- Vir ander plekke met dieselfde naam, sien China (onduidelikheid).
 | COVID-19 inligting: Toegang word die meeste reisigers geweier. Buitelandse burgers wat geldige verblyfpermitte het, insluitend werkspermitte of permitte vir familiereünie en persoonlike aangeleenthede, mag toegelaat word om in te gaan, afhangende van watter land hulle kom. Buitelanders wie se verblyfpermitte na 28 Maart verstryk het, kan met 'n vinnige proses vir 'n nuwe een aansoek doen. Alle passasiers wat na China vlieg, moet COVID-19 negatiewe sertifikate kry voordat hulle aan boord gaan, wat moontlik in Engels moet wees en deur 'n Chinese ambassade aangemeld moet word. U benodig dalk ook 'n teenliggaamstoets. Reisigers is onderworpe aan 'n verpligte kwarantyn van 14 dae of 21 dae in die eerste toegangspuntstad en sal verskeie kere op COVID getoets word. Sakereisigers uit sommige lande is vrygestel van kwarantyn, maar moet 'n negatiewe COVID-19-toets hê, nie meer as 48 uur voor instap nie, en moet noukeurig by 'n goedgekeurde voorafbepaalde reisplan hou. Reëls wissel na gelang van die land waarvandaan u kom en die lande waarheen u reis; kontak u naaste Chinese ambassade vir spesifieke inligting. Binne China bly daar beperkings op reis en aktiwiteite, wat baie wissel en met min kennisgewing kan verander. Baie hotelle en ander ondernemings weier diens aan nie-Chinese burgers. Gesigsmaskers is in sommige gebiede steeds nodig. Chinese owerhede het 'n nonsens-benadering gebruik om selfs die kleinste uitbrake te hanteer, en stede of selfs hele provinsies kan op kort kennisgewing afgesluit word indien daar 'n infeksiegroep sou ontstaan, wat beteken dat u weke of selfs maande aaneen vasgevang kan wees. . Provinsiale grense kan ook op kort kennisgewing gesluit word as gevolg van die ontwikkeling van infeksiegroepe. |
| (Inligting laas op 12 Maart 2021 opgedateer) |
Sjina (中国; Zhōngguó) is een van die wêreld se oudste beskawings. Die lang en ryk geskiedenis daarvan is teenwoordig in mense se denke en waardes, en in die kuns, argitektuur en prestasies van ingenieurswese wat uit die verlede van die dinastieë gebly het.
Na 'n onstuimige 20ste eeu het China dramaties weer na vore getree as 'n ekonomiese kragstasie. Sy vinnige ontwikkeling word gelys deur 'n styging op die internasionale toneel wat daartoe gelei het dat dit 'n supermoondheid geword het. Natuurlik is daar groeipyne wanneer hooghuise en fabrieke opstoot tot dwergagtige eeue oue pagodes, maar daar is ook 'n sterk gevoel van entoesiasme en optimisme oor wat die toekoms inhou. As u nou besoek, kan u die oorblyfsels van millennia geskiedenis sien en die tekens ervaar van verdere transformasies wat aan die gang is.
Streke
China s'n hiërargie van administratiewe afdelings het 22 provinsies (省 shěng) wat geneig is om hul eie kulturele identiteite te hê, en 5 outonome streke (自治区 zìzhìqū), elk met 'n aangewese etniese groep. Dit saam met vier munisipaliteite (直辖市 zhíxiáshì) maak wat bekend staan as die vasteland van China.
Wikivoyage-omslag Hongkong, Macau en Taiwan in afsonderlike artikels. Hulle het afsonderlike immigrasie- en visumstelsels en gee hul eie geldeenhede uit. Reise tussen twee van hulle of tussen een van hulle en die vasteland van China sal grensinspeksies behels.
Dit verteenwoordig geen onderskrywing van enige politieke posisie nie. |
Vir die doeleindes van Wikivoyage word hierdie provinsies in die volgende streke gegroepeer:
| Noordoos-China (Skakeling, Jilin, Heilongjiang) Histories bekend as Mantsjoerye, die Noordooste is 'n land van steppe, uitgestrekte woude en lang sneeu-winters. Dit word kultureel beïnvloed deur Rusland, Korea en Japan en bevat 'n mengsel van moderne stede en 'roesgordel' industriële dorpe wat verwaarloos is. |
| Noord-China (Shandong, Shanxi, Binne-Mongolië, Henan, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin) Die vlaktes van Noord-China rondom die vrugbare geelrivierkom was die bakermat van die Chinese beskawing. Hulle was al duisende jare die politieke sentrum van Chinese ryke en is die tuiste van die moderne hoofstad Beijing. |
| Noordwes-China (Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang) 'N Historiese grensgebied, met grasvelde wat plek maak vir woestyne en berge, en met die antieke Silk Road wat China met Europa verbind. Noordwes-China is die tuiste van baie Moslems en etniese minderhede wat soms onafhanklike koninkryke gevorm het. |
| Suidwes-China (Tibet, Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, Guizhou) Minderheidsvolk, skouspelagtige natuurskoon en skuilplekke vir rugsakreisigers. |
| Suid-sentraal China (Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi) Yangtze-rivierkomgebied, plase, berge, rivierklowe, gematigde en subtropiese woude. |
| Suid-China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan) Tradisionele handelsentrum, vervaardigings- en tegnologiese kragstasie. |
| Oos-China (Jiangsu, Sjanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian) Die 'land van vis en rys', tradisionele waterdorpe en China se nuwe kosmopolitiese ekonomiese sentrum. |
Stede
Hier is nege van China se mees interessante stede vir reisigers. Ander word in streekartikels gelys.
- 1 Beijing (北京) - die hoofstad, die kulturele sentrum en die tuiste van die Verbode Stad, die Somerpaleis en ander belangrike historiese plekke
- 2 Chengdu (成都) - hoofstad van Sichuan provinsie, bekend vir tingerige-gekruide kos, en die tuiste van die reuse-pandas
- 3 Guangzhou (广州) - een van die welvarendste en mees liberale stede in die suide, naby Hongkong, en die belangrikste sentrum van die Kantonese kultuur
- 4 Hangzhou (杭州) - gebou rondom West Lake, 'n UNESCO werelderfenisgebied, en die suidelike eindpunt van die Grand Canal
- 5 Harbin (哈尔滨) - hoofstad van Heilongjiang, wat tydens die bitter koue winters die gas- en beeldhoufees vir ys en sneeu aanbied
- 6 Kashgar (Chinees: 喀什, Uyghur: قەشقەر) - middelpunt van Uyghur-kultuur, met 'n pragtige en goed bewaarde ou stad, en die beroemde Id Kah-moskee
- 7 Nanjing (南京) - die hoofstad tydens die vroeë era van die Ming-dinastie en die Republiek van China, 'n bekende historiese en kulturele stad met baie historiese terreine
- 8 Sjanghai (上海) - China se grootste stad, bekend vir sy stadsgees aan die rivier, 'n belangrike kommersiële sentrum met baie winkelsentrums
- 9 Xi'an (西安) - die oudste stad en antieke hoofstad van China, die eindpunt van die antieke Sy pad, en die tuiste van die terrakottakrygers
U kan na baie van hierdie stede reis met behulp van die nuwe vinnige treine. In die besonder is die lyn Hangzhou - Shanghai - Suzhou - Nanjing 'n maklike manier om hierdie historiese gebiede te sien.
Ander bestemmings
Van die bekendste toeriste-aantreklikhede in China is:
- 1 Groot Muur van China (万里长城) - langer as 8 000 km, is hierdie antieke muur die mees ikoniese baken van China
- 2 Hainan (海南) - 'n tropiese paradys-eiland wat sterk toerisme-georiënteerde ontwikkeling ondergaan
- 3 Jiuzhaigou Natuurreservaat (九寨沟) - bekend vir sy vele watervalle op veelvlak, kleurvolle mere en as die tuiste van die reuse-pandas
- 4 Leshan - die bekendste vanweë sy groot kranssny van Boeddha en in die omgewing Mount Emei
- 5 Mount Everest - Die grens tussen Nepal en Tibet is die wêreld se hoogste berg
- 6 Mount Tai (泰山 Tài Shān) - een van die vyf heilige Taoïstiese berge in China, en die mees geklimde berg in China
- 7 Tibet (西藏) - met 'n meerderheid Tibetaanse Boeddhiste en tradisionele Tibetaanse kultuur, voel dit soos 'n heel ander wêreld
- 8 Yungang Grottoes (云冈 石窟) - hierdie grotte en uitsparings aan die berge is meer as 50 en is gevul met 51.000 Boeddhistiese standbeelde
- 9 Guilin karst (桂林) - sensasionele berglandskappe wat al lank die onderwerp van Chinese skilderye was
China het meer as 40 webwerwe op die UNESCO Wêrelderfenislys.
Verstaan
 | |
| Kapitaal | Beijing |
| Geldeenheid | renminbi (CNY) |
| Bevolking | 1,4 miljard (2017) |
| Elektrisiteit | 220 volt / 50 hertz (NEMA 1-15, Europlug, AS / NZS 3112) |
| Landelike kode | 86 |
| Tydsone | China Standaardtyd, UTC 08:00 |
| Noodgevalle | 119 (brandweer), 110 (polisie), 120 (mediese nooddienste) |
| Rykant | reg |
| wysig op Wikidata | |
China is een van die belangrikste beskawings in hierdie wêreld en het vir baie eeue uitgestaan as 'n toonaangewende land met tegnologieë wat die Weste nie kon ooreenstem met die vroeë moderne tydperk nie. Papier en buskruit is voorbeelde van Chinese uitvindings wat vandag nog algemeen gebruik word. As 'n oorheersende mag in die streek vir 'n groot deel van sy geskiedenis, het China 'n groot deel van sy kultuur na die buurland uitgevoer Vietnam, Korea en Japan, en Chinese invloede kan steeds in die kulture van hierdie lande gesien word.
Die Chinese beskawing het duisende omwentelinge en rewolusies, goue eeue en tydperke van anargie verduur. Deur die ekonomiese oplewing wat sedert die 1980's deur die hervormings begin is, het China teruggekeer na sy plek as 'n belangrike politieke en ekonomiese wêreldmoondheid, gedryf deur sy groot, ywerige bevolking en oorvloedige natuurlike hulpbronne. Die diepte en kompleksiteit van die Chinese beskawing, met sy ryk erfenis, het Westerlinge soos: Marco Polo en Gottfried Leibniz in eeue gelede, en sal die reisiger vandag opgewonde maak - en verbouereer.
In Chinees is China zhōng guó, letterlik "sentrale staat", maar dikwels meer poëties vertaal as "Midde-koninkryk". Mense van oral anders word '' wàiguórén '' (外国人, 'buitelanders') genoem, of in die omgangstaal lǎowài, 'ou buitestaander' met 'oud' in die sin van eerbiedwaardig of gerespekteer (in die praktyk verwys hierdie terme meestal na wit mense of Westerlinge, en byna nooit aan enige vreemdeling van Chinese afkoms nie).
Geskiedenis
- Sien Keiserlike China vir meer inligting oor die pre-revolusionêre China.
Antieke China
Volgens die legende kan die oorsprong van die Chinese beskawing herlei word na die Drie soewereine en vyf keisers (三皇 五帝), hoewel hulle deur die meeste moderne historici as mitiese figure beskou word.
Die opgetekende geskiedenis van die Chinese beskawing kan teruggevoer word na die Geelrivier vallei, word gesê dat dit die "bakermat van die Chinese beskawing" is. Die Xia-dinastie (夏朝, c.2070 vC - c.1600 vC) was die eerste dinastie wat in antieke historiese kronieke beskryf is, hoewel daar tot op hede geen onbetwisbare bewys van sy bestaan gevind is nie. Sommige argeoloë het die Erlitou-nedersettings aan die Xia-dinastie gekoppel, maar dit is 'n omstrede posisie.
Die Shang-dinastie (商朝, c.1600 vC - 1046 vC), China se eerste argeologiese bevestigde dinastie, het slegs oor die Geelrivier-kom regeer. Hulle is opgevolg deur die Zhou-dinastie (周朝, 1046 vC - 256 vC), wat die Chinese beskawing suidwaarts uitgebrei het na die Yangtze-rivier wasbak. Die Zhou het feodalisme aangeneem as hul regeringstelsel, waarin feodale here met 'n hoë mate van outonomie oor hul onderskeie gebiede regeer, selfs hul eie leërs behou, terwyl hulle terselfdertyd hulde bring aan die koning en hom erken as die simboliese heerser van Sjina.
Gedurende die tweede helfte van die Zhou-periode het China verval in eeue van politieke onrus, met die feodale here van talle klein fiefdomme wat gedurende die Lente en herfsperiode (春秋 时代, 770 vC - 476 vC), en later gestabiliseer in sewe groot state in die Strydende State tydperk (战国 时代, 475 vC - 221 vC). Hierdie onstuimige tydperk het die grootste denkers van China gebaar, waaronder Confucius, Mencius en Laozi (ook Lao-Tzu gespel), wat 'n groot bydrae gelewer het tot die Chinese denke en kultuur, sowel as die militêre strateeg Sun Tzu, wie se Art of War word tot vandag toe bestudeer.
Keiserlike China
- Sien ook: Op die spoor van Marco Polo
China is in 221 vC verenig onder Qin Shi Huang, "Eerste keiser van Qin". Syne Qin-dinastie (秦朝, 221 vC - 206 vC) het 'n gesentraliseerde regeringstelsel vir China ingestel en gewigte en maatstawwe, Chinese karakters en geldeenhede gestandaardiseer om eenheid te skep. Die Han-dinastie (汉朝, 206 vC - 220 nC) het in 206 vC oorgeneem ná 'n tydperk van opstand en burgeroorlog, wat die eerste goue era van die Chinese beskawing ingelui het. Tot vandag toe gebruik die meerderheid Chinese ras die term "Han" om hulself te beskryf, en Chinese karakters word steeds "Han-karakters" genoem (汉字 hànzì) in Chinees. Die Han-dinastie was die leier van die begin van die Sy pad, en die uitvinding van papier.
Die ineenstorting van die Han-dinastie in AD 220 het gelei tot 'n tydperk van politieke onrus en oorlog wat bekend staan as die Drie Koninkryksperiode (三国 时期, 220—280), wat China verdeel het in die drie afsonderlike state van Wei (魏, 220-265), Shu (蜀, 221—263) en Wu (吴, 222—280). Die Jin-dinastie (晋朝, 265—420) het China in 280 nC herenig, hoewel die hereniging van korte duur was, en China sou vinnig weer in burgeroorlog en verdeeldheid verval. Van 420 tot 589 nC is China in twee dele verdeel, die Suidelike en Noordelike dinastieë (南北朝). Die Sui-dinastie (隋朝, 581—618) het China weer in 581 verenig. Sui was bekend vir groot projekte vir openbare werke, soos die ingenieurswese van die Grand Canal, wat geleidelik ontwikkel het tot die Kanaal wat Beijing in die noorde verbind met Hangzhou in die suide. Sekere dele van die kanaal is vandag nog bevaarbaar.
_(7183821235).jpg/220px-Great_Wall_of_China_(I)_(7183821235).jpg)
In 618 nC is die Sui verdring deur die Tang-dinastie (唐朝, 618-907), wat die tweede goue era van die Chinese beskawing inlui, gekenmerk deur 'n opbloei van Chinese poësie, die opkoms van Boeddhisme en staatskaping. Na die ineenstorting van die Tang-dinastie in 907 nC, was China weer verdeeld totdat dit weer onder die Song-dinastie (宋朝, 960—1279) in 960 nC. In 1127 is die Song deur die Jurchens suid van die Huai-rivier verdryf, waar hulle steeds as die Southern Song gebaseer in Linan (临安 Lín'ān, hedendaagse Hangzhou). Alhoewel dit militêr swak was, het die lied 'n hoë vlak van kommersiële en ekonomiese ontwikkeling bereik wat in die Weste ongeëwenaard sou wees tot die Industriële rewolusie. Die Yuan-dinastie (元朝, 1271—1368, een van die vier afdelings van die Mongoolse Ryk) verslaan die Jurchens, verower dan die Song in 1279, en regeer die uitgestrekte ryk van Khanbaliq (大都 Dàdū, hedendaagse Beijing).
Nadat hy die Mongole verslaan het, het die Ming-dinastie (明朝, 1368—1644) het die heerskappy weer ingestel deur etniese Han. Die Ming-periode was bekend vir handel en verkenning, met Zheng He se talle reise aan Suidoos-Asië, Indië en die Arabiese wêreld, selfs die ooskus van Afrika; sien Mariene Silk Road. Bekende geboue in Beijing, soos die Verbode Stad en die Tempel van die Hemel, is in hierdie tydperk gebou. Die laaste keiserlike dinastie, die Qing-dinastie (清朝, 1644—1911), was etniese Manchus wat die Chinese ryk verder uitgebrei het tot ongeveer die huidige grense deur die westelike streke van Xinjiang en Tibet op te neem.
Die Qing-dinastie het in die 19de eeu verval en China word dikwels beskryf as die "siek man van Asië" (東亞 病夫 / 东亚 病夫). Dit is deur die Westerse moondhede en Japan geknibbel, 'n tydperk wat deur die Chinese genoem word as die "Eeu van vernedering". Die Westerlinge en Japanners het hul eie verdragshawens in Guangzhou, Sjanghai en Tianjin gestig. China het verskeie gebiede verloor aan buitelandse moondhede, waaronder Hong Kong aan Brittanje, en Taiwan aan Japan, en dit het beheer verloor oor sy sytakke, Viëtnam, Korea en die Ryukyu-eilande. Dit is ook die tydperk waarin die stereotipiese voorkoms van Chinese mense, soos varkstertjies, Manchu-haarstyle, en magua ('n soort Manchu-klere) het sy oorsprong in ander buitelandse lande as gevolg van 'n oplewing in buitelandse kommunikasie sedert die seeverbod. Die woelinge aan die einde van die Qing-dinastie en die Republiek van China het gelei tot die emigrasie van baie Chinese, wat oorsese Chinese gemeenskappe in baie ander wêrelddele gevestig het. Die meeste oorsese Chinese wat voor die Tweede Wêreldoorlog geëmigreer het, was van Fujian, Guangdong of Hainan, wat die provinsies die natuurlike plekke maak om na te gaan as u die nalatenskap van die oorsese Chinese wil verken.
Die Republiek en die Tweede Wêreldoorlog
Die 2000 jaar oue keiserlike stelsel het in 1911 in duie gestort toe Sun Yat-Sen die Republiek van China. Sentrale bewind het in 1916 in duie gestort nadat Yuan Shih-kai, die tweede president van die Republiek en selfverklaarde keiser, oorlede is; China het in anargie neergedaal, met krygshere wat oor verskillende streke van China regeer en oorloë met mekaar gevoer het. In 1919 betoog studente in Beijing oor die vermeende ongunstige bepalings van die Verdrag van Versailles (aangesien China deelgeneem het aan Eerste Wêreldoorlog as deel van die Geallieerdes) die lewe geskenk aan die "Mei vierde beweging", wat hervormings aan die Chinese samelewing voorgestaan het, soos die gebruik van die volksmond in skrif, en die ontwikkeling van wetenskap en demokrasie. Die intellektuele gisting van die beweging het gelei tot die georganiseerde Kuomintang (KMT) in 1919 en die Chinese Kommunistiese Party (CCP), in 1921. Dit het ook die grondslag gelê vir die totstandkoming van Standard Mandaryns as die eerste standaard gesproke vorm van Chinees vir die hele land.
Nadat 'n groot deel van Oos-China in 1928 onder KMT-bewind verenig was, het die KKP en die KMT mekaar aangewend, en die KKP het in die epos na Yan'an in Shaanxi gevlug Lang Maart. Alhoewel Sjanghai gedurende die twintiger- en dertigerjare een van die welvarendste stede in Oos-Asië geword het, het onderliggende probleme in die uitgestrekte platteland, veral die binnelandse dele van die land, soos burgerlike onrus, uiterste armoede, hongersnood en oorlogsheerkonflik gebly.
Japan het in 1931 'n marionetstaat Manchukuo in Mantsjoerye gestig en 'n volskaalse inval in China se hartland van stapel gestuur in 1937. Die Japannese het 'n wrede regeringstelsel in Oos-China geïmplementeer, wat uitgeloop het op die Nanjing-slagting van 1937. Nadat hulle wes gevlug het na Chongqing , het die KMT 'n tenger ooreenkoms met die CCP onderteken om 'n verenigde front teen die Japannese te vorm. Met die nederlaag van Japan aan die einde van die Tweede Wêreldoorlog in 1945, het die KMT- en die CCP-leërs gemaanoefen vir posisies in Noord-China, wat die verhoog vir die burgeroorlog gestel het. Die burgeroorlog het geduur van 1945 tot 1949. Die Kuomintang is verslaan en gedwing om na Taiwan te vlug waar hulle gehoop het om hulself weer te vestig en die vasteland weer te verower.
'N Rooi Sjina
Op 1 Oktober 1949 het Mao Zedong die stigting van die Mense se Republiek van China (中华人民共和国). Na 'n aanvanklike periode wat nou aan die Sowjet-model van swaar industrialisering en omvattende sentrale ekonomiese beplanning gekweek het, het China begin eksperimenteer om Marxisme aan te pas by 'n grootliks agrariese samelewing.
Massiewe sosiale eksperimente het China van 1957 tot 1976 geruk. Die Great Leap Forward was daarop gemik om China vinnig te kollektiviseer en te industrialiseer. Die Kulturele Revolusie het ten doel gehad om alles te verander deur dissipline, vernietiging van die "Four Olds" (gebruike, kultuur, gewoontes, idees) en totale toewyding aan Mao Zedong Thought. Die Groot sprong vorentoe en kulturele rewolusie word oor die algemeen as rampspoedige mislukkings in China beskou wat die dood van tienmiljoene mense veroorsaak het. Die gevolge van veral die Kulturele Revolusie kan nog steeds gevoel word: baie elemente van die tradisionele Chinese kultuur en volksgelowe floreer steeds in Hongkong, Macau, Taiwan en oorsese Chinese gemeenskappe, maar het grootliks verdwyn in die vasteland van China.
Mao is in 1976 oorlede, en in 1978 het Deng Xiaoping China se voorste leier geword. Deng en sy luitenante het geleidelik markgerigte hervormings en gedesentraliseerde ekonomiese besluitneming ingestel. Een van die innovasies was die skepping van Spesiale ekonomiese sones met belastingverlagings en ander regeringsmaatreëls om beleggings en ontwikkeling aan te moedig; hierdie bestaan nog steeds en is redelik voorspoedig.
Die wonderlike groei in China sedert 1978 was 'n buitengewone prestasie. Daar is egter steeds groot probleme, waaronder inflasie, streeksinkomegelykheid, skending van menseregte, groot omgewingskwessies, armoede op die platteland en etniese konflik in Xinjiang en Tibet. In die besonder was blatante korrupsie 'n belangrike oorsaak van grootskaalse politieke bewegings in 1989, wat weer gelei het tot die bloedige onderdrukking van betogers in stedelike Beijing, dikwels bekend as die Tiananmen-slagting. Die voorval is steeds 'n sensitiewe en hoogs gesensureerde onderwerp in China.
Hu Jintao, wat die grootste leier was van ongeveer 2004 tot 2012, het 'n beleid vir 'n 'Harmonious Society' aangekondig, wat beloof het om gebalanseerde ekonomiese groei te herstel en investering en welvaart in China se sentrale en westelike provinsies te kanaliseer. China het sedert die negentigerjare ekonomies met 'n geweldige spoed ontwikkel en verbygesteek Japan om die wêreld se tweede grootste ekonomie na die Verenigde State in 2010, wat sy plek weer as 'n belangrike politieke, militêre en ekonomiese wêreldmoondheid bevestig. China het ook sy internasionale invloed uitgebrei en 'n belangrike bron van buitelandse beleggings geword, veral in Suidoos-Asië, Sentraal-Asië, Afrika en toenemend in Latyns-Amerika ook. President Xi Jinping het die Belt and Road-inisiatief in 2013 geloods, wat poog om internasionale handelsnetwerke uit te brei deur Chinese beleggings in vervoerinfrastruktuur. Dit volg grootliks die roete van die oue Sy pad. Terwyl Xi se regering dikwels gekritiseer word omdat hy meer diktatoriaal is as die vorige, het China se internasionale invloed onder hom aansienlik uitgebrei, en blatante korrupsie is aansienlik verminder. Daarbenewens begin baie armer streke in Wes-China, wat grootliks agtergelaat is deur die ekonomiese oplewing, nou meer investering in infrastruktuur sien.
Twee voormalige kolonies, Hongkong (Brits) en Macau (Portugees), het in 1997 en 1999 weer by China aangesluit. Hulle is Spesiale administratiewe streke (SAR's), loop anders onder die slagspreuk "Een land, twee stelsels". Hierdie artikel dek dit nie, want vir praktiese reisdoeleindes funksioneer hulle soos verskillende lande met hul eie visums, geldeenhede en wette.
Regering en politiek
- Sien ook: Chinese provinsies en streke
China is 'n outoritêre staat wat deur die Kommunistiese Party van China regeer word. Die "belangrikste leier" is die Algemene Sekretaris van die Kommunistiese Party, wat verskeie ander ampte beklee, waaronder die seremoniële president. Die Staatsraad vorm die uitvoerende gesag; die volgende magtigste leier is die premier van die Staatsraad, wat die regeringshoof is (soos 'n premier). Die wetgewende tak bestaan uit die unicameral National People's Congress (NPC), die grootste wetgewer ter wêreld met byna 3000 afgevaardigdes. Die NPC word dikwels beskryf as 'n 'rubber stamp' liggaam; dit het byna geen wetsontwerpe geveto nie en lede het gekla oor hul gebrek aan mag.
China volg grootliks 'n gesentraliseerde regeringstelsel en is administratief verdeel in 22 provinsies, 5 outonome streke en 4 munisipaliteite wat direk beheer word. Provinsiale regerings het beperkte magte in hul interne en ekonomiese aangeleenthede. Outonome streke het meer wettige vryheid as provinsies, soos die reg om naas Mandaryns addisionele amptelike tale te verklaar. Munisipaliteite wat direk beheer word, is stede wat nie deel uitmaak van enige provinsie nie, wat direk aan die sentrale regering in Beijing verslag doen. Dikwels is verskillende name, provinsies ((地 级) 市 / 自治州 / 地区), provinsies (县 / (县级) 市 / 区) en townships (乡 / 镇 / 街道) ondergeskik onder provinsies.
Die spesiale administratiewe streke (SAR), Hongkong en Macau, hulself in beginsel as afsonderlike jurisdiksies bedryf, met slegs buitelandse beleid en verdediging wat deur Beijing beheer word, alhoewel hierdie outonomie in die praktyk beperk word.
Die PRC oorweeg dit Taiwan om een van sy provinsies te wees, maar die regering van Taiwan (die Republiek China) is sedert 1949 heeltemal apart van die Chinese Chinese vasteland. Beide regerings beweer steeds dat hulle die enigste wettige regering vir die hele China is. Daar is aansienlike steun vir formele onafhanklikheid in Taiwan, maar die regering van China het herhaaldelik gedreig om 'n militêre aanval op Taiwan te loods as die eiland homself onafhanklik verklaar. Sien Chinese provinsies en streke vir meer besonderhede.
Mense en gebruike
Met 1,4 miljard inwoners huisves byna 'n vyfde van die wêreld se bevolking in China en is dit die land met die grootste bevolking. Dit is 'n uiteenlopende plek met groot variasies in kultuur, taal, gebruike en ekonomiese vlakke van streek tot streek, en dikwels ook sterk kulturele en streeksidentiteite.
