East Greets West
China Travel
Frequently
Asked Questions
Q: How do I sign up
for the trip?
A: After we receive your booking request, we will email or fax you
a credit card authorization form. You will fill the form and fax or mail back to us. In the situations that
credit card is not accepted for some tours, we will require check payment or wire transfer.
As soon as your deposit is received, we will email you the invoice including tour
acknowledgment, preliminary information, and the balance due date. The balance of final
payment is due 30 - 60 days prior to departure. Reservation made within 30 days prior to
departure requires full payment at time of booking. Please refer to our Terms
and Conditions.
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Q: What is your
cancellation policy?
A: Please refer to our Terms
and Conditions.
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Q: When do I
receive my travel documents and air tickets?
A: Normally, tour packages including documents, air tickets, tour information and others
will be mailed to you via trackable shipping service about 2 weeks before departure.
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Q: Is visa needed to
go to China?
A: Yes. You need visa to enter China.
See visa information
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Q: Can I just bring a copy of my passport to
enter China?
A: No. You must bring your original passport, valid at
least 60 days beyond your return from China.
while in China, you are also required to show your passport when you check into
hotels, make plane or train reservations, exchange money or prove your identity.
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Q: What if I lost my passport when traveling
in China?
A: We suggest you make copies of your passport, visa
and airline tickets. If you do lose your passport unfortunately, you should report
immediately to your embassy or consulate in China.
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Q: Do I need visa to
Hong Kong?
A: No.
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Q: What are the Chinese customs
regulations?
A: All visitors must fill out
customs declaration forms to present on arrival. The
copy
should be kept, to hand in on departure. Reasonable amount of currency (including RMB)
can
be brought in, along with alcohol, cigarettes, cameras, camcorders,
radios, and tape-recorders for personal use.
Certain valuable items, such as digital cameras, office machines, computers and gold
declared on the form must be brought out of China or else import duty will be
charged on them.
Prohibited imports include arms, ammunition and explosives; printed matter, film or
tapes detrimental to China; dangerous or narcotic drugs; infected animals, plants or
food. It is also forbidden to take out any of these items, or endangered species of
animals or plants and antiques without export permits.
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Q: Do I need to
bring my medical record?
A: Tourists are required to fill in a Health Declaration Form (distributed before
arrival). Those planning on staying in China for a period of over six months may be
required to present medical records. It is advisable to have vaccination records if you
have been traveling in affected areas prior to visiting China.
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Q: Do I need to
take any shots?
A: No immunizations are required
for entry into China, unless you are coming from a yellow
fever infected area. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta recommends that all travelers have current polio and
tetanus, hepatitis A and typhoid immunizations. For most update information, please
contact
CDC in Atlanta or visit their website at www.cdc.gov.
You should also check with your own doctors to bring along medicines such as Antibiotics,
cold and digestive medications and any other prescription or over the counter drugs you may need.
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Q: What is the
baggage allowance?
A: Baggage allowance differs from
international and China & Asia flights; and varies between carriers. In general,
transpacific flights allow two pieces of check-in luggage per person. For China & Asia
flights, only one piece of check-in luggage (no more than 44 lbs or 20 kg) is allowed.
One standard carry-on is allowed per person for both international and China & Asia
flights.
We recommend that you pack a duffel bag in your suitcase to use as an additional
piece of luggage for your return flight home. If you do travel with more than one
piece per person, you may be charged excess baggage fees by domestic transportation
officials. All luggage should be locked while traveling.
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Q: What to pack?
A: We strongly suggest you PACK
LIGHT and bring casual clothes. Laundry service is available in most hotels with
reasonable charges. Here is the checklist:
- A pair of sturdy, conformable walking shoes.
- A sports jacket and tie for men, and one or two dresses or pantsuits for women, will
suit the most formal occasions while in China (especially on a Yangtze River Cruise).
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- Sweaters, shirts and jackets that can be layered to suit a range of climates.
- A light-weight raincoat.
- Warm woolen clothing, down overcoat, hat and gloves are recommended if you travel
in winter season. Cottons are the best in summer time.
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- Electrical converter and adapter plugs. China’s electrical system operates at 220 volts.
- Hair dryer, razor, alarm clock.
