Visiting in China

Time

All of China, as well as Hong Kong, is on Beijing time, 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the United States.

Hours of Business

Government offices and corporations are normally open 8 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday (with minor variations during the cold and hot seasons). Sunday is treated as a holiday. Appointments are rarely made before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. The Chinese negotiate both in the morning and the afternoon. Business discussions tend to last longer than in the West, although they tend to be interrupted constantly for conferences, rest, or touring days.

Shops are generally open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, including Sunday. "Friendship Stores," for foreigners only, are located in major cities and carry a wide variety of Chinese goods, especially arts and crafts. In larger cities, Friendship Stores carry a limited line of imported wines and liquors, soft drinks, cigarettes, film, and cosmetics.

The U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the Consulate General in Guangzhou are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. A security officer at the Embassy in Beijing is on duty 24 hours a day and may be contacted in an emergency. (The U.S. Embassy telephone number is 522-033.)

Public Holidays

Official public holidays are January 1 (western New Year); May 1 (Labor Day); October 1, 2 (PRC National Days). The 3-day Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) occurs in January or February, varying from year to year.

Accommodations

Normally, accommodations in China are arranged by the Chineses host organization (CITS for tourists, and an FTC, or other Chinese economic organization, for business people), which also meets guest upon arrival at airports or railroad stations.

All visitors going to China in the foreseeable future should be aware that hotel accommodations are extremely tight throughout the country, and especially so in Beijing. Even Chinese organizations are unable to make reservations for their guests at Beijing's better hotels until 1 or 2 days before the guests arrival. The combined impact of a substantial increase in the number of long-term resident diplomats and business visitors to Beijing has forced the Chinese to utilize very poor accommodations to handle

these pressures. For example, most hotels now being used do not have air-conditioning and many do not have private baths; the furnishings generally are adequate but very old and threadbare; walls, ceilings, and floors are often unfinished concrete or cinder block. A number of modern hotels are expected to be completed in major Chinese cities between 1982 and 1985, but this difficult situation is not expected to ease until 1983 at the earliest.

The better hotels in China's major cities are generally thought to be: the Beijing, the Xinqiao, and the Minzu (Nationalities) Hotels in Beijing; the Peace Hotel (on the Bund), the Jinjiang Guest House and Shanghai Mansions in Shanghai; and the Dong Fang Hotel in Guangzhou.

The daily rates at the Beijing Hotel are about 35 U.S. dollars for a twin room and from $70 to $110 for a suite. Rooms and suites in other hotels in Beijing and in the other major cities in China generally are cheaper. Twin rooms in Shanghai's leading hotels starts at about $20 per person and suites start as low as $25 to $35.

Due in large part to the space crunch, the Chinese have recently begun making guest houses available to prominent commercial delegations and to business firms that are in Beijing for a week or more. These guest houses normally house visiting government delegations and can accommodate parties of from 8 to 10 people up to 50 or so. The cost of guest houses varies according to the accommodation and services offered; recent users have paid anywhere from $100 to $200 per person per day. These prices normally include two to three meals per day. Guest house facilities are generally thought to be substantially better than the hotels.

Restaurants

All hotels for foreigners offer both Western and Chinese food. In addition, there are many fine restaurants in China's major cities. In Beijing, there are several famous restaurants that serve Beijing Duck, and a few that specialize in Mongolian food (hot pot and barbeque), and others that feature regional cooking, for example, hot and spicy food from China's southwest regions. Most of China's other culinary styles can be found in Beijing including Hunan, Shanghai, Canton, Shandong, and Shaanix style foods.

For arranging banquets, Beijing's popular restaurants include: Beijing Duck Restaurant (with locations in four different parts of the city), Fangshan (expensive but very popular), Fengziyuan, Kang Le, Cui Hualou, Sichuan (hot and spicy food), and Nationalities (Minzu-popular for Mongolian hot

One recent U.S. delegation was offered a guest house for $200 per person per day not including food.

pot). Restaurants in Shanghai include the East Wind (Dong Feng), the Xin Ya, the Old (Lao), the Heng Mountain (Heng Shan), and the Red House (Hong Fangzi), which serves only Western food. In Guangzhou, there are many fine restaurants. Favorites include: The Datong, Benxi (in the middle of a beautiful lake), the North Garden (Bei Yuan), South Garden (Nan Yuan), the Guangzhou, the Hui Min (Moslem), and floating restaurants. When taking a party to a restaurant, some meals may need to be ordered 12 to 24 hours in advance to allow for proper preparation. Hotel and CITS representatives can recommend good restaurants and assist in making reservations.