Die ekonomiese landskap is besonder uiteenlopend. Die groot stede soos Beijing, Guangzhou en Shanghai is modern en betreklik ryk. Ongeveer 50% van die Chinese woon egter steeds in landelike gebiede, alhoewel slegs 10% van China se grond bewerkbaar is. Honderde miljoene inwoners van die platteland boer steeds met handearbeid of trekdiere. Sowat 200 tot 300 miljoen voormalige boere het na townships en stede getrek op soek na werk. Armoede is dramaties verminder, maar teen die einde van 2016 het China nog 43 miljoen mense onder die amptelike armoedegrens van ¥ 2.300 (ongeveer US $ 334) in jaarlikse inkomste gehad. Aan die ander kant van die spektrum bly die rykes steeds vaste eiendom en ander bates teen 'n ongekende tempo ophoop. Oor die algemeen is die suidelike en oostelike kusgebiede welvarender, terwyl die binnelandse gebiede, die verre weste en die noorde en die suidweste baie minder ontwikkel is.
Die kulturele landskap is ook baie uiteenlopend. Han-Chinese is die grootste etniese groep, wat meer as 90% van die bevolking uitmaak, maar hulle is nie kultureel homogeen nie en praat 'n wye verskeidenheid onderling onverstaanbare dialekte en tale. Baie gebruike en gode is spesifiek vir individuele streke en selfs dorpe. Die vierings vir die maan-nuwejaar en ander nasionale feeste wissel dramaties van streek tot streek. Gewoontes wat verband hou met die viering van belangrike geleenthede, soos troues, begrafnisse en geboortes, wissel ook baie. Die kulturele rewolusie het baie van die tradisionele Chinese kultuur en godsdiens uitgewis, en hoewel hulle nog tot 'n mate oorleef, word baie van die tradisies van ouds beter bewaar in Hongkong, Taiwan, Macau en oorsese Chinese gemeenskappe as op die vasteland van China. Oor die algemeen is die hedendaagse stedelike Chinese samelewing sekulêr, en die tradisionele kultuur is meer 'n onderliggende stroom in die alledaagse lewe. Daar is gesê dat daar 'n kulturele herlewing in die 21ste eeu plaasgevind het, hoofsaaklik gelei deur jong middelklas-Chinese, wat nou sosiale media gebruik om verskillende aspekte van hul tradisionele kulture te bevorder.
Die ander 10% van die bevolking is 55 erkende etniese minderhede - waarvan die grootste die Zhuang, Manchu, Hui en Miao (Hmong) is - wat elkeen hul eie unieke kulture en tale het. Ander opmerklike etniese minderhede sluit in Koreane, Tibetane, Mongole, Oeigoere, Kazakke en Russe. China huisves die grootste Koreaanse bevolking buite Korea, en huisves meer etniese Mongole as wat dit is Mongolië. Baie minderhede is in verskillende mate geassimileer en het hul taal en gewoontes verloor of saamgesmelt met Han-tradisies, hoewel Tibetane en Oeigoere in China hul kulture kwaai verdedig.
Gelukkige getalle
Baie Chinese mense hou van homofone, en verskeie syfers word as gunstig of onheilig beskou op grond van rympies met ander Chinese woorde. "Ses" is 'n goeie nommer vir sake, wat klink soos 'glad' of 'glad' in Mandaryns, en 'geluk' of 'geluk' in Kantonees. "Agt" klink so na aan die woord "voorspoedig" dat dit algemeen as gunstig beskou word. "Nege" word vroeër met die keiser geassosieer en klink ook na 'langdurig'.
Intussen het "vier" is 'n taboe vir die meeste Chinese omdat die uitspraak in Mandaryns, Kantonees en die meeste ander Chinese dialekte naby aan die "dood" is; sommige geboue slaan vloere oor en kamernommers wat 4's bevat.
Klimaat en terrein
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Die klimaat is baie uiteenlopend, van tropiese streke in die suide tot subarktiese gebiede in die noorde. Hainan Eiland is ongeveer op dieselfde breedtegraad as Jamaika, terwyl Harbin, een van die grootste stede in die noorde, is ongeveer op die breedtegraad van Montreal en het die klimaat wat daarby pas. Noord-China het vier verskillende seisoene met intens warm somers en bitter koue winters. Suid-China is geneig om ligter en natter te wees. Hoe verder u noord en wes ry, hoe droër word die klimaat. Sodra u die oostelike China verlaat en die majestueuse Tibetaanse hooglande of die uitgestrekte steppe en woestyne van Gansu en Xinjiang binnegaan, is die afstande groot en die land hard.
Gedurende die kommunistiese era vir planne-ekonomie het uniforme reëls vereis dat geboue in gebiede noord van die Yangtze-rivier in die winter hitte kry, maar enigiets suid daarvan sou nie - dit beteken dat geboue onverhit was op plekke soos Sjanghai en Nanjing, wat gewoonlik onder die temperatuur was vries in die winter. Die reël is lankal verslap, maar die gevolge is steeds sigbaar. Oor die algemeen gebruik Chinese minder verwarming en minder gebou-isolasie, en dra hulle meer warm klere as Westerlinge in vergelykbare klimaatstowwe. In skole, woonstelle en kantoorgeboue, al is die kamers verhit, is die gange nie. Dubbelglas is redelik skaars. Studente en onderwysers dra winterbaadjies in die klas, en lang onderklere is algemeen. Lugversorging kom al hoe meer voor, maar word ook nie in gange gebruik nie en word dikwels met oop vensters en deure gebruik.
China het baie binnelandse bergreekse, hoë plato's en woestyne in die middel en die verre weste; vlaktes, delta's en heuwels oorheers die ooste. Die Pearl River Delta streek rondom Guangzhou en Hong Kong en die Yangtze-delta rondom Sjanghai is belangrike wêreldwye ekonomiese kragsentrales, asook die Noord-Chinese vlakte rondom Beijing en die Geelrivier. Op die grens tussen Tibet (die outonome streek Tibet) en Nepal lê die berg Everest, op 8 850 m, die hoogste punt op aarde. Die Turpan depressie, in die noordweste van China, is Xinjiang die laagste punt in China op 154 m onder seevlak, wat die tweede laagste punt ter wêreld is na die Dooie See.
Maateenhede
Die amptelike metingstelsel van China is maatstaf, maar u sal soms hoor hoe die tradisionele Chinese stelsel van metings in die alledaagse gebruik gebruik word. Die een wat u waarskynlik in die alledaagse gebruik teëkom, is die massa-eenheid jīn (斤), deesdae gelyk aan 0,5 kg op die vasteland van China. Die meeste Chinese sal hul gewig aanhaal jīn indien gevra, en voedselpryse in markte word gereeld per jīn.
Vakansies
Maan Nuwejaar datums Die jaar van die Os begin op 3 Februarie 2021 om 22:58 uur, en die Maan-nuwejaar was op 12 Februarie 2021
Anders as wat algemeen geglo word, vind die verandering van die diereriem nie plaas op die eerste dag van die Nuwejaar nie, maar plaas dit op Li Chun (立春 lì chūn), die tradisionele Chinese begin van die lente. |
China hou twee vakansiedae gedurende die jaar, wat genoem word Goue Weke. Gedurende hierdie weke, ongeveer Sjinese Nuwejaar (einde Januarie tot middel Februarie) en Nasionale dag (1 Oktober) keer honderde miljoene trekarbeiders terug huis toe en miljoene ander Chinese reis binne die land (maar baie in die dienstesektor bly agter en geniet ekstra betaling). Probeer om tydens die groot vakansie nie op die pad, op die spoor of in die lug te wees nie. If you do have to travel the, plan well in advance, especially for transportation and for travel from western China or the east coast. Every mode of transportation is extremely crowded; tickets are very hard to come by, and will cost you a lot more. Air tickets sell out more slowly because of the higher prices. The Chinese New Year period is the largest annual migration of people on Earth.
China has seven national holidays:
- New Year (元旦 Yuándàn) — 1 January
- Spring Festival (春节 Chūn Jié), a.k.a. Chinese New Year — 1st day of the 1st lunar month, late January to mid-February (12 February in 2021)
- Tomb-Sweeping Day (清明节 Qīngmíng Jié) — 15th day from the Spring Equinox, 4 to 6 April (4 April in 2021). Cemeteries are crowded with people who go to sweep the tombs of their ancestors and offer sacrifices. Traffic on the way to cemeteries can be very heavy.
- Labor Day (劳动节 Láodòng Jié) — 1 May
- Dragon Boat Festival (端午节 Duānwǔ Jié) — 5th day of the 5th lunar month, late May to June (14 June in 2021). Boat races and eating rice dumplings (粽子 zòngzi, steamed pouches of sticky rice) are a traditional part of the celebration.
- Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节 Zhōngqiū Jié） — 15th day of the 8th lunar month, September to early October (21 September in 2021). Also called the "Mooncake Festival" after its signature treat, mooncakes (月饼 yuèbǐng). People meet outside, put food on the tables and look up at the full harvest moon.
- National Day (国庆节 Guóqìng Jié) — 1 October
Known as the Golden Weeks, Chinese New Year and National Day holidays span multiple days; nearly all workers get at least a week for Chinese New Year and some of them get two or three. For many working Chinese, these are the only times of the year they get to travel. Students get four to six weeks of holiday.
Chinese New Year is a traditional time to visit family, and the entire country pretty well shuts down. Many stores and other businesses will close from a few days to a week or longer.
In early July, around 20 million university students will return home and then in late August they will return to school. Roads, railways and planes very busy at these times.
Many areas or ethnic minorities have their own festivals. See listings for individual towns for details. Here are some other nationally important festivals:
- Lantern Festival (元宵节 Yuánxiāo Jié or 上元节 Shàngyuán Jié) — 15th day of the 1st lunar month, traditionally the last day of the Chinese New Year, February to early March (26 February in 2021). In some cities, such as Quanzhou, this is a big festival with elaborate lanterns all over town.
- Double Seventh Day (七夕 Qīxī) — 7th day of the 7th lunar month, usually August (14 August in 2021). This romantic holiday is similar to Valentine's Day.
- Double Ninth Festival or Chongyang Festival (重阳节 Chóngyáng Jié) — 9th day of the 9th lunar month, usually October (14 October in 2021)
- Winter Solstice (冬至 Dōngzhì) — 21 to 23 December (21 December in 2021)
Some Western festivals are noticeable, at least in major cities. Around Christmas, one hears carols — some in English, some in Chinese, and one from Hong Kong that goes "Lonely, lonely Christmas". Some stores are decorated and many shop assistants wear red and white elf hats. Chinese Christians celebrate services and masses at officially sanctioned Protestant and Catholic churches as well. For Valentine's Day, many restaurants offer special meals.
Around the longer holidays (especially the two Golden Weeks and sometimes Labor Day), surrounding weekends may be rearranged to make the holiday longer. This means that around major holidays, places may be closed when they're usually open or open when they would usually be closed.
Tydsones
Despite geographically spanning five time zones, all of China officially follows Beijing Time (GMT 8). However, in the restive province of Xinjiang, while the official time is Beijing Time, some ethnic Uyghurs use the GMT 6 time zone as a sign of defiance against Beijing.
Lees
- Wild Swans by Jung Chang (ISBN 0007176155 ) - a biography of three generations, from the warlord days to the end of Mao's era, illustrating life under China's version of nationalism and communism. This book is banned in China.
- The Search for Modern China by Jonathan Spence - a standard history book on modern China from the late Ming to the current period.
Topics in China |
Praat
- Sien ook: Chinese frase-boek
The official language of China is Standard Mandarin, known in Chinese as Pǔtōnghuà (普通话, "common speech"), which is based on the Beijing dialect; Chinese in general is known as Zhōngwén (中文). Standard Mandarin is the main language for government and media, as well as the national lingua franca. While the official language is standardized, local pronunciation of Mandarin does vary by region. Unless otherwise noted, all terms, spellings and pronunciations in this guide are in Standard Mandarin. While national media is broadcast in Mandarin, each area often has its own local media that broadcasts in the local language.
Chinese is written using Chinese characters (汉字, hànzì, lit. "Han characters"). Unlike an alphabet that represents individual sounds without any inherent meaning, each Chinese character represents a meaningful syllable: a specific word or part of a word. Although they look impenetrable at first, there is some method to the madness: most characters are composed from base components combined with other characters (often giving clues to both pronunciation and general meaning). The same characters are used in Japan and Korea with usually similar meanings, albeit different pronunciations. However, since the 1950s mainland China has used simplified characters, such as 龟 instead of 龜, in an attempt to eradicate illiteracy. Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and many overseas Chinese still use the traditional characters, which are also sometimes used on the mainland as an aesthetic choice. As a result, a word like "bank" will be written 銀行 as often as 银行. The simplification was fairly systematic, and you may deduce at least some of the simplifications on your own just from seeing them frequently. Cursive forms of Chinese characters, often used for effect in logos, range from "looks familiar if you squint" to "impenetrable scribbles".
The standard way of romanizing Mandarin is pinyin (汉语拼音 hànyǔ pīnyīn). It's a fairly logical system, although it has a few idiosyncrasies, including using some letters in ways that are different from English (such as q which is similar to English "ch" and x which is like English "sh"). Mandarin is also tonal, meaning each syllable has to be pronounced with the correct tone — high, rising, falling-rising, falling, or neutral — to be understood; tones are marked in pinyin using diacritics that graphically mimic the tones patterns (as in mā, má, mǎ, mà, en ma). With just a few hours of practice, you can learn to pronounce Mandarin words accurately using pinyin. However, as Chinese has many homophones, pinyin is useful for pronunciation but not practical for communicating meaning; for something like a street address, you need to use Chinese characters.
Although Chinese is written nearly the same across the country, spoken Chinese has a huge array of dialects, of which Standard Mandarin is just one. Verbally, Chinese dialects are as different from each other as English and Dutch, or French and Italian — related, but not mutually intelligible. Two people who speak different Chinese dialects read and write the same, but they would pronounce the written text differently, and can't carry on a conversation with each other. However, thanks to heavy emphasis in the education system, most people can comfortably carry on a conversation in Standard Mandarin, though sometimes with a strong accent. In some areas, younger people are more likely to speak Mandarin than dialects, due to previous education policies that prohibited the use of dialects in school.
A variety of (mainly northern) dialects closely related to the standard are classified as Mandarin and account for the majority of China's population. Other large groups of dialects include Wu (spoken in Shanghai, Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu) en Yue (Guangdong), which includes Kantonees (spoken in much of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau). Die Min (Fujian) group includes Minnan (Hokkien, spoken in South Fujian and in Taiwan), Fuzhou dialect (Foochow or Hokchiu, spoken around Fuzhou), Teochew (Chiuchow, spoken in Chaoshan) en Hainanese (spoken in the island province Hainan). Hakka is spoken in several parts of southern China but is more related to northern dialects. Like Mandarin, these are all tonal languages.
Most Chinese are bilingual or even trilingual, speaking Mandarin as well as regional or local dialects. Some who are older or less educated may speak only the local dialect. While you can easily get by in most of China speaking Mandarin, learning a bit of the local dialect is always appreciated, and may get you preferential treatment in shops and restaurants.
Besides dialects of Chinese, various regions also have ethnic minority languages. The west has Turkic languages such as Uyghur, Kyrgyz, en Kazaks as well as other languages such as Tibetan; the north and northeast has Manchu, Mongolian, en Korean; the south has many other ethnic minorities who speak their own languages. However, except for some older folks, Mandarin is generally usable in these regions and many people are bilingual. In areas with large ethnic minority populations, the relevant ethnic minority language is sometimes co-official with Mandarin, and you may see bilingual road signs.
Chinese Sign Language (CSL or ZGS, 中国手语 Zhōngguó Shǒuyǔ) is the dominant sign language. There is an official version of CSL standardized by the government. There are also two regional dialects, Southern (from Shanghai) and Northern (from Beijing); these and official CSL are largely mutually intelligible. CSL is not mutually intelligible with Hong Kong, Taiwanese, or Malaysian Sign Languages, nor with any others. Tibetan Sign Language (藏语手语 Zàng yǔ shǒuyǔ) is an independent sign language used in Tibet, not mutually intelligible with any others; it too is standardized by the government based on existing regional sign languages.
Engels
Chinese students study English from primary school to high school, and are required to pass an English test in order to graduate from university. However, the focus is mainly on formal grammar and writing, with less emphasis on reading, and even less on speaking or listening. While knowledge of basic words and phrases such as "hello," "thank you", "OK" and "bye-bye" appears nearly universal, the ability to participate in an English conversation can be limited.
It's generally rare to find locals conversant in English. Staff at airports, hotels, and popular tourist attractions can sometimes speak basic to conversational English. As China's tourism industry primarily caters to the domestic market, outside major international tourist cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an, even staff at tourist attractions may not be conversant in English.
When using English, simplify and speak slowly. Chinese grammar is very different from English, as verbs, pronouns, and other words essentially don't inflect at all. Although it sounds abrupt in English, simple declarative sentences like "Give me two beers" are quite similar to Chinese, and thus more readily understood than roundabout constructions like "Could we have a pair of beers please?".
While English signage or menus are increasingly widespread in China, especially at or near tourist attractions, they are often written in incorrect English. Such signage can be difficult to read, but as "Chinglish" follows certain rules, it can usually be deciphered. Oftentimes, translations are simply a word-by-word equivalent of a Chinese expression which, like a word puzzle, can sometimes be pieced together with some thought, but in other cases may be utterly baffling.
Many places have English Corner, informal gatherings for practicing oral English, which can be a good way to meet locals. They're often held at schools and colleges on Friday afternoons, and on Sundays in public parks, English schools, and bookstores, and universities. Topics often include cultural activities like holidays and festivals from English speaking countries, such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Other foreign languages
Although not as widespread as English, there are some foreign languages that are of use in China. Korean is spoken as a native language by the ethnic Korean minority in the north east of the country, while Mongolian is the native language of the ethnic Mongol community in Inner Mongolia. Japanese is spoken by some professionals in international businesses. German is a popular language for engineering professionals. Some people in border areas and some older people are able to speak Russian. Arabic is commonly studied among Muslim communities.
Gaan in
 | Visa restrictions: As of 31 January, 2020, Chinese authorities do not recognize British National (Overseas) (BNO) passports. BNO passport holders should use appropriate travel documents (foreign passport/home return permit) to enter China. |
| (Information last updated Jan 2021) |
Visas
| COVID-19 inligting:Entry will be denied to most travelers, including those with valid visas or residence permits and those who are normally permitted visa-free transit. Entry by foreign nationals with APEC Business Travel Cards is suspended. Visa on arrival, 24/72/144-hour visa-free transit policy, Hainan 30-day visa-free policy, 15-day visa-free policy for foreign cruise-group-tour through Shanghai Port, Guangdong 144-hour visa-free policy specified for foreign tour groups from Hong Kong or Macao SAR, and Guangxi 15-day visa-free policy for foreign tour groups of ASEAN countries are also temporarily suspended. Entry with diplomatic, service, courtesy or C visas is not affected. Foreign nationals coming to China for necessary economic, trade, scientific or technological activities or out of emergency humanitarian needs may apply for visas at Chinese embassies or consulates. Visas issued after 26 March 2020 will be accepted. Meanwhile, healthy Chinese, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan travellers who have not visited any foreign countries in the past 14 days can visit parts of Guangdong from Macau (including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen en Zhaoqing) after declaring their COVID-19 test as negative through Guangdong's health code app. |
| (Information last updated 27 Jan 2021) |
Visa policy overview China offers the following visas to citizens of most countries:
A few nationalities are exempted from needing to obtain a visa before traveling to China for certain durations. You can contact your nearest Chinese embassy or consulate for more details. |
Most travelers will need a visa (签证 qiānzhèng) to visit mainland China. In most cases, it should be obtained from a Chinese embassy or consulate before departure. Visas for Hongkong en Macau may be obtained from a Chinese embassy or consulate, but they must be applied for separately from the mainland Chinese visa; there is no visa that serves both mainland China and either of those areas. A single-entry mainland China visa is terminated if you go to Hong Kong or Macau, so ensure that you have a multiple entry visa if you plan to return to mainland China.
You must submit your fingerprints during the visa application process. Children under 14, and senior citizens over 70 are excepted. Your fingerprints may also be taken when you enter China.
30-day single- or double-entry visas for the mainland can sometimes be acquired in Hong Kong or Macau. You can generally fly from overseas to Hong Kong and spend a few days there to get a visa for the mainland. This is supposed to be available only to residents of Hong Kong or Macau. Exceptions are often made but they vary over time, and are not reliable. Macau's visa office is less crowded and the hotels are a bit cheaper, but it takes just as long. In general, only single- and double-entry visas are granted to visitors without Hong Kong ID cards, although foreigners with previous entries into the mainland and Hong Kong student or work visa holders have been known to be approved for multiple entries. Many Hong Kong travel agencies (such as China Travel Service) offer a faster visa turnaround service for a fee. In addition, a travel agency has some capacity to negotiate on the length of your visa. You might apply for a one-year visa and have that rejected; however, they may well be able to get a 6-month visa for you instead.
Visas are sometimes denied to travelers with passport stamps from Turkey and nearby Middle Eastern countries; sien Visa trouble#China for more information.
Visa-free travel: Nationals of Brunei, Japan, en Singapoer can visit China without a visa for up to 15 days; nationals of Bahamas, Barbados, Wit-Rusland, Fiji, Grenada, Qatar, Serwië, Seychelles, Tonga, en United Arab Emirates for up to 30 days; nationals of Mauritius for up to 60 days; and nationals of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ecuador, en San Marino for up to 90 days. (Nationals of Bosnia and Herzegovina can only stay 90 days within a 180-day period.)
To visit mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau residents of Chinese nationality must apply at the China Travel Service, the sole authorized issuing agent, to obtain a Home Return Permit (回乡证 húixiāngzhèng), a credit card-sized ID allowing multiple entries and unlimited stay for ten years with no restrictions including on employment. Taiwanese citizens are required to obtain a Taiwan Compatriot Pass (台胞证 táibāozhèng), which is typically valid for five years, and may live in mainland China indefinitely for the duration of the permit's validity with no restrictions including on employment. Travelers should check the most up-to-date information before traveling.
Transit without a visa
Exceptions from visa requirements may be available for those transiting through some airports, to enable you to take short visits to many metropolitan regions of the country. These rules are dizzyingly complicated and subject to sudden changes, so check with your airline shortly before attempting this method of entry.
Citizens of the designated countries who arrive at airports in Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Hangzhou, Kunming, Nanjing, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Sjanghai, Shenyang, Shijiazhuang, Tianjin, Wuhan, Xiamen, en Xi'an can stay in the city of arrival for up to 144 hours provided they depart from an airport of the same city. The onward ticket must be to a country other than the country from which their arriving flight originated and they must have the required entry documents for the third country or countries. In Guangdong, this arrangement applies to the whole province. A similar policy in Guilin, Harbin, en Changsha allows stays of up to 72 hours. Passengers without a visa who intend to leave the transit area will typically be directed by an immigration officer to wait in an office for around 20 minutes while other officials review the passengers' onward flight documentation.
For the city of Sjanghai and the neighboring provinces of Jiangsu en Zhejiang, visa-free entries through the airports of Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou, as well as the Shanghai sea port or Shanghai Station (through train from Hong Kong), are allowed. Once admitted, passengers can go anywhere within the three province-level units, and must depart within 144 hours (6 days). Translation: 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy for Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang.
In Hainan, citizens of the UK, Canada, the US and some other European and Asian countries can travel for up to 30 days without a visa.
Types of visas
Getting a tourist visa is fairly easy for most passports as you don't need an invitation, which is required for business or working visas. The usual tourist single-entry visa is valid for a visit of 30 days and must be used within three months of the date of issue. A double-entry tourist visa must be used within six months of the date of issue. It is possible to secure a single, double, or multiple entry tourist visa for up to 60 days or, less commonly, 90 days for some citizens applying in their home countries.
Consulates and travel agents have been known to occasionally request proof of onward travel at the time of visa application.
Tourist visa extensions can be applied for at the local Entry & Exit Bureau or Public Security Bureau (公安局 Gōng'ānjú) after handing in the following documents: valid passport, visa extension application form including one passport-sized photo, a copy of the Registration Form of Temporary Residence which you received from the local police station at registration. Tourist visas can be only extended once. Processing time is usually five working days and it costs ¥160. See city articles to find out the local bureau.
Some travelers will need a dual entry or multiple entry visa. For example, if you enter China on a single entry visa, then go to Hong Kong or Macau, you need a new visa to re-enter mainland China. In Hong Kong, multiple entry visas are officially available only to HKID holders, but the authorities are willing to bend the rules somewhat and may approve three-month multiple entry visas for short-term Hong Kong qualified residents, including exchange students. It is recommended to apply directly with the Chinese government in this case, as some agents will be unwilling to submit such an application on your behalf.
Obtaining a Visa on Arrival is possible usually only for the Shenzhen of Zhuhai Special Economic Zones, and such visas are limited to those areas. When crossing from Hong Kong to Shenzhen at Lo Wu railway station, and notably not at Lok Ma Chau, a five-day Shenzhen-only visa can be obtained during extended office hours on the spot. The office accepts only Chinese yuan as payment.
There may be restrictions on visas for some nationalities and these vary over time. Byvoorbeeld:
- The visa fee for American nationals is US$140 (or US$110 as part of a group tour).
- Indian nationals are limited to 10- or 15-day tourist visas, and have to show US$100 per day of visa validity in the form of traveler's checks. (US$1,000 and US$1,500, respectively).
- Foreigners in South Korea not holding an alien registration card must travel to the Chinese consulate in Busan, as the Chinese embassy in Seoul does not issue visas to non-residents in Korea. Applications must be made through an official travel agency.
Sien Working in China for information for those who want to work in China, and their family members.
One option for foreigners married to Chinese citizens is to obtain a six- to twelve-month visiting relatives (探亲 tànqīn) visa. This is a tourist (L) visa that permits individuals to remain in China continuously for the duration of their visa and does not require the visa holder to exit and re-enter China to maintain the validity of the visa. To apply for a this visa, you should first enter the country on a different visa and then apply for a visiting relatives visa at the local Public Security bureau in the city that your marriage was registered in, which is usually your Chinese spouse's hometown. Bring your marriage certificate and spouse's identification card (身份证 shēnfènzhèng).
If you apply for a visa in South Korea, you will generally have to either show an Alien Registration Card showing you still have several months of residency in South Korea or show that you've received a Chinese visa within the last two years. You cannot apply to a Chinese embassy or consulate directly but must proceed through a travel agent. Generally only 30-day single entry visas are available.
Registering your abode
Chinese immigration law requires that hotels, guest houses and hostels register their guests with the local police when they check in. The staff will scan your passport including your visa and entry stamps. In some places, your face may be photographed. Help staff out if they do not know where the most recent stamp is — immigration officers are sometimes known to stamp in the wrong order.
Some of the lower-end hotels are not set up for this and will refuse foreign guests. Others will accept foreign guests but ignore the registration requirement. You should avoid staying at one of these places immediately after arriving in China, lest you run into problems later, such as refusal of entry, due to not registering when you entered the country.
If you are staying in a private residence, you are required to register your abode with the local police within 24 hours (city) to 72 hours (countryside) of arrival, though the law is enforced inconsistently. The police will ask for a copy of the photograph page of your passport, a copy of your visa, a copy of your immigration entry stamp, a photograph and a copy of the tenancy agreement or other document concerning the place you are staying in. That agreement might not be in your name but it will still be asked for.
This Temporary Residence Permit should be carried with you at all times, especially if you are in larger cities or where control is tight.
You must re-register if your visa or residence permit undergoes any changes — extensions, or changes in passport (even here, it is ideal to re-register when you get a new passport, regardless if you've transferred the visa or residence permit to the new passport). In some cities, you must re-register every time you re-enter mainland China even if your residence permit is still valid; check with your local police station to see if this is necessary.
