Visa for Visiting China

It's necessary to have a visa to enter mainland China. You can apply for one at the Chinese embassies or consulates in your own country or in Hong Kong. There are different types of visas but the most common for touring China is a single entry tourist visa valid for up to 30 days from issuance if you obtain one through the Chinese embassy or a CTS (China Tour Service) office in Hong Kong, it may be easier to obtain a multi entry visa in your own country. China does not normally issue at-the-border-visas.

 Business Hours

Five working days in a week is the official government regulation. Working hours are 8 hours a day, normally from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with one hour break for lunch. All the government offices, institutions, schools, hospitals and other units do not work on Saturdays and Sundays, except some factories whose 'weekends' may be within the week to avoid the electricity high peak. The emergency clinic is open when the hospital is closed. Major malls are generally open from 8:30am or 9:00am and close around 8:30pm during winter, and 9:00pm, and sometimes even later, in summer. Shops in Guangzhou generally close a little later still, and it is common for customers to do their shopping after 10:00pm. Small stores often open a little earlier and close a little later. The office hours in Tibet and Xinjiang are different from China proper, and generally start and finish about 2 to 3 hours later.

Public Holidays in China

In China there are 11 days of national public holiday out of the year:

 * The New Year's Day-C 2 days

 * The Spring Festival (also called Chinese New Year, usually falling in late January or early and mid February) -C 3 days

 * The May 1st Labor Day-C 3 days

 * The October 1st National Day-C 3 days

It is customary for people to "borrow weekends" to make three day-holidays into one week-long holidays.

Offices and agencies in China follow the five-day week system.

Money Matter

The currency in China is Renminbi and the basic unit is Yuan, known popularly as "kuai" in mandarin. One Yuan equals 10 jiao or 100 fens. There are 8 paper notes in broad circulation: 100 Yuan, 50 Yuan, 20 Yuan, 10 Yuan, 5 Yuan, 2 Yuan, 1 Yuan and 0.5 Yuan (or 5 jiao). There are still a small amount of 0.1 Yuan (1 jiao) and 0.2 Yuan (2 jiao) notes in circulation, but you can rarely see them today. The largest RMB coin in circula- tion is 1 Yuan. Coins of 0.5 Yuan (5 jiao) and 0.1 Yuan (1 jiao) are still in broad circulation. Rarely seen today are the coins of 1 fen and 5 fens.

Currency can be exchanged at Bank of China branches and money exchange counters at the International Airport and major hotels. The exchange rate between RMB and other major currencies are posted by the banks and the money exchange counters. You can also check the business section on such English newspapers as China Daily. Traveler's check can be cashed but money order is not applicable yet.

Major airlines, hotel and travel agencies take international credit cards, such as Master Card, Visa, American Express, Diner's Club and JCB (Japan Credit Bureau) . So do most up-scale restaurants, bars and department stores (like the Friendship Store), but you are still recommended to bring a certain amount of cash since credit card is not as broadly popular in China as in most American and European countries. ATMs are all around the city, which enable you to withdraw RMB from your established Chinese currency account. Foreign currencies are only accessible in major Bank of China branches and designated foreign-currency ATMs in major hotels and banking outlets.

Warnings: Do not change money with any stranger on the street. It is illegal. And you will risk of being robbed.

Time Difference

World Time Table

  1-24 local time hour
     the First day
     the Second day

Voltage

Electric supply in China is 220 volts, 50 cycles AC. Check with room service at star-rated hotels, where adapters are usually available.

Special Telephone Numbers

0086 - IDD code of China

110 - Police
119 - Fire
120 - Emergency
112 - Telephone repair desk
113 - Long distance operator
114 - Local Directory inquiries and information
115 - International operator
116 - Long distance directory inquiries
117 - Time
121 - Weather
122 - Traffic Accident Police Station
160 - Manual Information Service Desk
185 - Express Mail Service
2585 - Inquiry Desk of Railway Information