Tips for foreign friends visiting China

Tips for foreign friends visiting China
Oct 23, 2014 11:06
SHANNON_N Points: Join Date: Sep 23, 2013 Status: offline	I just finished the work helping my friend from Australia to visit Canton Fair and factories in nearby cities. Since we run into several other foreign friends who got stuck by some typical issues in China, here I would like to offer some tips for you, hope it helps. And welcome to make a supplement if other friends can offer some tips, too. 1. Google, face book, g mail are not working properly in China, it is suggested that you either print out the important information or save it in your cellphone. Baidu is the most popular searching engine in China. (if you install a certain app in your cellphone, gmail might also work) 2. Most of the taxi drivers could not speak English, it would be much easier if you print out the Chinese name and address of the hotel and show them. 3. If you book the hotel from some travel agency website, print out the coupon, and remember to pay attention to the booking number, there might be two numbers and one of them is different with the one that the website gives the hotel. If you are coming to visit the Canton Fair, you’d better book at least one month in advance. 4. If it is your first time to visit Canton Fair, please pre-apply your buyer entry badge(IC Card) online, and remember to apply the invitation, as well, which can save you 100 RMB for that. Again, print out your Return Receipt and Invitation Letter before you come. The badge is valid for multiple sessions of the Fair, keep it safe, or you’ll have to pay 200 RMB for reissuing. One buyer is allowed to bring two purchasing agents or interpreters, but you’ll need to pay for their entry badge (300 RMB/day plus another 50 RMB/card) remember it’s charged per day, not for the entire phase. 5. Don’t exchange foreign currency with non-official party like taxi driver, or you might end with getting a wad of fake notes. 6. Try to learn how to distinguish the faked notes from the real ones. Sometimes even the ATM will produce fake notes. If it happens, go get some help from the staff in the bank. Don’t worry, the ATM has record on your withdrawal. 7. It would be much easier if you can get a local translator, assistant and tour guide. Just let them know your plan, and they can help arrange everything. From them, you’ll have a deeper understanding of China, too. Hope my tips are useful to you guys. China is a majestic country with fantastic scenery, various gourmet, profound culture and a long history, as well as great business opportunities. Wish you all a pleasant stay in China! Shannon Skype: shannon_n1 Whatapp:+8613424229629 Email: 163.com\|569346171 (Feel free to contact me if you need advice or help.)

Oct 23, 2014 11:06

SHANNON_N
Points:
Join Date: Sep 23, 2013
Status: offline

I just finished the work helping my friend from Australia to visit Canton Fair and factories in nearby cities. Since we run into several other foreign friends who got stuck by some typical issues in China, here I would like to offer some tips for you, hope it helps.
And welcome to make a supplement if other friends can offer some tips, too.

1. Google, face book, g mail are not working properly in China, it is suggested that you either print out the important information or save it in your cellphone. Baidu is the most popular searching engine in China. (if you install a certain app in your cellphone, gmail might also work)

2. Most of the taxi drivers could not speak English, it would be much easier if you print out the Chinese name and address of the hotel and show them.

3. If you book the hotel from some travel agency website, print out the coupon, and remember to pay attention to the booking number, there might be two numbers and one of them is different with the one that the website gives the hotel. If you are coming to visit the Canton Fair, you’d better book at least one month in advance.

4. If it is your first time to visit Canton Fair, please pre-apply your buyer entry badge(IC Card) online, and remember to apply the invitation, as well, which can save you 100 RMB for that. Again, print out your Return Receipt and Invitation Letter before you come. The badge is valid for multiple sessions of the Fair, keep it safe, or you’ll have to pay 200 RMB for reissuing. One buyer is allowed to bring two purchasing agents or interpreters, but you’ll need to pay for their entry badge (300 RMB/day plus another 50 RMB/card) remember it’s charged per day, not for the entire phase.

5. Don’t exchange foreign currency with non-official party like taxi driver, or you might end with getting a wad of fake notes.

6. Try to learn how to distinguish the faked notes from the real ones. Sometimes even the ATM will produce fake notes. If it happens, go get some help from the staff in the bank. Don’t worry, the ATM has record on your withdrawal.

7. It would be much easier if you can get a local translator, assistant and tour guide. Just let them know your plan, and they can help arrange everything. From them, you’ll have a deeper understanding of China, too.