Met die vliegtuig
| COVID-19 inligting: China maintains a circuit breaker policy regarding flights arriving in China. A flight route operated by a particular airline will be terminated for a period of 1 week if more than 5 COVID-19 positive cases are found related to the route, and 4 weeks for more than 10 cases. The Civil Aviation Administration of China publishes these termination orders regularly from time to time, and please contact your airline if you are affected by such orders. |
| (Information last updated 13 Oct 2020) |
Transiting through Hong Kong and Macau If arriving in Hong Kong or Macau there are ferries that can shuttle passengers straight to another destination such as Shekou or Bao'an Airport in Shenzhen, Macau Airport, Zhuhai and elsewhere without actually "entering" Hong Kong or Macau. |
The main international gateways to mainland China are Beijing (PEK IATA & PKX IATA, for all airports BJS IATA), Sjanghai (PVG IATA) en Guangzhou (KAN IATA). The explosive growth of commercial aviation in China has led to the proliferation of international gateways to the country. In particular, Chengdu (CTU IATA), Chongqing (CKG IATA) en Kunming (KMG IATA) are emerging as major Chinese hubs, with flights to destinations in North America, Europe and Oceania.
Airline tickets are expensive or hard to come by around Chinese New Year, the Chinese 'golden weeks' and university holidays.
If you live in a city with a sizeable overseas Chinese community, check for cheap flights with someone in that community or visit travel agencies operated by Chinese. Sometimes flights advertised only in Chinese newspapers or travel agencies cost significantly less than posted fares in English. However if you go and ask, you can get the same discount price.
Airlines
China's carriers are growing rapidly. The three largest, and state-owned airlines are flag carrier Air China (中国国际航空), as well as China Eastern Airlines (中国东方航空) and China Southern Airlines (中国南方航空), based in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou respectively. Other airlines include XiamenAir (厦门航空), Hainan Airlines (海南航空), Shenzhen Airlines (深圳航空) and Sichuan Airlines (四川航空).
Hongkong-based Cathay Pacific can connect from many international destinations to all the major mainland cities. Other Asian carriers with good connections into China include Singapore Airlines, Japan-based Japan Airlines en All Nippon Airways, South Korea-based Korean Air en Asian Airlines, and Taiwan-based China Airlines en EVA Air.
Many major carriers based outside Asia fly to at least one of China's main hubs — Beijing (Capital of Daxing), Shanghai Pudong en Guangzhou — and many go to several of those. Some, such as KLM, also have flights to other less prominent Chinese cities. Check the individual city articles for details.
Sien Discount airlines in Asia for some additional options both to reach China and to get around within it.
Met die trein
China can be reached by train from many of its neighboring countries and even all the way from Europe.
- Russia & Europe - two lines of the Trans-Siberian Railway (Trans-Mongolian and Trans-Manchurian) run between Moscow and Beijing, stopping in various other Russian cities, and for the Trans-Mongolian, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
- Kazakhstan & Central Asia - van Almaty, Kazakhstan, you can travel by rail to Ürümqi in the northwestern province of Xinjiang. There are long waits at the Alashankou border crossing for customs, as well as for changing the wheelbase for the next country's track. Another, shorter, trans-border route has no direct train service; rather, you take an overnight Kazakh train from Almaty to Altynkol, cross the border to Khorgos, and then take an overnight Chinese train from Khorgos (or the nearby Yining) to Urumqi. There is also direct train service between Ürümqi and Astana (via Khorgos). (Details, in Chinese)
- Hongkong - regular services link mainland China with Hongkong. A high speed rail link was completed in 2018.
- Vietnam - from Hanoi Gia Lam Station to Nanning in Guangxi province, via the Friendship Pass. You can take a train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, walk or take a taxi across the border to Hekou, and take a train from Hekou North to Kunming.
- Noord-Korea - four weekly connections between the North Korean capital Pyongyang en Beijing.
Per pad
China has land borders with 14 countries. Mainland China also has land borders with the Special Administrative Regions of Hongkong en Macau, which are similar to international borders. Most of the border crossings in western China are in remote mountain passes, which while difficult to reach and traverse, often reward travelers willing to make the effort with breathtaking scenic views.
Indië
The Nathu La Pass between Sikkim in India and Southern Tibet is not open to tourists, and both countries require special permits to visit. The pass has reopened for cross-border trade since 2006, so the tourist restriction may be lifted in the future.
Myanmar (Burma)
Entering China from Myanmar is possible at the Ruili (China)-Lashio (Myanmar) border crossing, but permits must be obtained from the Burmese authorities in advance. Generally, this would require you to join a guided tour.
Vietnam
For most travelers, Hanoi is the origin for any overland journey to China. There are three international crossings:
Laos
Van Luang Namtha you can get a bus to Mengla. You must have a Chinese visa beforehand as there is no way to get one on arrival.
Also, there is a direct Chinese sleeper-bus connection from Luang Prabang to Kunming (about 32 hours). You can jump in this bus at the border, when the minibus from Luang Namtha and the sleeper meet. Don't pay more than ¥200, though.
Pakistan
Die Karakoram Highway from northern Pakistan into Western China is one of the most spectacular roads in the world. It's closed for tourists for a few months in winter. Crossing the border is relatively quick because of few overland travelers, and friendly relations between the two countries. Preliminary customs inspection will be done on spot, while immigration and customs inspection are done at suburban Tashkurgan. A bus runs between Kashgar (China) and Sust (Pakistan) across the Kunerjab pass.
Nepal
Die road from Nepal to Tibet passes near Mount Everest, and through amazing mountain scenery. Entering Tibet from Nepal is only possible for tourists on package tours, but it is possible to travel into Nepal from Tibet
Mongolia
There are two border crossings open to foreigners between Mongolia and China:
Other crossings open to nationals are are: Zhuen Gadabuqi or Zuun Khatavch (Xilingol, Inner Mongolia), Bichig (Mongolia), and Sheveekhuren - Sekhee.
Kazakstan
The border crossing closest to Almaty is at Khorgos. Buses run almost daily from Almaty to Ürümqi en Yining. No visa-on-arrival is available so ensure that both your Chinese and Kazakh visas are in order before attempting this. Another major crossing is at Alashankou (Dostyk on the Kazakh side).
Kyrgyztan
It is possible to cross the Torugart pass from Kyrgyztan, but the road is rough and the pass is only open during the summer months (June–September) every year. It is possible to arrange crossings all the way from Kashgar, but ensure that all your visas are in order.
Alternatively, while less scenic, a smoother crossing is at Irkeshtam to the south of Torugart.
Tajikistan
There is a single border crossing between China and Tajikistan at Kulma, which is open on weekdays from May–November. A bus operates across the border between Kashgar in Xinjiang and Khorog in Tajikistan. Ensure both your Chinese and Tajik visas are in order before attempting this crossing.
Rusland
The most popular border crossing at Manzhouli in Inner Mongolia. Buses run from Manzhouli to Zabaikalsk in Russia. There are also ferries across the Amur from Heihe to Blagoveshchensk, and from Fuyuan to Khabarovsk. Farther east, there are land border crossings at Suifenhe, Dongning, and Hunchun. Ensure both your Russian and Chinese visas are in order before attempting.
Noord-Korea
Crossing overland from North Korea at the Dandong/Sinuiju border crossing is fairly straightforward if you have arranged it as part of your North Korean tour. The other border crossings along the Yalu and Tumen rivers may not be open to tourists. Your tour company must ensure that your Chinese and North Korean visas are in order before attempting this.
Hongkong
There are four road border crossings into China from Hongkong:
- Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang,
- Sha Tau Kok/Shatoujiao,
- Man Kam To/Wenjindu, and
- the Shenzhen Bay Bridge.
A visa on arrival is available for some nationalities at Huanggang, but visas must be arranged in advance for all other crossings.
Macau
The two border crossings are at the Portas do Cerco/Gongbei en die Lotus Bridge. A visa-on-arrival can be obtained by certain nationalities at the Portas do Cerco. At Gongbei, Zhuhai train station is adjacent to the border crossing, with frequent train service to Guangzhou.
Ander
Travelers cannot cross the borders with Afghanistan en Bhutan.
Per boot
There are a number of boats to China by sea and river:
- Hong Kong and Macau: There is regular ferry and hovercraft service between Hong Kong and Macau to the rest of the Pearl River Delta, such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai. Ferry service from Hong Kong International Airport allow arriving passengers to proceed directly to China without having to clear Hong Kong immigration and customs.
- Japan: A ferry service to Sjanghai van Osaka en Kobe, Japan. Service is once or twice weekly, depending on the season and takes about 2 days.
- Suid-Korea: A ferry service to Shanghai and Tianjin from Incheon, a port close to Seoul. Another line is to Qingdao of Weihai from Incheon or Dalian from Incheon.
- Taiwan: Hourly ferries (18 departures per day) run from Kinmen to Xiamen, with the journey time either 30 minutes or one hour depending on port. There is also a regular ferry between Kinmen and Quanzhou with 3 departures per day. A twice-daily ferry links Matsu met Fuzhou, with journey time about 2 hours. From the Taiwanese main island, there are weekly departures from Taichung en Keelung aboard the Cosco Star to Xiamen en Damaiyu, Taizhou.
- Thailand: Golden Peacock Shipping company runs a speedboat three times a week on the Mekong river to Jinghong in Yunnan van Chiang Saen (Thailand). Passengers are not required to have visas for Laos or Myanmar, although the greater part of the trip is on the river bordering these countries. Tickets cost ¥650.
- Passasierskip: In die herfs verskuif verskeie vaarlyne hul skepe vanaf Alaska aan Asië en daar is oor die algemeen goeie verbindings wat vertrek vanaf Ankerplek, Vancouver, of Seattle. Star Cruises werk tussen Keelung in Taiwan en Xiamen op die vasteland van China en onderweg stop by een van die Japannese eilande.
Kry rond
Gesondheidskodes  'N Voorbeeld van' gesondheidskode ' |
Baie buitelandse programme soos Google Maps werk nie in China, en is geneig om onbedekte dekking en datakwaliteit te hê, selfs al is dit via Skynprivaatnetwerk beskikbaar. Boonop gebruik China sy eie koördinaatstelsel, wat soms probleme veroorsaak wanneer buitelandse kaartprogramme gebruik word. Die mees algemene rigtingwyser-app wat deur die Sjinese self gebruik word, is Baidu-kaarte, alhoewel dit slegs in Chinees beskikbaar is. N kaart is effektief die Citymapper vir die hele China. Dit is slegs in Engels beskikbaar op Apple-toestelle en vervang Apple Maps as u op die vasteland van China is. Dit bevat 'n lys van alle openbare vervoer en voorgestelde motorroetes, selfs op oënskynlik plattelandse plekke. Alternatiewe metodes sluit in ander kaartprogramme gebaseer op OpenStreetMap-data of die huur van 'n plaaslike GPS. Meer inligting by GPS-navigasie.
Name van lang strate word dikwels 'n middelwoord gegee wat die deel van die straat aandui: noord (北 běi), suid (南 nán), oos (东 dōng), wes (西 XI), of sentraal (中 zhōng). Byvoorbeeld, White Horse Street of Báimǎ Lù (白 马路) kan verdeel word in Báimǎ Běilù (白马 北路 "White Horse North Street"), Báimǎ Nánlù (白马 南路 "White Horse South Street"), en Báimǎ Zhōnglù (白马 中路 "White Horse Central Street"). In sommige stede dui hierdie name egter nie aan dele van een straat nie. In Xiamen, Hubin Bei Lu en Hubin Nan Lu (Lakeside Road North en Lakeside Road South) is parallel, en loop oos-wes aan die noord- en suidekant van die meer. In Nanjing, Zhongshan Lu, Zhongshan Bei Lu en Zhongshan Dong Lu is drie afsonderlike hoofpaaie.
Met die vliegtuig
China is 'n groot land, dus oorweeg binnelandse vlugte, tensy u slegs die oostelike kus wil besoek. China het baie binnelandse vlugte wat al die groot stede en toeristebestemmings verbind. Lugdienste sluit die drie internasionale lugdiensondernemings in: Air China, China Southern en China Eastern, asook streeksvliegtuie, waaronder Hainan Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sichuan Airlines en Shanghai Airlines.
Vlugte tussen Hongkong of Macau en Chinese stede op die vasteland word beskou as internasionale vlugte en kan redelik duur wees. Daarom is dit gewoonlik as u in Hong Kong of Macau aankom of vertrek veel goedkoper om na of van Shenzhen of Zhuhai, net oorkant die grens, te vlieg, of Guangzhou, wat 'n bietjie verder is, maar vlugte bied na meer bestemmings.
Die pryse vir binnelandse vlugte word volgens standaardtariewe vasgestel, maar afslag is algemeen, veral op die besiger roetes. Die meeste goeie hotelle, en baie koshuise, het 'n reiskaartjiediens en kan u 15-70% afslag op die prys van kaartjies bespaar. Reisagentskappe en besprekingskantore is volop in alle Chinese stede en bied soortgelyke afslag. Selfs voordat u afslag oorweeg, is dit nie duur om per vliegtuig in China te reis nie.
Om binne China te reis, is dit gewoonlik die beste om kaartjies in China of op Chinese webwerwe te koop (dit het dikwels Engelse weergawes). 'N Nuttige app / webwerf is CTrip, dit is die enigste manier waarop u 'n internasionale krediet- / debietkaart op die vlug kan gebruik om trein- / vliegtuigkaartjies te koop. As u u kaartjie by 'n Chinese verkoper koop, sal hulle u kontak om u te laat weet oor die veranderinge aan u vlug. As u u kaartjie oorsee gekoop het, moet u seker maak dat u die vlugstatus 'n dag of twee nagaan voordat u van plan is om te vlieg. Op Chinese webwerwe bly die pryse hoog tot twee maande voor die vlugdatum, en dan is daar groot afslag beskikbaar, tensy 'n spesifieke vlug reeds sterk bespreek is.
Onverklaarbare vertragings op vlugte kom algemeen voor, deels as gevolg van die streng militêre beheer van die lugruim - min lande het soveel van hul lugruim buite die burgerlike lugvaart as China. Vir kortafstandreise wil u dalk alternatiewe soos hoëspoed-spoorweg. Vlugkansellasies is ook nie ongewoon nie. As u u kaartjie by 'n Chinese verkoper koop, sal hulle waarskynlik probeer om u te kontak (as u kontakinligting agtergelaat het) om u te laat weet oor die verandering in die vlugplan. As u u kaartjie oorsee gekoop het, moet u 'n dag of twee na die vlugstatus kyk voordat u van plan is om te vlieg.
Ten spyte van 'n gebrek aan regulering in die laat 20 eeu, is die veiligheidsrekord van Chinese lugvaart nou uitstekend. Hulle het sedert 2010 nie 'n ernstige noodlottige ongeluk gehad nie, en die Chinese owerhede is baie onnosel as dit kom by die oortreding van veiligheid deur bemanning of onderhoudsprobleme.
Wees ook seker dat u nie die ontvangsbewyse vir ingecheckte bagasie verloor nie, want dit sal aan u bagasiekaartjies gekontroleer word voordat u die saal vir bagasie eis mag verlaat.
Met die trein
- Sien ook Treinreise in China
Treinreise is die vernaamste metode van langafstandvervoer vir die Chinese, met 'n uitgebreide netwerk roetes wat die grootste deel van die land dek. Ongeveer 'n kwart van die wêreld se totale spoorverkeer is in China.
China het nou die wêreld se langste netwerk van hoëspoedspoorweë (soortgelyk aan Franse TGV- of Japannese Shinkansen-koeëltreine) genoem CRH, insluitend die wêreld se enigste hoëspoed slaaptreine. As u roete en begroting dit toelaat, is dit miskien die beste manier om rond te kom. CRH-treine is internasionaal van die beste vlak wat toerusting en netheid betref.
Op die meeste treine op hoër vlak word opgeneemde aankondigings in Chinees en Engels gedoen. Plaaslike treine het geen aankondigings in Engels nie. Wees versigtig met u waardevolle artikels terwyl u op die trein is, want diefstal met openbare vervoer is 'n probleem. Pille vir bewegingsiekte en oordopjes word aanbeveel.
Langafstandtreine het 'n buffet- of eetwa, wat middelmatige warm kos teen ongeveer 25 ¥ bedien. Die spyskaart is volledig in Chinees. Daar is moontlik verkopers op die stasieplatform wat noedels, versnaperinge en vrugte teen beter pryse verkoop. Die meeste treinwaens het 'n warmgekookte waterdispenser beskikbaar, sodat u tee, sop en kitsnoedels kan saambring.
Rook is nie toegelaat in die sit- of slaapareas nie, maar wel in die voorportale aan die einde van elke motor met gewone treine, terwyl dit in hoëspoedreine heeltemal verbied word. Rook is verbode in stasiegeboue, behalwe in aangewese rookkamers.
Sien Treinreise in China vir inligting oor die koop van kaartjies.
Chinese treinstasies funksioneer soos 'n lughawe, dus moet u nie op die laaste oomblik trein ry nie: hekke sluit 'n paar minute voor vertrek! Om veilig te wees, wees daar minstens 20 minute vroeg of 30 minute as u 'n groot treinstasie binnegaan. Maak seker dat u op die regte plek wag, want die trein stop dikwels net vir 'n paar minute.
Baie stede het verskillende stasies vir normale treine en hoëspoedtreine. Snel-stasiename bestaan gewoonlik uit die stad en die hoofrigting (byvoorbeeld Héngyángdōng, "Hengyang-Oos").
Met die bus
Reis per publiek stadsbusse (公共汽车 gōnggòngqìchē) of langafstandbusse (长途汽车 chángtúqìchē) is goedkoop en ideaal vir vervoer in die stad en kortafstand.
Stadsbusse wissel van stad tot stad. As u egter die busroetes kan verstaan, is dit goedkoop en gaan dit amper oral. In busse sal aankondigings gewoonlik aangeteken word wat u die volgende stop sal vertel - voorbeelde hiervan kan insluit 'xià yí zhàn - zhōng shān lù' (volgende stop Zhongshan Road) of 'Shànghǎi nán huǒ chē zhàn dào le' (treinstasie Shanghai South - nou aankom ). Sommige groot stede soos Beijing of Hangzhou sal Engelse aankondigings hê, ten minste op sommige hoofroetes. Tariewe is gewoonlik ongeveer ¥ 1-3 of meer as u na die voorstede reis. Die meeste busse het eenvoudig 'n metaalkas langs die ingang waar u u tarief kan invoeg (geen verandering nie - bespaar die ¥ 1-muntstukke) of op langer roetes 'n dirigent wat tariewe sal invorder en kaartjies kan uitreik en wissel. Die bestuurder gee gewoonlik voorkeur aan spoed bo gemak, so hou vas.
Afrigters, of langafstandbusse, kan meer prakties wees as treine om na voorstede of kleiner stede te gaan. Afrigters afkomstig van groter stede aan die ooskus, is gewoonlik lugversorg met sagte sitplekke. Buspersoneel is geneig om behulpsaam te wees, maar hulle is minder bekend met buitelanders as lugdienspersoneel.
'N Bus of bus op die platteland van China is 'n ander ervaring. Tekens in die stasie om busse te identifiseer, sal in Chinees wees. Die nommer van die afrigter se nommerplaat is op die kaartjie gedruk, en dit word aan die agterkant van die bus gespuitverf. Geskeduleerde tye van vertrek en aankoms is slegs rowwe beramings, en die bus vertrek wanneer dit vol is, eerder as op 'n vasgestelde tyd. Landelike afrigters is dikwels die enigste vorm van vervoer in baie gebiede in China en is gewoonlik meer as bereid om op enige plek langs die roete te stop as u meer afgeleë gebiede wil besoek sonder direkte vervoer. Busse kan ook op die meeste punte langs hul roete afgemerk word. Die resepad van die kaartjie is onderhandelbaar.
Dit is eenvoudig om 'n kaartjie te kry. Groot busstasies het kaartjietellers wat gedrukte kaartjies verkoop wat die vertrektyd, instaphek en kenteken nommer van u bus vertoon. U het u paspoort nodig om 'n kaartjie te koop, en u sal dikwels deur die veiligheidsinspeksie moet gaan.
Met die metro
Die meeste groot stede in China het nou 'n metro / metro (地铁 dìtiě) stelsels. Hulle is tipies modern, skoon, doeltreffend en brei steeds vinnig uit. Beijing, Sjanghai en Guangzhou het al van die wêreld se mees uitgebreide stelsels.
Op stasieplatforms en in treine is gewoonlik tekens in Chinees en Engels wat alle stasies op die lyn bevat. Aankondigings in die stasies en treine word in Mandaryns en Engels gedoen, en soms ook in die plaaslike taal. Baie kaarte (veral Engelse weergawes) het moontlik nie die vinnige uitbreiding bygehou nie. Soek aanlyn na 'n tweetalige metrokaart wat u kan saamneem.
Chinese metrostasies het dikwels 'n veiligheidscontrolepunt voor die draaihekke, waar u u tasse deur 'n röntgenskandeerder moet laat loop. Dit is waarskynlik dat sakkerollers sal staak tydens stopstasies, dus let op u besittings.
Stasies het meestal baie uitgange met etikette soos afrit A, B, C1 of C2. Op kaarte sal u sien dat elke afrit duidelik rondom die stasie gemerk is. Tekens in die stasie maak dit maklik om u uitgang te vind.
Met die taxi
Huurmotors (出租车 chūzūchē of 的士 dīshì, uitgespreek "deg-see" in Kantonees-sprekende gebiede) is redelik geprys: vlagval ¥ 5-14, per km heffing ¥ 2-3. Die meeste reise binne die middestad kos ¥ 10-50. Daar is geen ekstra koste vir bagasie nie, maar in baie stede is die tariewe snags hoër. Die taxigeld word gewoonlik afgerond tot die naaste hele yuan. Wenke word nie verwag nie, maar is welkom, veral na lang reise.
Huurmotors word gewoonlik bestel deur a telefoon app, en dit het moeiliker geword om 'n taxi op straat te haal. Die gewildste app, Didi Chuxing, is ook in Engels beskikbaar.
Taxi-smouse bekoor naïewe reisigers by lughaweterminales, treinstasies en grensoorgange. Hulle sal probeer om 'n vasgestelde prys te beding en vra gewoonlik twee tot drie keer 'n tarief. Daar is aangewese taxigebiede buite die meeste lughaweterminales; dring daarop aan dat die bestuurder die meter moet gebruik. Die tarief moet duidelik op die taxi aangedui word.
Dit kan 'n bietjie moeilik wees om 'n taxi gedurende spitstye te vind. Maar dit raak regtig moeilik as dit reën. Weg van spitstye, veral snags, is dit soms moontlik om 10% tot 20% afslag te kry, veral as u vooraf daaroor onderhandel, selfs al is die meter aan en vra vir 'n kwitansie.
Om op die voorste passasiersitplek te sit, is aanvaarbaar en is handig as u probleme ondervind om in Chinees te kommunikeer. Sommige taxi's monteer die taximeter onder by die ratkas, waar u dit net vanaf die voorste sitplek kan sien. Bestuurders kan begin rook sonder om te vra. In sommige stede is dit ook algemeen dat bestuurders verskeie passasiers probeer oplaai as hul bestemmings in dieselfde algemene rigting is. Elke passasier betaal volle tarief, maar dit bespaar die tyd om op spitstyd op 'n leë kajuit te wag.
Dit is baie onwaarskynlik dat u selfs in groot stede 'n Engelssprekende taxibestuurder sal kry. As u nie kan uitspreek nie Mandaryns wel, laat u bestemming skryf in Chinese karakters om die bestuurder te wys. Besoekkaarte vir u hotel en restaurante is nuttig hiervoor. In groot stede in die welvarende suidelike en oostelike kusprovinsies is baie taxibestuurders migrante uit ander dele van China wat Mandaryns praat, maar nie die plaaslike dialek nie.
Die meeste bestuurders is eerlik en die tariewe is redelik, maar daar is slegte persone wat u gebrek aan Chinese vaardighede sal probeer gebruik. Die tariefverskil is gewoonlik minimaal. As u voel dat u ernstig verneuk is op pad na u hotel en 'n portier het, kan u 'n beroep op hom of die personeel van die lessenaar doen vir hulp. In stede kan die bestuurder se ID (op die paneelbord) of nommerplaatnommer gefotografeer word en dreig om hom by die owerheid aan te meld.
In sommige stede gebruik taxi-ondernemings 'n sterrestelsel vir bestuurders, wat wissel van 0 tot 5, wat op die bestuurder se naamplaatjie verskyn, op die paneelbord voor die passasiersitplek. Alhoewel geen of min sterre nie noodwendig 'n slegte bestuurder aandui nie, is baie sterre geneig om goeie kennis van die stad aan te dui en bereidwilligheid om u op die kortste manier na waar u vra, te neem. 'N Ander aanduiding van die bestuurder se vermoë kan op dieselfde naamplaatjie gevind word - die bestuurder se ID-nommer. 'N Klein aantal vertel jou dat hy al lank bestaan, en dus waarskynlik die stad beter sal ken. Gebruik die groter taxi-ondernemings, indien moontlik, aangesien die kleiner maatskappye geneig is om 'n groter aantal oneerlike bestuurders te hê.
Chinees is soms mededingend as hulle 'n taxi soek. Die persoon wat 'n spesifieke motor afmerk, is nie noodwendig op daardie rit geregtig nie. Dit is algemeen om inwoners in die verkeer te laat beweeg om motors te onderskep of uit die pad te skuif terwyl hulle probeer om 'n taxi te betree. As daar ander in die omgewing is wat vir ritte meeding, moet u gereed wees om u motor te bereik en dit so gou as moontlik te betree nadat u dit afgemerk het. Dra te alle tye u veiligheidsgordel (as u dit kan vind).
Sommige taxibestuurders, veral diegene wat Engels kan praat, kan nogal nuuskierig en spraaksaam wees, veral in die spitsverkeer (高峰 gāo fēng).
Per fiets
- Hoofartikel: Fietsry in China
Fietse (自行车 zìxíngchē) was eens die mees algemene vorm van vervoer in China, maar baie mense het opgegradeer na elektriese fietse en motorfietse. Fietsherstelwinkels is algemeen in stede en landelike gebiede.
Dockless-rygoedfietse in China se groter stede werk u op 'n grab'n'go-basis: u gebruik u selfoon om enige beskikbare fiets te ontsluit, betaal ¥ 1-2 per 30 minute terwyl u dit gebruik, en laai dit feitlik af waar u wil. Die grootste operateurs Mobike (oranje) en Ofo (kanariegeel) het Engelse toepassings. Dockless-fietse is gebou om te hou, wat beteken dat dit swaar, lomp en ongereerd is, maar vir reisigers kan dit 'n goedkoop, maklike vervoermiddel wees wat beter is as om openbare vervoer te hanteer.
Daar is twee groot gevare vir fietsryers in Sjina:
- Motorverkeer; motors en motorfietse trek gereeld uit sonder enige waarskuwing, en in die meeste gebiede is rooi ligte blykbaar opsioneel.
- Fietsdiefstal is hoogty dwarsdeur die stede in China.
China is 'n uitgestrekte land en bied ernstige fietsryers uitdagings om oor berge en woestyn te ry. As u van plan is om deur China te fiets, moet u 'n visum kry voor u reis, want dit kan moeilik wees om een onderweg te kry. Vermy om te sê dat die reis per fiets sal plaasvind, aangesien ambassadepersoneel dit dalk nie wil hê nie, en Xinjiang en Tibet polities sensitief is. Die visum is in elk geval geldig vir enige grensoorgang en vervoermetode (behalwe Tibet).
Met die motor
Sien ook:Ry in China
Die VRK erken in die algemeen nie internasionale rypermitte nie en laat buitelanders nie toe om sonder 'n Chinese lisensie in China te ry nie. Hongkong- en Macau-lisensies word ook as vreemd beskou, en as u een daarvan het, kan u nie op die vasteland ry nie. Die invoer van buitelandse voertuie is moeilik. Daar is 'n paar maniere om tydelike lisensies te kry: sien die artikel in Driving in China.