- Common toiletries, pocket-size tissue, lip balm, sun-tan lotion and sun glasses.
- Camera, films and extra batteries. Negatives with regular speed are available in
most places, slides can be difficult to find.
- Reading materials, including a guide book about the places you will visit.
- A note book to log your travel journals.
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Q: Where do I change
money for RMB in China?
A: Banks, airports and major hotels. The rate is the same
everywhere.
China’s currency is renminbi, abbreviated and commonly used as RMB. The basic RMB
unit is the yuan, and subsidiary units are the jiao and fen. 10 jiao equal a yuan;
10 fen equal a jiao.
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Q: Can credit card
be used in China?
A: Credit cards are accepted at
most hotels and state-run shops in major cities. Accepted cards include Visa, Master
Card, and American Express.
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Q: Shall I bring cash or
Travelers' Cheques?
A: You may bring a small amount of cash.
Travelers' Cheques are safer and command a slightly higher exchange rate than cash.
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Q: What is China's
time zone?
A: All of China observes Beijing
Time, GMT+8. China doesn't observe day-light saving time in the summer as some countries
do.
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Q: How much is the
airport departure tax in China?
A: Approximate tax rates are as follows:
For China domestic Flights: All cities in China US$7.00
For International Flights: US$12.00
Hong Kong: US$7.00
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Q: Is there Internet service in the hotels?
A: Yes, most major hotels provide
convenient Internet service with reasonable fees.
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Q: Can we drink tap water in China?
A: No. Drink bottled water available at hotels and local stores.
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Q: When is the
best time to visit China?
A: In general, April, May, early June, September, October and
early November. However these are the travel peak seasons when the tour price is at its highest. If you are a
budget-minded traveler, you may choose other months for lower price.
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Q: What is the average temperature in
major cities?
A: The average
temperature (Fº) in major cities is as follows:
| City |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec
|
|
Beijing
|
28
|
32
|
40
|
60
|
75
|
78
|
80
|
76
|
68
|
55
|
40
|
36
|
|
Shanghai
|
40
|
42
|
50
|
65
|
72
|
80
|
82
|
80
|
75
|
62
|
50
|
42
|
|
Xian
|
32
|
38
|
50
|
56
|
72
|
80
|
78
|
76
|
60
|
52
|
40
|
30
|
|
Guilin
|
47
|
48
|
56
|
65
|
74
|
79
|
83
|
82
|
78
|
69
|
59
|
50
|
|
Hangzhou
|
39
|
41
|
49
|
60
|
69
|
75
|
83
|
83
|
75
|
64
|
53
|
43
|
|
Chongqing
|
47
|
50
|
58
|
66
|
73
|
78
|
84
|
84
|
76
|
67
|
58
|
51
|
|
Wuhan
|
38
|
42
|
52
|
61
|
70
|
80
|
85
|
83
|
75
|
64
|
53
|
42
|
|
Kunming
|
50
|
52
|
58
|
65
|
68
|
68
|
70
|
67
|
65
|
62
|
55
|
50
|
|
Lhasa
|
29
|
34
|
41
|
46
|
54
|
60
|
61
|
60
|
57
|
48
|
39
|
32
|
|
Urumqi
|
5
|
10
|
32
|
50
|
66
|
74
|
78
|
74
|
64
|
47
|
28
|
10
|
|
Hong Kong
|
65
|
64
|
68
|
76
|
83
|
86
|
88
|
88
|
86
|
82
|
75
|
69
|
Back to FAQ.
Q: Is travel insurance necessary?
A: Yes. We highly recommend our clients purchase travel insurance
for your own protection. We work with reputable travel insurance company to provide you
the service you need. Please check our Travel
Insurance.
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Q: What shall we read before the China trip?
A: Read as much as possible to prepare yourself to
understand a country with a long
history and very different culture. Here is the
list for your reference:
- Guide books on China
- Edward L. Shaughnessy: China - Empire and Civilization
- Stephen G. Haw: A Traveler's History of China
- Harriet Sergeant: Shanghai
- Anchee Min: Red Azalea
- Ha Jin: Waiting
- Jung Chang: Wild Swans
- Colin Thubron: Behind the Wall
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West
Boca Raton, Florida, USA