations which visitors can explore. They also offer great shopping opportunities.
There are many heritage cities in China, such as Xian, Lijiang, Chengdu, Lhasa, Urumji, and so on. Each has its own character and feel. There are also specific destinations in each corner of China, including Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province, Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan Province, Zhangziajie in Henan Province, among others. There is indeed so much to see in China, most people would need several visits just to cover a small fraction of everything interesting in the country.
Time Zone: +8GMT China is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Daylight Savings Time is not practised in China, so it is BST +7 from Apr - Oct.
Currency: yuan (RMB, ¥)
Language: Mandarin Chinese is the official language although numerous Chinese dialects are spoken, with the most popular outside of mainland China are Cantonese and Hokkien.
International Dialing Code: 86
Population: 1.29 billion
Religion: no official religion although Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity are practised and "tolerated".
Electricity: 220V 50Hz.
Electrical Outlet: Most wall sockets has the three connectors (L, N, and E). Hotel bathrooms are often equiped with the 110V socket for electric razors but not for hair dryers. (See details here: http://www.kropla.com/electric.htm)
Driving: On the right side of the road.
China Entry Points
Entering China by Air
We expect the majority of users reading this AsiaExplorers page to be entering China by flight. The main gateways are the airports in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Urumqi and Xi'an. Details on the airlines flying into each of these destinations are provided in their respective pages. Arriving passengers must fill out the arrival cards, customs and health declarations. On departure, passengers must pay a 90-yuan airport tax. For domestic flights, the airport tax is 50 yuan.
Moscow: The Trans-Siberian Railway is one of the world's great train journeys. It passes Beijing on its way to Moscow. This line, also called the Trans-Manchurian and Trans-Mongolian, actually has its terminus in Siberia's Pacific coast, not China. If you're taking this train into Beijing, the same health and customs procedures apply to those arriving on international flights. The Trans-Mongolian line links Beijing to Moscow via Ulan Bator (@Ulaanbaatar), a 5-day trip. The Trans-Manchurian line takes 6 days; it enters China at Manzhouli. Both lines leave Moscow once a week. Information on how to book the Trans-Siberian Railway: http://www.seat61.com/Trans-Siberian.htm
Vietnam: There's a twice-weekly train service linking Hanoi with Beijing. Stops include Nanning, Changsha and Guilin.
Entering China by Road
Overland routes are available for you to enter China at several international border crossings. Here are a few:
Myanmar (@ Burma): A border crossing between Yunnan in China and Myanmar was open since 1996, but foreigners are discouraged from using it.
Nepal: The international border crossing with Nepal has been open since 1985. It is possible to book a tour in Kathmandu to tour Tibet, in which case the tour agency in Kathmandu will help you arrange the visa. Otherwise, get your visa outside Nepal. Also note that travel between Kathmandu and Lhasa involves considerable time, for travel as well as for bureaucracy.
Laos: Travellers can enter Mengla County in China from Boten in Luang Narn Tha Province, Laos. This is irregular and discouraged.
Pakistan: A route between Kashi, China, and Islamabad, Pakistan, has been open since 1986 on the Karakorum Highway. This border crossing is open only between April and October, if weather permits. Visa is not available on the border; you need to get it before starting the trip. From Kashi, buses are available to Taxkorgan (5 hours), the last outpost in China where immigration and customs formalities are performed. From Taxkorgan, buses are available to Pirali (2 hours), from where you can catch the Pakistani buses. Some times the road linking Pakistan and China may be cut by landslides, so expect to carry your luggage a fair distance. Accommodation is spartan.
Korea: A ferry service is available linking Inchon, South Korea with Weihai (18 hours, 2x weekly), Qingdao (24 hours, 1x weekly), Tianjin (30 hours, once every 5 days), Dalian (18 hours, 2x weekly) and Shanghai (40 hours, 1x weekly) in China. Contact Weidong Ferry Service: http://www.weidong.com/
Japan: A ship service is available linking Osaka, Japan, with Shanghai, China. A less regular service exists to Kobe. Contact: Shanghai Ferry Co.: http://www.shanghai-ferry.co.jp/, email: pax@shanghai-ferry.co.jp in Osaka and sfco@shanghai.cngb.com in Shanghai.
China Entry Requirements
China Visa
All nationals must hold an entry visa before arrival in China. When travelling in a tour group, the tour operator will arrange it for you. The procedure to apply for the visa takes about a week. Visa fee is expensive: US$50 for those holding US passport, and US$35 for visitors of other countries. The type of visa issued for tourists is the L Visa. A 30-day single-entry visa is usually issued. You passport must have a validity of at least six months after the expiry date of the entry visa. If your visa expires while you are in China, it can be extended by the local Public Security Bureau, aka the police. However, be sure to visit them before it expires, otherwise you're looking at a steep fine and long negotiations down the road.
Customs
Every traveller arriving in a China port of entry must complete a health declaration form. As a tourist, you are allowed to bring in 4 bottles of wine and 400 cigarettes, unrestricted amount of foreign currency and valuables for personal use. Prohibited items include weapons, ammunition, drugs and pornographic material.