Om 'n motor te huur, is feitlik ongehoord in groot Chinese stede, wat oor die algemeen uitstekende netwerk vir openbare vervoer het wat u byna oral kry. Daar is wel 'n paar landelike dele van China wat nog die beste met die motor verken kan word. Huurmotors kom meestal met 'n bestuurder en dit is waarskynlik die beste manier om per motor in China te reis.
Per motorfiets
Sien ook:Ry in China # Motorfietse
Motorfiets-taxi's kom algemeen voor, veral in kleiner stede en landelike gebiede. Hulle is gewoonlik goedkoop en effektief, maar eng. Die tariewe is onderhandelbaar.
Regulasies vir die bestuur van 'n motorfiets wissel van stad tot stad. In sommige gevalle kan 50cc bromfietsry bestuur word sonder 'n rybewys, hoewel baie stede hulle nou verbied of herklassifiseer het weens talle ongelukke. Om 'n 'regte' motorfiets te bestuur, is baie moeiliker, deels omdat u 'n Chinese lisensie nodig het, deels omdat dit in baie stede verbied is, en deels omdat die produksie en invoer vertraag het met die fokus op motors en elektriese bromponies. Die tipiese Chinese motorfiets is 125 cc, kan ongeveer 100 km / h doen en is 'n tradisionele cruiser-styl. Hulle is gewoonlik stadig, alledaags om te ry en het min sportpotensiaal. Regeringsbeperkings op die enjingrootte beteken dat sportfietse skaars is, maar steeds gevind kan word. 'N Ander gewilde keuse is 'n 125 cc outomatiese' maxi 'bromponie wat losweg op die Honda CN250 gebaseer is. Dit is 'n bietjie vinniger as 'n bromfiets en gemakliker oor lang afstande, maar het die voordeel van outomatiese transmissie wat die onderhandeling tussen stedelike verkeer baie makliker maak.
Die meeste stede het 'n motorfietsmark met 'n beskrywing en verkoop gereeld 'n goedkoop motorfiets met vals of onwettige nommerplate, hoewel 'n vreemdeling op 'n motor 'n seldsame gesig is en dit die polisie se aandag sal trek. Helms is noodsaaklik op 'regte' fietse, maar opsioneel op bromponies. U moet 'n nommerplaat hê: dit is geel of blou op 'n motorfiets of groen op 'n bromponie en kan 'n paar duisend yuan kos om die fiets self te registreer. Valse plate is maklik teen 'n laer prys beskikbaar, maar is riskant.
Deur pedicab (riksja)
Wat is in 'n naam? Die terme pedicab en riksja word dikwels deur buitelanders in China deurmekaar gebruik, maar verwys na twee verskillende vervoermiddele - waarvan een nie meer bestaan nie. Die berugte riksja was 'n tweewiel-uitrusting met twee pale aan die voorkant, wat die operateur aangehou het terwyl hy passasiers loop of bestuur het na hul bestemmings. Dit het in die laat 19de eeu vermeerder, maar is geleidelik in die 1950's uitgefaseer. Video's van Westerse elite wat polikrone speel op riksja's wat deur Chinese werkers aangedryf word, het die uitbuitende aard van riksja's getoon. 'N Verre familielid van die riksja kan steeds gesien word as dagarbeiders in kleiner of minder ontwikkelde stede elke oggend met hul riksja-agtige karre saamkom en wag op werk om konstruksiemateriaal, steenkool of ander kans te lewer. Die riksja is vervang deur die pedicab: 'n driewielvervoer ry soos 'n fiets. |
In sommige middelgroot stede is die motorhuur 'n baie gemakliker manier om kort afstande te ry. Sānlúnchē (三轮车), die Chinese term wat beide gebruik word vir pedaal-aangedrewe en gemotoriseerde riksja's, is alomteenwoordig in landelike China en minder ontwikkelde (dit wil sê minder toeristiese) gebiede van groter stede. Om vooraf oor die tarief te onderhandel, is 'n moet.
Berigte oor te veel verwys waarskynlik na afvallige kunstenaars wat toeristebestemmings werk, soos Silk Alley, Wangfujing en veral die Lao She Tea House in Beijing. Miskien moet die vuistreël wees: 'Pasop dat iemand iets naby toeristevalle verkoop.'
As u normale Chinese families sien wat die "sanlun" gebruik - byvoorbeeld tussen die Beijing Zoo en die naaste metrohalte - dan is dit veilig. Moenie enige sanlun gebruik wat 'n outydse kostuum dra om toeriste te lok nie. Hy sal tien keer die lopende tarief probeer hef.
Dit lyk asof die geëlektrifiseerde driewiel-sanluns wat in die pedicabs ontwikkel of omgeskakel is, in Sjanghai in die meerderheid is.
Sien
China se besienswaardighede is eindeloos en u sal nooit dinge raaksien om te sien nie. Veral naby die kusgebiede, as u klaar is met een stad, is die volgende een gewoonlik net 'n kort treinrit daarvandaan.
Of u nou 'n geskiedenisliefhebber is, 'n natuurliefhebber of iemand wat net op 'n lekker strand wil ontspan, China het alles van die majestueuse Verbode Stad in Beijing, na die asemrowende natuurskoon van Jiuzhaigou. Selfs as u jare lank in China woon, sal u in 'n ander deel van die land altyd iets nuuts ontdek. As gevolg van sy enorme omvang en lang geskiedenis, het China miskien die derde grootste aantal UNESCO-wêrelderfenisgebiede, na Italië en Spanje.
China is op die grens tussen twee biostreke. Eurasiese wildlewe kan in die noorde en weste gesien word, en Suid-Asiatiese wild kan in die suide en suidooste gevind word.
Karst-natuurskoon
Die gomdruppelberge en steil hellende beboste heuwels met ongelooflike rotsformasies wat deur tradisionele Chinese kunstenaars bevoordeel word, is nie kreatiewe fantasie nie. In werklikheid is baie van die suide en suidweste van China bedek met ingewikkelde erodeerde rotsformasies wat bekend staan as karst. Karst is 'n soort kalksteenformasie wat vernoem is na 'n gebied in Slowenië. Namate kalksteenlae erodeer, weerstaan die digter rots of sakke van verskillende klip erosievormende pieke. Grotte hol onder die berge uit wat kan ineenstort en sinkgate en kanale tot ondergrondse riviere vorm. Karst erodeer op sy mees ongewone manier om doolhowe van toppies, boë en gange te vorm. Die bekendste voorbeeld kan gevind word in die Stone Forest (石林 Shílín) naby Kunming in Yunnan. Sommige van die beroemdste toeristegebiede in China bevat skouspelagtige karst-landskappe - Guilin en Yangshuo in Guangxi, Zhangjiajie in Hunan, en baie van die sentrale en westelike Guizhou provinsie.
Heilige berge
Sien ook:Heilige terreine van China
Chinese berge Linell Davis, wat die boek oor praktiese kulturele verskille tussen China en die Weste letterlik geskryf het, het dit oor Chinese berge te sê: "Westerlinge vind Chinese berge verwarrend omdat hulle nie 'n ervaring van die wilde ongetemde natuur bied nie. Hulle verwag dat berge natuurlik moet wees eerder as met trappe van onder na bo geplavei. Hulle verwag nie dat baie ou mense en baie jong kinders berge gaan klim nie. Ek het ook opgemerk dat elke plaaslike gebied in China 'n 'berg' het, al is dit redelik klein en selfs as mense dit self moes bou. Na 'n paar ervarings om te vind, was daar niks om van bo af te sien of dat die uitsig was nie. het in wolke en mis verlore gegaan (Emei en Huangshan, byvoorbeeld), het ek probeer uitvind wat mense regtig doen as hulle berge klim. My gevolgtrekking is dat mense in China berge klim omdat die ervaring om dit te doen aangenaam is. Ek dink hulle doen dit ook om die berg te ervaar deur daarin te beweeg en op en af. Wanneer hulle die berg beklim, besef hulle hul verbintenis met die natuur eerder as hul mag daaroor. "- Linell Davis, Kultuur doen |
Berge is 'n belangrike deel van die Chinese landerye, en daar is baie berge wat godsdienstige betekenis het in Chinese Boeddhisme en Taoïsme. Hierdie berge dien dikwels as 'n gewilde agtergrond in dramas uit die Chinese tyd, en word tradisioneel geassosieer met verskillende sektore van die Chinese vegkuns. Hierdie berge huisves steeds baie Taoïstiese en Boeddhistiese tempels en dien steeds as skilderagtige agtergronde wat baie plaaslike toeriste lok.
Vyf Groot Berge
Die Vyf Groot Berge (五岳) word geassosieer met die vyf hoofrigtings in Chinese geomansie, en word vermoedelik afkomstig van die liggaam van Pangu (盘古), die skepper van die wêreld in die Chinese mitologie.
- Mount Heng (恒山), die Noordelike Berg (北岳) in Shanxi provinsie. Letterlik die "ewige berg".
- Mount Heng (衡山), die Suidelike Berg (南岳) in Hunan provinsie. Letterlik die 'balanserende berg'.
- Mount Tai (泰山), die Oostelike Berg (东岳), in Shandong provinsie. Letterlik die "vreedsame berg".
- Mount Hua (华山), die Westelike Berg (西岳) in Shaanxi provinsie. Letterlik die "pragtige berg".
- Mount Song (嵩山), die Sentrale Berg (中岳) in Henan provinsie. Ook die tuiste van die beroemdes Shaolin-klooster (少林寺), histories bekend vir sy krygsmonnike. Letterlik die "verhewe berg".
Vier Heilige Berge van Boeddhisme
Die Vier Heilige Berge van Boeddhisme (四大 佛教 名山) word tradisioneel geassosieer met vier verskillende Bodhisattvas, wat in die Chinese Boeddhisme vereer word. Hierdie berge is tot vandag toe steeds skilderagtige plekke met prominente Boeddhistiese tempels.
- Mount Wutai (五台山), tradisioneel geassosieer met Bodhisattva Manjusri (文殊 菩萨), in Shanxi provinsie.
- Mount Emei (峨眉山), tradisioneel geassosieer met Bodhisattva Samantabhadra (普贤 菩萨), in Sichuan provinsie.
- Mount Putuo (普陀山), wat tradisioneel geassosieer word met Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (观音 菩萨), die gewildste Bodhisattva in die Chinese Boeddhisme, in Zhejiang provinsie. Dit is nie 'n berg nie, maar eerder 'n eiland aan die Chinese kus.
- Berg Jiuhua (九 华山), tradisioneel geassosieer met Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha (地 藏 菩萨), in Anhui provinsie.
Vier Heilige Berge van Taoïsme
Alhoewel daar baie heilige berge in die Chinese volksgodsdiens is, is die Vier Heilige Berge van Taoïsme (四大 道教 名山) word saam met die Vyf Groot Berge as die heiligste onder hulle beskou. Dit is steeds skilderagtige plekke met prominente Taoïstiese tempels.
- Mount Wudang (武当山), wat deur die meeste Chinese beskou word as die heiligste van alle heilige berge vir Taoïste, in Hubei provinsie. Dit word tradisioneel beskou as 'n belangrike sentrum van Chinese vegkuns, en as die belangrikste mededinger van die Shaolin-klooster (alhoewel vriendelik).
- Mount Longhu (龙虎山) in Jiangxi provinsie.
- Mount Qiyun (齐云山) in Anhui provinsie.
- Mount Qingcheng (青城 山) in Sichuan provinsie.
Blomme
Terwyl Japan se kersiebloeisels miskien beter bekend is, is dit China pruim blom (梅花 méi huā) en perskebloeisels (桃花 táo huā) word dikwels beskou as die kersiebloeisels in pure skoonheid. Pruime is geneig om te blom gedurende die koudste deel van die winter, dikwels tydens hewige sneeuval, wat dit 'n simbool van veerkragtigheid maak, en is die nasionale blom van die Republiek China wat eens op die vasteland van China geheers het. Perskes, aan die ander kant, is geneig om in die lente te blom. Hierdie bome kan in baie parke besigtig word, veral in die noordelike en oostelike dele van China, maar ook op hoër hoogtes in die suide. Albei blomme word baie vereer in die tradisionele Chinese kultuur, en kom gereeld voor in tradisionele Chinese kuns en kunsvlyt.
Die pioen (牡丹 花 mǔ dān huā) is ook baie eerbiedig en verteenwoordig eer en rykdom. Anders as die blomme van pruime en perskes, groei pioene eerder op struike as op bome. Hulle blom gewoonlik in die laat lente tot vroeë somer.
Uitvoerende kunste
- Hoofartikel: Chinese uitvoerende kunste
As 'n groot en uiteenlopende land huisves China 'n wye verskeidenheid uitvoerende kunste, beide tradisioneel en modern. Sommige genres is landwyd gewild, maar sommige is slegs gewild in spesifieke streke, en die verskillende etniese minderhede het ook hul eie tradisies. Twee genres wat landwyd gewild is en ook gereeld internasionaal opgevoer word, is Beijing opera (京剧 jīngjù) en Yue opera (越剧 yuèjù).
Ander webwerwe
Webwerwe van die Chinese rewolusie kan gesien word in ons Chinese rewolusionêre bestemmings artikel.
Belangrike Boeddhistiese terreine in China kan gevind word in ons Boeddhisme artikel.
Reisroetes
Sommige reisplanke dek reise wat heeltemal binne China is:
- Langs die Yangtze-rivier
- Langs die Geel rivier
- Langs die Grand Canal
- Rondom Erhai Lake met 'n elektriese bromponie
- Hong Kong na Kunming oorland
- Lang Maart
- Oorland na Tibet
- Qinghai – Tibet-spoorweg
- Yunnan toeriste roete
Ander is deels in China:
- Sy pad - antieke karavaanroete vanaf China na Europa
- Karakoram snelweg - Wes-China na Pakistan deur die Himalajas
- Op die spoor van Marco Polo
Doen
Masseer
Redelike pryse van hoë gehalte is beskikbaar in die hele China. Kundige werk kos ¥ 20-80 per uur.
- Byna enige haarkapper sal haarwas en kopmassering vir 10 ¥ gee. Dit sluit dikwels die skoonmaak van oorwas en die massering van die nek en arms in. Met 'n kapsel en / of 'n skeer, wissel die pryse van ¥ 25-100 met pryse hoër in groot stede en in hoërklas- of toeristegerigte ondernemings.
- Die beskikbaarheid van voetmassering (足疗 zúliáo) word dikwels aangedui deur 'n foto van 'n kaal voetspoor op die bord. Die pryse is van ¥ 15 tot ongeveer ¥ 60.
- Volmassering word aangebied teen pryse van ¥ 15 per uur en in twee variëteite: ànmó (按摩) is algemene massering; tuīná (推拿) konsentreer op die meridiane wat in akupunktuur gebruik word.
Hierdie drie soorte massering word gereeld gemeng; baie plekke bied al drie aan.
- Massering is 'n tradisionele handel vir blindes, en die beste waarde is dikwels op klein, uit die weg geruimde plekke met blinde personeel (盲人 按摩 mángrén ànmó).
- Die mees kundige masserings is in masseerhospitale, of algemene mediese hospitale, wat gewoonlik ongeveer 50 ¥ per uur kos.
Sommige masseringsplekke is eintlik bordele. Prostitusie is onwettig in China, maar dit is baie algemeen en vermom as 'n massering. Die meeste warmwaterbronne of sauna-ondernemings bied aan almal die dienste wat 'n sakeman dalk vir ontspanning wil hê. Baie hotelle bied massering in u kamer aan, en bykomende dienste is byna altyd beskikbaar sodra sy die kamer is. Pienk beligting of baie meisies in kort rompies in kleiner ondernemings dui waarskynlik op meer as net massering wat aangebied word (en dikwels kan hulle ook nie lekker masseer nie). Dieselfde reël geld in baie haarsalonne wat ook dien as massagesalonne / bordele.
Die plekke wat nie pienk verlig is nie, bied gewoonlik masserings en bied meestal nie seks nie. As die instansie massering deur blindes adverteer, is dit bykans wettig.
Vir basiese frases om te gebruik as u 'n massering kry, sien Chinese frase-boek # Kry 'n massering.
Tradisionele kunste
Oorweeg dit om 'n paar tradisionele kunste te leer as u 'n lang verblyf in China beplan. Om na China te reis, is per slot van rekening 'n unieke kans om die basiese beginsels te leer, of reeds verworwe vaardighede te verfyn, direk van meesters in die land van die kunste. Baie stede het akademies wat beginners aanvaar, en om nie Chinees te ken nie, is gewoonlik nie 'n probleem nie, aangesien u met voorbeeld en navolging daarvan kan leer. Kalligrafie (书法 shūfǎ), a term that covers both writing characters and painting scrolls (that is, classical landscapes and the like) remains a popular national hobby. Many calligraphers practice by writing with water on sidewalks in city parks. Other traditional arts which offer classes include learning to play traditional Chinese instruments (inquire in shops that sell these as many offer classes), cooking Chinese cuisine, or even singing Beijing Opera (京剧 jīngjù). Fees are usually modest, and the necessary materials will not exactly break the bank. The only requirement is being in the same place for a long enough time, and showing sufficient respect; it is better not to join these classes as a tourist attraction.
Martial arts
As with traditional cultural arts, those with the time and inclination may be interested in studying China's famed martial arts. Some, such as tai chi (太极拳 tàijíquán), can be studied at a basic level by simply visiting any city park in the early morning and following along. You will likely find many eager teachers. However, learning martial arts to a level that allows you to use them competently in an actual fight requires years of study and training under a master, which often has to start from childhood.
In English, Chinese martial arts are often called "kung fu" and we follow that usage below. However in Chinese, the general term for martial arts is wǔshù (武術), while gōngfu (功夫, "kung fu") is the term for the skill or power that practitioners acquire.
Chinese martial arts are traditionally classified into northern and southern styles, with northern styles generally known for emphasizing powerful strikes with with fully extended limbs, and southern styles generally known for fast strikes close to the body. Northern Chinese martial are further classified into two groups named for two mountain areas with monasteries which are centers of kung fu — Shaolin Temple on Mount Song en die Wudang Mountains. Shaolin are the hard or external styles emphasizing speed and power, while Wudang are the soft or internal styles emphasizing breath control and smooth movement. Of course it is nowhere near that simple; Shaolin experts also move smoothly and a Wudang master has a lot of speed and power.
Other well-known centers of kung fu include Southern Shaolin in Quanzhou, Fujian, Wu Wei Temple near Dali and Wing Chun (Bruce Lee's style) in Foshan, Guangdong.
Shanghai has a martial arts museum at a Physical Education university.
Square dancing
In public parks, squares or plazas, or indeed anywhere in a city that isn't fenced off and is large enough (like a parking lot), you will increasingly find, in the early morning and late evening, groups of (mostly) older women doing what looks like low-impact aerobics to music with a dance beat coming from a nearby portable speaker. This activity is called guǎngchǎngwǔ (广场舞), roughly translated into English as "square dancing", because of where it takes place (not to be confused with the traditional American folk dance of the same name). It originated in the mid-1990s among women (known as dàmā (大妈), or "dancing grannies" in English) who had just been forced into retirement as a way to stay fit, socialize and recall their own youth during the Cultural Revolution (indeed, many of the songs used are propaganda from that era, or current Chinese pop hits). By 2015 noise and space issues had provoked violent confrontations in some cities and led the government to introduce, then hastily withdraw, standard dance routines. It's interesting to watch at the very least as a modern folk phenomenon, and indeed some groups don costumes and props for their routines.
Some tourists, particularly Russians visiting Manchurian cities, have joined in. However, this is often frowned upon, as many square dancers compete competitively and are only practicing publicly due to a lack of practice space otherwise. If you are tempted to do so, only join groups that appear to be casually-oriented (no apparent dance uniform or complicated routines) and go to the rear row where beginners follow the leader and learn the moves. You should avoid, or at least practice extreme caution when joining near several groups in a space barely enough for all of them — turf battles have been known to start and given the novelty of a foreigner participating in square dancing, you may be seen as a final provocation of member poaching.
Ballroom dancing is also moderately common; western-style square dancing or line dancing are less common but not unknown.
Traditional pastimes
China has several traditional games often played in tea gardens, public parks, or even on the street. Players often attract crowds of on-lookers.
- Chinese chess (象棋 xiàngqí) is the world's most-played chess variant. It is similar to but distinct from Korean chess (Korean: 장기 janggi), but quite different from Japanese chess (Japanese: 将棋 shōgi) en international chess, though they all have enough in common that a good player of one will find another easier to learn.
- Go (围棋 wéiqí, lit. "the surrounding game") is a strategy board game. Players place their stones to surround the most territory on the board. While the rules are simple, the strategy and tactics are very complex. There are professional Go players, some of whom are major celebrities, tournaments with large prizes, and some TV shows about the game.
- Mahjong (麻将 májiàng) is popular and almost always played for money. Mahjong uses tiles with a variety of Chinese symbols and characters. Players draw and discard tiles trying to complete a hand with particular sets of tiles. The nearest Western equivalent (not very near!) would be card games like rummy or canasta.
- While game play is broadly similar, the rules of mahjong in China differ significantly between regions, and from the Taiwanese and Japanese versions, meaning that you will have to learn new rules everywhere you go. The Chinese government has an officially-sanctioned standardized form of mahjong that is used in national competitions in an attempt to be fair to people who grew up playing with different rules, which is also used in international competitions like the World Series Mahjong. However, this standardized form is very rarely played outside of officially-sanctioned competitions.
Many Chinese are skilled at cards (扑克牌 pūkèpái); Deng Xiaoping was renowned for his love for bridge (桥牌 qiáopái).
Koop
Geld
Exchange rates for Chinese Yuan As of January 2020:
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The official currency of the People's Republic of China is the Chinese yuan, known as the renminbi (人民币 rénmínbì, "People's Money"), denoted by the symbol ¥, international currency code CNY. All prices in China are given in yuan; the Chinese character is 元 (yuán), or in financial contexts (e.g. cheques and banknotes) 圆. A price may be shown as, for example, 20 元, 20 rmb, RMB 20, 20 yuan or ¥20; we use the latter form here. In informal spoken Chinese and sometimes in spoken English, 块 (kuài) may be used instead, much as "buck" can be used in the U.S. or "quid" in the UK. Some Chinese software will display a bigger "full width" character (￥) to differentiate it from the Japanese yen, which uses the same symbol.
The Chinese yuan is nie legal tender in the Special Administrative Regions of Hongkong en Macau, which issue their own currencies. However many businesses will also accept Chinese currency, albeit at an unfavorable exchange rate.
Cheat Sheet
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There are 10 jiǎo (角) in a yuan. A coin worth ¥0.1 will thus say 壹角 ("1 jiǎo"), on it, and a price like ¥3.7 would thus be read as "3 kuài 7". The jiǎo is rapidly heading for extinction, although you will get the odd 1 or 5 jiao coin or note as change. In spoken Mandaryns, the jiǎo is usually called the máo (毛). A tenth of a máo is 'n fēn (分); you may see this digit on prices, but it will be rounded off if you pay in cash.
In spoken language, the trailing unit may be dropped. For example wǔ bǎi sān, literally "five hundred three", means 530 or "five hundred three tens". The number 503 would be read as wǔ bǎi líng sān, literally "five hundred zero three". Similarly yì qiān bā, literally "one thousand eight", means 1800. When using larger numbers, Chinese has a word for ten thousand, wàn (万), and thus for example 50,000 becomes wǔ wàn, not wǔ shí qiān.
- Coins: ¥0.1 (1 jiao; dull silver or shiny silver), ¥0.5 (5 jiao; gold), ¥1 (silver)
- Bills: ¥0.1 (1 jiao), ¥0.5 (5 jiao), ¥1, ¥5, ¥10, ¥20, ¥50, ¥100
A lot of Chinese currency will be in the form of bills — even small change. Bills are more common in some areas, coins in others, but both are accepted anywhere. Even the jiao, at just one tenth of a yuan, exists as both a bill (the smallest) and two different coins. Conversely, one yuan exists as a coin and as two different bills. You should be prepared to recognize and handle either version.
Due to the popularity of mobile payments, an increasing number of shops in urban areas do not accept cash or credit cards, and even those that accept cash will often not have any change available.
Foreign currency
Foreign currencies, including the Hong Kong dollar or U.S. dollar, are rarely seen as a substitute for yuan except in several five-star hotels, and in some shops on the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border, and stock exchanges. Other currencies are unlikely to be used in most transactions. If you only have dollars in your pocket, it usually means that you don't have money to pay the bill without a trip to a bank. Many shops won't accept it, having no idea on exchange rate or how to check if the bills are counterfeit.
Counterfeiting
With the popularity of mobile payment apps, counterfeit banknotes are less of a problem than before, but you should still be alert for them. Banknotes of ¥20, ¥50, and ¥100 are the main risks. When you're given one of these bills as change, scrutinize it to check. The main focus is on the texture of different parts, metal line, change of colours under different lights. Everyone has their own method, so just ask.
When you pay with a ¥50 or ¥100 banknote in a shop or taxi, it's socially accepted that you note down the last few digits of the banknote you are handing over. This is in case they claim your banknote is fake, then these remembered digits will ensure they give you the same note back.
Some unscrupulous money exchangers on the Chinese border areas give counterfeits to travelers. Go to a bank if you're not experienced in checking notes.
It is common for cashiers to scrutinize banknotes and some of the more expensive supermarkets even have machines that can spot counterfeits. This is standard practice in China and offence should not be taken.
Counterfeits from ATMs are not common, but some people are still concerned. If you are worried, withdraw your money from the bank counter and say "I worry about jiǎbì (counterfeit)". Bank staff are understanding about this.
Currency exchange
Although still restricted, the yuan is readily convertible in many countries, especially in Asia. The Hong Kong dollar, US dollar, Canadian dollar, euro, pound sterling, Australian dollar, Japanese yen and South Korean won, and Singapore dollars can be easily changed in China. Currency should only be changed at major banks (Bank of China in particular), or with the licensed money changers usually found at airports or high-end hotels, although they offer unfavorable rates.
You should avoid black market for currency exchange as counterfeiting is a major issue, especially with money changers in markets and hanging around large banks.
Foreign exchange is under tight control in China. Private money changers are still uncommon in China. In a bank, it usually takes 5 to 60 minutes to process the exchange, sometimes a little faster in a hotel. Bank branches in major cities usually know the procedure and are relatively quick, while even main branches in provincial cities can take much longer.
You must fill out a form, and your passport will be photocopied and scanned. Keep the exchange receipt if you plan to leave the country with larger sum of money. Not all banks with the "Exchange" logo will exchange money for non-customers or for all currencies in cash. For example, Standard Chartered will only exchange cash for its customers and will only do US dollars and Hong Kong dollars in cash (but opening an account is quick and doable even on a tourist visa, and they offer a better cash exchange rate than most local banks).
Exchanging US currency for yuan can be simple, but expect the bills to be heavily scrutinized before the exchange is processed. Opportunities to buy yuan before entering China, for example when coming overland from Hong Kong or Vietnam, should be taken, as the rates are better. The same is true going the other way - selling just across the border will often net a more favorable rate. You may only import or export a maximum in local currency of ¥20,000 in cash, and sums greater than US$5,000 cash in foreign currency require paperwork.
Most international banks will allow you to get a cash advance via a debit or credit card at a Chinese ATM. However, the rates for such actions are often unfavorable and may include steep service charges. It's useful to carry an international currency such as pounds sterling, US dollars, or Japanese yen to fall back on should you not have access to a cash machine.
If you are planning to stay a long time in China, e.g. for work or study, you may want to open a Chinese bank account. Sien Working in China#Banking for more information.
