Generally speaking, China is a safe country to travel around, and most people you meet are friendly, honest and trustworthy. However, China is far from immune to crime. Reports of foreign travelers being targets of criminals are on the increase. A basic knowledge of potential risks and common scams are useful to help you have a smooth and safe trip in China.
Crime
By and large China is safe, but petty crime is on the increase and tourists are particularly vulnerable. Take precautions and use common sense, particularly at night, and particularly around the tourist areas and in crowded places like markets.
1. Wallets, mobile phones, cameras, jewelry and laptops are tempting targets for thieves.
2. Try not to carry large amounts of money or obvious symbols of wealth, and keep your wallet or purse out of sight (back pockets are a big no-no). Do not flash a wallet around when paying for purchases and carry some loose change for beggars.
3. Pickpockets tend to operate in crowded areas, for example on public buses, on trains, at city center bus stops and big shopping streets, so you are advised to keep a watch of your belongings when in busy and crowded places.
4. Don’t get caught in a crowd with lots of valuables dangling from you: camera, purse, backpack etc. You can’t keep an eye on everything.
5. Purse snatching is on the increase. Keep valuables close to your person.
6. When you get up from taxis, buses, trains, etc, check nothing has fallen out of your pockets. It probably won’t be there five minutes later if you come back for it.
7. If you fall asleep on transport beware people leaning over or reaching round you to get at your possessions. Put your valuables well inside your bag, so that they are not accessible by someone quickly opening a zip.
1. Be cautious if somebody approaches you and invites you for a drink at a tea house or bar nearby to "practice English". There have been reports of tourists being left with the bill.
2. Do not pick up rolls of banknotes found on the street. A scam artist will probably then approach you asking for you to share your new found wealth. He will ask for the money in your wallet and then you will find that the banknotes are worthless.
3. ATM crime is on the rise recently. There are continual reports of ATM scams including using fake ATMs or other methods used to steal the user's card. You are advised to use ATMs when accompanied and during the daytime.
Valuables
Make sure that you protect your passport, tickets and other documents by carrying them on your person, preferably underneath clothing in a pouch or money belt. Never leave valuables lying around your hotel room or in your transport. If you are backpacking or staying in hostels buy a padlock so that you can secure your possessions in lockers, or use a safe deposit at the hotel. Carry a photocopy of your passport and other vital documents separately. Be particularly careful at night. At all times try to stick to busy, well-lit places.
Local laws
Be aware that local laws and penalties, even those which may seem harsh by your home country standards, do apply to you. For example, there are strictly enforced laws which prohibit demonstrations unless they have prior approval from the government. Penalties for drug offences are severe, and include the death penalty, as do certain other serious crime.
In the event of a serious condition which requires hospitalization, Please call your YANGTZE THREE GORGES?travel advisor so that we can provide assistance.
On entering hospital all patients are required to pay a substantial deposit before any treatment will be administered. Nursing care in hospital is strictly limited to medical treatments so patients will require a person who can assist with all other activities. No food is supplied.
We highly recommend that all travelers buy comprehensive travel insurance in their home country before departure.
1. The passport with all necessary visas and travel documents. We recommend that a copy of all documents be kept separately to the original documents in case original document are lost. Copies are very useful for identification purposes.
2. Casual outdoor clothing depending on the time of year that you travel and your destination. A pair of good walking shoes is necessary. Most tours involve plenty of walking, sometimes on hard or uneven surfaces and stairs.Many attractions are also quite exposed to the weather ?sun, wind, rain etc.
3. 'Carry On' luggage for air travel in China is limited to 2 pieces for first class travelers and one piece for business and economy class travelers. The dimensions of each shall not exceed 20X40 X55cm and the total weight of the above two pieces shall not exceed 5 kg. The carry on items in excess of the above mentioned shall be checked-in as checked baggage according to regulations.
4. Wallet.
5. Credit cards.
6. Traveler's checks.
7. Airline, Cruise or Train tickets
8. First-aid kit
9. Medicine and vitamins.
10. Hat, Sunscreen, lip creams and sunglasses, depending on the season and your destination.
11. Address and telephone number list. A list of e-mail addresses, mailing addresses and telephone numbers will help keep you in touch. Type them onto a sheet instead of taking a your whole address book. It will save weight.
12. Itinerary with confirmation numbers and addresses and phone numbers of the places you'll be staying.
13. Do not bring expensive jewelry and watches.
14. Medical records, daily necessities such as bathroom requirements are readily available throughout China and you may wish to save space by purchasing these items while you travel.
15. Chargers for your mobile phone, digital camera etc. An electrical transformer could be useful. China uses 220V electricity for 110v devices cannot be used on this system.
The renminbi (literally "people's currency") is the legal tender in the mainland of the People's Republic of China. It is issued by the People's Bank of China (PBOC, central bank). The official abbreviation is CNY, although also commonly abbreviated as "RMB".
Chinese paper money usually comes in 1 fen (rare), 2 fen (rare),5 fen (very rare), 1 jiao, 2 jiao, 5 jiao, 1 yuan, 2 yuan, 5 yuan,10 yuan, 20 yuan, 50 yuan and 100 yuan.
One yuan is divided into 10 jiao. One jiao is divided into 10 fen, pennies in English. The largest denomination of the renminbi is the 100 yuan note. The smallest is the 1 fen coin or note. RMB is issued both in notes and coins. The paper denominations include100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 yuan; 5, 2 and 1 jiao; and 5, 2 and 1 fen. The denominations of coins are 1 yuan; 5, 2 and 1 jiao; and 5,2 and 1 fen. In spoken Chinese, "yuan" is often called as "kuai" and the "jiao" as"mao". Fen-denomination RMB is rarely used, except at supermarkets. The following are descriptions of major features of the above 1-yuan banknotes. It is easy to tell various denominations of RMB since there are corresponding Arabic numerals printed on every paper note or coin.
The obverse of the 1999-type 100-yuan notes is a portrait of Mao Zedong while a picture of the Great Hall of the People is printed on the reverse.
Carry-on baggage
The maximum Carry-on baggage allowance for each economy class passenger is 5kg. First class passengers can have 2 pieces of carry on luggage. All other passengers can carry on only one piece. The size may not exceed 20x40x55cm. Carry on baggage in excess of the limit is subject to an excess baggage fee and must be carried as checked baggage.
Check-in Baggage
Adults and children are entitled to a free checked baggage allowance of 40kg, for first class, 30kg, for business class, and 20kg, for economy class while traveling on domestic airlines in China. No free baggage allowance is granted to infants. Groups traveling together are able to combine their baggage allowance if they check in together.
Prohibited Items
The following items are prohibited and cannot be carried in checked or carry on luggage:- Flammable, explosive, corrosive, poisonous, radioactive, polymerizable and magnetized materials. Passengers are forbidden to carry arms, sharp or lethal weapons during flight. Security inspection Passengers and their baggage (including checked and carry on baggage) are subject to the security inspection before boarding the aircraft. N.B. Bottles; including bottle of alcohol purchased at the airport may not be allowed to be carried as cabin luggage.