Hope my tips are useful to you guys. China is a majestic country with fantastic scenery, various gourmet, profound culture and a long history, as well as great business opportunities. Wish you all a pleasant stay in China!

Shannon
Skype: shannon_n1
Whatapp:+8613424229629
Email: 163.com|569346171
(Feel free to contact me if you need advice or help.)

Mar 20, 2015 10:17

SHANNON_N
Points:
Join Date: Sep 23, 2013
Status: Offline

8. English is not that widely used in China. As for the public transportation, only metro (or subway) provides English version. Buses might not be quite useful for you, not only because there's no English version, but also because sometimes there might be two different names for one stop while the conductor or the auto-announcing system announces only one name, which could be confusing even for Chinese from other cities. It is suggested that you download a google map or baidu map to your cell phone, which can save you a lot of trouble in finding your destination either by walking or by taxi.

Apr 17, 2015 06:09	#2
GUEST74193	Hi Shannon, thank you so much for your useful tips, they are surely very helpful. Are you an English tour guide and translator? I am visiting Canton Fair 2015 Phase 2, are you available to help me?

Apr 18, 2015 10:07

BILLCAI
Points:
Join Date: Aug 28, 2007
Status: Offline

Quote:

Originally Posted by GUEST74193

Hi Shannon, thank you so much for your useful tips, they are surely very helpful.
Are you an English tour guide and translator? I am visiting Canton Fair 2015 Phase 2, are you available to help me?

Hi,
Welcome to Guangzhou and welcome to Canton Fair. I am professional business guide&interpreter with more than 8 years experience, and I just show my client from US to the Canton Fair phase1. If you need any help here, please contact me via email: hotmail.com|caijun_Bill or mobile: 0086 13710648656.

Best Regards.

Bill

Apr 19, 2015 10:20	#4
SHANNON_N Points: Join Date: Sep 23, 2013 Status: Offline	Quote: Originally Posted by GUEST74193 Hi Shannon, thank you so much for your useful tips, they are surely very helpful.<br /> Are you an English tour guide and translator? I am visiting Canton Fair 2015 Phase 2, are you available to help me? Sorry for my late reply, I was busy with helping a customer from the US to visit phase 1 and will be assisting another foreign friend to visit factories in surrounding cities in the following week. Thank you for your inquiry but I am afraid I am not available during phase 2. Yes, I am an English tour guide, translator, sourcing and shipping agent in Shenzhen and Guangzhou. It is a pity that I cannot help you this time. If only you are coming to visit the phase 3, when I am available and can always get a free entry badge by myself, you don't even need to pay for my entry badge. Hope we can still cooperate on sourcing and shipping, please kindly drop me a line on 163.com\|569346171. Thank you! Have a good day! Shannon
SHANNON_N Points: Join Date: Sep 23, 2013 Status: Offline	Last edited by SHANNON_N: Apr 19, 2015 10:27

Apr 21, 2015 10:06	#5
GUEST55185	Yeah, sure, Shannon, I will write to you, thank you! Jas

May 23, 2015 10:11	#6
GUEST78477	Hi Shannon, This is Ali. I am leaving tomorrow. I would like to thank you here for everything you have done to help me. You made my business visit to China a lot easier. Sure I will be a real friend. Keep in touch. Guys, Shannon is a very nice, competent and reliable helper in China. If you are going to visit China, I would like to recommend her to you. Cheers.

May 26, 2015 02:41

SHANNON_N
Points:
Join Date: Sep 23, 2013
Status: Offline

Quote:

Originally Posted by GUEST78477

Hi Shannon,

This is Ali. I am leaving tomorrow. I would like to thank you here for everything you have done to help me. You made my business visit to China a lot easier. Sure I will be a real friend. Keep in touch.

Guys, Shannon is a very nice, competent and reliable helper in China. If you are going to vis...

Hi Ali,

I didn't expect you would write to me here. I appreciate your coopration in the past week, it's a great pleasure to work with you. Like I said, please feel free to let me know if anything I can help from China, it's good to know a friend like you. And thank you for your recommendation here. It's very kind of you to do so. Keep in touch.

Aug 26, 2015 06:20	#8
PAULSWENSON Points: Join Date: Jun 23, 2015 Status: Offline	Surely, your tips will be more valuable for me because in coming holidays I am planning to travel China. Thank you once again.

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