ATM cards
Many ATMs will only accept Chinese bank cards. ATMs from three of the big four banks are likely to accept foreign (Visa, MasterCard, AmEx, Diners) cards: Bank of China (BOC), Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), and China Construction Bank (CCB). Although ATMs from other banks are plentiful, state they accept Visa/MasterCard/Cirrus and have an English option, they are not likely to work with an international credit/debit card unless the ATM operator is a foreign big-name bank (HSBC, Citibank, Bank of East Asia).
Before traveling, find out if your home bank charges a currency conversion fee (often between 0-3%) on such transactions. It is worth opening a zero conversion fee account beforehand if possible.
If you have trouble because the ATM requires a 6-digit PIN and your PIN only has four digits, try adding two zeros before it. If you find yourself in a town with a Bank of China branch but no international network-capable ATM, it is usually possible to get a cash advance on a credit card inside the bank for a 3% fee. Just ask.
UnionPay, the local ATM card network, has made agreements with various ATM card networks around the globe. If your card is covered, any ATM in China will accept withdrawals and balance inquiries from your card. While UnionPay ATM and/or debit cards are now issued by banks in a number of countries, ATM cards linked to NYCE and Pulse in America (also applies to cash advances from Discover cards), Interac in Canada, and LINK in the UK are covered.
If your bank is part of the Global ATM Alliance, China Construction Bank is the local partner for fee-free withdrawals.
Credit cards
Outside of star-rated or chain hotels, major supermarkets, and high-class restaurants, foreign credit cards like Visa and MasterCard are generally not accepted and most transactions will require cash or mobile payments. Many department stores and large grocery stores have point-of-sale terminals for Chinese bank cards, but most foreign cards are not supported.
Most Chinese banks and many merchants use the UnionPay system, so a foreign card that supports UnionPay will probably be widely accepted. Several countries now have banks that issue UnionPay credit cards, and UnionPay supports Discover and JCB (Japan Credit Bureau) cards as well. Visa, MasterCard and American Express meanwhile are less common. Most convenience stores take UnionPay, as do most restaurant chains, stores selling high-value items, grocery store chains, and most ATMs. In 2017, it was reported that the new Discover cards with chip would require multiple attempts or did not work at all in most of the POS machines. Do not rely on credit cards as your sole payment method.
Consider signing up for an international card that can interact with UnionPay. If you have a bank account in Hongkong then you may be able to open an additional renminbi account with a UnionPay card which is convenient for traveling in the mainland.
As with debit cards, Chinese retail clerks will usually present the POS credit card terminal to the cardholder for entry of a PIN for chip-and-pin cards. Visitors from sign-only countries should attempt to explain that fact to the clerk (while chip-and-sign cards will cause most terminals to automatically skip the PIN prompt), and sign the receipt as usual.
Mobile payments
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QR-code based mobile payments such as WeChat Pay (微信支付 Wēixìn zhīfù) en Alipay (支付宝 Zhīfùbǎo) are extremely popular in China. The vast majority of places that take small payments, including restaurants, street-food places, and some public transportation in large cities, accept either or both of WeChat Pay and Alipay. In some cases, mobile payment is the only accepted payment method. Look for a QR-code posted with the App logo of WeChat or Alipay to find places that accept these payment types.
Unfortunately for the traveler, both maintain strict separation between their Chinese and global networks: you can't use a global account to make payments in China. Getting full access to the Chinese network as a foreigner requires a Chinese bank account, but you can use Alipay with a foreign credit card (with some limitations that shouldn't affect casual tourists). Various other workarounds may be possible—WeChat also accepts foreign credit cards to a limited extent—but requirements are always changing.
Other NFC-based mobile payments, including Apple Pay and Android Pay, are not accepted in the vast majority of the places. The NFC/Contactless POS terminals usually only takes Contactless UnionPay cards. Even though some stores in large cities are labeled to accept Apple Pay, Apple Pay with a Visa/MasterCard/AmEx/Discover/JCB would probably not work at all in those stores as in most cases they also require a UnionPay card. Android Pay is completely absent from China due to the ban of Google in mainland China.
Costs
China is affordable for Western visitors, though it's noticeably more expensive than much of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Unless you are heading to Hongkong of Macau, China is generally much less expensive - from a traveler's perspective - than industrialised countries. If you eat local food, use public transportation and stay in budget hotels or hostels, then ¥200-300 is a serviceable daily backpacker budget. However, if you want to live an extravagant lifestyle and eat only Western food and stay in luxury hotels, then even ¥3,000 a day would not be enough. As a general rule, basic items are relatively cheap, but the prices of luxury items are exorbitant, even by the standards of Japan and Western countries. Western-branded products in particular are extremely expensive, sometimes more than double what you would pay for the same items in the U.S.
There is a high degree of variation in prices depending on where you go. Major cities like Sjanghai, Beijing en Guangzhou generally cost more than smaller cities and rural, inland parts of the country. The boom towns of Shenzhen en Zhuhai are also more expensive than the national average. Nonetheless, many Hong Kong or Macau residents (who live just across the border from Shenzhen and Zhuhai, respectively, and who are generally more affluent than mainlanders), often go to these cities to shop, play golf, and enjoy services like massage as prices are far lower.
Tipping
As a general rule, tipping is not practiced in China. While tipping would rarely be regarded as insulting, in some cases a tip might be seen as suggesting that a relationship is based on money, not friendship. When leaving a tip on your table, it is common to see a waiter chase after you to return the money you "forgot" to take.
In China, compliments over service is usually expressed in implicit ways. If you are a smoker, you are expected to pass a cigarette to the service staff or manager. If you don't do so, you will be seen as selfish and egocentric. It is common to buy a bartender or pub owner a drink.
In a hotel, it is customary not to tip for room service, airport service, taxis or anything else, although hotels that routinely serve foreign tourists may allow tipping for tour guides and associated drivers. Masseurs in some areas such as Shenzhen have been known to ask for a tip. However, if they become pushy at getting tips, most Chinese see this as extortion and an immoral practice, so just be firm if you don't wish to give any.
Taxi drivers do appreciate a few yuan rounded up if they have made an extra effort for your journey; however, it is by no means required.
Inkopies
- Sien ook: Shopping in China
Antiquities Banned From Export China's government has banned the export of antiques from before 1911, the date of the revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty. Violation of this law could lead to heavy fines and even imprisonment. |
Shopping has become a national pastime as China's middle class expands. A variety of goods are available to suit any budget.
In most brand name shops, upscale malls and supermarkets, the prices already have Value-Added Tax (VAT) and any sales tax included. Thus, anything with a marked price tends to be sold at that price or, perhaps, slightly below especially if you pay cash and do not require a receipt for your purchase. For unmarked goods, there is wide room for bargaining.
Chinese make sales using the character: 折 (zhé) which represents how many tenths of the original price you pay. For example, 8折 refers to 20% off and 6.5折 is 35% off.
China excels in handmade items, partly because of long traditions of exquisite artisanship and partly because labor is still comparatively inexpensive. The overwhelming majority of the "antique" items you will be shown are fakes, no matter how convincing they look and no matter what the vendor says.
- Porcelain: with a long history of porcelain manufacture, China still makes great porcelain today.
- Furniture: in the 1990s and 2000s China became a major source of antique furniture.
- Art and Fine Art: Traditional painting, modern art, and hand-painted reproductions of great works.
- Jade There are two types of jade in China today: one type is pale and almost colorless and is made from a variety of stones mined in China. The other type is green in color and is imported from Mianmar (Burma) - if genuine!
- Carpets: China is home to a remarkable variety of carpet-making traditions, including Mongolian, Ningxia, Tibetan and modern types.
- Pearls & pearl jewellery: cultured Akoya and freshwater pearls are mass-produced and sold at markets across China.
- Other arts and crafts: Cloisonné (colored enamels on a metal base), lacquer work, opera masks, kites, shadow puppets, Socialist-realist propaganda posters, wood carvings, scholar's rocks (decorative rocks, some natural, some less so), paper-cuts, and so on.
- Kleredrag: China is one of the world's leading manufacturers of clothing, shoes and accessories. There are affordable tailors anywhere in China. There is also traditional Chinese clothing if you are interested, and a growing revival movement.
- Brand-name goods: genuine branded foreign goods won't be cheaper than in Western countries. There are a number of sources of potential knock-offs or fake brand-name goods.
- Software, music and movies: Most CDs (music or software) and DVDs in China are unauthorized copies.
- Endangered species: avoid purchasing — coral, ivory and parts from endangered animal species. Anyone buying such products risks substantial fines and/or jail time either when trying to leave China with them or when trying to import them into another country.
Bargaining
- Sien ook: Shopping in China#Bargaining, Bargaining
Bargaining is a national pastime in China. You can bargain over almost anything, and sometimes it's even possible to ask for discount in a restaurant at the last minute before paying the bill. Many restaurants or bars will willingly offer a free dish or two (such as a fruit plate in a KTV) if you have made a particularly large order. Shopping malls are less willing to bargain, but why not ask "Will I get a gift?"
Prices are almost always posted, but they are all substantially marked up, normally 2-3 times. It's often better to buy souvenirs somewhere just a few blocks away from the tourist spots.
It is hard to tell what price to offer when starting negotiations. Depending on the city, product or market in question, 5% to 50% of the posted price or vendor's first offer is common. If someone offers you too-great-to-be-true discount, it could be a sign that the goods are of less-than-great quality. The rule of thumb is to walk around and compare. In tourist spots, it's common to ask for a 30-50% discount, but in a place catering to local people, asking for a 50% discount sounds foolish.
In tourist places, don't take what merchants say seriously. When you ask for a 50% discount, they may be appalled and show scorn; it's a favorite drama.
Basiese beginsels
Unless you have a supermarket within walking distance of your hotel (see next section below), the most convenient option for basic supplies and groceries will almost always be a convenience store. Major chains in China include Kedi, Alldays, FamilyMart and 7-Eleven. China has belatedly caught up with East Asia's love affair with convenience stores, to the point where the largest cities like Beijing and Shanghai have become oversaturated with them.
Many convenience stores sell individual tissue packets, which are a necessity for touring China as many public restrooms do not have toilet paper. Although supermarkets also sell tissue packets and toilet paper, they tend to sell it in 6 or 10-packs which are too much for tourists.
Some discount and mid-market department stores in China also have groceries sections.
Western goods
Areas with large expatriate communities like Beijing, Sjanghai, Guangzhou en Shenzhen have specialty grocery stores catering to those communities. These are often no larger than a 7-Eleven. They usually stock imported snacks, alcohol, and specialty groceries such as meats and cheeses and are often very expensive. See individual articles for details.
Several Western-owned supermarket chains are widespread in China — American Wal-mart (沃尔玛 Wò'ěrmǎ), German Metro (麦德龙 Màidélóng), and French Carrefour (家乐福 Jiālèfú). All have some Western groceries — often at high prices. However, the availability of foreign products diminishes at their branches according to the size of the city. Metro is probably the best of these; in particular it usually has a fine selection of alcohol. Asian-owned chains include Japanese Jusco (佳世客 Jiāshìkè), Taiwanese RT-Mart (大润发 Dàrùnfā), South Korean LOTTE Mart (乐天玛特 Letianmate) and Filipino SM; these also carry imported goods. Some larger Chinese chains such as Beijing Hualian (北京华联 Běijīng Huálián) also carry a limited selection of foreign products.
Tobacco products
- Sien ook: Shopping in China#Tobacco
- Main article: Tobacco
Smoking is quite common and cigarettes (香烟 xiāngyān) are generally cheap. Cigarettes can be purchased from small neighbourhood stores, convenience stores, counters in supermarkets and in department stores. Rolling tobacco and papers are rare in urban China. Lighters (打火机 dǎhuǒjī) are usually cheap (about ¥1) but flimsily made. Zippos are available but expensive.
Smoking is something of a social activity in China. In a bar or at dinner few Chinese will light up without offering cigarettes around the table, or at least to the men since few Chinese women smoke; visitors should do the same. Having an expensive brand is a status symbol.
Eet
- Main article: Chinese cuisine
Food in China varies widely between regions, so the term "Chinese food" is a blanket term, about as descriptive as "Western food." Still, there are some broad characteristics. Gastronomy has a long history in China, and dishes subtly balance many flavors, aromas, and colors. Each region developed cuisine and techniques based on the ingredients at hand, so you'll find spicy meat-filled dishes in cooler inland regions, slowly simmered seafood stews in coastal regions, and quickly stir-fried fresh vegetables in busy southern ports like Guangzhou. Even many native Chinese find food from outside their home region to be "foreign".
In southern China, rys (米饭 mǐfàn) is a staple food served with many meals, so much so that its root word 饭 (fàn) means "meal" as well as "cooked grain". It may be served plain (eaten by itself as a side, or used as a bed to soak up sauce from the main dish), stir-fried with a variety of ingredients to make fried rice, a quick tasty street meal and a common way to use up leftovers at home, or made into congee, rice porridge that's a common breakfast. Noodles (面 miàn) are another important staple, made from either rice or wheat, and served in a variety of methods. Soybeans are used to make soy sauce, a quintessential seasoning in Chinese cooking. They're also used to make tofu (豆腐 dòufu), which comes in many forms besides tasteless white blocks: some can be as flavorful and crispy as meat, others quite pungent like a blue cheese.
Chinese gourmands place emphasis on freshness so your meal will most likely be cooked as soon as you order it. Searing hot woks over coal or gas fires make even street food usually safe to eat. Indeed freshly prepared street food is often safer than food sitting on the buffet lines of 5-star hotels. Still, use common sense: if it's a searing hot summer day and the kebab vendor has their raw meat sitting unrefrigerated on the counter, you might want to head elsewhere.
Various types of Chinese food provide quick, cheap, tasty, light meals. Street food and snacks sold from portable vendors can be found throughout China's cities, good for breakfast or a snack. And Western-style fast food is arguably as popular as the domestic variety.
Yelp is virtually unknown in China, while the Michelin Guide only covers Shanghai and Guangzhou, and is not taken seriously by most Chinese people. Instead, most Chinese people rely on local website Dazhong Dianping (Chinese only).
Etiquette
- Sien ook: Chinese cuisine#Respect
China is the birthplace of chopsticks (筷子 kuàizi), which are used for most Chinese food. Chinese cuisine evolved to be eaten using chopsticks, with almost all food prepared in bite-sized chunks or easily picked apart. Eating with chopsticks is a surprisingly easy skill to pick up, although mastering them takes a while. Some chopstick guidelines to be aware of:
- Never place or leave chopsticks upright in a bowl of food (reminiscent of funeral rites), pass something from your chopsticks to another person's chopsticks (another funeral rite), or drum your bowl with chopsticks (reminiscent of beggars).
- Always use chopsticks as a pair, like a set of tongs; nooit nie use just one chopstick at a time (nor one in each hand), hold them in your fist like you would a knife or dagger, or try to "cut" food with them like you would with a knife. Spearing food with your chopsticks is generally rude and should be done only as a last resort.
- Using chopsticks to move plates or bowls is rude.
- Pointing at things with your chopsticks is rude. (Pointing at people in general is rude; with chopsticks, doubly so.) Even when setting chopsticks down on the table, angle them so they're not pointing at anyone.
- In general, try not to touch food with your fingers. Even fried chicken is picked up with chopsticks and gingerly nibbled, touching it as little as possible. Small bones should be spat onto your plate or bowl, rather than removed using your hands or chopsticks. For foods that are eaten with your hands, disposable plastic gloves may be provided.
It's normal to pick up any bowl of food for easier eating, and you can put a bowl of rice directly to your mouth to push the last few bites in using your chopsticks. Spoons are used for soups and porridge, and to help with eating noodles in a soup.
In traditional Chinese dining, dishes are shared family style, and at larger tables there is usually a lazy Susan to pass dishes around.
- Communal chopsticks (公筷 gōngkuài) are not always provided; if not, just use your own chopsticks to transfer food to your bowl. It's not rude to request communal chopsticks from the restaurant, but it may make you look like a stickler for formality.
- Each communal dish should only be served from by one person at a time. Don't reach across someone to reach a farther dish while they're serving; wait until they're done.
- Once you put something on your plate, don't put it back. Confucius says never leave someone else with what you don't want.
Don't expect to get a fortune cookie with your meal; that's strictly a Western custom. (Fortune cookies were actually invented in California sometime in the early 20th century.) Most Chinese have never even heard of them.
Regional cuisines
- Sien ook: Chinese cuisine#Regional cuisines
Several varieties of Chinese food have enough international popularity that you may already recognize some of them:
- Kantonees cuisine (from Guangdong), is by far the most widely known type of Chinese food abroad. Neither bland nor spicy, Cantonese cuisine will use almost anything as an ingredient, often preserving the freshness by quickly stir-frying in a very hot wok or steaming. Fried rice, chow mein, char siu pork, and sweet and sour pork are just a handful of its most famous dishes.
- Huaiyang cuisine (from the eastern area towards Sjanghai) is considered a good mix of northern and southern Chinese cooking styles. Dishes tend to focus on a main ingredient, which is often seafood in this coastal region; flavors are often sweet, and almost never spicy. Its most famous dishes include xiaolongbao soup dumplings, red braised pork belly, drunken chicken, and sweet and sour mandarin fish.
- Sichuan or Szechuan cuisine (from the western inland) is popular with many foreigners for its málà flavors, using Sichuan peppercorns for a tingling numbness (má) and chili peppers for spiciness (là). Using lots of meat, preserved foods, and chili oil, it's famous for the original form of Kung Pao chicken, mapo tofu, twice-cooked pork, and dandan noodles.
- Teochew cuisine (from the Chaoshan region of Guangdong) is well known in Hong Kong and much of Southeast Asia. Particularly known for its braised meats and steamed dishes.
Other major traditional cuisines include fragrant and vinegary Shandong, tender Fujian, spicy Hunan, herbal Anhui, and delicate Zhejiang. Ethnic minority cuisines in China include Korean, Uyghur, Tibetan, Mongolian, and various cuisines from Yunnan, while Northeastern Chinese cuisine is influenced by both Mongolian and Russian cuisines and includes dishes like potato dumplings and a type of borscht. There is even unique local-style Western food to be found in Sjanghai.
Dietary restrictions
- Sien ook: Chinese cuisine#Dietary restrictions
People with dietary restrictions will have a hard time in China. Halal food is hard to find outside areas with a significant Muslim population, but look for Lanzhou noodle (兰州拉面, Lánzhōu lāmiàn) restaurants, which may have a sign advertising "halal" in Arabic (حلال). Kosher food is nearly unknown, and you will have to do some advance planning; there are Chabad houses in major Chinese cities that you can contact to help with this. Vegetariese restaurants can often be found near major Buddhist temples (look for the character "素" or the symbol "卍", a Buddhist symbol in this context), but elsewhere you'll probably need to ask specifically and it may not always be available. Dairy and eggs are little-used in Chinese vegetarian cuisine, so much of it is suitable for vegans, but do pay attention, especially when it comes to desserts. Awareness of food allergies (食物过敏 shíwù guòmǐn) is limited, and gluten-free foods are virtually non-existent.
Drink
The Chinese love a tipple, but unless you are used to imbibing heavily, be careful when drinking with Chinese. The Chinese liquor báijiǔ is quite potent (up to 65% alcohol); it's often drunk in small shot glasses for a good reason. When U.S. President Richard Nixon — who was an experienced drinker, if a bit of a lightweight — first visited China, his staff sent dire warnings that he nie drink in response to toasts. (He diplomatically managed to toast every table at the banquet, taking baie small sips.)
There are hardly any liquor laws in China. The legal drinking age is 18, but it's basically not enforced, and you'll never need to show ID. Alcohol can be purchased anywhere and drunk anywhere.
Toasting
Toasts are made by saying "gānbēi" (干杯, lit. "dry glass"). Drinks are served in small glasses (even beer is usually drunk from oversized shot glasses), and traditionally you should drain the whole glass for a toast.
Chinese toasts are generally one-on-one, not something involving the whole table. At most meals, a visitor can expect everyone at the table to offer them a toast. Visitors should also offer toasts and not just receive them. This means that if you are out for dinner with a dozen people, you will be expected and pressured to drink around two dozen toasts. Fortunately, it's okay to stick to beer, and Chinese beer is usually low alcohol.
It may be considered rude if you don't offer a toast to someone whenever you take a drink, at least at the start of a meal. The same applies to smoking; offer the pack around whenever you want to light up.
If you want to take it easy but still be sociable, say "'suíbiàn" (随便) or "pèngbeī" (碰杯) before you make the toast, then drink only part of the glass. It may also be possible to have three toasts (traditionally signifying friendship) with the entire company, rather than a separate toast for each person.
Alcohol
- Sien ook: Chinese cuisine#Alcoholic
The all-purpose word jiǔ (酒, "alcohol") covers quite a range of alcoholic drinks. Generally speaking, heavy drinking is more prevalent in northern China than in southern China.
Beer (啤酒 píjiǔ) is common in China and is served in nearly every restaurant and sold in many grocery stores. Die bekendste handelsmerk is Tsingtao (青島 Qīngdǎo) van Qingdao, wat op 'n stadium 'n Duitse konsessie was.
Plaaslik vervaardig druiwe wyn (葡萄酒 pútáojiǔ) kom algemeen voor en baie daarvan is redelik geprys, maar het gewoonlik net die minste ooreenkoms met Westerse wyne. Die Chinese hou van hul wyne rooi en baie soet, en word gewoonlik oor ys bedien of met Sprite gemeng. Dit gesê, daar bestaan ook plaaslike wyne van hoër gehalte wat meer ooreenstem met hul Westerse eweknieë, as u weet waarna u moet soek.
Daar is ook verskeie handelsmerke en soorte ryswyn. Die meeste hiervan lyk soos 'n waterige ryspoeding; hulle is gewoonlik soet en bevat 'n klein hoeveelheid alkohol na smaak.
Baijiu (白酒 Báijiǔ) is gedistilleerde drank, meestal 40 tot 60 volumeprocent alkohol, gemaak van sorghum en soms ander korrels, afhangende van die streek. Maotai of Moutai (茅台 Máotái), wat in die provinsie Guizhou vervaardig word, is China se bekendste handelsmerk baijiu en China se nasionale drank. Maotai en sy duur neefs (soos Kaoliang van Kinmen in Taiwan) is bekend vir hul sterk geur en is eintlik soeter as suidelike helder drank, aangesien die sorghumsmaak behoue bly - op 'n manier.
Chinees brandewyn (白兰地 báilándì) is 'n uitstekende waarde, dit is ongeveer dieselfde as wyn. Daar is verskeie handelsmerke; almal is drinkbaar en baie besoekers vind dit lekkerder as baijiu.
Die Chinese is ook groot aanhangers van verskillende kwansuiste medisinale drank, wat gewoonlik eksotiese kruie en / of dieredele bevat. Sommige hiervan het pryse in die normale reeks en bevat bestanddele soos ginseng, terwyl ander meer eksotiese slange, perdebye en pasgebore muise kan insluit. Dit kan smaaklik genoeg wees as dit na soetheid neig. Let daarop dat sommige medisinale drank slegs vir eksterne gebruik bedoel is.
Kroeë, diskoteke en karaoke
Westerse kroeë word al hoe gewilder regoor die land. Veral in die meer gegoede stedelike sentrums soos Shenzhen, Sjanghai en Hangzhou kan mens noukeurig herskepte replikas van tradisionele Ierse of Engelse kroeë vind. Net soos hul Westerse eweknieë, sal die meeste 'n verskeidenheid buitelandse biere op die kraan hê, sowel as pubkos (van verskillende gehalte), en dikwels live coverbands hê. Die meeste van hierdie kroeë is in die buitelanders besoek en word gereeld besoek, dus u mag nie verwag dat daar baie Chinese in hierdie plekke sal wees nie. Ingevoerde bier kan baie duur wees in vergelyking met plaaslike brou.
Om net 'n paar drankies saam met vriende uit te drink, kies 'n plaaslike restaurant en drink bier teen ongeveer ¥ 5 vir 'n bottel van 600 ml. Dit sal Chinese lager wees, ongeveer 3% alkohol, met 'n beperkte keuse van handelsmerke en kan warm bedien word. Die meeste middel- tot hoëreeksrestaurante het klein privaat suites vir byeenkomste (word gewoonlik gratis aangebied as daar meer as vyf mense is), en die personeel sal u gewoonlik nie probeer verdring nie, selfs nie as u besluit om tot die sluitingstyd te bly nie. Baie inwoners besoek gereelde buitelug-restaurante of stalletjies langs die pad en braai (烧烤 shāokǎo) vir 'n lekker en goedkoop aand.
In diskoteke en fancy kroeë met vermaak, koop u gewoonlik bier ¥ 100 op 'n slag; dit bring u oral van 4 invoermerke (Heineken, Bud, Corona, Sol, ens.) tot 10 plaaslike biere. 'N Paar plekke bied cocktails aan; minder het goeie.
Ander drankies word slegs per bottel verkoop, nie per glas nie. Rooiwyn is in die reeks van 80-200 ¥ (bedien met ys en Sprite) en middelmatige ingevoerde whiskies (Chivas, Johnny Walker, Jim Beam, Jack Daniels; uiters selde enkelmal) en cognacs, ¥ 300-800. Albei word dikwels gemeng met soet gebottelde groen of rooi tee. Vodka, tequila en rum kom minder voor, maar soms ook beskikbaar. Valse "handelsnaam" -produkte kom redelik algemeen voor en kan u volgende dag vernietig.
Hierdie plekke het dikwels kroegmeisies, jong vroue wat baie drink en drink-speletjies wil speel om jou meer te laat verbruik. Hulle kry 'n kommissie vir alles wat u koop. Oor die algemeen sal hierdie meisies nie die kroeg by u verlaat nie; dit is professionele flirt, nie prostitute nie.
Karaoke (卡拉 OK kǎlā'ōukèi) is groot in China en kan breedweg in twee kategorieë verdeel word. Meer algemeen is die karaoke-vakkie sonder KTV, waar u 'n kamer huur, u vriende saambring en die huis u 'n mik gee en drank aan u verkoop. Dit word baie bevoordeel deur studente, maar dit is goedkoop en lekker by die regte skare, hoewel u ten minste 'n paar mense nodig het vir 'n onvergeetlike aand. As u u drank saambring, kan dit die prys nie hou nie, maar dit moet op die slinkse manier gedoen word - baie plekke het vensters in die deur sodat die personeel kan sorg dat u slegs drank drink wat hulle aan u verkoop het.
Eerder anders is die duidelike dodgier spesiale KTV sitkamer, meer gerig op sakelui wat kliënte onthaal of hul hare laat sak, waar die huis alles en alles teen 'n prys bied. By hierdie dikwels weelderige vestigings - Romeinse en Egiptiese temas is oor die algemeen - sal u professionele karaoke-meisies met kort rokke vergesel, wat per uur betaal vir die genot van hul onderneming en waarvan die dienste moontlik nie beperk is tot sing net sleg en skink jou drankies. Dit is baie raadsaam om dit nie aan te durf nie, tensy u heeltemal seker is dat iemand anders die rekening betaal, wat maklik honderde dollars kan beloop, selfs al hou u 'n broek aan.
Soos elders, nooit nie nooit nie aanvaar 'n uitnodiging na 'n restaurant of kroeg van 'n vrou wat beskikbaar is en u iewers na sononder in die straat gaan haal het. Stel ten beste 'n ander plek voor. As sy weier, moet jy haar ter plaatse laat val. Sy sal u waarskynlik in 'n stil plekkie stuur met te veel portiers en u sal opgesaal wees met 'n beskeie maaltyd en bier wat u ¥ 1000 of minder sal kos. En die portiers laat jou nie weg voordat jy betaal het nie.
Tee
China is die geboorteplek van die teekultuur, en met die risiko om die voor die hand liggende te noem, is daar baie tee (茶 chá) in Sjina. Groen tee (绿茶 lǜchá) word in sommige restaurante (afhangend van streek) of teen 'n klein bedrag gratis bedien. Vir meer inligting, sien Chinese kombuis # Tee.