Social Customs

In China, the family name is always mentioned first. Thus, Wang Fuming should be addressed as Mr. Wang, and Li Meili as Madam Li. Normally a visitor will be invited to dinner at a restaurant during his stay, most often by the organization that is sponsoring his visit. Dinner usually begins about 6:30 or 7 p.m. The guest should arrive on time. The host normally toasts his guest at an early stage in the meal with the guest reciprocating after a short interval. The usual procedure is to leave shortly after the meal is finished. The guest should make the first move to depart.

Tipping is forbidden. However, it is appropriate to thank the hotel staff and other service people for their efforts on your behalf. Generally, gifts should be of nominal value and presented to the host group; individual gifts are not necessary although little mementos of the occasion are appreciated.

It is customary to present business cards, and it is helpful if one side is printed in Chinese. Chinese officials are increasingly willing to give out their own cards, and it helps to have cards on hand with which to initiate the exchange. Cards may easily be printed in Chinese in the United States (from U.S. translation companies), or in Hong Kong.

Language

Standard Chinese (Pu Tung Hua, or common speech; also called Mandarin) is the national language and is used throughout China.

However, there are hundreds of local dialects and many are in wide use, for example, Cantonese in Guangdong Province and the Shanghai dialect in the Shanghai area. The written language is uniform. Business visitors will find that the people with whom they negotiate either speak English or will have interpreters available. Depending on the type of translation required, Beijing Friendship Commercial Service Corporation and the China International Travel Service are alternative sources for translators.

Domestic Travel

Domestic air service is provided by CAAC, which schedules regular flights between cities within the PRC. There is daily service between Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Trips to smaller cities may be lengthy because of multiple stops. Direct flights on large aircraft are usually available between major cities, but daily service is often not available.

Trains are comfortable, clean and efficient, and because long distances are often involved, they are equipped with sleeping and dining cars. It takes approximately 24 hours to travel from Guangzhou to Shanghai, 19 hours from Shanghai to Beijing, and 33 hours from Guangzhou to Beijing.

Taxis are available within the cities at specified locations (hotels, train stations, and Friendship Stores). The fare is usually about 40 cents per kilometer, but can vary. There is a minimum charge for 2 kilometers. Since it is impossible to hail a taxi from the street, it is advisable to keep one's taxi for short shopping trips, or arrange with the hotel to be picked up after meetings and meals. The charge for waiting is quite reasonable.

In Guangzhou, Beijing, and Shanghai, restaurants and Friendship Stores will call taxis for their patrons. Chauffeur-driven cars and small buses are also available for short- or long-term rental. In Beijing, car rentals (with drivers) are arranged by Capital Car Rental Company. Drivers are provided to foreign companies on a long-term basis by the Beijing Friendship Service Corporation. (See page 24).

Sightseeing and Entertainment

Inquiries may be made of the host organization, or the China International Travel Service, concerning visits to places of historic or scenic interest. Some of the more popular are:

BEIJING-The Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the Valley of the Ming Tombs, the Great Wall, and Liuli Chang (shopping center for art works and antiques). SHANGHAI-Permanent Industrial Exhibition; Yu Garden (a Suzhou style Garden built in 1550), the Bund (for the waterfront and site of former foreign offices), the People's Memorial Park, boat ride on the Whampoa River to the Yangzi River, Temple of Jade Buddha, Children Palace (year round program of recreation and instruction in many things including arts and crafts, dance, music, and Chinese traditional music), and Lunghua Park.

GUANGZHOU-Cultural Park, Island of Sha Mian, Cung Hua Hot Springs, Martyrs Memorial Park, and the Peasant Training Institute.

There are frequent performances of the Chinese national opera, ballets, and musical theater groups as well as acrobatic and sporting events. In addition, trips to nearby communes and factories can be arranged. Car with drivers and guides may be hired through CITS.

Generally, the initiative for entertainment should be left to the Chinese officials. However, when one is entertained at a banquet, it is acceptable and often desirable to host a return banquet before departing for home.

In the past year, the cost of hosting a farewell banquet at one of the finer restaurants has climbed drastically to 25-50 yuan ($17-$35) per person. Some banquets have cost as much as 100 yuan ($70) per person and even more. Quoted prices do not include drinks, and other extras must be added as well. One possible way of curtailing costs is to hold the banquet at one of the many good, though less prestigious restaurants. Banquet prices can be negotiated and many regular visitors to China have concluded that beyond a certain level, the only advantage of paying higher prices is in obtaining extremely exotic (but not necessarily better) Chinese food. Restaurants in the major hotels also cater banquets, but the costs are even greater.

Photography

Generally, photographs are allowed, although the Chinese may exhibit sensitivity to shots of airports, bridges, ports, or anything of military significance. Taking photographs from airplanes is not permitted. If there is doubt as to the suitability of the subject, consult your tourist guide, or official escort, before taking the picture. The Chinese allow undeveloped film to be taken out of the PRC, but reserve the right to make exceptions, and occasionally do. When photographing individuals, check first to make sure they consent. It is generally quite difficult to get permission for closeup shots from children or adults unless an introduction has been arranged or unless the individual first is made to feel comfortable in an informal conversation. On the other hand, once permission is obtained, individuals will often pose willingly for pictures. This is particularly true if the photographer has an instant photo camera and can leave a memento of the occasion with the individual who is being photographed.

