China Travel Info/Travel Facts

¡îHealth

¡îCustoms

¡îTime Difference

¡îElectricity

¡îOperating Hours & Public Holidays

¡îCommunications

¡îMiscellaneous

¡îProper Protocol & Etiquette in China

¡î Insurance

¡îPacking

¡îArrival & Departure

¡îTravel Arrangement

¡îBaggage

¡îTravel Safety & Security

¡îTipping

¡îTourism Directories and Offices

• China is a large country with long history and diverse culture, which is quite different from yours. Though great changes have taken place for the last two decades and China has been modernized dramatically, traditions in most areas are still remained as before. It is highly appreciated that you respect the traditions, culture, local customs and taboos in China , especially if your tour involves areas inhabited by minorities such as Tibet , Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, etc. In short, do as Roma does.
• Be flexible with good will and a readiness to understand. Now, China warmly welcomes overseas visitors, the government and the departments concerned are earnestly working hard to improve and increase facilities, enhance the quality of service in all fields, meanwhile, please understand that China is still a developing country, you'll enjoy your experience most fully if you take a flexible approach, and tolerance and mutual understanding sometimes are quite significant.
• Be friendly and sincere, polite and patient.<> Since China 's opening to the outside world nearly three decades ago, though having become happier, more open-minded, and friendly, Chinese people are inherently shy and modest, do not display emotion and feeling in public and find plain-speaking unnerving. Therefore, generally speaking,

1. when greeting or saying goodbye to each other, the Chinese are other than shaking hands, most of them do not get used to hugging or kissing each other.
2. Decisions that would be made easily and instantly elsewhere would be made in China after long preambles and detailed consultations, which demands your patience and politeness, for anger is seen as weakness.
3. The concept of the 'face' in China : "face" can be loosely defined as the 'status' or 'self-respect' in Chinese and by no means alien to you. It is the worst thing for a Chinese to lose face, so it is advisable that never insult, embarrass, shame, yell at, demean a Chinese person or try to prove someone wrong in public, which would risk putting a Chinese in a situation that he lose his face. In order to get a successful effect without letting a Chinese lose face, it is better that any criticism be delivered privately, discreetly and tactfully, otherwise, the effect would be just opposite to what you wish.
4. many Chinese have an excellent sense of humor, but it usually avoids sexual or political subjects.
5. Whenever you go, especially in the countryside, you may attract attention, some of Chinese may stare at you, some of the domestic tourists you encounter may ask you to take pictures with them, which can be upset but is nothing more than harmless curiosity. Privacy, it must be remembered, is an alien notion to the Chinese.
6. Whenever you want to take pictures of some Chinese people, it is always better to ask for the permission from the very person beforehand.

 * Be punctual. For some of your sightseeing and activities in China , punctuality is required, being late may incur the bad consequence of missing boat, train and even airplane, so your personal attention and cooperation will benefit yourself. Especially if you travel with a group, it is wise to be on time so as not to hold up the entire group.

 * Social behavior in China is highly ethical, so it is not acceptable that any people take towels, ashtrays and so on from hotels, trains or other places as souvenirs. 

If you book a package tour from us, China Life Tourist Accident/Casualty insurance of US$25,000 for you will be included as part of our package.
Please note that if you only book hotels or flights from us, such insurance will not be applicable.
Although the above insurance is provided by ChinaKindnessTour for free, we still suggest you buy necessary travel insurance from insurance company in your country.

Here is some advices for your packing list:
1) Print out the confirmation letter and itinerary you get from us and bring one copy with you.
2) The passport with all necessary visas
3) International Airline tickets
4) Wallet & Credit cards & Traveler's checks
5) Your medical record & First-aid kit & Medicines & Vitamins
6) Clothes suitable for the season (please check the weather of your destination before you come) & Comfortable shoes
7) The Dress standard for most places in China would best be described as "smart casual", if your tour involves some formal occasions, then a set of formal suits would be recommended.
8) Raincoat and/or umbrella
9) Hat, Sunglasses & Sunscreen, depending on the season and your destination
10) Insect repellent. Especially for summer months and for travelers who is going to visit rural areas.
11) If you wear glasses, we suggest you bring two pairs with you in case that you lose one pair.
12) Bottled water: if you don't think you can agree with the drinks in China so fast, especially when you bring your children with you, we suggest you bring some homemade bottles of water for the previous several-day consumption.
13) Address and telephone number list on a sheet.
14) Converter (power adaptor) if you have one or it is necessary for you to have one.
Note:
1) Try to make your check-in luggage light, because according to the regulation in China, the luggage allowance for the first class ticket holders is 40 kilos (88 pounds) per person, 30kg (66pounds) per person for business class ticket holders, 20 kilos (44 pounds) per person for economy class ticket holders (adults), and some of the airports are very strict.
2) "Carry On" luggage for air travel in China is limited to 2 pieces for first class travelers and one piece for business and economy class travelers. The dimensions of each shall not exceed 20X40 X 55cm and the total weight shall not exceed 5 kg . The carry on items in excess of the above mentioned piece, weight or dimension shall be checked-in as checked baggage according to regulations.
Dress Code:
The Dress Code is casual during your whole tour. Shorts and t-shirts in summer are fine, even in the dining room. Remember, it's YOUR tour and you should wear what's comfortable for you. But do prepare one or two sets of formal dress if you feel like and/or you would attend any formal meetings and banquets during your tour.