Die mees algemene soorte word bedien:
- kruittee (珠茶 zhū chá): 'n groen tee wat vernoem is na die voorkoms van die opgeboude blare wat dit gebruik het
- jasmyntee (茉莉花 茶 mòlìhuā chá): groen-tee gegeur met jasmynblomme
- oolong (烏龍 wūlóng): 'n halfgegiste bergtee.
Spesiale teehuise bedien 'n groot verskeidenheid brousels, wat wissel van die bleek, fyn wit tee (白茶 báichá) na die kragtige gegiste en verouderde puërtee (普洱茶 pǔ'ěrchá). Die meeste teewinkels laat u graag sit en probeer verskillende soorte tee. "Ten Fu Tea" is 'n nasionale ketting.
Chinese tee word gedrink sonder suiker of melk. In sommige gebiede is daar egter 'melk-tee' in Hongkong (奶茶 nǎichá) of Tibetaanse "bottertee". Taiwannese borreltee (珍珠 奶茶 zhēnzhū nǎichá) is ook gewild; die "borrels" is bolletjies tapioka en melk of vrugte word gereeld ingemeng.
Koffie
Koffie (咖啡 kāfēi) is gewild in stedelike China, maar dit kan moeilik wees om in kleiner dorpe te vind. Verskeie kettings van koffiewinkels het takke in baie stede, waaronder Starbucks (星巴克), UBC Coffee (上岛咖啡), Ming Tien Coffee Language en SPR. Daar is baie klein onafhanklike koffiewinkels of plaaslike kettings.
Koue drankies
Baie drankies wat gewoonlik in die Weste verkoel of met ys bedien word, word in China teen kamertemperatuur bedien. Vra vir bier of koeldrank in 'n restaurant, en dit kan kamertemperatuur bereik, alhoewel bier meestal koud bedien word, ten minste in die somer. Water word gewoonlik warm bedien. Dit is eintlik goed, want slegs gekookte (of gebottelde) water is veilig om te drink.
Klein kruidenierswinkels en restaurante verkoop koeldrank, soek net die koeler (alhoewel dit nie regtig cool is nie). U kan probeer om 'n koue drank in 'n restaurant in te bring. Die meeste klein restaurante sal niks daaraan steur nie - as hulle dit selfs agterkom - en daar is nie iets soos 'n "kurk" in China nie. Die meeste mense sal tee drink, wat in elk geval gratis is, en daarom verwag die restaurant waarskynlik nie om wins te maak uit u drankverbruik nie.
Om ys te vra, word die beste vermy. Baie, miskien die meeste plekke het dit net nie. Die ys wat hulle het, kan moontlik van ongefiltreerde kraanwater gemaak word en waarskynlik onveilig vir reisigers wat koeëls sweet diarree.
Slaap
Die beskikbaarheid van akkommodasie vir toeriste is oor die algemeen goed en wissel van slaapsale tot 5-ster luukse hotelle. Slaper treine en slaapbusse kan ook 'n goeie opsie wees as u u langafstandreis oornag beplan (sien die Kry rond afdeling van hierdie bladsy vir meer inligting).
In die verlede was slegs enkele hotelle toegelaat om buitelandse gaste te neem en die polisie het dit gemonitor, maar beperkings verskil nou van stad tot stad. Selfs in beperkte stede en dorpe kan veral deur familiebedrywighede u nagaan as hulle voel dat hulle genoeg inligting van u kan kry om u in die stelsel te laat registreer of voel dat hulle kan wegkom sonder sodanige verslaggewing. Enige hotel sal steeds 'n fotokopie van u paspoort benodig, sommige sal seker maak of u visum verval het, en hulle is veronderstel om inligting met die owerhede te deel. In seldsame gevalle sal iemand van u hotel u na die plaaslike polisiekantoor begelei om aan die instelling se verslagdoeningsvereiste te voldoen.
Dit is moeilik om 'n hotel te vind as u in 'n Chinese stad aankom as u nie weet waar om te soek en waarna u soek nie. Oor die algemeen is geen stergradeerdering of prys 'n akkurate aanduiding van die kwaliteit van die hotel nie, so ondersoek voordat u bespreek. As u bereid is om 180 ¥ of meer vir 'n kamer te betaal, het u waarskynlik min probleme om een te vind. U kan byvoorbeeld op Google Maps soek met die naam van 'n kettinghotel onder 'middelafstand' hieronder, bepaal wat die adres in Chinees sou wees, en skryf dit dan neer op 'n briefie wat u aan 'n taxibestuurder gee. . Daar is gewoonlik goedkoop hotelle naby die trein of busstasie. As u van plan is om net in die stad op te daag en na 'n slaapplek te soek, is dit die beste om voor 18:00 aan te kom, anders word die gewildste plekke vir die nag bespreek. As u absoluut nie verlore gaan om huisvesting te vind nie, kan die plaaslike polisie (警察) of die Openbare Veiligheidsburo (公安局) u help om plek te vind om te crash - ten minste vir een nag.
Pryse is dikwels onderhandelbaar, en 'n skerp verlaging van die prys wat op die muur aangedui word, kan dikwels selfs in mooier hotelle verkry word deur bloot te vra "wat is die laagste prys?" (最低 多少 zuìdī duōshǎo). As u langer as 'n paar dae bly, is dit gewoonlik ook moontlik om 'n laer daaglikse tarief te beding. Hierdie onderhandelingstaktieke sal egter nie werk tydens die besige Chinese vakansietydperke nie, maar moeilik om pryse te kry. Baie hotelle, beide kettings en individuele ondernemings, het lidmaatskapkaarte wat kortings aan gereelde gaste bied.
In die middelklas en hoër hotelle was dit eens baie algemeen dat gaste telefoonoproepe ontvang met masseringsdienste (wat addisionele fisiese dienste aangebied het), maar dit het skaarser geword, sodat manlike gaste dalk net besigheidskaartjies onder die deur kry. .
Bespreek 'n kamer via die internet met 'n kredietkaart kan 'n maklike en vinnige metode wees om seker te maak dat u 'n kamer het as u by u bestemming aankom, en daar is talle webwerwe wat hiervoor voorsiening maak. Kredietkaarte word nie algemeen in China gebruik nie, veral nie in kleiner en goedkoper hotelle nie. Sulke hotelle vra gewoonlik om kontant betaal te word, en baie hotelle vra vooraf 'n kontantdeposito van enkele honderd yuan. Sommige nuut aanlyn dienste[dooie skakel] kan u sonder 'n kredietkaart bespreek en kontant by die hotel betaal. Dit kan 'n aanvaarbare opsie wees tydens Chinese vakansies, waar dit moeilik is om 'n kamer oral te kry, maar in die buiteseisoen is daar byna oral volop kamers, en dit kan net so maklik wees om 'n kamer by die aankoms te vind as om bespreek een via die internet.
Oor die hele China is die uitchecken normaalweg middaguur, en daar is dikwels die moontlikheid om 'n halwe dagkoste te betaal om 'n betaalpunt van 18:00 te kry.
Vir diegene wat op 'n meer permanente basis in China bly, is huur moontlik met die ooglopende waarskuwing dat alle kontrakte in Chinees is. Eiendomspryse is buitensporig groot in stede soos Beijing en Sjanghai, en oortref selfs dié van baie Westerse groot stede.
Laekostebehuising
Baie ultra-goedkoop opsies sal die meeste reisigers uit ontwikkelde lande om veiligheids- en netheidsredes nie aantreklik vind nie. In die goedkoopste hotelle is dit belangrik om te vra of daar 24 uur per dag warm water beskikbaar is (有 没有 二十 四个 小时 的 热水 yǒuméiyǒu èrshisì ge xiǎoshí de rèshuǐ), en kyk of die stort, wasbak en toilet werk. Dit is ook raadsaam om nie in 'n kamer langs 'n druk straat in te gaan nie, want verkeer kan u laat wakker bly en vroeg wakker maak.
- Koshuise (青年 旅社) is die gemaklikste laekoste-opsies. Hulle maak gewoonlik voorsiening vir buitelanders, het Engelssprekende werknemers en bied goedkoop, maklike vervoer deur die stad. Sommige van hulle is selfs skoner en beter ingerig as duurder plekke. Koshuise het ook 'n gesellige, internasionale atmosfeer en is 'n goeie plek om ander reisigers te ontmoet en 'n half ordentlike Westerse kos te kry. In die meeste stede van elke grootte is daar ten minste een koshuis beskikbaar, en op reisplekke is daar baie koshuise, alhoewel dit steeds vinnig vol kan word vanweë hul gewildheid onder rugsakreisigers. Koshuise kan dikwels vooraf bespreek word, maar u moet beslis 'n afdruk van u bevestiging saambring, want nie alle koshuise is daarvan bewus dat u hul kamers vooraf kan bespreek (en 'n gedeelte daarvan kan betaal nie). In Beijing is daar baie koshuise hutongs - tradisionele binnehuise te midde van 'n doolhof van tradisionele strate en argitektuur. Alhoewel baie van die Hutongs in Beijing gesloop is, het 'n beweging om die oorblyfsels te red, gelei tot 'n oplewing in jeugherberge vir rugsakreisigers en boetiekhotelle vir die middelklasreisiger.
- Slaapkamers (宿舍) word aangetref op universiteitskampusse, naby toeriste-aantreklikhede op die platteland en as deel van sommige hotelle. Die meeste reisigers het 'n bietjie geluk met slaapsale. Dit is algemeen om rumoerige of bedwelmde kamermaats te hê, en gedeelde badkamers kan gewoond raak, veral as u nie gewoond is aan tradisionele hurktoilette of koue storte neem nie. In sommige gebiede, veral bo-op sommige van die heilige berge in China, is slaapsale die enigste goedkoop opsie in 'n see van luukse oorde.
- Zhùsù (住宿), wat eenvoudig as "akkommodasie" vertaal word, kan na enige soort slaapplek verwys, maar die plekke waar die Chinese karakters vir zhusu aan die muur buite geskryf is, is die goedkoopste. 'N Zhusu is nie 'n hotel nie, maar bloot kamers te huur in huise, restaurante en naby trein- en busstasies. Zhusu-kamers is universeel spartaans en badkamers word byna altyd gedeel. Die prys kan redelik laag wees en slegs 'n paar dosyne renminbi kos. Amptelik behoort 'n zhusu nie 'n kamer aan 'n buitelander te bied nie, maar die opsigter is baie keer gretig om 'n kliënt te kry en is bereid om aan enigiemand te huur. Daar is nooit Engelse bordjies wat 'n zhusu adverteer nie, dus as u nie Chinees kan lees nie, moet u die karakters uitdruk vir u jag. Beveiliging in zhusu's is skraps, dus hierdie opsie word nie aanbeveel as u waardevolle artikels by u het nie.
- Spa's: spa-koste wissel, maar kan so laag as £ 25 wees. Toegang tot 'n spa duur gewoonlik 24 uur, maar as u laat in die nag (na 01:00) in die spa gaan en voor 12 uur vertrek, kan u 50% afslag kry. Spa's bied beddens of rusbanke en 'n klein kassie vir tasse en persoonlike besittings (dit is ideaal as u lig reis), maar daar is geen privaatheid nie, want meestal slaap almal in een kamer (daar is dus meer veiligheid as in 'n slaapsaal, aangesien daar is bediendes wat oor die gebied waak, en u besittings (selfs u klere!) word in 'n kas gebêre). Daar is ook storte, sauna's, komplimentêre kos en betaalde dienste soos masserings en liggaamskrop. Moenie mislei word as ontvangsdames redes probeer opmaak waarom u meer as die genoemde tarief moet betaal nie. Hulle kan u probeer oortuig dat die gelyste tariewe slegs vir lede, plaaslike inwoners, vroue, mans is, of slegs een deel van die spa insluit (dus geen stort nie, maar geen bed / rusbank nie). Om enige eise te verifieer, moet u 'n gesprek met 'n plaaslike bevolking aanpak, 'n entjie weg van die spa en navraag doen oor die pryse. Moenie laat weet dat u die eise van die spa nagaan nie. Doen net asof u daaraan dink as die prys goed is. As hulle weet dat die spa probeer om u te veel te hef, sal hulle gewoonlik die eis van die spa ondersteun.
Begroting hotelle
Die volgende vlak van hotelle, wat feitlik uitsluitlik vir Chinese kliënte voorsiening maak, is gewoonlik buite die buitelanders, maar u kan hulle oortuig om u te aanvaar, veral as u 'n bietjie Chinees kan praat. As buitelander is u verplig om u verblyf by plaaslike owerhede te registreer, en in stedelike gebiede is goedkoop hotelle dikwels nie bewus van die registrasie van buitelandse gaste in die plaaslike stelsel nie (en is dus nie bereid om buitelandse gaste te neem nie). Ten spyte hiervan, kan u aanbied om saam met hotelpersoneel u verblyf in die PSB-stelsel reg te registreer (aangesien die meeste openbare sekuriteitsburo's dieselfde registrasiestelsel gebruik) een van die vele aanlyngidse, maar dit is belangrik om dit so te doen dat die hotelklerk nie die gesig verloor nie. In landelike gebiede sal u waarskynlik soos 'n seer duim uitsteek (veral as u multimedia-toerusting het), en selfs as u as 'n gas geregistreer is, sal amptenare van die openbare sekuriteitsburo dikwels laat in die nag opdaag om eerstens u voorneme om te bly, te bevraagteken in 'n landelike gebied, en vra u verder om na 'n ander hotel te vertrek.
Die goedkoopste reeks Chinese goedkoop hotelle ('n stap bo die zhusu) word genoem zhāodàisuǒ (招待所). Anders as zhusu is dit gelisensieer Akkommodasie, maar is soortgelyk Spartaans en utilitaristies, dikwels met gedeelde badkamers. Ietwat luukser goedkoop hotelle en Chinese sakeshotels het al dan nie Engelse tekens nie en het gewoonlik die woorde lǚguǎn (旅馆, wat "reishotel" beteken), bīnguǎn of jiǔdiàn (Onderskeidelik 酒店 en 酒店, wat "hotel" beteken) in hul naam. Kameropsies sluit gewoonlik enkel- en tweepersoonskamers met aangeslote badkamers en slaapsale met gedeelde baddens in. Sommige goedkoop hotelle bevat aanvullende toiletware en internet. In klein dorpe kan 'n nag se verblyf net so goedkoop wees as ¥ 25; in groter stede kos kamers gewoonlik ¥ 80-120. 'N Probleem met sulke hotelle is dat dit nogal luidrugtig kan wees, want klante en personeel kan tot in die oggendure oor die gang skree. Nog 'n moontlike ongemak is om 'n kamer met 'n gedeelde bad te neem, aangesien u dalk moet wag om 'n stort- of hurktoilet te gebruik, wat boonop nie in 'n aantreklike toestand is nie. In kleiner begrotingshotelle kan die gesin wat die plek bestuur, laat in die nag toesluit as dit blyk dat daar nie meer klante kom nie. As u van plan is om laat te arriveer, moet u dit vooraf verduidelik, anders moet u dalk die ontvangstoonbank bel, die deur klop of oor die hek klim om in te gaan.
Midde-reeks hotelle
Dit is gewoonlik groot, skoon en gemaklik, met kamers wat wissel van ¥ 150 tot meer as ¥ 300. Dieselfde hotelle sal gereeld ook duurder en luukser kamers hê. Die dubbelspel is gewoonlik baie mooi en volgens Westerse standaarde, met 'n skoon privaat badkamer met handdoeke en gratis toiletware. 'N Ontbyt kan ingesluit word, of 'n ontbytkaartjie kan vir ongeveer ¥ 10 gekoop word.
In China is daar 'n aantal middelgroot hotelle van Westerse gehalte wat die volgende kettings bevat, wat almal kamers in die reeks van 150 tot 300 ¥ bevat en aanlyn vooraf bespreek:
- 7 Dae Herberge. (7 天 连锁 酒店)
- JinJiang Herberge. (锦江 之 星)
- Tuisherberge (如 家 快捷 酒店).
- Green Tree Herberge (格林 豪 泰 酒店). (Engels)
- Super 8 Motels deur Wyndham. (Engels)
Splurge
Die hoë deel sluit internasionale hotelkettings en oorde in, soos Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton en Shangri-La en hul Chinese mededingers. Dit kos honderde of duisende yuan per nag vir luukse akkommodasies met 24 uur-kamerdiens, satelliet-TV, spa's en westelike ontbytbuffets. Daar is suites in Sjanghai, byvoorbeeld, vir meer as 10 000 ¥ per nag. Baie van hierdie inrigtings maak voorsiening vir reisbesighede met onkostes en betaal dienooreenkomstig kos en geriewe (dws ¥ 20 vir 'n bottel water wat ¥ 2 in 'n geriefswinkel kos). Internet (bedraad of draadloos) wat gewoonlik gratis is in middelgaste akkommodasies, is dikwels 'n betaaldiens in hoë hotelle.
Sommige hotelle in die reeks van 400 tot 700 ¥, soos Ramada of Days Inn, is bereid om hul pryse te verlaag as die besigheid stadig is. Chinese drie- en viersterhotelle bied dikwels blokpryse of beter aanbiedings vir verblyf van langer as 5 dae. As u na China op toer gaan, kan die toermaatskappy u miskien 'n kamer in 'n ware luukse hotel vir 'n fraksie van die genoteerde prys kry.
Leer
- Sien ook: Studeer in China
Die tradisionele Chinese kultuur lê sterk klem op opvoeding, en daar is dus nie 'n gebrek aan opsies vir diegene wat in China kwaliteit onderwys wil ontvang nie.
China se universiteite bied baie verskillende soorte kursusse aan, en sommige van hulle word gereeld onder die top-universiteite ter wêreld gereken. Universiteite aanvaar studente wat die minimum hoërskoolopleiding vir kursusse in die Chinese taal behaal het. Hierdie kursusse duur gewoonlik 1 of 2 jaar. Studente kry sertifikate nadat hulle hul kursus voltooi het. Studente wat nie Chinees praat nie en verder in China wil studeer, moet gewoonlik 'n taalopleidingskursus voltooi.
Daar is baie geleenthede om Chinees in China te leer, insluitend universiteitskursusse en spesiale programme. Beurse kan beskikbaar wees in u tuisland of die Chinese regering. In enige stad met 'n aansienlike expatgemeenskap kan u ook privaat klasse vind, wat u aan die kant kan neem werk in China. Hoewel dit nie so gewild soos Mandaryns is nie, is daar ook 'n paar geleenthede om die plaaslike dialekte en etniese minderheidstale te bestudeer.
Werk
- Sien ook: Werk in China
China het so gegroei dat dit op pad is om die wêreld se grootste ekonomie te word. Alhoewel die arbeidsmark moeilik is vir buitelanders, is daar wel geleenthede vir diegene wat China wil ervaar. Dit is onwettig om in China aan 'n toeriste- of sakevisum te werk, en hoewel baie buitelanders vroeër daarmee weggekom het, is die Chinese regering besig om die praktyk hok te slaan; u moet proaktief seker maak dat u werkgewer die toepaslike prosedures vir u deurloop.
Werksgeleenthede sluit in Engelstalige onderrigingenieurswese, tegnologiese poste, internasionale handel, wetenskaplike navorsing en werk vir multinasionale burgers. Vir die meeste poste vereis die Chinese immigrasiewetgewing dat buitelanders minstens 'n baccalaureusgraad moet hê voordat hulle 'n werksvisum kan kry, en u aansoek sal van die hand gewys word as u nie een het nie. Sien Werk in China vir besonderhede.
Bly veilig
Terwyl China oor die algemeen veilig is vir besoekers, het die regering 'n paar outoritêre aspekte, en die onderwerp van menseregte in China word sterk betwis. Ondanks wat in die Chinese grondwet geskryf word, word sekere vryhede in die praktyk sterk beperk, soos vrye spraak, privaatheid, vryheid van inligting en pers, vryheid van godsdiens en die reg op 'n regverdige verhoor. Solank u nie doelbewus uitlokkend is nie, sal dit waarskynlik nie tydens u besoek beïnvloed word nie - veral omdat handhawing in elk geval ietwat arbitrêr is - maar as dit wel gebeur, kan straf swaar wees. Dit is bekend dat China buitengeregtelike aanhouding, marteling gebruik en (selde, hoofsaaklik vir moord en dwelmhandel) die doodstraf. Aanhoudings en handhawing word dikwels aangevoer as '' gyselaarsdiplomasie '', en soms verhoog hulle in reaksie op geopolitieke gebeure, wat beteken dat byvoorbeeld Kanadese en Amerikaanse sakelui in 2019 ekstra ondersoek in die gesig gestaar het. Chinese dubbele burgers en mense van Chinese erfenis wat burgers van ander lande is onderworpe aan 'uitgangsverbod', wat soms jare lank in China aangehou word om hulle te dwing om saam te werk met regeringsondersoeke of druk op hul familielede om na China terug te keer.
Solank as wat u optree en nie betrokke raak by dwelms of politieke aktiwiteite nie, moet u nie probleme ondervind nie. Selfs om die internet firewall te omseil of om toegang tot potensieel ondermynende materiaal te verkry, word die gemiddelde besoeker gewoonlik oor die hoof gesien. Dit maak egter nie skade om 'n gebeurlikheidsplan te hê as u die regering beledig nie.
Wetstoepassingsagentskappe
Privaat veiligheidsbeamptes in China trek soortgelyk aan die polisie aan en gebruik ook ligte en sirenes op hul voertuie.
Die belangrikste wetstoepassingsagentskap wat u die meeste teëkom, is die openbare veiligheidspolisie (公安 机关 人民警察), dikwels afgekort as openbare veiligheid (公安, Gōng'ān), of burgerlike polisie (民警).
- Die meeste offisiere dra donkerblou pette en ligblou hemde. Beamptes moet hul polisie-identifikasiedokument saambring, wat getoon moet word wanneer u hulle versoek om dit te doen. Hulle is gewoonlik ongewapen.
- Spesiale polisiebeamptes dra swart gevegsuniform en is gewapen.
- Verkeerspolisiebeamptes dra wit pette en in sommige stede mag hulle fluorescerende hemde dra.
- Hulp-polisiebeamptes het beperkte wetstoepassingsbevoegdheid en het nie die mag om in hegtenis te neem nie. Hul uniforms verskil van stad tot stad; maar het die woorde "hulppolisie" (辅警), of iets soortgelyks.
- Speurders, insluitend huishoudelike sekuriteitsagente (国内 安全 保卫, 国 保), dra gewone klere.
- Tipiese polisievoertuie dra die woord "公安". Spesiale polisievoertuie is met swart geverf en dra die woord "特警".
Alle polisiebeamptes met openbare veiligheid het landwye gesag. Die meeste beamptes is vriendelik en betroubaar, maar tog sal daar ook noodwendig korrupte persone wees.
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Die Mense se gewapende polisie (PAP) is die gendarmeriemag van China, wat die taak het om openbare veiligheidspolisie by te staan, onlustebeheer, die bewaking van sleutelinfrastruktuur, ens. dieselfde uniform as dié van die People's Liberation Army (PLA) se grondmag.
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Chengguan (城管), wat amptelik bekend staan as die stad se stedelike administratiewe en wetstoepassingsburo (城市 管理 known known 局), en ook bekend as Geïntegreerde handhawing (综合 执法) of administratiewe handhawing (行政 执法), kan anders aantrek. Chengguan-offisiere is dikwels swak opgelei, wreed en soms korrup.
Misdaad
Misdaad pryse wissel in die groot land, maar oor die algemeen is dit net so veilig soos die meeste Westerse lande. Baie Westerse toeriste sal in China veiliger voel as in hul tuisland, en dit is gewoonlik nie 'n probleem vir vroue om snags alleen in die strate rond te loop nie. Alhoewel gewelddadige misdaad die hoogte ingeskiet het na die Kulturele Revolusie, en wyd uitgebeeld is in films in Hong Kong Lang arm van die wet, is dit nou skaars danksy beter polisiëring, alhoewel swendelary en klein misdade algemeen voorkom, is dit dus goed om versigtig te wees en u waardevolle artikels behoorlik te beveilig. Soos met enige ander plek, is 'n bietjie verstand 'n lang pad.
Oor die algemeen is misdaadsyfers hoër in die groter stede as op die platteland. Nietemin, hulle is nie gevaarliker as die mense soos nie Sydney, Londen of New York in die Westerse wêreld, dus as u onnodige gebiede vermy en u gesonde verstand gebruik, sal dit goed gaan met u. Videobewaking word wyd gebruik in beide stedelike en in sommige landelike gebiede. Alhoewel die wydverspreide gebruik daarvan kritiek uit die Weste oplewer, word CCTV's oor die algemeen verwelkom deur die polisie, omdat frontoffisiere dikwels onvoldoende is om die groot bevolking van China te hanteer.
Alhoewel nie so ongebreideld soos in Europa, sakkery is 'n belangrike saak op druk plekke. Wees veral waaksaam wanneer u gedurende die spitstyd op die openbare vervoer is, want dit bied die perfekte dekking vir sakkerollers om weg te kom nadat u geslaan het.
Fietsdiefstal kan 'n probleem wees. In groot stede is daar verhale van plaaslike inwoners wat binne een maand drie fietse verloor het, maar op sommige ander plekke parkeer plaaslike mense hul fietse gemaklik. Volg wat plaaslike mense doen. Neem aan dat u duur slot glad nie sal help nie. Professionele diewe kan feitlik enige slot breek. In China is fietsparkering algemeen buite supermarkte of winkelsentrums, en dit kos gewoonlik 1-2 yen per dag (gewoonlik tot 20: 00-22: 00). As u 'n elektriese fiets of bromponie het, moet u ekstra versigtig wees, want die batterye of laaier kan gerig wees.
Die belangrikste misdade waarvoor buitelanders probleme ondervind, is die gebruik van dwelms (insluitend dwelmgebruik buite China voordat u daar aangekom het - hulle doen soms 'n haartoets vir cannabis) of om onwettig te werk, met die gevolg gewoonlik 'n kort vonnis, boete en deportasie. As u van 'n ernstiger misdaad beskuldig word, is u eerste 72 uur ondersoek van kritieke belang. Dit is gedurende daardie tyd dat die polisie, aanklaers en u prokureurs ondersoek, onderhandel en besluit of u skuldig is. Die polisie gebruik harde ondervragings (of marteling) onmiddellik na inhegtenisneming omdat die verkryging van 'n bekentenis die vinnigste manier is om skuldigbevinding te kry. Chinese wetgewing verbied u prokureur om teenwoordig te wees tydens u ondervraging. As u saak verhoor word, is u skuldigbevinding bloot 'n formaliteit (99,9% van die strafregtelike verhore in 2013 het op skuldigbevinding uitgeloop), en die regter se enigste rol is om u vonnis te beslis. Die ondertekening van enige dokument tydens u ondervraging is 'n baie slegte idee, veral as u nie verstaan wat u onderteken nie. U moet beleefd daarop aandring dat u toegang tot konsulêre dienste en 'n vertaler mag kry.
Verkeer
- Sien ook: Ry in China
Die sterftesyfer per persoon vir motorongelukke in China is laer as dié van baie Westerse lande. Maar oor die algemeen kan bestuur in China wissel van senuweeagtig tot reguit roekeloos. Verkeer kan chaoties voorkom. Motors mag op 'n rooi lig regs draai en stop nie vir voetgangers nie, ongeag die loopsein. Motorbestuurders, fietsryers en elektriese bromponiebestuurders ry almal met die veronderstelling dat hulle almal regs van voorkeur / voorkeur op een slag het. Voetoorgange is 'n riglyn vir die bestuurder waar voetgangers meer geneig is om oor te steek.
In stede is dit egter onwaarskynlik dat bestuurders vinnig genoeg sal reis om aansienlike skade aan te rig. Doen soos die plaaslike bevolking doen: kruis die pad met selfvertroue, wees bewus van u omgewing, weet dat motors, fietse en bromponies geneig is om voort te gaan eerder as om te stop.
Dit is raadsaam om as vreemdeling nie te bestuur nie, want in 'n ongeluk sal u swak toegerus wees om die aard van Chinese vergoeding te hanteer.
Terrorisme
Alhoewel dit skaars is, het terroriste-aanvalle in China plaasgevind, en daar was opvallende aanvalle op mense in Guangzhou stasie, Kunming stasie en Beijing. Daar is 'n lughawe-sekuriteit by alle belangrike treinstasies, metrostasies en langafstand-busterminale. You will have your bag x-rayed and take water bottles out of your bag to be scanned separately, but there is no need to empty your pockets.
Begging
Chinese people traditionally disapprove of begging, so begging is not a major issue in most places. It is, however, never far off the scene and particularly common just outside the main tourist attractions and in major transportation hubs.
Be aware of child beggars who could be victims of child trafficking. While it is becoming less common, you should avoid giving them any money.
In China, local people usually only give money to those who have obviously lost the ability to earn money. Professional beggars have clear deformities, and some syndicates have been known to deliberately maim children as it is seen as more effective in soliciting pity. If you feel like giving them some, bear in mind that the minimum hourly wage ranges from ¥11 to ¥24 (2020).
Buddhist monks
The presence of foreign tourists unaware of local Buddhist customs has also given rise to many scams, with many fake monks and temples preying on unsuspecting visitors. Buddhism in China generally follows the Mahayana school, whose monks are required to be vegetarian, and usually grow their own food in the temples, or buy their food using temple donations. As such, they generally do not beg for food.
Monks also do not sell religious items (these are sold by laymen), and neither do they offer "Buddha's blessing" in exchange for money, or threaten you with misfortune should you not donate. Most temples will have a donation box in the main hall for devotees to make donations should they wish to do so, and monks will never go out in public to ask for donations. According to traditional Buddhist philosophy, it is entirely up to an individual to decide whether and how much he/she wishes to donate, and genuine Buddhist temples will never use high-pressure tactics to solicit donations, or ask for any amount of money in exchange for services.
Aard
Being a large country, China is affected by a range of different natural disasters. Pacific typhoons hit the coast in the summer and autumn months, bringing physical destruction and torrential rain. Floods also occur, in particular around the large rivers. Northern parts of the country have winter storms. Much of the country is prone to earthquakes en tornadoes.
China has a variety of venomous snakes. Be careful when hiking and seek immediate treatment for any snakebite. The bright green bamboo viper (Trimeresurus stejnegeri) is especially notorious.
Bedrogspul
- Sien ook: Common scams, Pickpockets
Chinese people are in general hospitable to foreigners, and want to leave a good impression on tourists visiting their country. However, as with anywhere else, there are also scam artists who operate at tourist hot spots, so it pays to be prudent and remember that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.
High prices do not necessarily indicate a scam. In a teahouse or bar, ¥50-200 per cup or pot of tea (including hot water refills) and ¥15-60 per bottle of beer is not uncommon. Tea samplings may also charge high prices for each sample.
Touristy parts of Beijing and Shanghai have become notorious for various scams. If you are keen to avoid being scammed, the following are good rules of thumb:
- It is less likely for scammers to operate outside of the usual tourist spots
- If you are approached in a touristy area by a person who appears ook enthusiastic about going to a particular place (teahouse or otherwise), you are likely to pay a premium and maybe get a better time elsewhere
- If you are uncomfortable, walk away.
- Most ordinary Chinese people are unable to speak English, so be on your guard if someone approaches you spontaneously and starts speaking to you in English.
The police are sensitive to foreigners being targeted in this way and giving the country a poor reputation. In China, you have a legal right to ask for a "fa piao" (发票) which is an official sales invoice issued by the taxation department. It is against the law for an owner to refuse to give it to you. For scams, they generally will refuse since it is legal evidence of their extortionate price.
Accident scams occur, too, and even 'good samaritans' who help people genuinely in distress have been sued for compensation by the people they were trying to help. These scams are not tried on foreigners too often, but be careful when using a vehicle and always record your journey with a dashboard or bicycle camera.
If you find yourself being or having been scammed then call 110 and report it immediately.
Illicit drugs
Acts related to illicit drugs are dealt with harshly in China. Although drug use alone and the mere possession of small quantities of drugs (for example, less than 200 grams of opium and less than 10 grams of heroin or methamphetamine) are not prosecuted and are only subject to lengthy detention and/or a fine, smuggling, trafficking, transporting, and manufacturing illicit drugs are crimes punishable by death, and there are plenty cases of foreign drug traffickers being executed in China. In addition, the possession of large quantities of drugs (exceeding the aforementioned amount) is a crime punishable by up to more than 7 years of fixed-term imprisonment, and sheltering others to take drugs is a crime punishable by up to 3 years of fixed-term imprisonment. With few exceptions, concurrent fines are attached to each drug-related crime conviction. Chinese people usually associate drugs with national humiliation (due to an unlimited influx of opium after Opium Wars); publicly doubting the death penalty for drug offences or advocacy for drug liberalization will most likely get you publicly criticized.
For recorded drug addicts, you may be subjected to sudden raids by the police, in order to verify that you did not consume any illicit drugs.
Be particularly wary in the provinces of Yunnan en Guangxi, as these provinces border Southeast Asia, which is a major drug-producing region. Police now target bars and nightclubs that foreigners frequent with drug-testing kits, with detention and deportation the likely consequence of a positive drug test. In a hair test, you may test positive even for drugs that you consumed three months before arriving in China. If you are driving from Chinese-Burmese border (eg. Xishuangbanna), you may also encounter layered narcotics checkpoints, in which you and your vehicle will be thoroughly searched, in an attempt to intercept drug mules.
Banned items
Due to the fast pace of change in China, you may find some items (especially media) continue to be banned by customs although they are readily available for purchase in the country itself. Searching your belongings for illicit items such as the ones below could potentially happen when entering China through an airport, although in practice it is rare these days.
- Materials considered by the authorities as Anti-Chinese will be confiscated. This has a fairly wide interpretation, but can include the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan lion-mountain flag and literature about the Falun Gong religious group, independence movements in Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong and Taiwan or the Tiananmen Square protests. As a rule of thumb, do not bring anything critical of the Communist Party of China; if some literature refers to the government of the PRC as the Communist Party of China, then it's either from Taiwan (as the local official term when referring to the Chinese government), and/or its stance is likely to be critical of the party.
- The Epoch Times (大紀元時報) and Ming Hui Times (明慧周刊/明慧周報) are some examples of Falun Gong related literature. The Falun Gong sect is known to print proselytising words on Chinese yuan bills, so consider checking your bills to avoid unnecessary hassle.
- A heavy penalty is imposed on all pornography and penalties are counted based on the number of pieces brought into the country.
Religion
Visitors to China rarely get into trouble for practicing their religion. As a communist country, China is officially atheist, and religion is banned for people working in government jobs. Although religion was targeted for extermination during the Cultural Revolution, in modern times, visitors and private citizens are generally free to practice a religion if they wish. However, proselytising is prohibited and taken very seriously by the government, and could potentially lead to arrest and imprisonment, especially if there is any fear that it could undermine the government's authority.
Catholics in China are split between the state-sanctioned Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPA, CPCA, or CCPA, 中国天主教爱国会 Zhōngguó Tiānzhǔjiào Àiguó Huì), which is run separately from the Vatican, and an underground church which is illegal; visitors should not associate with the latter for legal reasons.
Falun Gong is illegal and heavily censored in China. Visibly supporting it will make you subject to arrest.
Despite all that, modern Chinese society is in general rather secular, and religiously-motivated hate crimes are exceedingly rare.
Racism
Although unprovoked violent racist attacks are virtually unheard of, foreigners, particularly darker-skin ones, often suffer discrimination in employment and are the subject of stereotyping from Chinese people. Even white foreigners, who allegedly enjoy significantly better treatment than locals, have been occasionally confronted by Chinese people during politically sensitive periods. Xenophobia has intensified amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with many restaurants now refusing service to foreign customers. Discrimination is particularly severe against black people, some of whom have been evicted by their landlords and denied rooms in hotels.
If your skin tone doesn't match people's assumptions for someone from your country, and especially if you're ethnically Chinese, you may be treated like the country on your passport isn't where you're regtig from. Visas on arrival are sometimes denied on this basis.
Gay and lesbian travelers
China is generally a safe destination for gay and lesbian travelers. There are no laws against homosexuality in China, though films, websites, and television shows involving themes of homosexuality tend to be censored or banned. Gay scenes and communities are found in the major cities in China, but are generally non-existent everywhere else. Most Chinese are reluctant to discuss their sexuality in public, as it is generally considered to be a personal matter, and acceptance of homosexuality by Chinese people tends to be mixed. Same-sex marriages and unions are not recognised anywhere in the country. While openly displaying your sexual orientation in public is still likely to draw stares and whispers, gay and lesbian visitors should generally not run into any major problems, and unprovoked violence against homosexual couples is almost unheard of.
Staff in hotels and guesthouses may assume that a mistake has been made if a same-sex couple has reserved a room with one large bed and try to move you to another room. However, they will generally back down if you insist that it is not a problem.
Bly gesond
Personal hygiene
Outside major cities, public washrooms range from mildly unpleasant to utterly repulsive. In cities, it varies from place to place. High-quality bathrooms can be found inside major tourist attractions, at international hotels, office buildings, and upper-class department stores. Washrooms in foreign restaurant chains, or any of the coffee chains listed in the drink section are usually more or less clean. While those in common restaurants and hotels are barely acceptable, those in hotel rooms are generally clean. Some public facilities are free, others cost from a few mao up to ¥2. Separate facilities are always provided for men (男 nán) and women (女 nǚ), but sometimes there are no doors on the front of the stalls.
The sit-down toilet familiar to Westerners is rare in China in public areas. Hotels will generally have them in rooms, but in places where Westerners are scarce, expect to find squat toilets more often than not. Many private homes in urban areas now have sit-down toilets, and one major benefit from having a local host is that they have clean bathrooms. As a rule of thumb, a western establishment such as McDonald's or Starbucks will have a western toilet, but may not have toilet paper.
Carry your own tissue paper (卫生纸 wèishēngzhǐ, or 面纸 miànzhǐ) as it is rarely provided. You can sometimes buy it from the money-taker at a public toilet; you can also buy it in bars, restaurants and Internet cafés for ¥2. Put used paper in the bucket next to the toilet; do not flush it away as it may block the often poor plumbing systems. There may not be soap in the public washrooms either.
The Chinese tend to distrust the cleanliness of bathtubs. In hotels with fixed bathtubs, disposable plastic bathtub liners may be provided.
Wash your hands often with soap if you can find any, carry some disposable disinfectant tissues (found in almost any department or cosmetics store), or use alcohol gel.
Food and drink
Kos
Although there are few widely enforced health regulations in restaurants, each major city does have an inspection regime that requires each establishment to prominently display the result (good, average or poor). It is hard to say how effective this is, but it is a start. Restaurants generally prepare hot food when you order. Even in the smallest of restaurants, hot dishes are usually freshly prepared, instead of reheated, and rarely cause health problems.
A rule of thumb regarding street food is to make certain it is cooked thoroughly while you are watching; also, visit stalls frequented by locals, and look for plastic-wrapped disposable chopsticks.
Minor stomach discomfort may still be experienced from street food and restaurant food alike, but is said to pass as one becomes accustomed to the local food. Ginger can be effective against nausea.
Drink
Chinese people do not drink water straight from the tap, even in the cities. All hotels provide a thermos flask of boiled water in your room (refillable by your floor attendant), a kettle you can use to do it yourself or a sealed plastic bottle of commercial mineral water. Tap water is safe to drink na boiling.
Some apartments and businesses have rather large water filters installed (which require changing twice a year) to improve the quality of water for cooking and washing. It still doesn't make the water drinkable from the tap, however it does improve the water quality a great deal.
Purified drinking water in bottles is available everywhere, and is generally quite cheap. ¥2 is normal for a small bottle. Check that the seal on the cap is not broken. Beer, wine and soft drinks are also cheap and safe.
Also note that much river water in China has been contaminated by chemicals that filters can not help much with, although this should only be dangerous if consumed over an extended period of time.
Pollution
Smog Most smog or haze outbreaks are made up of fine particles that are 2.5 microns or smaller (PM2.5). N95 masks provide good protection against smog as they are at least 95% efficient against fine particles that are about 0.1 – 0.3 microns. They are 99.5% efficient against larger particles of 0.75 microns or more. As with most things in China, be sure to identify a reputable brand such as 3M |
Due to a rapid rate of industrialization in China, pollution and heavy smog is unfortunately part of the way of life in most major towns and cities. That said, stricter environmental protection laws are slowly beginning to bear fruit, with the result that Beijing is no longer the most polluted city in the world, but there is still a long way to go. Even the countryside, depending on the province in question, is not immune.
Long-term effects of smog particulate are unlikely to have a significant effect on your health if you are in China for a short stay (e.g. a number of weeks) and have no significant respiratory problems. If you are concerned, discuss this with a medical professional before your trip.
Places at higher altitudes or plains like parts of Yunnan and Sichuan, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Tibet and outlying islands such as Hainan usually have good air quality. Visitors should be prepared to see smog, which can be quite heavy, in nearly all large cities, including those on the coast.
Dit webwerf can provide detailed hourly pollution readings for most large cities.
You will also hear a lot of noise. Construction and renovation are full-time activities. Chinese and long-time residents' ears are trained to filter and tolerate it.
Health care
Healthcare for foreigners Most major Chinese cities have clinics and hospitals that are more appropriate for foreigners, with English-speaking and Western-qualified staff. Although expensive, it is worth identifying them whenever you plan to stay in an area for a significant time. For non-urgent medical treatment, you may want to consider traveling to Hongkong, Taiwan of Suid-Korea for a higher standard of treatment which may not be particularly more expensive. |
The quality of Chinese hospitals for the Chinese people is generally not up to the standards of the West. Local doctors have been known to prescribe more expensive treatments than necessary; IV drips are routine prescriptions in China, even for minor ailments like the common cold, and doctors have a tendency to liberally prescribe antibiotics. Most locals go to the hospital even for the most minor ailments, and the concept of a private clinic effectively does not exist. You should consider keeping a significant amount of cash readily available for emergencies, since not being able to pay upfront may delay treatment.
Ambulance services are expensive, require upfront payment, are not accorded much priority on the roads and are therefore not particularly fast. Taking a taxi to the hospital in an emergency will often be much quicker.
Common therapeutic drugs — things like penicillin or insulin — are generally available from a pharmacist with a prescription and considerably cheaper than in western countries. You can usually ask to see the instructions that came with the box. Western medicine is called xīyào (西药). Less common drugs are often imported, hence expensive.
In larger cities there are strong controls over medicine, and even 'standard' cold medicine such as acetaminophen/paracetamol or dextromethorphan may require a prescription or a foreign passport. Opiates always require a prescription, although Viagra never does.
In smaller cities and rural areas many medicines, including most antibiotics, are often available without a prescription.
Common symptoms
Sien Chinese frase-boek for more. |
Most Chinese doctors and nurses, even in larger cities, will speak little or no English. However, medical staff are in plentiful supply and hospital wait times are generally short - usually less than 10 minutes at general clinics (门诊室 ménzhěnshì), and virtually no wait time at emergency rooms (急诊室 jízhěnshì).
There are private Western-style clinics and hospitals in most major Chinese cities which provide a higher standard of care at a much higher price. The doctors and nurses will speak English (with interpretation services often available for other foreign languages), and are often hired from, or have obtained their medical qualifications in Western countries. These provide an easy and comfortable way to obtain familiar Western treatment from doctors qualified in the West, although you will be paying a steep premium for these services starting at ¥1,000 just for the consultation. Check beforehand to see whether your insurance will cover all or part of this.
For any significant surgery, it is worth considering traveling to Hongkong, Taiwan of Suid-Korea as the standard of treatment and care is more aligned to Western standards.
Ensure that needles used for injections or any other procedure that requires breaking the skin are new and unused - insist on seeing the packet being broken open. In some parts of China it is acceptable to re-use needles, albeit after sterilization.
For acupuncture, although the disposable needles are quite common in mainland China, you can provide your own needles if you prefer. The disposable type, called Wujun zhenjiu zhen (无菌針灸針, Sterilized acupuncture needles), usually cost ¥10-20 per 100 needles and are available in many pharmacies. There should be minimal to no bleeding when the needle is inserted and removed if the acupuncturist is sufficiently skilled.
While Traditional Chinese Medicine is ubiquitous in China, regulation tends to be lax and it is not unheard of for Chinese physicians to prescribe herbs which are actually detrimental to one's health. Do some research and ensure you have some trusted local friends to help you out if you wish to see a Chinese physician. You can head to Hong Kong or Taiwan instead, as the practice is better regulated there.
If making more than a short trip to China, it may be a good idea to get vaccinated against Hepatitis A and Typhoid as they can be spread via contaminated food, and Japanese encephalitis which is transmitted in rural areas.
Parts of southern China have mosquitoes which transmit malaria, dengue fever, etc.
As of 2019 the official estimate is that nearly 1 million people in China are living with HIV/AIDS. One in four infected individuals do not know their status. Sex workers, clients of sex workers and injecting drug users are the most infected groups.
New diseases are sometimes a threat in China, particularly in its more densely populated parts. There have been cases of bird flu: avoid undercooked poultry or eggs.
Respect
| “ | 入乡随俗 Rù xiāng suí sú When you enter a village, follow the customs. | ” |
—Chinese proverb (English speakers might say "When in Rome...") | ||
Using people's names Names can be a complicated matter in China. Except for certain ethnic minorities, names always follow the East Asian naming order of family name followed by given name; this is usually done in English as well. Someone called 陈小明 (Chén Xiǎomíng) therefore has the surname "Chen" and the given name "Xiaoming". Many Chinese acquire English names, which may have no relation to their Chinese name (and are sometimes quite unusual words or non-words). When using their English name, they will likely switch their name to Western name order (given name followed by family name). It's usually okay to address adult friends and children by given names, although using their full name is also common. Otherwise, use family names with a title or full names. Occupational titles are even used outside the workplace, so a teacher may be called "Teacher Zhang" (张老师 Zhāng Lǎoshī) even outside the classroom, and a manager or business owner may be called "Boss Huang" (黄老板 Huáng Lǎobǎn). Generic titles of varying commonness include Xiānshēng (先生, "Mr." or "Sir"), Tàitai (太太, "Madam" or "Mrs."), and Nǚshì (女士, "Ms."). The informal prefixes Lǎo- (老, "Old" or "Elder") and Xiǎo- (小, "Young" or "Little") are also commonly used, but you should avoid calling someone these unless you know the person well. The title "comrade" (同志) is rarely used outside of official situations, as the term nowadays also means LGBT people. While the title Xiǎojiě (小姐) is commonly used in Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore as an equivalent for the English "Miss", it is a euphemism for "prostitute" in mainland China and hence should be avoided. Names for familial relationships (e.g. big sister, uncle) are frequently used for acquaintances and even strangers based on their age relative to you. It will usually be clear from context, but generally when someone refers to another person as "Brother Zhang" or "Aunt Zhang", even in English, they probably don't mean a family member. Ethnic minorities often have their own naming conventions and modes of address, which can sometimes be very different from those of the Han majority. The foolproof method is therefore to ask how somebody would like to be addressed. |
Foreigners are still a rare breed in most parts of China, which means that how you interact with people there may well shape their impression of your country or even of foreigners in general. Follow the law, be polite, and try to leave a good impression as it affects the general reputation of foreigners in China.
- Unlike Japan and South Korea where bowing is extremely common, in China the practice did not survive into the modern era, and is only used in certain formal occasions such as marriage ceremonies, funerals, religious rituals, and for students greeting teachers in school. Give a soft handshake when greeting someone, which can optionally be accompanied by a slight bow.
- Personal space more or less does not exist in China. Elevators and buses can get very crowded. It's common and acceptable for someone to come in close contact with you or to bump into you and say nothing. Don't get mad, as they'll be surprised and most likely won't even understand why you're offended.
- Important items such as business cards or important papers are given and received with both hands.
- Business cards in particular are treated very respectfully and formally. How you treat someone's business card is seen as representing how you will treat the person. When accepting a business card, use both hands to pick it up by the corners, give a slight bow of your head, and take the time to read the card and confirm how to pronounce the person's name. It's disrespectful to write on a card, fold it, or place it in your back pocket (where you'll sit on it!); a nice case to keep cards pristine is preferable to a pocket.
- Rook is common almost anywhere. "No smoking" signs are routinely ignored, and it's common for someone to smoke in an elevator or even in the hospital. Some cities now forbid smoking in most restaurants, but enforcement varies. Beijing has one of the nation's strictest smoking laws: you are not allowed to smoke anywhere with a roof; again, enforcement is patchy. Western restaurants seem to be the only ones who consistently enforce the ban. Masks would be a good idea for long distance bus trips.
- When you smoke, it's always considered polite to offer a cigarette to those you meet. This rule applies almost exclusively to men, but under certain circumstances, such as a club, it's okay to offer cigarettes to women.
- In homes and some other buildings, slippers or sandals are worn indoors. If your hosts are wearing slippers at home, and especially if there is carpet on the floor, remove your shoes and ask for a pair of slippers before you enter, even if your host says you don't have to.
- Saving face is an important concept in Chinese culture, and this concept extends beyond the individual to one's family (including extended family), and even the country. Pointing out mistakes directly may cause embarrassment. If you have to, call the person to one side and tell them in private.
- Humility is highly valued in traditional Chinese culture, and bragging about your achievements is in general not well received. It is also customary to politely turn down any compliments you receive from others.
- Chinese people sometimes criticize their own country, but you are highly advised not to do it yourself, as the same things being said by a foreigner tend not to be received so well.
- Swastikas have been used in Buddhist temples since the 5th century to represent Dharma, universal harmony, and the balance of opposites. Like in India, it does not represent Nazism. Jews have been living in China for centuries, and have always had peaceful relations with their non-Jewish neighbours.
- Outside of a business context, casual clothes are acceptable at most places, including temples and expensive restaurants. Sleeveless or low-cut tops are uncommon and may stand out. At the beach or the pool, conservative swimsuits are much more common than bikinis.
Gifts
When visiting someone's home, a small gift is always welcome. Wine, fruit, or some trinket from your native country are common. When receiving a gift, it is generally rude to open it in front of the person who gave it to you unless (s)he specifically tells you to do so. Wait until the person has left and open it in private.
Some items are not given as gifts because of cultural associations. Some things to watch out for: black and white are important colors in funerals, scissors or knives may insinuate you want to cut off your relationship with someone, and many people see mirrors as bad luck. Other taboos are based on homophones: the word "four" (四 sì) sounds like "death" (死 sǐ), "pear" and "umbrella" sound like "separation", and "giving a clock" sounds like "attending a funeral". These gift taboos and others vary by region and generation, so it's a good idea to consult a local for advice, or at least search the Internet for lists of taboo gifts before you purchase one.
Eating and drinking
Eating is very important in Chinese culture, and dining out is a widespread way to honor guests and deepen relationships. Seating at a formal dinner follows a specific order, with the host or most senior person at the center. Don't pick up your chopsticks until the most senior person at the table has done so. Table manner varies from different places among different people in different scenarios. Sometimes you can see Chinese spit on a restaurant floor, pick their tooth in front of you, and yell whilst dining, but it's not always welcome. Follow what other people do.
Hosts tend to order more food than you can eat because it's considered shameful if they can't stuff their guests. Although it varies regionally, finishing your plate generally means you're still hungry and may prompt your hosts to order meer food, but leaving too much can imply you didn't like a dish; leaving an appropriate amount of food on your plate is a bit of a balancing act.
When offered a drink, you're expected to take it or your friends will keep pushing you. Excuses such as "I'm on medication" are better than "I don't feel like drinking". Toasts are common, and it's generally considered rude to turn down a toast (although you can take small sips with each toast).
China has a strong drinking culture, especially in business, and turning down alcohol can sometimes cause offense. However, foreigners may be given some slack on this. If the hard baijiu is too much for you, consider opting for a beer instead.
Paying
While splitting the bill is beginning to be accepted by young people, treating is still the norm, especially when the parties are in obviously different social classes. Men are expected to treat women, elders to juniors, rich to poor, hosts to guests, working class to non-income class (students). Friends of the same class will usually prefer to take turns treating rather than split the bill.
It is common to see Chinese competing intensely to pay the bill. You are expected to fight back and say "It's my turn, you treat me next time." That being said, Chinese tend to be very tolerant towards foreigners. If you feel like going Dutch, try it. They tend to believe that "all foreigners prefer to go Dutch".
Politics
For your safety, it's best if you avoid getting involved in any political activity, and avoid discussing politics with Chinese people. Most Chinese are passive about their country's politics and are generally reluctant to talk about it, and in most cases, will change the topic of discussion.
- Most Chinese are ashamed that their country was forced into unequal treaties with Japan and the Western powers over the past two centuries, and are proud of the recent progress made by their government in restoring China's international influence. Many Chinese are also aware of alternative Western views, but you should tread lightly if you choose to discuss these.
- Supporting the independence movements of Tibet, Xinjiang, Taiwan or Hong Kong is illegal, so you should avoid discussing them. Most Chinese people support their government's position on these issues, and trying to advocate for these movements is going to do nothing more than getting you into the bad books of your hosts.
- Do not suggest that Hong Kong and Taiwan are not part of China. Be sure to use the term "mainland" (大陆 dàlù) or "mainland China" (中国大陆 zhōngguó dàlù) instead of just "China" (中国 zhōngguó) if you are looking to exclude Hong Kong and Taiwan. It is also a common practice in China to refer to Taiwan as "Taiwan Province" (台湾省), and Hong Kong and Macau as "Hong Kong, China" (中国香港) and "Macau, China" (中国澳门).
- Die Hong Kong protests are a sensitive issue that is best not discussed with locals.
- Avoid discussing any of the territorial disputes China is involved in, as many Chinese have strong feelings about these issues. If you are drawn into any such discussions, it is best to stay neutral.
- Japan and its role in World War II and other wars with China is a sensitive and emotive issue that is best avoided. Historical and cultural disputes with both Koreas are equally sensitive as well.
- Thanks to China's recent development, the Chinese government enjoys strong support among its people despite its authoritarian nature. Common Western views that "they have all been brainwashed" or "they are just too afraid to speak up" oversimplify things.
- Many Chinese have a strong sense of ethnic nationalism. Tread particularly carefully if you are of Chinese ethnicity, even if you were born and raised overseas, as you may still be expected to align your political views with that of the Chinese government, and doing otherwise could result in you being labeled a "race traitor".
Differing cultural norms
Chinese people are sometimes puzzled when foreign visitors complain that Chinese people are rude. Many of them feel that really it's foreigners who tend to be rude. What's actually going on is that China has a different set of customs and values from common Western cultures — some Chinese behavior can be jarring to foreigners, and vice versa. People in China are friendly sonder being polite (unlike countries like the UK, where people can be polite without being friendly). Generally speaking, younger well-educated Chinese, particularly those from the major cities, are more likely to behave in a way that conforms more closely to Western cultural norms.
- Chinese often ignore rules they don't feel like following, including laws. Among many other things, this includes dangerous and negligent driving (sien Ry in China) such as driving on the wrong side of the street, excessive speeding, not using headlights at night, not using turn signals, and jaywalking.
- Spitting is common everywhere, including in shops, supermarkets, restaurants, on buses and even in hospitals. Traditional Chinese medicine believes it is unhealthy to swallow phlegm. Although the government has made great efforts to reduce this habit in light of the SARS epidemic as well as the Olympics, it still persists to varying degrees.
- Many Chinese do not cover their mouths when they sneeze. Picking one's nose in public is common and socially acceptable.