Communications

Telephone, telex, and cable can be used for communicating with China's FTC's and with visitors to China. Telex and cable facilities at the Guangzhou Trade Fair have been improved, and at recent Fairs, business people have not experienced the considerable delays characteristic of earlier Fairs. Telephone service to Hong Kong has been excellent since the installation of a new coaxial cable.

Telephone charges for a 3-minute call from the United States to China are $12.60 for the first 3 minutes and $3.55 for each additional minute. Telex communications from the United States to China costs $2.78 per minute with a 3 minute minimum. Cable charges are 34 cents per word for the full rate. (Rates are as of June 1980 and are subject to change.) Charges from China to the United States are generally much higher. For example, the cost of a telephone call to the United States from China is about 50 percent higher than from the United States to China. It is wise to have offices in the United States place calls or reverse the charges.

Head offices of FTCs have both cable and telex facilities. (See Appendix 1.) Branch offices can be reached by cable. International cable credit cards are accepted.

Visitors to China can utilize public telex facilities in Beijing and Guangzhou but must punch their own tape. However, there is no provision for two-way telex service unless the receiving party is able to send a telex back immediately upon receipt of the incoming message before the direct circuit is closed.

The telephone system in Beijing and other cities is automatic dial for local calls. Domestic telecommunication charges are relatively inexpensive. However, the quality of long distance telephone connections is often very poor. In some cases, a domestic cable to a FTC from a business person in China may facilitate communications.

Recently, foreign companies that have acquired office space outside Beijing hotels have been able to install telex lines (generally using foreign-made equipment) in their offices. U.S. firms have generally paid between $2000 and $3000 to have telex lines installed.

Mail Service

Mail from the United States can be sent directly to China either by surface or air. The rates as of June 1980 are:

Airgram-22¢

Letter (surface)-20¢ for 1 oz; 36¢ for 1 to 2 oz.; 48¢ for 2 to 3 oz.; 96¢ for 3 to 7 oz.; $1.84 for 7 oz. to 1 lb.

Letter (air)-31¢ per 1⁄2 oz. up to 2 oz.; 26¢ per additional 1⁄2 oz.

Parcel (surface)-$2.34 for first 2 lbs.; 59¢ each additional pound or fraction thereof. Surface mail takes 6-8 weeks for delivery; air-mail takes 8-10 days. Be sure to show China or the People's Republic of China as the country of destination when mailing to China.

Medical Facilities

Adequate, though basic, western facilities for most medical problems are available throughout China.

In the major cities, hopsitals are partially staffed with western-trained, English-speaking personnel.

Should medical attention be required in Beijing, visitors can be treated at the Clinic for Foreign Guests of the Capital on Dong Dan Road (Tel. 553731). In the evenings and on weekends when the Clinic is closed, emergencies are treated at the Capital Hospital located on Wang Fujing. During the Guangzhou Trade Fair, a clinic operates around the clock in the Dong Fang Hotel. Treatment is also available at the First People's Hospital of Guangzhou (Tel. 8642) or the First Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College (Tel. 70371). Visitors should notify their Chinese hosts and hotel officials if unusual medical problems persist. In the event an emergency arises, or if it is necessary to contact a traveler in China in an emergency, it is best to notify the U.S. Embassy in Beijing or the Consulates General in Guangzhou or Shanghai. (See page 24 for phone numbers.)

Exit Procedures

Before leaving the country, visitors must exchange Chinese RMB for foreign currencies. The Chinese do not prohibit travelers from taking foreign ex

change certificates (FXCs) out of the country but FXCs have no exchange value outside China.

Before exit, the traveler's declarations of personal belongings will be checked again. Valuable items such as watches, cameras, pens, and radios registered at the customhouse at entry must be brought out again on the visitor's return trip. Items prohibited from being taken out of the PRC will be confiscated. These include: Chinese money (Renminbi); gold, platinum, silver, and other precious metals such as personal jewelry (unless declared at entry); any books, photos, tapes, or other media pertaining to to Chinese national secrets; items of artistic value pertaining to the Chinese Revolution, history or culture. Permission of the Chinese Culture Agency is necessary to export any ancient artistic items or books.

Travelers leaving China by air must clear Chinese Customs at the airport before departure. When exiting through Guangzhou, passengers on the through train clear Customs at the railroad station in Guangzhou. Others must clear Customs at the border and walk across a bridge to the Hong Kong side.

For those departing Guangzhou by hovercraft, customs and immigration formalities take place at the docks in Guangzhou.