Wexas (UK, www.wexas.com)
World Nomads (worldwide, www.worldnomads.com)
Making a Claim
If you have to make a claim, you'll need receipts for everything you're claiming for, be it medical expenses, or an electronic item. To claim for stolen items you'll also need a police report issued within 24 hours of the theft; make sure the PSB (see Emergency Services and the Public Security Bureau) understand you need the report for insurance purposes. Otherwise, you could be in for a long wild goose chase. If possible, take someone who can speak Chinese and English along with you (or see Language, Emergencies in the Chinese language section at the end of this guide for helpful terms).
What to Pack
While there are some important things you should remember to pack, in general, the less you take the better, particularly if you'll be using lots of public transport. Obviously, what you pack depends to an extent on where you're going, when and in what style. I find a rucksack perfect for adventure travel, but if you'll be staying in upscale hotels, taking taxis and planes and using porters at train stations, a suitcase may be more appropriate. In terms of clothing, you should obviously pack according to the season, although a hat and waterproof jacket can be useful any time of year. Remember that dark colors will hide the grime better and taking a number of layers will give you more flexibility in your attire, while still allowing you to keep warm if needed.
Aside from TIMP (tickets, insurance, money, passport), which you've got to have, you can find most things you need more cheaply in China than at home, although the following may come in handy:
Alarm clock
Adaptor
Business cards
Camera
Comfortable hardwearing shoes or sneakers
Deodorant (difficult to find in China)
Earplugs
First aid kit and basic medicines (see Health, Before you Leave)
Flashlight
Hat
Insect repellent
Lipbalm
Mandarin phrasebook or dictionary
Photocopies of your important documents
Pictures of home (to show people you meet)
Plastic ziplock and garbage bags
Pocket knife
Reading material
Rubber sandals
Sewing kit
Small padlock
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Travel bathplug
Waterproof jacket
Information Sources
As China becomes an increasingly popular destination (for both travel and work), there are more sources of information found on the country, both at home and in China. While the concept of tourist information is still finding its feet on the mainland, Hong Kong (www.discoverhongkong.com) and Macau (www.macautourism.gov.mo) have excellent tourist offices. As the most important cities in the country, Beijing and Shanghai also have good information resources, some of which are government-run, while others are private and include a host of ex-pat magazines and webzines.That's Magazines have printed magazines and websites with useful listings and well-researched reviews of bars, clubs, restaurants and cultural events. The main website is www.thatsmags.com, where there are links to its Beijing, Shanghai and Pearl River Delta pages, or you can pick up copies of the magazine in bars and hotels. The Ismay Network produces equally useful magazines to many of the cities in this book – Beijing Talk, Shanghai Talk, South China City Talk (Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai) and Macau Talk. Talk and that's Magazines are available in bars, restaurants and hotels in the relevant cities. In addition to those listed here, there are other websites that are helpful for specific cities – see the Information Sources sections in individual chapters for listings.
China Excursions (www.chinaexcursions.com) – brief histories and descriptions of destinations around the country.
China Travel News (www.chinatravelnews.com) – the latest on everything to do with travel in China.
Travel China (www.travelchinaguide.com) – information on travel and a host of Chinese destinations.
Travel Advisories
The following governmental websites offer the latest information on the potential hazards of travel to countries around the world, including China.
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (www.dfat.gov.au)
British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (www.fco.gov.uk)
Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs (www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca)
Irish Department of Foreign Affairs (www.irlgov.ie/iveagh)
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs (www.safetravel.govt.nz)
US State Department (www.travel.state.gov)
Maps
Having a good map of the country always helps in envisioning your trip and the type of landscapes it will encompass. A good map of the whole of China is GeoCenter World Map but, other than providing an interesting overview, maps that cover such a large area are of little use, although some include city plans for major cities. Throughout this guide there are maps to help point you in the right direction (see the map list in the table of contents for details). However, for more detail, it's worth buying a local city map once in China. Up-to-date city maps are available from vendors who operate outside train and bus stations; these usually cost around $5 and may include some English. Another place to find city maps (usually for free) is in upscale hotels – if you're staying, there will probably be one in your room; otherwise just ask at reception.
Customs & Immigration
However you arrive, you'll have to go through immigration and customs, which can be a lengthy process and you'll need to fill in an arrival card and a quarantine form. Note that if you have any particularly valuable items (or over US$5000 cash) you are supposed to declare them upon entry. You're not allowed to bring more than $6000 in Chinese money, 400 cigarettes or two liters of alcohol. Firearms, recreational drugs and animals are all prohibited items and, theoretically, you can't bring in media material critical of China, though this is seldom enforced. Note that if you buy any antiques over 100 years old during your trip, you must obtain an export form (available from Friendship Stores) before departing. It is illegal to take anything home that dates from before Qianlong's death in 1795.
There are also restrictions on what (and how much) you're allowed to bring back to your home country, which generally allow at least for a bottle of spirits, 200 or more cigarettes, some cologne or perfume and up to a certain value of souvenirs – check the following websites for the latest:
US – www.cbp.gov
Canada – www.ccra.gc.ca
UK – www.hmce.gov.uk
Australia – www.customs.gov.au
New Zealand – www.customs.govt.nz
Getting Here & Away
China is accessible through the major international transport hubs of Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Airplane is the usual mode of entry, but arrival by boat or overland is also possible.
By Air
Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai are China's best-served international airports, receiving direct worldwide flights. But Guangzhou is seeing increasing international traffic and can offer some of the cheapest flights. While many of China's other city airports can take international traffic, they are predominantly served by flights from within the country and Asia. In recent years a number of budget Asian carriers like Air Asia (www.airasia.com) and Tiger Airways (www.tigerairways.com) have emerged, flying to airports such as Macau, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, which have substantially reduced prices from destinations such as Bangkok and Singapore.