Health Requirement
Diarrhoea tops the list of health problems for visitors to China. Ensure maximum hygiene when travelling, especially when consuming food in restaurants and roadside stalls. Avoid raw, uncooked food, including salads - be mindful that animal as well as human excrement is frequently still used as fertiliser. When visiting far flung areas of China, places outside Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, it is advisable to take emergency evacuation insurance.
The following numbers may prove useful during emergencies:
Police (called from land line): 110
Fire (called from land line): 119
Ambulance: 120
Directory Enquiries: 114
Time: 12117
Weather: 12121
China Telephone System
There is a telephone numbering system, called the Chinese Telephone Code Plan, for telephones in China. Domestic phone numbers has at least 7 digits, with large cities having 8 digits. Mobile phones have 11 digits. The IDD number for China is 86, while those of Hong Kong and Macau are 852 and 853 respectively. Mobile phone numbers in China have 11 digits beginning with 13, 15 and 18. For example, 13x-xxxx-xxxx.
How to dial from China to another country? Dial 00 followed by the Country Code, Area Code and Phone Number. For example, if you're calling the number 04-555 6666 in Penang, Malaysia from Japan, you would dial 00-60-4-555-6666.
China Area Codes
China is divided into 10 phone area codes. Area 1, with the prefix 10, is for Beijing; Area 2, with prefixes 20 to 29, is for specific municipalities. It also includes one reserved for Taipei, which presently is following its own phone system. The remaining eight area codes denote specific China provinces. Area 1
Beijing: 10 Area 2
Guangzhou: 20
Shanghai: 21
Tianjin: 22
Chongqing: 23
Nanjing: 25
Taipei: 26
Wuhan: 27
Chengdu: 28
Xi'an: 29 Area 3: places in Hubei, Shanxi and Henan provinces Area 4: places in the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia and provinces in northeast China, namely Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang Area 5: places in Jiangsu, Shandong (a few), Anhui, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces Area 6: places in Taiwan (proposed), Shandong (the rest), Guangdong (a few) and Yunnan (a few) provinces Area 7: places in Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong (most), Jiangxi provinces and Guangxi autonomous region Area 8: places in Sichuan, Hainan, Guizhou, Yunnan (mostly) provinces and Tibet autonomous region Area 9: places in Shaanxi, Gansu and Qinghai provinces, and Ningxia and Xinjiang autonomous regions
China Yellow Pages
China Yellow Pages: http://www.chinayellowpages.org/
Mobile Phones
China uses the GSM system common everywhere outside North America. About receiving calls while in China, please note that you may be charged a very high rate for receiving calls from callers who are unaware you are abroad. Prepaid cards are easily available at kiosks in most cities.
The Chinan currency is called the renminbi (people's currency), and is valued in yuan (and colloqually, as kuai). It is abbreviated as RMB. 10 jiao make one yuan, and 10 fen make one jiao; consequently, 100 fen make one yuan. Banknotes are available in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 yuan. Coins are available in 1 yuan, 5 jiao, 1 jiao and 5 fen. At the time of writing, US$1.00 = RM7.76. For the latest exchange rate, use the Oanda Currency
Converter: http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic.
The RMB is not completely convertible, so technically it is an offence to convert your foreign currency to RMB on the street. Doing so risk arrest, and is really an exercise or no advantage. Major currencies are accepted by the banks and hotels, however, and global network-connected ATM machines (Cirrus, Plus) are found in major cities. Beijing and Shanghai airports have cash machines with which to withdraw RMB with your credit cards. If the ATM machine requires a 6-digit PIN and yours is only 4, try with 2 leading zeroes. Do not be too dependent on network-connected ATM machines when venturing outside major cities - carry enough cash!
Beware of counterfeit Y100 and Y50 notes. Look at the greenish metallic number at the bottom left. The genuine note will show the number changing colour when you angle it away from you. You should also look for the watermark of Mao Zedong though a light as another indicator.
Credit Card
Credit cards are gaining wider acceptance, especially in places frequented by foreigners. Nevertheless, use of credit cards outside the major cities is still low. Transport costs (domestic air and train tickets) must be paid in cash.
Travellers' Cheques
Unheard of in China.
China Banking Hours
Banks are open Mondays to Fridays from 9:00am to 4:00pm or 5:00pm. Some banks close for an hour from 12:00 noon to 1:00pm.
China Public Holidays
New Year Day: Monday, 1 January
Lunar New Year @ Spring Festival: variable, somewhere in January/February
International Women's Day: 8 March
Week-long Public Holidays: 1-7 May
Youth Day: 4 May
Children's Day: 1 June
Founding of the Communist Party: 1 July
Founding of the People's Liberation Army: 1 August
National Day: 1 October
Golden Week Public Holidays: 1-7 October
In Hong Kong, Good Friday, Easter Monday and Christmas Day are also public holidays.
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AsiaExplorers is researched and written by Timothy Tye. Reasonable care is taken to check and verify the accuracy of the content. AsiaExplorers disclaims responsibility for any inconvenience, mishap, injury or death resulting from following the tips and advice provided directly or indirectly by this website. All pages may be printed out for your own personal, non-commercial use. Photographs not credited to a third party belong to Timothy Tye and may not be reused in any form unless you are first given permission. Write in to inquire if interested. Third party photographs are governed by their respective licenses. The author is a Christian. Click here if you are interested to know more about his Christian beliefs. To contact AsiaExplorers, use the following email address:
