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Traveling to Jiangsu: The Complete Guide

February 15, 2019 by Rita Andreetti Leave a Comment

TongliA glimpse of the canals of Tongli – Photo by Matteo Bosi

A thriving region in the east of Great China, Jiangsu is in the history books for the fundamental events that belong both to Imperial China and that of the republic. Various dynasties have chosen this central area for their capital; but when Sun Yat-Sen named Nanjing the capital of the republic for the thirty years that it lasted, and sadder still, after the famous Rape of Nanking, Jiangsu entered into modern history.

The region is currently among the richest and most developed; because of this, it’s the destination for migrants and internal movements of the poorer bordering regions, such as Anhui. Just think in terms of dimensions – it’s the smallest region but most densely populated of them all.

The capital city of Jiangsu is Nanjing. Shanghai was once included in part of the territory until its independence at the beginning of the last century; actually the recent history of Shanghai differs much from that of Jiangsu. However the metropolis’s influence has helped the southern part of the region to increase economically and in terms of tourism: Suzhou is the surrounding area that most benefits from its vicinity to Shanghai.

Of all the characteristics of this province, the most noteworthy is certainly the massive presence of water. Not only does the infinite Yangtze flow right through Jiangsu, Shanghai and Zhejiang, in its enormous delta, but there are also several lakes.

And obviously the eastern coast faces the sea. This abundance of aquatic resources has resulted in…rice and fish, a staple of the local diet. It has also earned the title of 水乡 (shuǐxiāng “land of water”), especially when referring to Suzhou and its surrounding towns as the Venice of the East. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Travel around Asia Tagged With: Jiangsu, Nanjing, Suzhou, Travel in China

How Do I Write My Name in Chinese?

February 8, 2019 by Aldo Terminiello Leave a Comment

How Do You Write My Name in Chinese?

Certainly one of the most curious things about the Chinese language is the writing system, with complex characters that are fascinating, often mysterious and almost magical. If you are in some degree familiar with this language you’ll have heard this question quite often – how do you write my name in Chinese?

You will have realized though that the answer isn’t all that simple! Translating a name into Chinese presents a different challenges that make it hard to do it straight away.

First of all, the Chinese language doesn’t have an alphabet: with the exception of a few cases, each character corresponds to a syllable and not a letter/sound as in alphabetic languages. For this reason, in the majority of cases you can’t simply just “transcribe” your name using different graphic symbols, as you could do with Japanese Kana for example.

Moreover, some sounds, syllables and sound combinations don’t exist in Chinese, such as the “v” or doubles and combinations with consecutive consonants, and so the necessary syllable for writing your name may not exist. In this case you’re forced to use a syllable that “sounds like” the original but isn’t exactly equal since other than missing “sounds”, Chinese also has another bonus – tones.

Each syllable corresponds to a character, which can then be used to transliterate (or write with another alphabet) foreign names. In modern Chinese there’s a set of characters that are often used for transcribing foreign names (similar to the Japanese Katakana, which is an alphabet created just for this reason): in practice, it’s a list of characters that when arranged in a combination that feels “odd” to Chinese people, will immediately indicate that it’s a foreign term (an actual name or borrowed term). [Read more…]

Filed Under: Learn Chinese Tagged With: Learn Chinese

How to use Telegram in China and Access the Internet without Restrictions

February 6, 2019 by Sborto Zhou Leave a Comment

unblocking telegram in china

As you likely already know, in China, Internet use restrictions exist, which means that many apps and websites can’t be freely accessed. In this article, we will give you a simple explanation on how you can use Telegram and any other app or website that is blocked in China.

Before getting started

Is Telegram blocked in China?: Like the majority of messaging applications, Telegram is blocked in China.

Can I use Telegram in China?: Yes, you can use Telegram easily in China if you know how.

How can I access Telegram in China?: The easiest way to access Telegram in China is by using a VPN.

What messaging apps are blocked in China?: In addition to Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Line and Viber are blocked in China. Here, you can find a list of the most popular apps that are blocked in China.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Survival Tips Tagged With: Internet in China, VPN

Transsiberian Express – The Complete Guide

February 2, 2019 by Sborto Zhou 1 Comment

Transiberian Train

Before getting started

The purpose of this article is to share my experience and offer all of the practical information necessary for you to enjoy an unforgettable trip on the Trans-Siberian railway.

If you’re looking for specific information on Trans-Siberian tours,click here to read our guide. You can also fill out this form to get a free budget.

If what you’re interested in is knowing how much Trans-Siberian train tickets cost, click here, select the day, departing city and destination and you will get the prices of tickets (use the city names in English).

Last of all, if you’re looking for a story about the experience of traveling on the Trans-Siberian Railway, I suggest that you read this story.

Transsiberian Train Trip Guide – Index

  1. Trans-Siberian myths and incorrect beliefs.
  2. Why should you take the Trans-Siberian Express?
  3. Where to buy the tickets for the Trans-Siberian Railway
  4. Railcar and train classes
  5. To get a tour or to travel by myself?
  6. Which route should you choose?
  7. Where to stay? Our suggestions for hotels in Moscow, Irkutz, Ulan Bator and Beijing
  8. Russian, Mongolian and Chinese Visa requirements
  9. Things you should bring with you
  10. Essential information and tips

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Survival Tips, Travel around Asia Tagged With: Beijing, Mongolia, Transsiberian

Review of CyberGhost VPN

February 1, 2019 by Raquel Leave a Comment

reseña CyberGhost VPN

Founded in 2011 in Romania, CyberGhost has become quite a popular VPN despite its short time in existence. CyberGhost offers a very complete and easy-to-use service at a reasonable price.

Below is a short review of CyberGhost.

Features

  • Encryption protocols: L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, IPSec, IKEv2, OpenVPN.
  • Simultaneous connections: 7 simultaneous connections.
  • Number of countries with servers: CyberGhost offers more than 3,000 servers located in 60 countries.
  • Server changes allowed: Unlimited.
  • Applications: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire TV and Fire Stick.
  • Customer service : 24/7/365 via live chat or email.
  • Guaranteed money back: 14 days for monthly subscriptions and 45 days for the remainder of subscriptions.
  • Special functions: Ad blocking, malware blocking, blocking of online tracking, kill-switch, split tunneling.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Chinese Food

Tibetan Sichuan: Traveling in the Ancient Kingdom of the Kham

February 1, 2019 by Gianluca Falso Leave a Comment

In this article I will describe my travels in the Tibetan part of Sichuan.

Here’s the itinerary, if you’d prefer to “skip” directly to the place in the article that most interests you:

Tibetan Sichuan – My itinerary

  1. First day: Kangding/Litang
  2. Second day: Litang/Ganzi
  3. Third day: Ganzi/Dege
  4. Fourth day: Dege/Luhuo
  5. Fifth day: Luhuo/Daofu/Tagong

Hidden among the perennially snowy peaks of Mount Hengduan, 横断, it seems that nobody remembers the ancient kingdom of the Khampa anymore.

The old kingdom originally extended from the western part of Sichuan, the city of Kangding, 康定, to the start of the present-day autonomous region of Tibet, and the southern part of the Qinghai region to the north of Yunnan. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Travel around Asia Tagged With: Sichuan, Travel in China

Transsiberian Railway Tour Guide

February 1, 2019 by Sborto Zhou

Transsiberian Railway Tours

This article is aimed to provide all the necessary information to organize your tour with the mythical Trans-Siberian and is based on my personal experience as a traveler and resident in Beijing. In this article you will find (you can click below to read directly the section that you are interested):

