Guest Post – A Guide To Preparing For Travel in China

This post is sponsored by Career China

Ever since it opened its doors to the world nearly five thousand years ago, China has enjoyed a period of rapid economic growth and transformation. These days, more and more people across the globe are not only traveling to China to experience its rich culture and history but to also witness its current development and perhaps catch a glimpse of its bright future! For those looking for more than a quick visit, more than 600,000 foreigners have now chosen to take their careers in China! Just like traveling to any other foreign country, there are always a couple of things you’ll have to take into account, and China is not an exception. Today in this particular post, we are going to provide you five practical, straightforward and useful tips on how to enjoy your stay in China. We hope that these tips will help you realize how China is both a beautiful and equally a challenging place to be.

Carry an electronic translator or a dictionary

China is the most populated country globally, and currently is home to at least four and a half billion people. Even though most citizens here do speak English (perhaps as a result of the mandatory English language education) the universal language of the Chinese people is Mandarin Chinese. To make your stay there stress-free, you’ll probably need to have either an electronic translator or a dictionary with you. Thankfully, the Chinese are amicable and welcoming. If you need to carry out your banking services as well other activities, you may need to bring a native to help with the translation. As previously mentioned, very few workers will have adequate English to offer help, and this implies that you must have a dictionary or install a simple translation app on your smartphone.

Photo credit Kristine Thorndyke

Managing your health in China

It is imperative to note that Chinese pharmacies offer both eastern and western medication at a reasonably affordable cost. However, it is widely believed that the best medical treatment in China is reserved for the military. So unless you have a special connection with the PLA, you’ll have to strain for a ticket to see a qualified medical practitioner. What’s more, the Chinese hospitals can be crowded at times, even though some major cities have specialized medical centers catering to the foreigners in the country.

Larger cities in this country have significant air pollution problems, especially Beijing. This only means that you’ll likely suffer from respiratory infections more regularly. It would be a good idea to bring your own medication, especially if you know you’ll need constant minor medical assistance.

Photo credit Kristine Thorndyke

Bring toilet paper as well as sanitary wipes.

If you were not aware, most Chinese toilets do not provide free toilet paper. Of course, some top-class restaurants and hotels will have it available. However, the public toilets are not as well maintained as you may be used to in your home country and they certainly do not provide complimentary toilet paper (or hand soap, for that matter). Tissue papers also have other essential functions, including wiping off utensils and cups at hotels. Though it sounds bizarre, carrying your own toilet paper is hugely beneficial and a very regular occurrence for both locals and foreigners alike in China.

Finally, bring some hand sanitizer, wipes or soap since you’re not likely to come across hand soap in most Chinese bathrooms. Just to be on the safest side, carry a bottle of hand sanitizer with you! It will make your stay in China not only enjoyable but comfortable and safe as well.

Photo credit Kristine Thorndyke

Make sure you’ve packed a power and a plug converter.

China utilizes an entirely different power output in their power sockets. Even though a significant number of electronics are equipped with built-in power converters, it would be necessary to examine the overall power output limits of all your electronic appliances. Many electronics in the United States will only support between 110 to 120V.

Apart from having different electrical outputs, China also uses different plugs. In this regard, the Chinese plugs will support Australian, US and Hong Kong plugs, but will not support the conventional three-prong US plug. Again, it won’t recognize the US plugs where one prong is relatively larger than the other one. To avoid encountering lots of problems, arm yourself with a functional universal plug converter. They are available at every airport at reasonable prices or can be a quick online purchase.

Photo credit Kristine Thorndyke

Invest in a virtual private network.

If you intend to stay in China for an extended period, then this would be a fantastic option for you. Even though the Chinese internet is easy to access and with good speeds, it should be noted that Youtube, Facebook, as well as Twitter, are not available. What’s more, most Google services are blocked, and the same also applies to some blog services.

To access the majority of your social media, you really have no other option than to purchase a virtual private network (VPN). Thankfully, VPN’s are reasonably affordable and support open access to the whole web. When shopping for VPN’s, just check and confirm that they cover China, since many free options do not.

The Bottom Line

These are some of the most important things that you’ll have to take into consideration before planning to travel to China. With all these at your disposal, you are destined to enjoy a stress-free, fulfilling, and a memorable experience in this great nation.