- As many parts of China are ethnically rather homogeneous, people who are visibly foreign will often elicit calls of "hello" or "wàiguórén" (外国人 "foreigner"); you may also hear lǎowài (老外), a colloquial equivalent. These calls are ubiquitous outside of the big cities (and are not uncommon even there); these calls will come from just about anyone, of any age, and are even more likely from children and can occur many times in any given day.
- Similarly, it's rather common that someone may come up and stare at you as if they're watching the TV. The staring usually originates out of sheer curiosity, almost never out of hostility.
- Many Chinese have loud conversations in public, and it may be one of the first things you notice upon arrival. China is rooted in a community-based culture, and noise means life; loud speech usually doesn't mean the speaker is angry or engaged in an argument (although obviously it can). You may want to bring earplugs for long bus or train rides.
- A fairly recent phenomenon particular to China is air rage: groups of passengers being verbally and physically aggressive towards airline staff whenever there is a delay (which is often). This is generally done in order to leverage better compensation from the airline.
- The concept of waiting in line has not fully been adopted in China. You'll have to learn to be more assertive to get what you want, and even push and shove as others do. If you're trying to catch a taxi, expect other people to move further down the road to catch one before you.
- Be careful when standing behind people on an escalator, since many people have a look-see as soon as they get off — even when the escalator behind them is fully packed. Department stores have staff to try to prevent this behavior.
- People love to use elevators whenever possible, especially in large family groups. Be extra patient if you want to go around a shopping mall with a baby buggy or luggage.
Cope
Elektrisiteit is 220 volts/50 Hz. Two-pin European and North American, as well as three-pin Australian style plugs are generally supported. However, be careful to read the voltage information on your devices to ensure they accept 220 V (twice the 110 V used in many countries) before plugging them in — you may cause burnout and permanent damage to some devices such as hairdryers and razors. Universal extension cords that can handle a variety of plug shapes (including British) are often used.
Wasgoed services may be expensive or hard to find. In upper-end hotels, it will cost ¥10-30 to wash each article of clothing. Cheap hotels in some areas do not have laundry services, though in other areas such as along the Yunnan toeriste roete the service is common and often free. In most areas, with the exception of the downtown areas in big cities, you can find small shops that do laundry. Die sign to look for on the front door is 洗衣 (xǐyī), or spot the clothes hanging from the ceiling. The cost is roughly ¥2-5/item. In even the smallest of cities dry cleaning (干洗 gānxǐ）outlets are common and may be able to wash clothes. But in some areas you're going to be stuck washing clothes by hand, which is time-consuming and tiresome, so perhaps opt for fast-drying fabrics such as polyester or silk. If you do find a hotel that does laundry, usually they will put all your clothes into the wash together or even with other items from the hotel, so lighter colours are best washed by hand.
Rook is banned in public buildings and public transport except for restaurants and bars (including KTVs) - many of which are outright smoke dens, although many multinational restaurant chains do ban smoking. These bans are enforced across the country. Generally, smoking laws are most strict in Shanghai and Beijing, whilst they are more lightly enforced elsewhere. Many places (particularly train stations, hospitals, office buildings and airports) will have smoking rooms, and some long-distance trains may have smoking areas at the end of each car. Facilities for non-smokers are often poor; most restaurants, bars and hotels will not have non-smoking areas apart from top-end establishments although many modern buildings have a smoke extraction systems which suck cigarette smoke out of the room through a ceiling vent - meaning that the smoke doesn't hang in the air. The Chinese phrase for 'May I smoke?' is 'kěyǐ chōuyān ma?' and 'No Smoking!' is 'bù kěyǐ chōuyān!'.
Openbare vakansiedae in China are worth being aware of. Alhoewel u nooit werklik alleen sal wees op die gewildste toeriste-oorde, wat die gewilde staptogte in veral berge insluit nie, kan hierdie gebiede oor naweke en openbare vakansiedae bykans onbegaanbaar wees weens plaaslike toerisme. Wat u moontlik beplan het as 'n stil, kontemplatiewe staptog, kan in 'n ry van baie ure verander! Ken die nasionale vakansiedatums en beplan daarvolgens.
Media
Maak dit asseblief reg! China Daily, die nasionaal verspreide Engelse koerant, publiseer soms konstruktiewe kritiek op gefrustreerde toeriste oor China. As u dink dat iets oor China vir reisigers reggestel moet word, oorweeg dit om 'n brief te stuur na [email protected] of [email protected] en dit kan gepubliseer word. |
Media in China het ná Mao aansienlik gediversifiseer, met onafhanklike winkels wat toenemende mededinging bied aan die staatsbeheerde agentskappe van Xinhua (persagentskap publiseer in baie formate), CCTV (meer as 40 TV-kanale), en die People's Daily koerant. Hierdie media in staatsbesit is geneig om akkuraat te wees in terme van algemene nuus, maar hou altyd by die regering se beleid en ideologie in terme van politiek.
Elke provinsie en stad in China is ook die tuiste van sy eie plaaslike kanale, wat dikwels ondergeskik is aan die plaaslike regering, met 'n sterker fokus op plaaslike geleenthede. Sommige van hierdie kanale word ook in die plaaslike dialek of taal uitgesaai.
Die pers bly steeds streng beheer, met beperkings op watter nuus berig word en watter menings uitgespreek kan word. Sekere onderwerpe is streng buite perke (soos kritiek op China se aanspraak op soewereiniteit oor Taiwan), en die vaagheid van grense vir aanvaarbare onderwerpe lei tot verdere selfsensuur. Die grootste bedreiging vir staatsbeheerde media is die opkoms van teks boodskappe en Internet nuus, alhoewel dit beperk word deur die regering se firewall en interne sensuur.
China het 'n paar plaaslike Engelse nuusmedia. CCTV News-kanaal is 'n wêreldwye Engelse kanaal wat 24/7 in die meeste stede beskikbaar is, met Franse en Spaanse variante. CCTV 4 het elke dag 'n kort nuusberig in Engels.
China Daily (gewoonlik gedemp, as dit 'n bietjie droog is) en die Global Times ('n berugte nasionalistiese poniekoerant) is twee staatsbeheerde Engelstalige koerante wat beskikbaar is in hotelle, supermarkte en afsetpunte. Daar is ook 'n paar Engelse tydskrifte soos China Vandag en 21ste eeu.
Buitelandse tydskrifte en koerante is gewoonlik nie in boekwinkels of kiosk beskikbaar nie, behalwe in die beste hotelle.
Verbind
Internet
Internetkafees en sakedienste
China het meer internetgebruikers as enige ander land in die wêreld en internetkafees (网吧 wǎngbā) is volop. Die meeste is ontwerp vir aanlyn-speletjies en is nie gemaklike plekke om kantoorwerk te doen nie. Dit is goedkoop (1-6 ¥ per uur) om 'n rekenaar te gebruik, alhoewel een met Chinese sagteware. Internetkafees is veronderstel dat gebruikers amptelike identifikasie moet toon, hoewel afdwinging per streek verskil. Die blaai van internetbladsye kan moontlik deur die Openbare Veiligheidsburo (die polisie) gemonitor word.
Vir drukwerk, skandering, fotokopiëring en ander besigheidsdienste, gaan na een van die klein winkels in die meeste dorpe of drukwinkels naby universiteitsgebiede. Soek die karakters 复印 (fùyìn) wat "fotokopie" beteken. Drukwerk kos ongeveer ¥ 2 per bladsy en fotokopieën is ¥ 0,5 per bladsy. Hierdie winkels het al dan nie internettoegang nie, dus bring u materiaal op 'n flash drive.
Wifi-toegang
Gratis wifi, wat moontlik met 'n Chinese selfoonnommer of u WeChat-aanmelding nodig is, is oorvloedig. Die kwaliteit en spoed van die wifi is nie in verhouding tot die verskaffer nie; d.w.s. die gratis wifi van u duur hotel is miskien nie naastenby so vinnig of betroubaarder as die wifi wat in die bus gevind is wat u ¥ 2 betaal het om in te klim nie.
Baie hotelle en sommige kafees en restaurante bied wifi, gewoonlik gratis, van verskillende snelhede en kwaliteit. Sommige kafees, veral in toeristegebiede soos Yangshuo, bied selfs 'n masjien vir klante se gebruik.
Besigheidshotelle het gewoonlik draadlose internetdiens vir u skootrekenaar in elke kamer: 7 Days Inn en Home Inn is twee landwye kettings wat voldoen aan die Westerse standaarde vir gemak en netheid in die middelste reeks, wat deurgaans internet bied en 150-200 ¥ per nag kos. WiFi kan ook in u kamer voorsien word, miskien teen ekstra koste. By geleentheid, vir 'n bietjie meer, sal hotelle ook kamers hê met ouer rekenaars. Die beter hotelle het dikwels satelliet-TV in die kamers.
Veiligheid
Aangesien openbare rekenaars en die internet nie veilig is nie, neem aan dat alles wat u tik nie privaat is nie. Moenie sensitiewe data soos bankwagwoorde vanaf 'n internetkafee stuur nie. Dit kan beter wees om eerder 'n mobiele datakaart aan te skaf vir gebruik op u eie rekenaar (dit kos gewoonlik ¥ 400 en dataplanke is 10- ¥ 200 per maand, afhangende van u gebruik).
As u met u eie rekenaar aan die internet koppel, vereis sommige webwerwe in China (veral universiteitskampusse) dat u Microsoft Internet Explorer gebruik en toegewyde sagteware op u stelsel installeer en / of sertifikate aanvaar om toegang tot hul webwerwe te verkry.
Daar is toenemende gevalle van misbruik van fotokopie, waarin u ingehandigde fotokopieë onwettig aan spammers en bedrieërs deur die ontvanger van u fotokopieë bekend gemaak word. Stel altyd die doel van u fotokopieë duidelik op die fotokopieërs, want dit laat bewyse ten gunste van u in indien enige regsake ontstaan.
Internetsensuur
Internetsensuur is uitgebreid op die vasteland van China. Pornografiese en politieke webwerwe word gereeld geblokkeer, net soos baie ander webwerwe met 'n wye verskeidenheid inhoud, insluitend webwerwe wat internasionaal gewild is. Die regering noem hul sensuurstelsel 'Golden Shield' (金盾); ander noem dit die Groot Firewall van China, GFW, of eenvoudig die muur, terwyl internet-sensuur omseil word, word dikwels 'die muurskaal' (翻墙) genoem.
Watter internetwebwerwe is beskikbaar? Die werklike lys van webwerwe en dienste wat verbied word, is geheim, dit verander elke dag sonder kennisgewing, en dit lyk vreemd genoeg of dit 'n mobiele of WiFi-verbinding is. Geblokkeerde webwerwe sluit gewoonlik in:
Daar bestaan ooreenstemmende vinnige en responsiewe Chinese webwerwe (dikwels slegs in Chinees), soos Baidu vir soek, kaarte en ander dienste, QQ en WeChat vir boodskappe, Weibo vir mikroblogging in Twitter-styl, Renren vir sosiale netwerke in Facebook-styl, en Bilibili en Tencent-video vir videodeling op YouTube-styl. U kan eerder 'n ander buitelandse diens gebruik soos Bing vir soek en Yahoo! vir e-posse. Buitelandse nuus webwerwe soos BBC, CNN, Reuters en The Economist beskikbaar of nie. Hulle word veral geblokkeer nadat hulle stories gepubliseer het waarvan die Chinese regering nie goedkeur nie; byvoorbeeld, Die New York Times is sedert 2012 geblokkeer, toe dit verslag gedoen het oor die finansiële besit van top Chinese leiers. Sedert Desember 2019 is alle Wikimedia-projekte, insluitend Wikivoyage en Wikipedia geblokkeer, behalwe op die China Mobile-netwerk, wat slegs Wikipedia, Wikinews en Commons blokkeer. Afgesien van die werklike blokke van die webwerf, soek die firewall ook na sensitiewe sleutelwoorde in elke ongekodeerde boodskap of geïnkripteerde Chinese boodskap (QQ, WeChat, ens.) In enige rigting en kan dit enigiets blokkeer wat dit nie goedkeur nie. Die stelsel is baie afhanklik van woordfiltering en verander gereeld in reaksie op onlangse sosiale gebeure of aktuele sake. |
Sensuur word dikwels verskerp tydens sensitiewe periodes, soos die jaarvergadering van die Chinese parlement in Maart, die CCP-kongres elke vierde Oktober en herdenkings soos die nasionale dag in Oktober en die bloedbad van die Tiananmen in Junie.
Min hotelle bied ongesensureerde internettoegang aan. Hierdie hotelle is gewoonlik voorsiening vir buitelanders, maar adverteer natuurlik nie hierdie fasiliteit nie. Probeer om na bekende webwerwe te blaai om te sien of u hotel dit ondersteun.
Die gewildste manier om toegang tot geblokkeerde webwerwe te verkry, is om a te gebruik Skynprivaatnetwerk (virtuele privaat netwerk) wat gebruikers voorsien van relatief stabiele en betroubare toegang tot die internet via 'n rekenaar in 'n ander land. Die beste betaal maandeliks 'n bedrag van US $ 10; gratis, ad-ondersteunde VPN's is ook beskikbaar. Ander maniere om sensuur te omseil, sluit in sagteware soos Vrystaat, Tor (met 'n ongemaklike spesiale opset), en Psiphon. Enige hiervan moet afgelaai word voordat u China binnegaan, aangesien toegang tot hul amptelike webwerwe gewoonlik geblokkeer word. Wees gewaarsku dat VPN's in China nie so betroubaar is soos vroeër nie - u wil dalk meer as een aflaai, sodat u 'n rugsteun het, en wees voorbereid op baie frustrasie en om te wag dat dinge laai. As u voortdurende toegang tot Twitter of Facebook nodig het om gelukkig te wees, is China waarskynlik nie die bestemming vir u nie.
Chinese wetstoepassers is soms in staat om gebruikers vas te stel (en in hegtenis te neem, indien nodig) met beperkte webwerwe met behulp van VPN's. Dit is boonop 'n kriminele oortreding om materiaal wat as subversief beskou word, op te laai en in te dien. Handhawing is egter sporadies en is gewoonlik net op joernaliste en hoëprofiel-persone gemik.
Pos
Die Chinese poskantoor is oor die algemeen betroubaar en soms vinnig. Daar is 'n paar dinge wat u moet aanpas:
- Inkomende pos sal vinniger en betroubaarder wees as die adres in Chinees is. Indien nie, het die poskantoor mense wat sal vertaal, maar dit neem tyd en is nie 100% akkuraat nie.
- As u nie die presiese poskode ken van waar u ontvanger woon nie, kan u die eerste twee syfers invul (wat ooreenstem met die stad / munisipaliteit / provinsie) en die res met 0s invul. Alternatiewelik kan u die poskode van u bestemming soek op hierdie webwerf.
- Dit sal handig te pas kom om die telefoonnommer van die ontvanger van pakkette of vinnige pos te voorsien. Die doeane- en afleweringsbestuurders het dit gewoonlik nodig.
- Moenie uitgaande pakkette verseël nie voordat hulle na die Poskantoor geneem word; hulle sal dit nie stuur sonder om die inhoud te ondersoek nie. Oor die algemeen is dit die beste om die verpakkingsmateriaal by die Poskantoor te koop, en byna alle poskantore sal u materiaal teen 'n redelike prys vir u inpak.
- Die meeste poskantore en koerierdienste weier om CD's of DVD's te stuur, dit kan omseil word deur dit in CD-beursies saam met baie ander goed te plaas en uiteindelik die ruimte met klere in te pak, sodat u goed huis toe kan stuur. dit is ook makliker om per see te stuur, want hulle gee minder om.
- U ID is nou vereis wanneer u pakkies stuur. As u pakkies binnelands stuur, moet u die ontvanger se naam skryf korrek; dit sal met hul ID vergelyk word, aangesien alle pakkies nou tot die einde opgespoor word.
Faks
Internasionale faks (传真 Chuánzhēn) dienste is beskikbaar in die meeste groot hotelle teen 'n dosyn renminbi of meer. Goedkoop fakse binne China kan gemaak word in die alomteenwoordige fotokopie-afsetpunte waarop die Chinese karakters vir faks op die voordeur staan.
Telefoon
Telefoondiens is meer 'n gemengde sak. Bel buite China is dikwels moeilik en gewoonlik onmoontlik sonder 'n telefoonkaart, wat dikwels net plaaslik gekoop kan word. Die goeie nuus is dat hierdie kaarte redelik goedkoop is en dat die verbinding verbasend duidelik, ononderbroke en vertragingsvry is. Soek vir IP-telefoonkaarte, wat gewoonlik 'n waarde van ¥ 100 het, maar soms net vir ¥ 25 kan wees. Op die kaarte is Chinese instruksies gedruk, maar die nommer wat op die kaart aangedui is, is na Engels geskakel. As algemene prysaanwysing duur 'n oproep vanaf China na Europa ongeveer 22 minute met 'n ¥ 100-kaart. Oproepe na die VSA en Kanada word geadverteer om nog 20% goedkoper te wees.
As u uiteindelik 'n IC Telefoonkaart in plaas daarvan, is dit slegs bedoel om in betaaltelefone gebruik te word. Dit kan teen 'n effense afslag op die nominale waarde verkoop word, maar selde onder 20% afslag as u dit buite die straat koop. Op 'n China Telecom-telefoontelefoon kos binnelandse oproepe ¥ 0,1 / minuut, oproepe na Hongkong, Macau, Taiwan, die VSA en Kanada kos ¥ 1 / minuut en oproepe na alle ander lande kos 'n onekonomiese ¥ 8 / minuut .
As u lyn vir internasionale direkte kies (IDD) toelaat, is die voorvoegsel vir internasionale oproepe in China 00. Skakel om 'n oorsese oproep te maak 00- (landkode) - (nommer). Oproepe vanaf die vasteland na Hongkong en Macau vereis internasionale skakelkode. IDD's kan duur wees. Vra die tarief voordat u skakel.
Selfone
Mobiele (selfone) is wydverspreid en bied goeie diens in China. Hulle speel 'n belangrike rol in die daaglikse lewe vir die meeste Chinese en vir byna alle uitgewekenes in China. Vanaf 2020 is China die wêreldleier op die gebied van 5G-selfoontegnologie.
As u reeds 'n GSM 900/1800 of 3G (UMTS / W-CDMA 2100) selfoon het, kan u na Chinese netwerke dwaal, onderhewig aan netwerkooreenkomste, maar oproepe sal baie duur wees (¥ 12-35 / min is tipies) . Daar is min uitsonderings; die primêre stelle is verskaffers in Hongkong wat gewoonlik nie meer as HK $ 6 per minuut hef nie (en gewoonlik naby plaaslike tariewe is met 'n spesiale "Hong Kong / China" SIM wat deur China Mobile of China Unicom in Hong Kong verkoop word) en die tweede is T-Mobile US wat VS $ 0,20 / minuut met gratis teks- en datadiens hef. Raadpleeg u huisoperateur voordat u vertrek om seker te wees. Die meeste lugdiensondernemings het nou UMTS-swerfooreenkomste met China Unicom, maar 4G-swerwing is minder ontwikkeld, dus wil u dalk 'n plaaslike of Hongkongse SIM koop vir 4G-datatoegang.
Chinese CDMA-netwerke benodig R-UIM (simkaart-ekwivalent), dus sal slegs nuwe Amerikaanse CDMA-telefone met SIM-kaartsleuf werk, soos iPhone 5 en nuwer. As u nie CDMA-stem nodig het nie, sal 'n China Telecom 4G data-SIM in enige toestel met band 1 of band 3 LTE werk. Daar is nog steeds slegs 3G-data-sims wat ronddryf en hulle werk slegs op EVDO-toestelle.
Vir 'n kort besoek, oorweeg dit om 'n Chinese selfoon by 'n maatskappy soos Pandafoon. Tariewe is ongeveer ¥ 7 per dag. Die maatskappy is in die VS gevestig, maar het personeel in China. Tolvrye getalle is ☏ 1-866-574-2050 in die VSA of ☏ 86 400-820-0293 in Sjina. Die telefoon kan voor u aankoms by u hotel in China afgelewer word en aan die einde van u reis daar afgelaai word, of na u in die VS gestuur word. As u die telefoon huur, bied hulle u 'n toegangskode om na u land te bel, wat goedkoper is as om 'n SIM-kaart by 'n plaaslike handelaar te koop en direk te skakel.
As jy langer as 'n paar dae bly, sal dit gewoonlik goedkoper wees om 'n voorafbetaalde Chinese SIM-kaart te koop; dit gee u 'n Chinese telefoonnommer met 'n sekere hoeveelheid geld wat vooraf gelaai is. Chinese is geneig om telefoonnommers met die slegte syfer '4' te vermy, en verskaffers stuur hierdie 'onverkoopbare' SIM-kaarte dikwels met afslag graag af. As u ook 'n telefoon nodig het, begin die pryse ongeveer ¥ 300 gebruikte of ¥ 1000 nuwe vir 'n slimfoon (vanaf 2020). In teenstelling met dié wat in sommige Westerse lande verkoop word, word Chinese telefone nooit "gesluit" nie en sal dit met enige SIM-kaart werk wat u daarin plaas, maar sommige telefone het nie Google-dienste of die Play Store nie.
Die meeste winkels wat SIM-kaarte verkoop, benodig 'n standaard-swipe Chinese ID-kaart ('n burger-ID-kaart of 'n permanente inwoner-kaart van 'n buitelander) om 'n SIM-kaart te koop. As u 'n SIM-kaart met 'n paspoort as u identiteitsdokument wil koop, kan u gevra word om na die hoofkantoor van die selfoon te gaan, waarskynlik êrens in die middestad. Die personeel sal u foto neem vir u rekord, tesame met die fotokopie van u paspoort.
China se drie groot ondernemers is China Mobile (Slegs Chinees), China Unicom en China Telecom . Die meeste SIM's wat deur hulle verkoop word, werk landwyd, en Unicom laat ook Hong Kong / Macau / Taiwan toe. Binnelandse swerwing vir teks en stem kos nie ekstra nie. Datapakkette kan egter steeds as plaaslik of nasionaal verkoop word, dus let op presies waar u dataplan geldig is tydens die opstel.
Internasionale oproepe moet wees afsonderlik geaktiveer deur aansoek te doen vir China Mobile se "12593" of China Unicom se "17911" -diens. Geen verskaffer vereis 'n deposito nie, alhoewel albei aansoeke benodig. Gewoonlik is daar 'n Engelssprekende, so laat hom / haar weet wat u wil hê. Vra vir die "spesiale" skakelkode en vir ¥ 1 / maand ekstra, sal dit aan u voorsien word. Voer die kode, die landkode en dan die plaaslike nommer in, en u sal binne 'n japtrap goedkoop praat. Laat u nie mislei deur selfoonwinkels met die China Mobile-bordjies nie: gaan na 'n korporatiewe winkel. Die werknemers sal 'n blou uniform dra en daar sal toonbankdienste wees. China Mobile is die goedkoopste van die twee en bel na Noord-Amerika en Asië ongeveer ¥ 0,4 / min. U kan ook voorafbetaalde kaarte vir internasionale oproepe gebruik; Skakel net die nommer op die kaart soos met 'n gewone vaste telefoon, dan betaal die fooi die voorafbetaalde telefoonkaart.
Besoek die woonbuurtkantoor van u mobiele diensverskaffer, gee die personeel u nommer en betaal kontant herlaai u rekening. Alternatiewelik sal baie winkels vir u 'n heffingskaart verkoop met 'n nommer en wagwoord wat gebruik moet word om die telefoononderneming te skakel om die geld in u rekening te herlaai. U sal 'n rekenaar skakel en die standaardtaal is Chinees, wat na Engels kan verander as u die Chinees verstaan. Laaikaarte word verkoop in denominasies van ¥ 30, 50 en 100. (As u WeChat Pay het, is dit 'n gemakliker manier om u rekening te herlaai.)
Vir mobiele data verslaafdes, China Unicom bied 'n duiselingwekkende reeks 4G-planne aan, vanaf ¥ 29 / maand vir 100 landwye minute en 3 GB data, en ekstra minute kos ¥ 0,15, tekste ¥ 0,10 en data ¥ 0,10 / MB. Inkomende uitsendings (video / stemoproep, teks) vanaf enige plek is heeltemal gratis. China Mobile het 4G-planne wat begin by ¥ 139 vir 460 landwye minute en 12 GB data (vanaf 2020). Baie plaaslike inwoners verkies 'n reeks verborge planne, wat u in staat stel om 'n baie lae prys te betaal om 'n groot hoeveelheid dataverkeer te geniet. China Mobile gebruik 'n ander stel frekwensiebande vir sy datadienste; as u telefoon nie TD-LTE op bande 38, 39, 40 en 41 ondersteun nie, word China Unicom of China Telecom eerder aanbeveel.
Oor die algemeen word programme wat internasionaal wydverspreid is, in China verbied, en Chinese mense gebruik gewoonlik Chinese toepassings wat soms nabye kopieë van hul buitelandse ekwivalente is. Die belangrikste is WeChat (微 信 Wēixìn), wat Chinese mense gebruik in plaas van die internasionaal gewilde WhatsApp. WeChat is 'n kombinasie-boodskapprogram, sosiale netwerk en mobiele betalingsdiens. Dit is noodsaaklik om dit af te laai as u vriende in China wil begin maak of vir 'n lang tydperk in die land wil bly. Die koppelvlak kan ingestel word op Engels, Chinees en verskillende ander tale.
Area kodes
Die landkode vir die vasteland van China is 86. Die skakelkode is 852 vir Hong Kong, 853 vir Macau, en 886 vir Taiwan.
- Groot stede met agt-syfergetalle het 'n tweesyfer-areakode. Beijing is byvoorbeeld (0) 10 plus 'n agt-syfer-nommer. Ander plekke gebruik sewe of agt-syfer plaaslike nommers en 'n driesyfer-area kode wat nie met 0, 1 of 2. begin nie. So byvoorbeeld: (0) 756 plus 7 syfers vir Zhuhai. Die noorde gebruik klein getalle, die suide het groter getalle.
- Normale selfone het nie 'n areakode nodig nie. Die getalle bestaan uit 130 tot 132 (of 156/186) plus 8 syfers (China Unicom, GSM / UMTS), 133/153/189 plus 8 syfers (China Telecom, CDMA) of 134 tot 139 (of 150/152 / 158/159/188) plus 8 syfers (China Mobile, GSM / TD-SCDMA). Bykomende voorvoegsels is bekendgestel; 'n goeie reël is dat 'n 11-syfer-binnelandse telefoonnommer wat met 1 begin, 'n mobiele nommer is. Selfone is geografies; as u probeer om 'n mobiele nommer wat buite die provinsie waarin u is, vanaf 'n vaste lyn te skakel, word u gevra om die nommer weer op te skakel met 'n nul voor op langafstand.
- Daar is twee addisionele nie-geografiese voorvoegsels. 'N Nommer wat vanaf 400 begin, kan vanaf elke telefoon geskakel word en word beskou as 'n plaaslike oproep met gepaardgaande lugtydkoste, terwyl 'n nommer vanaf 800 heeltemal gratis is, maar dit kan nie vanaf selfone geskakel word.
Noodnommers
Die volgende noodtelefoonnommers werk in alle dele van China; om hulle vanaf 'n selfoon te bel, is gratis.
- Patrolliepolisie: 110
- Brandweer: 119
- Ambulans (EBW): 120
- (sommige gebiede in private besit) Ambulans: 999
- Verkeerspolisie: 122
- Gidsnavrae: 114
- Verbruikersbeskerming: 12315
112 en 911 verbind u nie met nooddienspersoneel nie.
Dit is ook moontlik om die polisie te kontak deur 'n SMS-boodskap aan te stuur 12110XXX, waar XXX die areakode is van die stad waar u in die prefektuur geleë is. Sien hierdie lys vir meer inligting.