Transsiberian Tour – Index

  1. How much a Transsiberian trip costs
  2. The most popular routes
  3. When to take a tour to travel the Transsiberian Railway (and when not to)
  4. What type of agency you should choose for the Transsiberian trip
  5. What you need to prepare before your trip
  6. Get a free quotation for your Transsiberian Trip

If you have already decided that you want to travel on the mythical Transsiberian Railway but aren’t sure which travel agency to choose, we can put you in contact with a trustworthy agency. Click here to get budget for your Transsiberian Tour.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Travel around Asia Tagged With: Beijing, Moscow, Transsiberian

The Best Working VPN for China in February 2019 (with Comparison Table)

February 1, 2019 by Sborto Zhou 381 Comments

Best VPN for China

Before getting started

This article is a complete guide that is updated monthly on how to easily access Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, Youtube and other websites that are blocked in China, using a VPN.

The first part of this article explains what a VPN is, the simplest and most effective way to access the Internet without restrictions.

The second part is a comparative review of ExpressVPN, VyprVPN, NordVPN and VPN Area, in our opinion one of the best VPN providers for China. We compare the prices, functionality and performance of the four VPN.

We also give a short review of the most popular VPN in China and show the results of the survey of VPNs that our readers in China use. On top of that, you will find multiple sections to help you evaluate and optimize your VPN and in general which types of websites are blocked in China.

Important: Many of the VPN services mentioned in the article have offered us exclusive deals for our readers. To get the discount, all you have to do is access the VPN service’s website via one of the links that you’ll find in this article.

Click here if you want to jump directly to the
comparison of the best VPN for China!

What VPN do we recommend for China?

  • ExpressVPN: A VPN that’s easy to use, fast and which has proven to be one of the most reliable VPNs for China over the past years.
  • VyprVPN: A VPN with an excellent quality to price ratio, good performance in China and numerous options for a secure connection.
  • NordVPN: A VPN that is very complete and easy to use. It has a good performance in China if you choose the right server.
  • VPNArea: A VPN that’s less popular in China and a bit difficult to use, but which has one of the best performances on the market at a very low price.

Important: Due to the increased restrictions to VPN which came into effect in October 2017, you should always keep your VPN updated in order to make sure it works at its best.

What is a VPN and why do I need one in China?

As you probably already know, the internet doesn’t work like we would like it to in China and a large number of websites are blocked by the “Great Firewall.” Among the websites that you can’t access there are Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter and Google+.

There are many other blocked websites, and depending on what you do, it may be virtually impossible for you to work in China without a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The most striking case is probably that of Google.com, which often returns an error message when used from within the Middle Kingdom.

But there is still hope…

In order to solve this problem, you can install a VPN, which masks your I.P. address so that your laptop appears to be connected from the U.S. or Japan even if you are in China.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Survival Tips, Work in China Tagged With: Internet in China, VPN

The Writer Cao Wenxuan: His Life and Most Important Works

January 25, 2019 by Manuel Recchia 2 Comments

His life

Cao Wenxuan, 曹文轩, one of the most-read Chinese children literature authors in China and among the most widely translated in the world, was born in the village of Longgang 龙港村 near the town of Yancheng 盐城, in Jiangsu Province, 江苏, in 1954.

The family’s economic situation wasn’t the greatest, but that didn’t stop him from immediately coming into contact with culture and books. In fact he took full advantage of the small school library where his father worked (as school principal) to read Soviet children’s literature and modern Chinese literature.

In those years, the concept of literature for children was relatively new in China and the first children’s works from foreign authors began to appear along with Chinese titles for the little ones.

His adolescence was marked by strong political tensions that culminated in the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), in which the majority of schools were closed and young Cao traveled the country as part of the Dachuanlian, 大串联, a movement in which young activists were encouraged to spread the message of the revolution. Cao Wenxuan, however did not take part in the violent episodes since he was too young to do so (12-13 years old).

