China Travel Tips - Necessary Travel Documents

• A passport, valid for at least 6 month after your visit to China and the necessary visa or permits if you are traveling with our program. The visa should be approved prior to entering China and a permit for Tibet must be obtained 15 days before entering Tibet. If you only plan to travel and stay in Hong Kong you are exempt from applying for a China visa.
• Most people only need to apply for a single –entry visa, which is usually valid for 3 months after the issuing date and will permit you to stay in China for a maximum of 30 days.
• You need permits to go to Tibet. If you only go to Lhasa, a Tibet permit will be sufficient but, if you want to go further to the "unopened" areas, you also need an Alien's travel permit issued by the PSB of Tibet.
• If you are to travel to Tibet, you are required to provide a doctor's certificate stating that you are fit to travel and your blood pressure and heart condition are normal in case that the very high altitude have the possible effects on you.
• We suggest you take your medical record with you in case that you need it in the event of an emergency, and please also take with you your doctor's name, address and phone number, emergency contact name and phone number, and your insurance company's name, address and phone number.

Useful China Travel Tips -- Proper Protocol & Etiquette

 Proper Protocol & Etiquette

China is a large country with a very long history and unique culture. It is these reasons that make it such a draw to visitors, but there are some things that must be kept in mind when visiting China. China opened up to the outside world only three decades ago and has witnessed dramatic changes in those thirty years, but because China was closed to outsiders for centuries, its cultural is unique and most Chinese people are only familiar with their own culture and do not understand other cultures. Visitors must keep this in mind when visiting China. The old expression "When in Rome do as the Romans do" is a great way to look at China and its cultures and traditions. China is an amazing and diverse country which never fails to enchant visitors. It is important to remember that their culture is ancient and unique. Being flexible will help immensely.

Modesty:
Chinese people are inherently shy and modest. They do not display emotion and feelings in public and find speaking bluntly unnerving. Most couples never even hold hands when walking in public. For the most part, Chinese people never hug or kiss in public. The most public display seen when saying hello or goodbye is generally a handshake. It is not uncommon to see two females, or even two males walking down the street hand in hand. Most visitors to China cannot understand it and assume they are a couple. This is not the case, in China only truly close friends hold hands, but two friends of the opposite sex cannot hold hands. Please keep this in mind when traveling with your significant other, or boy/girlfriend. More and more people are accepting of it, but not everyone is yet.

Patience:
Sometimes decisions that would be made easily and instantly elsewhere, can sometimes take quite a while in China. Everyone feels they must make absolutely sure that everyone involved is truly happy with the decision and not just being friendly. It is Chinese culture and sometimes requires patience.

Face:
The concept of "Face" in China is extremely strong. "Keeping face" is of extreme importance and "losing face" in public is unacceptable and can usually end in a fight. It is important to never embarrass shame, yell at, or demean a Chinese person. Losing face is considered unacceptable and if you make someone lose face, you will never get what you want, and may get something you don't want.

Humor:
Chinese people like people the world over love to laugh and Chinese people have excellent senses of humor, but sexual and political subjects are strictly avoided.

Getting stared at:
In many parts of China, people have never seen a Westerner outside of movies and television, so when traveling to more underdeveloped areas, chances are you will get stared at. Although sometimes uncomfortable, it is nothing more than harmless curiosity.

Photo taking:
It is considered extremely rude to take photos of people without their consent. In some of the more touristy areas, the locals have gotten used to it, but it is still a good idea to get permission before taking a photo. Gesture with your camera with a big smile on your face will usually get you the photo you want. If using a digital camera show them the photo you just took. This works well particularly with children who will find seeing themselves in the photo very exciting and many others will then pose for you to be able to see themselves in your camera.

Tibetan etiquette:
Tibet has very unique rules of etiquette, you can see China Odyssey Tours'Tibet page to get more information on Tibetan etiquette, or click here for Tibetan Etiquette.

China is an amazing country with sites, culture and traditions which cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. China warmly welcomes overseas visitors and the government is working hard to improve and increase tourism facilities. Visitors to this country rarely failed to be completely bowled over by it. It is important to remember that China is not a "Western" country and that it has its own unique traditions and etiquette. Try to respect those traditions and be flexible and you will have a truly unforgettable time in the remarkable country of China.