Airline Service
There are many flights available from the U.S. to China. There are non-stop flights from cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Houston and Newark destined for Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. There are also connections to many Chinese cities going by traveling through Tokyo, Seoul and Taipei.
Visa
A tourist visa is relatively easy to get through one of the Chinese consulates in the U.S. These consulates are located at:
- Embassy – Washington, D.C.
- Consulate – Chicago, IL
- Consulate – Houston, TX
- Consulate – New York City, NY
- Consulate – San Francisco, CA
- Consulate – Los Angeles, CA
The consulates and the states they serve can be found at http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/t84229.htm. East-West Economic Development Center can process visa applications for areas served by the Houston consulate.
Weather
It is always a good idea to review the weather forecast in the areas that you will be traveling. China is a large country and has a wide range of temperatures in different locations throughout the year. Northern cities can be extremely cold in the winter months and Southern cities can be very hot and humid in the summer months. Make sure that you pack appropriate clothing for the conditions in the areas that you will visit.
Things to Consider
The flight time is considerable. It can take from 12 – 15 hours in the air. With connections your total travel time can easily exceed 24 hours to some destinations. If you have difficulty sleeping on airplanes it may be a good idea to consult your physician for a prescription sleeping aid. Over-the-counter products often have after-effects that can increase the time to recover from jet lag. In arranging your schedule after arrival you should always allow for time for your body to adjust.
It is a good idea to visit with your physician to make sure that your immunizations are current and appropriate for travel to China. Let your physician know if you will be visiting rural or remote areas, as the risks of disease may be higher. Prevention measures from most disease risk are through immunization. Precautions for malaria, however, require a daily dose of Malarone (http://www.malarone.com/malariamap.html). You generally start taking one tablet per day several days before departure and continue for about a week after your return. The best advice is to consult your physician before traveling.
Be prepared for changes in your diet. The foods and methods of preparation in China are different that your system is used to processing. Your physician can prescribe products for you to deal with possible stomach problems and/or diarrhea. It is always a good idea to limit yourself to bottled or hot beverages.
Toilet facilities that you encounter may be different than what you deal with in the U.S. While most hotels in cities in China have toilets that are the same as here in the U.S., you will likely at some point to encounter “squat toilets”. In addition, many locations flushing of toilet paper cannot be handled. For tips on how to deal with toilet conditions you may encounter, as well as personal hygiene read the information at http://www.talesofasia.com/toilets.htm.
Carry your passport and visa with you at all times. You can also make a copy of your passport and visa and secure the originals at your hotel.
Meals
The food in China has so much variety that it would be difficult to describe. Dining in China is very good, but so much different than in the U.S. Most Chinese-American restaurants in the U.S. do not give you a sense of what you will find in China. You should find the cuisine to be wonderful, even though you will likely find some dishes that you do not care for.
Food is usually ordered so that everyone shares the dishes. Food is placed on a “Lazy Susan” so that everyone can easily reach what they want. It is customary to each with chopsticks (kuai zi). It is a good idea to learn to eat with chopsticks. The Chinese people are very happy to see Americans adopt this custom and feel closer because you have made this gesture. Spoons are provided for soup.
Most dishes are prepared with meat cut into small portions that are easy to manipulate with chopsticks. However, most meat is cooked with the bone. It is customary for you to spit the bone back onto your plate or the table. Some foods such as ribs are eaten using your hand. Just watch how the others in your party handle their food.
Steamed rice is normally served with all meals. There is a wide variety of soups and noodle dishes. Seafood is also very popular in China. Usually at dinner steamed fish, prepared whole, will be the last dish served.
It is customary for the host of the meal to signal when it is time to begin eating. He or she may do this simply by beginning to take food for themselves thus indicating for everyone else to begin. Sometimes the host may indicate to a special guest to be the one to begin the meal.
Tea is usually served with meals. Coffee, soft drinks and juices are also available. The varieties of teas available in China is amazing. Alcoholic beverages are also available. Beer (pijiu), wine (putaojiu) and baijiu (a spirit usually distilled from corn) are common.
It is quite common for the Chinese business day to include dinner. Co-workers often have business meetings that last into the evening over dinner.
Returning Home
Check-in for international flights from China generally begins three hours before flight time and ends one hour before flight time. It is a good idea to confirm your return reservation a few days before you return.
After check-in you will proceed through a checkpoint where you will need to complete an exit card and present it along with your passport and visa. After this step you will proceed through security and on to your flight.
Be aware of U.S. Customs regulations on your return. You will need to declare purchase over a certain value, there will be certain items that you cannot bring into the country and you will be limited to $10,000 in cash.
Once home from yet another long flight, you will need time to adjust.
© 2006-2007 East-West Economic Development Center