Later, Cao returned to Jiangsu and enrolled at the University of Beijing (Beijing Daxue 北京大学 where he graduated and where he still is a professor of Chinese literature and language, besides being director of doctorate thesis at the same university, director of the contemporary literature department, member of the Lu Xun Literature Institute, the Committee for children’s literature and vice president of the Beijing Writer’s Association. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Books & Movies Tagged With: Book Review, Travel in China

The Victory Monument Neighborhood in Bangkok: The Complete Guide

January 24, 2019 by Stefania Battaglia Leave a Comment

Victory Monument in Bangkok

The Victory Monument Neighborhood in Bangkok – Index

  1. Ratchathewi and its strengths
  2. How to get to the Victory Monument area
  3. Where to stay at Victory Monument
  4. Where to eat at Victory Monument
  5. What to do at Victory Monument
  6. Where to live at Victory Monument

One of the most stimulating areas of Bangkok is Victory Monument. As the name suggests, this area includes the area adjacent to the Victory Monument, which in Thai is called “Anu Saowari Chai Samoraphum”, and is located in the northern part of the city.

The Victory Monument rotunda has Italian origins. In the middle there’s an obelisk that was erected in 1941 and designed by the sculptor Corrado Feroci. During the 20’s, Feroci was invited to Bangkok to teach Western sculpture at the capital university. In 1944 he was even declared a Thai citizen, and from there he changed his name to “Silpa Bhirasri”.

Before the creation of the obelisk, Victory Monument was a simple rotonda with a lawn and Thai flags. The obelisk you can see today was built in the 40’s to celebrate the Thai army’s victory over French colonials and the later expansion of Thai rule into certain regions of Laos and Cambodia. After Thailand’s defeat in the Second World War, Victory Monument became a symbol of embarrassment for its people.

Today the area adjacent to the Victory Monument is considered one of the biggest transport hubs of the city. Besides the BTS line that connects the northern part of Sukhumvit to the southern part of the city, from Anu Saowari minivans also depart for nearby cities, such as Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, Pattaya, the islands of Koh Chang and Koh Samet, and also towards the floating markets of Amphawa and Damnoen Saduak.

On the two sides opposite the rotonda (the one near the shopping malls and the one near the hospital, to be clear), you can take local buses toward almost every district of the city. For a more detailed guide on how to get around by bus and minivan in Bangkok and Thailand in general, read here. [Read more…]

Filed Under: South East Asia, Thailand, Travel around Asia Tagged With: Bangkok, Thailand

The 10 Best Apps for Traveling in China

January 23, 2019 by Andrea Lasheras 6 Comments

Best Apps for Traveling in China

Best Apps to Travel in China – Index

  1. City maps: Google Maps, Maps, Baidu Ditu
  2. Subway maps: Metro China Subway
  3. VPN: Express VPN and the others
  4. Train and plane tickets: Trip
  5. Hotels: Agoda, Hostelworld, Booking
  6. Taxis: Didi Chuxing
  7. Chinese dictionaries: Pleco, Hanping, Google Translate
  8. The App of all Apps: WeChat
  9. Web content search engine: Baidu, Bing, and Google
  10. Music player: Kugou Music, QQ music

Before you begin

Are you going to travel to China and would like to use of some tools that will make your experience easier?

In a country where language is a huge barrier, it certainly doesn’t hurt to load up your smartphone with a few megabytes that will help you deal with typical situations of all types, and namely where to stay, how to get around and how to access key information.

Keep in mind that not all applications that work in your country will work in China, meanwhile others will work, albeit very slowly.

Because of this, in this article, I present the 10 applications that I consider to be the most useful and effective for traveling to the country. Of course there exist many more, but I will focus on those that don’t require a knowledge of Chinese to use.

Unless there’s an indication to the contrary, all of these are available for iOS and Android. However, take note Android users:

The Google Play Store doesn’t work in China, so to avoid complications, it’s better that you download all of the apps you think you’ll need before your trip.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Survival Tips, Travel around Asia Tagged With: Travel in China

Traveling to Koh Phangan: The island of the Full Moon Party

January 18, 2019 by Stefania Battaglia Leave a Comment

Traveling to Koh Phangan

Koh Phangan is the fifth largest island in Thailand; it has an area of just over 125 square kilometers and is located in the southwestern part of the Gulf of Siam. Famous for its beaches and almost untouched tropical nature, Koh Phangan is also a destination known to travelers throughout the world for its Full Moon Party. During this party, celebrated once or twice a month depending on how often the full moon is visible, along almost a kilometer of beach DJ’s from around the world have 30 thousand people dancing.

Koh Phangan is not just music and dancing; in fact it’s also a place appreciated by travelers looking for calm and tranquility. 90% of the island is covered in thick tropical forest, which makes it a suitable place for yoga fans and those looking for a spiritual experience in one of the many retreats.

The island’s spirituality is also quite evident in its history. Up until 1400 Koh Phangan was in fact completely uninhabited, it’s discovery was made by a group of Buddhist monks who decided to build the first temple on the island: Wat Phu Khao Noi.

As a tourist destination, Koh Phangan began to become known starting in the 70’s. Ten years later though it underwent a full tourist boom, and thanks to the Full Moon Party, Koh Phangan in fact became one of the most popular places among young people from all over the world. [Read more…]

Filed Under: South East Asia, Thailand, Travel around Asia Tagged With: Koh Phangan, Thailand

How to Buy Chinese Tea Online Directly from China

January 16, 2019 by Furio Fu 6 Comments

buychinesetea

If, like me, you love quality Chinese tea but aren’t about to pay an arm and a leg to buy it from the fashionable boutiques in the center of Milan nor drive 200 km to get some, then this article should appeal to you.

For some time, I buy Chinese tea online on TeaVivre, a website created by a group of passionate tea lovers that live in China.

The prices, as you’ll see as I continue with the article, are more than acceptable, especially if you consider that we’re talking about certified tea, often organic. As far as shipping goes, once you place your order the tea will arrive at your house within 6-10 days (if you decide to pay 8.9 American Dollars) or 12-20 days (if you opt for free shipping).

To finish, TeaVivre offers a “satisfaction or money back” guarantee for 15 days.

Click here to get tea directly from China!

Keep reading to find prices and characteristics of the most popular Chinese teas (note that the prices are all in American Dollars)! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Chinese Food, Chinese Products Tagged With: Chinese tea, Travel in China

Great Wall of China: A Short Review of The Top 14 Best Sections

January 16, 2019 by Furio Fu 20 Comments

Great Wall of China

I’ve always been fascinated by the Great Wall of China (长城, Chang Cheng in Mandarin). The first time I had enough time and money to afford an intercontinental travel I took a flight from Paris to Beijing and I went straight away to see the Great Wall section of Mutianyu.

This was in February 2008 and since then I’ve visited the Great Wall other four times, once per year.

Great Wall of China – Index

  1. Where to visit the Great Wall of China?
  2. The head of the Great Wall: Badaling, Juyongguan, Mutianyu, Simatai, Jinshanling, Gubeikou, Jankou, Huanghuacheng and Huangyaguan
  3. Where the Great Wall meets the sea: Shanhaiguan
  4. The back of the dragon: Zhenbeitai and Yanmenguan
  5. The tail of the dragon: Jiayuguan and Yumenguan
  6. If you want to know more

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Travel around Asia Tagged With: Badaling, Beijing, Great Wall of China, Gubeikou, Huanghuacheng, Huangyaguan, Jiankou, Jiayuguan, Jinshanling, Juyongguan, Mutianyu, Shanhaiguan, Simatai, Travel in China, Yangguan, Yanmenguan, Yumenguan, Zhenbeitai

Review of ExpressVPN: Does it still work in China?

January 15, 2019 by Sborto Zhou 1 Comment

ExpressVPN review

Does ExpressVPN still works in China? The short answer is “YES”!

The purpose of this article is to review ExpressVPN, which, in my opinion, is one of the best VPNs currently on the market. If you still don’t know what a VPN is, just go till the end of this article to learn more.

Why is ExpressVPN one of the best VPNs on the market?

ExpressVPN offers one of the best encryptions and IP blockers on the market. How do I know? Because it is one of the few VPNs that is able to pass one of the most demanding tests that exists: I’m talking about the Great Firewall of China, which limits access to innumerable websites such as Google, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter.

For years, we have tried a lot of VPNs, both paid and free in China, and I ensure you that few are capable of getting around the Great Firewall of China, and among those, few offer a stable and fast connection. For this entire time, ExpressVPN has been a sure choice, as it has only rarely experienced problems in this country.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Survival Tips Tagged With: Internet in China, VPN

Unblocking Youku, Tudou and Other Chinese Websites – VPN Servers in China

January 15, 2019 by Sborto Zhou 5 Comments

unblock youku china vpn server

Important Update: Ivancy’s servers located in Mainland China are temporarily out of service

On this website, we have talked about the best way to get around the Great Firewall of China on many occasions as well as how to access the internet without restrictions in China.

However, what happens when we want to access the network that exists within the Great Firewall? This article is intended for people who for whatever reason want to access websites located in China without any type of restrictions.

Summary of the article

Below is a summary of what this article talks about and the conclusions we reach. If you want more information, just read the section you are interested in.

  • Problem: Browsing Chinese websites outside of the country is extremely slow and some content is restricted (for examples videos on Youku, Tudou, Sohu and LeTV)
  • Reason: The Great Firewall and geographic restrictions (copyright laws)
  • The best way to resolve this: A VPN with a server in China
  • What VPN do we recommend: VPN Area, Ivacy and Hide My Ass are to date the best VPNs that we have found for accessing the Chinanet. You can click here to try out VPN Area, here to try out Ivacy or here to try out Hide My Ass.
  • Who do we recommend use a VPN with a server in China?: People of Chinese origin who live outside of the country, Mandarin students and people who due to their job or for other reasons need to do research on China.

Click here to skip the introduction and to go directly to the VPNs with Chinese servers that we recommend.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Learn Chinese Tagged With: Internet in China, VPN

The Phenomenon of Internal Migration in China: Hukou and the Floating Population

January 11, 2019 by Alessandro Zadro Leave a Comment

The phenomenon of internal migration in China

Following the improvement of communications and transport systems due to modern processes of urbanization and industrialization, the phenomenon of migration has become an issue of worldwide importance. The term migration indicates a movement from one area to another, which usually includes passage across more borders happening in a precise interval of time and includes a change of residence.

From a demographic point of view, migration, together with the fertility and mortality rates is a fundamental component for measuring the population growth in a determined area. In China, the term migration indicates citizens that prior to receiving authorization from the Office of Public Security, move their place of residence from one area to another.

The official figures from the last census of Chinese population in 2010 show that for the first time in the history of China, there are more people that live in the cities than the countryside. In 1950 only 64 million people lived in urban areas while in 2010 the number reached 636 million.

What has caused the phenomenon of internal migration?

Beginning in 1978, when Deng Xiaoping instituted the era of reforms (改革开放), migration from the rural areas to the cities has become an endemic phenomenon and the root of the process of industrialization, economic growth and urbanization in China. The movement of the work force from low productivity sectors to high productivity sectors has become one of the principal components in Chinese economic growth and the main reason of the growth of internal migration. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Society Tagged With: Travel in China

Hiring Employees Locally in China: Our Guide

January 10, 2019 by Furio Fu Leave a Comment

Hiring locally in China

Hiring locally in China – Index

  1. Definitions of key payroll terms
  2. Types of China’s social insurances
  3. Other considerations when deciding to hire a local employee in China
  4. Get help from a Professional Employment Organization (PEO) in China

One of the first considerations after deciding to establish a new business in China is to hire employees from the local workforce.