Arrival in China :
Upon your arrival in China from abroad, you have to go through the following procedures, just as in other countries. To save time, you will be given some forms to fill in on board before landing. They include the Entry Registration Card, Health Card and Custom Luggage Declaration Form.
Health check
On arrival, the first check you have to pass is the Quarantine Check. At the check point, you show your passport and the form you filled in on board. Anyone with listed diseases such as yellow fever, cholera, VD, leprosy, infectious pulmonary tuberculosis or AIDS will be forbidden to enter or be sent to the airport clinic for further checking. Those who are from areas with epidemics must show their valid certificates of inoculation against this disease. Those with symptoms of fever, diarrhea, vomiting or rashes must declare this information accurately.
For those who are going to stay longer in China , they have to show their quarantine certificate issued by an authorized health department abroad.
Border entry
After passing through the Health Check, you come to the border control area (equivalent to the immigration control in the West) where you show the officer your passport and the Entry Registration Card. Your passport should be valid with a visa to China . Without a valid visa, you will find it difficult to enter the country. China does not issue visas at the border upon your arrival from abroad.
Customs
After collecting your luggage, you will pass through the Customs. There are two channels, red and green. If you have nothing to declare, go through the green channel, otherwise take the red channel. If you take things listed on the Customs Luggage Declaration Form in the red box such as computers, cameras, video cameras, gold and silver, printed or recorded materials, or anything more than you need during your travel in China, or something that you will not take out of China when you leave, you have to fill in the Customs Luggage Declaration Form which you are given, and then take the red channel where the Customs officer will check it to see whether you have to pay duty or you have to deposit the things at the Customs, or whether you can take them into China but have to take them out on your departure. Please keep the stamped form with you and do not lose it, because you will be asked to give it back to the Customs officer for checking on your departure. If you do not take out all the things that you have brought in but you filled in the form, you will probably be asked to pay duty.
Departure from China
Departure is relatively much simpler. As mentioned above, you have to take out the things that you had declared in your Customs Luggage Declaration Form which you filled in on your arrival. If any item is missing, a certificate by the relevant department is required (for instance, a certificate from the police is required if something is stolen); otherwise, you have to pay import duty according to the Custom regulations. And you will fill out the Departure Card and pass the security check.
The following items are prohibited imports:
* Arms, imitation arms, ammunition and explosives of all kinds
* Counterfeit currency and counterfeit negotiable securities
* Printed matter, films, photos, gramophone records, cinematographic films, loaded recording tapes and video-tapes, compact discs (video & audio), storage media for computers and other articles which are detrimental to the political, economic, cultural and moral interests of China
* Deadly poisons of all kinds
* Opium, morphine, heroin, marihuana and other addiction inducing or hallucinatory drugs
* Animals, plants and products made hereof infected with or carrying diseases, insect pests and other harmful organisms
* Foodstuffs, medicines and other articles coming from epidemic-stricken areas and harmful to humans and livestock, or those capable of spreading diseases.
The following items are prohibited exports:
* All articles enumerated as articles prohibited from import.
* Manuscripts, printed matter, films, photos, gramophone records, cinematographic films, loaded recording tapes and video-tapes, compact discs (video & audio), storage media for computers and other articles which involve state secrets.
* Valuable cultural relics and other relics prohibited from export.
* Endangered and rare animals, plants (including their specimens) and their seeds or reproducing materials.

Meeting and Transfer at airports or railway stations
If you book a private package from us, our guides in each destination will meet you at arriving gate of each airport or railway station by holding a board /a piece of paper with your name on it, so it will be very easy for you to recognize our guides when you arrive. But do be patient if there are lots of people arrive at the same time.
After our guides meet you, she or he will lead you to the private car/van/bus with air-condition and cushioned seats provided for you according to the number of your group, for the groups over 10 pax, a luggage truck will be also provided.
Sightseeing in each destination
We will adhere to your itinerary in the confirmation letter and let you visit all the scenic spots included by all means, but if one of the following things happens unexpected making it impossible to fulfill all the sightseeing, we would appreciate your patience and understanding. Also, please believe that your travel consultant at ChinaKindnessTour or our local partner will make every effort to achieve the best possible alternate arrangements, but they will not provide any refund for the lost services.
1) The scenic spots are not open for public temporarily due to the acts of government or other authorities.
2) The scenic spots are not open for public due to its temporary restoration or some other reasons of their own.
3) The scenic spots are not open for public due to the "act of God".
4) The delay of the flights making it too short to finish all the scenic spots in certain areas.
Tour Guides
If you book a private package from us, we will then arrange one local guide for you in each destination of yours. The guides we arrange for you will be English-speaking guides, unless you ask for the guides speaking the other languages and your Travel Consultant has confirmed the availability.
We assure that the guides we use are qualified and have professional license, but please understand that English or other languages are not their mother tongue, some of them may have accents. And if your tour guide happens to be a rookie in tourism, we would appreciate your patience and tolerance, as everybody grows and becomes experienced from a rookie. For most of the time we will arrange very experienced tour guides for you, but rookies might be arranged in occasions of very late booking (e.g. less than 5 days before entry).
Hotels
•  There are lots of hotels in China , quite a few of them are above three star. Hotel star in China is assessed by China National Tourism Bureau with very strict criteria. Generally speaking, the services and facilities offered by the hotels above three-star include:
1) Central control air-conditioner, a color TV, telephone, and a double curtain in the room. Some hotels provide a refrigerator in each room (4 and 5 star hotels).
2) A private bathroom with 24-hour hot water, disinfected towels & glasses, tooth brushes &paste, soap, bath lotion & shampoo and toilet paper.
3) One or two beds, a wardrobe, and a dressing table, with ceiling lamps, bedside lamps.
4) An electrical water boiler, with which you can boil the water to drink. If no boiler, boiled water will be served by room service.
5) Round-the -clock room service.
6) Concierge service & Bank service of exchanging money & post card delivery service
7) Business center where you can send or receive a fax
8) Chinese and Western restaurants, coffee shops, bars, banqueting halls, conference rooms, multi-function halls, ballrooms, beauty parlors, massage rooms.
9) Shop(s) selling souvenirs.
•  Once arrival at the hotels, our guides will help you go through the check-in formality. You will be required to show your passport since it is our Chinese regulation to show your ID card before checking into any hotels.
•  A standard room will be arranged for you, unless you have required for the other type of room and have special requirement and your Travel Consultant has confirmed the availability.
•  Water
Tap water is not drinkable except in some of the hotels. In hotel rooms there will be thermos of boiled water offered by the hotel free of charge or sometimes an electrical water boiler with which you can boil water by yourself. Bottled mineral water is recommended, especially for the first few days of your tour. The bottled water can be purchased easily for about $0.25 to $0.75 per bottle everywhere. Sometimes a bottle or two is provided free in your room by certain hotels. You can buy steamed water or mineral water easily everywhere.
•  Laundry in the hotels
Laundry service in the hotels is quick and reliable. You will find a laundry bag in your room, which you can put your dirty clothes in and leave it to the room attendant. Be sure to point out any items that may be washed-out. Generally, the laundry handed in the morning is returned the next day. Extra fee is required if you ask for an express service. Prices for laundry may vary at different hotels.
There are a few public laundries on the streets, even there are, it is advisable to have your laundries done in the hotels or cruise ships you are staying.
•  Mail service in the hotels
When you want to send postcards or letters to your friends, normally it is very easy for you to buy stamps at the front desk of the hotels. Stamps for sending one postcard cost RMB 4.50 to 6, while RMB 6 to 7 for a normal weight letter. And you can leave your postcards or letters to the receptionists, who will hand them to the postman.

•  Telephone service in the hotels
Most joint venture hotels provide IDD (International Direct Dialing) from your room. Instructions for IDD calls are available in the room. Please check with hotel regarding service charges for placing IDD calls. Other hotels will require international calls to be placed through the English-speaking long-distance operator, who will book a call for you at a specific hour. There are no special nights, day or person-to-person rates.  
Notes: 1) The check-in and check-out time are subject to the management of the specific hotel.
Earlier Check-in or later Check-out sometimes results in an extra charge.
2) If you book a package tour from us, our tour guides in each destination will help you go through check-in & check-out procedures, and they will also contact the hotel beforehand to see if it is possible to let you have an early check-in and a late check out free of charge.
Meals
•  In our package tour, most breakfasts are western style served in the hotels, most of which will be buffet, in the off season, due to few guests; some hotels just serve breakfast with set menu. Lunch and dinner are Chinese food served in local restaurants or hotels. The lunches and dinners included in our package tours for you are set menu, except those otherwise stated.