Summer of this
year, I went to China for 14 days to attend a short course with a delegation
and it was one of the best experiences I’ve had, meeting new people and making
new friends coupled with the chance to visit historical sites. We were invited
by China’s Ministry of Commerce, so I went as a government employee as a member
of a delegation representing the Philippines.
Of course, my
excitement got a hold of me days before I was to leave. These are some things
to remember when preparing for a visit to China:
Visa
Securing a
Chinese Visa is one of the strictest, as it is particular with medical
requirements such as ECG and X-Ray. The form alone is very comprehensive, so I
spent a whole day completing all the requirements for the medical attachments
for the visa alone.
Normally
personal appearance is required in the Chinese Embassy but for our trip
shouldered by the Ministry of Commerce, all we had to do was pick up our
passports with visas from our contact and facilitator.
There are no
shortcuts to getting a visa and yes, I went through all of those. For
government employees, a travel order or travel authority is required upon
immigration check and other relevant documents.
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| Facial and fingerprint scanner in China |
Immigration in China
Before passing
through Chinese Immigration upon arrival, all foreign visitors are required to pass
through facial and fingerprint scanning. It’s easier because there are machines
set up that are user-friendly and the printed slip is shown to the Immigration
Officer upon arrival. The Immigration booths are modern and are well-manned.
With your arrival card, passport and registration slip, you should be alright.
Electronics on Flight
Be warned that electronics
checked-in are not allowed. Most of my companions during travel have mastered
this, but not me. Oh no. I was able to pull out the Macbook out of my
checked-in luggage but wasn’t able to save my powerbank in Guangzhou. Upon
arrival in Tianjin, I discovered that my luggage was inspected and my Asus pink
powerbank was confiscated. And thus, the lesson is to bring all electronics in
the handcarried baggage. Check out what replacement I received here.
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| Side Street in Yu Yuan Garden, Shanghai |
VPN for Social Media in China
One thing to
remember about visiting China is that most social media platforms are banned,
except for WeChat which has a WePay feature. However, WeChat can be validated
by a user in Mainland China who has been using the app for 6 months at least.
The next best thing to beat the restriction is by downloading a VPN router,
some are paid apps, which can connect you to routers like in Hongkong for you
to unblock the restrictions. I was able to discover that my phone has a built
in VPN and I accessed and used it easily, so no worries there. Most hotels we
stayed in had free wifi to chat with family and friends back home so that eased
away the homesickness.
Basic Mandarin
Basic Mandarin
is appreciated, so learning to say a few words can help with making new
friends. It doesn’t have to be complicated, simply practice the basic like
thank you, welcome, good morning and good bye and you can make friends with
people who smile and nod at you. Chinese mainlanders are friendly, and you will
be surprised at how many locals are actually willing to chat with you.
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| Chinese Yuan Reminbi |
Local Currency
It’s better to
have money changed in any accredited money changers before landing in China. We
went around the airport to look for money changers inside the terminal but
there were none in Guangzhou. In Tianjin we went around banks to change our
American Dollars, only one bank was able to facilitate our exchange. Withdrawing
from ATMs is no problem, but for Philippine accounts, your local bank might
charge a Php 200 withdrawal fee. Credit cards didn’t work in Guangzhou airport
in the Starbucks branch, (must be because there’s an activation notice to
utilize the card abroad to prevent fraudulent transactions) though debit cards
worked just fine.
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| Guangzhou Airport |
Good Walking Shoes, Hat, Camera, Sunblock and a Water
Bottle
Finally, these
are the basics that I wish I brought along with me so that I didn’t have to buy
them anymore. For the second part of our trip, we visited sites that one could
cross off the bucket list, and so there’s a good amount of walking around to be
done. Luckily I found a pair that I could wear in an outlet store in Beijing. Then
I needed a hat, so I bought one in one of the souvenir shops in The Great Wall.
As for a camera, I wish that I brought my mirrorless camera with me. Sunblock,
whether it’s exploring a beach or going to historical sites, should be a staple
in the luggage. And of course, airports and train stations in China have water
fountains in every corner, it’s good to be able to bring a water bottle along. Hydrating
is important especially when in transit. I know I’ll be bringing mine along the
next time I leave the country.
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| Wearing my shoes in Nanjing Road, Shanghai |
Note : All
input are based on my experience while in China. A schedule was planned for our
group beforehand given the limited amount of time.