Many businesses are hesitant to hire foreign nationals who are not already in China because of the additional steps that must be taken, including obtaining a visa and sponsoring an employee.

There are many reasons a firm would choose to instead hire locally, here the top three:

  • Local employees will be more knowledgeable about the current business environment;
  • Local employees will also be fluent in Chinese, a big factor when dealing with local partners;
  • Local employees will be familiar in local customs and business culture and will advise you in how to avoid common mistakes.

For these reasons and many more, it is convenient to hire a local employee, when possible. In the past, employers were more likely to hire locally due to the lower expectations for a compensation package. Although that was true in the past, the cost of living has risen across the world and specifically in China, where employee wages are also on the rise. It is important to not have these expectations when entering the Chinese market now.

Although the process of hiring a local Chinese employee is much more straightforward than that of hiring a foreign national, there are still many considerations in deciding to go this route.

In this article, we’ll discuss some of the key considerations when deciding to hire a local employee in China, including:

  • What is included in the salary package?
  • The mandatory benefits included in the social security system.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business with China Tagged With: Business with China, Work in China

144 Hours (or 72 Hours) China Visa Free Travel Permit – The Complete Guide

January 9, 2019 by Furio Fu 174 Comments

How to transit China for 72 (or 144) hours without a visa Pudong International Airport, Shanghai

Need help to get your Chinese visa?
Click here to find out more!

Before you begin

When traveling in Asia, oftentimes you’ll have to pass through a Chinese airport. For some time now, if you have a stopover in one of the airports listed below, you have the option of visiting China (for a maximum of 3 or 6 days, depending on the city where you arrive, see below for details), without needing Chinese a visa.

Note that the visa exemption only applies under specific conditions, thus we suggest you to read the whole article!

Also, you can check this new tool released by the Chinese government: just enter your nationality and the city of entry (Beijing, for instance), and the tool will let you know if you qualify for the exemption and for how long (72 or 144 hours).

Keep in mind that even though we’re happy to respond to all comments, we cannot absolutely guarantee that you’ll get an exemption, since we are not in any way affiliated with either the Chinese Immigration Office (which issues exemptions on your arrival in China) or any transportation company.

In fact, if you’re traveling by plane, ship or train, it will be your transportation company that will evaluate if you qualify for exemption (and thereby let you get off the transportation you took to China without a visa).

In this article, I limit myself to sharing my own experience (I did in fact get an exemption at Pudong Airport in Shanghai) and giving a general answer to the most frequently asked questions regarding 72 or 144 hour exemptions.

P.s. Click here if you need a hotel in China for a couple of nights.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Survival Tips, Travel around Asia Tagged With: Travel in China

How to Obtain the 5-Days Visa (VOA) for Shenzhen

January 9, 2019 by Daniel De La Fuente 3 Comments

5-day visa shenzhen

Temporary visas for Shenzhen are issued for tourism purposes only. In the article below, we go into further details and update the information offered in our previous article on business visas, as well as give answers to the following questions.

How to Obtain the 5-Days Visa (VOA) for Shenzhen – Index

  1. Why visit Shenzhen?
  2. Who can get a temporary visa for Shenzhen?
  3. Where can I get a temporary visa for Shenzhen?
  4. What are the requirements for obtaining a temporary visa and how much does it cost?
  5. How long does the temporary visa last and how many entries does it allow?
  6. What are the steps for requesting a visa?
  7. With this temporary visa, can I visit other Chinese cities in addition to Shenzhen?
  8. Can I get this visa at my embassy or consulate?
  9. Does this visa allow me to work in China?
  10. Can I get a similar visa at the border between Macao and Zhuhai?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Survival Tips, Travel around Asia Tagged With: Guangdong, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Travel in China

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