China and Hong Kong: Practical Information.

Submitted by maria on Thu, 30/06/2016 - 18:37

China. The Asian giant is overwhelming, this is the second time we have visited it and it continues to surprise us.

Black Dragon Pond Park Lijiang

This time we visited the western part of the country, the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan to finish our trip in Hong Kong. Incredible landscapes, from the high plateau of Tibetan China to deep valleys, canyons and impressive mountains, the roar of the Yangtse in the famous Tiger Falls Gorge, the spectacular rice fields of YuanYang, ancient towns and cities, panda bears and ethnic coloring are some of the ingredients that perfectly define the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan.

Visa

European citizens have to apply for the visa no more than 6 months in advance and it must be used within 3 months from the date of issue, prices vary depending on the management costs and the number of entries to the country. You can see it on the web, although it charges an additional administrative fee (it can be around 126€ for a single entry visa).

Money

The official Chinese currency is the Renminbi (RMB) or "people's currency". Its monetary unit is the Yuan (CNY). There are ATMs in all major cities but beware if you go to rural areas such as southern Yunnan and there are only ATMs for Chinese cards of 6 digits and European cards do not work. In some establishments you can pay by credit card but you should find out if there is any kind of surcharge.

In Hong Kong the official currency is the Hong Kong dollar (HK$), and in Macao the Pataca (MOP), although in Macao also are accepted Hong Kong dollars and Chinese yuans.

Dali Towers

Language

The main language is Mandarin Chinese, although there are a variety of dialects and languages of ethnic minorities. The main ethnic group is the Han. It is very useful to bring all the places you want to visit or to which you want to address and certain essential words written in Chinese, or use a translator ( download Google Translae app and the language of your interest offline) as most Chinese do not speak English and it is complicated to make yourself understood.

Programs like maps.me can also help you, if you have an iphone the map program itself is very useful, you can be on the city bus and know exactly at the stop you have to get off. In cities like Chengdu there is wifi practically everywhere.

Useful words: hello ni hao, thank you xie xie, de nadad bu yong xie, spain xibanya, adios zaijan, si shi , no bu shi (sorry for the lack of accents and characters).

Transport

Buses and trains work perfectly, they cover the whole country, however due to the increase of internal movement of the Chinese themselves sometimes even out of high season it is convenient to book. There are airports in major cities so the plane is also an option but not the cheapest.

Rice Terraces Yuanyang

Accommodation

Economic accommodations are generally quite clean. We do not book almost any accommodation in China in advance, however we recommend Booking. Although there's more and more tourism, the hotel square is very wide and it's difficult to run out of rooms, as long as you don't go in high season.

Most bathrooms still don't have a toilet, so you have to get used to squatting.

There are community bathrooms for all the neighbors in the neighborhood, if you can avoid using them.

Tibetan Monastery of Ganden Sumtseling

Health

Before starting your trip contact the international disease service, they will inform you if any vaccine is necessary and what health precautions you should take. As it is such a big country, it will all depend on the area you want to visit. For example, in the south of Yunnan, apart from other vaccinations, prophylaxis against malaria is recommended, but the number of days you spend in the affected area also has an influence.

Don't forget a first aid kit with the essentials: medicines, betadine, antibiotic ointment, syringes, flint, bandages, band-aids, scissors, water pills, mosquito repellent, sun cream.

Safety

Before you travel it is advisable to have travel insurance, not only for health but also for civil liability.

Leshan Buddha

Gastronomy

The food is delicious no matter what part of the country you go to, our recommendations are always to enjoy the local food and drink (momos, yak meat in the Tibetan area; red rice noddles in the south of Yunnan; any dish seasoned with Sichuan pepper; noodles crossing the bridge in Kunming or Dali, impressive soups, hot pot...)

In Hong Kong the food is based more on fried food, even in the soup, but it is essential to visit the Dim Sum restaurant, everything is a delight and in the Xiao Long Bao inside the shopping centre, the Crystal Jade restaurant (dim sum and xiaglongbao among other delicacies)

In Macao don´t forget to try the famous Belen cakes of portuguese heritage.