Sapore di Cina

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Top Day Tour Agencies in Hong Kong: The Complete Guide

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Top Day Tour Agencies in Hong Kong

Day Tour Agencies in Hong Kong – Index

  1. Big Foot Tour Hong Kong
  2. Excella Travel HK Ltd.
  3. Hello! Hong Kong
  4. Hong Kong Foodie Tasting Tours
  5. Running Panda Hong Kong

Do you plan to visit Hong Kong and want to participate in a local day tour? In this article, we list some of the most popular day tour agencies that offer everything from food tours to daily tours to New Territories and Lantau Island. You can even spend your layover in Lantau, which can be a great option if you have a limited time in Hong Kong, as the airport is located there.

You’ll learn about each operator and what kinds of services they offer. We will also explain about their recognition and reviews on Tripadvisor. If you have any other recommendations of day tour agencies in Hong Kong, feel free to drop a comment below!

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Vaccines for Traveling to Asia: The Complete Guide

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Vaccines travel southeast asia and China

This article gives an informative list of the vaccines necessary for traveling to China, East Asia and Southeast Asia.

Vaccines for Asia – Table of Contents

  1. General situation of vaccines
  2. Most common vaccines for traveling to Asia
  3. Other diseases to consider
  4. Coronavirus Covid-19
  5. Precautions after your trip

 

Before anything else, it is essential that you book an appointment with a specialist doctor at an approved international vaccination center or at a travel clinic (many public and private hospitals have one), preferably two months in advance of your departure date.

These are the only types of centers where you will receive up-to-date and detailed advice on all of the vaccines recommended for your trip.
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The Best Chinese Apps for Music, TV Series and Movies

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The Best Chinese Apps

Have you ever wondered which are the best Chinese apps to use on your smartphone or tablet, to listen to music, watch movies or streaming TV series, and practice your Chinese between one work break and another or while you’re on the subway?

In this article I will propose a list of apps to you that I usually use during my daily life, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each.

NB: All these apps, once you’ve paid for the first month’s subscription, follow the zidong xufei 自动续费 (automatic renewal) formula, which you can easily deactivate by clicking on the app’s settings, otherwise the preestablished charges will be withdrawn from your account each month with one day’s notice via WeChat Pay or Alipay. [Read more…]

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Cost of living in Hong Kong: The Complete Guide

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Cost of living in Hong Kong

Cost of living in Hong Kong – Index

  1. General reflections
  2. Costs for rents, food, transportation, and more
  3. How high are the salaries in Hong Kong?
  4. Is it expensive to live in Hong Kong?

In the first section of this article, you will get a good understanding of the general living costs in Hong Kong. We won’t review any numbers in this part, but you’ll mainly learn what makes Hong Kong expensive and how living costs can differ, depending on your lifestyle.

We will go into more detail in the second part of the article where we check detailed numbers for rents, food, SIM cards, alcohol, transportation, and more. After, we continue and review the average salary in Hong Kong, comparing expats and locals.

If you have any information that you would like to share regarding the cost of living, feel free to drop a comment at the end of the article.

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Best Anti Pollution Air Masks for China: Our Top Picks

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Best Anti Pollution Air Masks for China

Best Anti Pollution Air Masks for China – Index

  1. Airinum
  2. BASE CAMP Dust Breathing Mask
  3. Cambridge Pollution Mask
  4. FIGHTECH Dust Mask
  5. 3M
  6. RZ Mask
  7. What is the difference between N95 and N99 masks?
  8. Does N95 protect against smoke?

If you move to China, you should consider buying anti-pollution masks before you depart from your home country. Sure, you can buy masks on-site after arriving, but it’s good to have the masks available from day one. This is especially if you arrive on a day when the air quality is worse.

There are plenty of brands available online that sell masks with different designs, filters, and in different price segments. In this article, we list some of the most popular brands available and explain what makes their masks unique.

You’ll also find links to various Amazon-sellers that sell masks online, making it easy for you to pre-order masks before going to China.

From time to time, masks run out of stock, this is especially the case in events of virus outbreaks. This happened during the coronavirus outbreak in late 2019, for example. If that’s the case, we recommend you contacting the sellers to clarify when new masks will be available.

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Traveling to Fujian: The Complete Guide

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Traveling to Fujian

Traveling to Fujian – Index

  1. Key Information
  2. Why you should travel to Fujian
  3. How to get to Fujian?
  4. What’s the best time to visit Fujian?
  5. Accommodations in Fujian
  6. What to see in Fujian?
  7. Food in Fujian

Located in Southeastern China, Fujian is an old province with many historical cities and villages. It has played an important role throughout China’s history and is one of the cities that Marco Polo visited during his voyage to China.

It has plenty of UNESCO World Heritage sites, mountains, lakes, beaches, and islands. It’s also famous for its cuisine, which is one of the 8 Great Cuisines in China. Simply put, I recommend you pay a visit to Fujian if you have the time while traveling in China.

In this article, you’ll learn how you can get to Fujian, the best time to go there, where you should go, about some of its famous dishes, and more. Let’s start and review a summary of the province.

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Traveling to Zhejiang Province: The Complete Guide

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Traveling to Zhejiang

Traveling to Zhejiang – Index

  1. Key Information
  2. Why you should travel to Zhejiang
  3. How to get to Zhejiang?
  4. What’s the best time to visit Zhejiang?
  5. Accommodations in Zhejiang
  6. What to see in Zhejiang?
  7. Food in Zhejiang

Located on the Eastern Coast of China, Zhejiang is a populous province wedged between Shanghai and four other provinces. It’s the home to many historical cities, where Hangzhou and Ningbo stand out the most.

Even if Zhejiang has many lakes, mountains, ancient towns, and historical sites, travelers usually make a short trip to the province while being in Shanghai or any other provinces along the East Coast.

If you plan to visit Zhejiang, don’t look any further. In this article, I’ll introduce you to the province, explain how to get there, when to visit, which cities and sites to visit, and much more.

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How to Protect Yourself From the New Coronavirus (Covid-19)

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How to Protect Yourself From the New Coronavirus

How to Protect Yourself From Coronavirus – Index

  1. What is the new coronavirus?
  2. Wash your hands frequently
  3. Does it help to wear a mask?
  4. Where to buy soap/masks?
  5. Avoid crowded places, if you can
  6. Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with a tissue or flexed elbow
  7. Are there any other recommendations?
  8. Is the coronavirus dangerous for everyone?
  9. Is it safe to receive a letter or a package from China?

Since December 2019, China has been battling with a new type of coronavirus referred to as Novel Coronavirus. The situation has escalated and we’ve also seen confirmed cases and deaths outside of China’s borders.

Countries like the US, Russia, and Singapore have closed their borders and banned foreigners who have recently been to China. Hopefully, the situation will turn to the better soon, but there are some protective measures you should pay attention to, minimizing the risk of becoming infected.

In this article, we review how you can reduce the risks of contracting the new coronavirus. Let’s start and review what the coronavirus is and what similarities it brings to other viruses we’ve seen in recent years.

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Best Health Insurance for Expats in Taiwan – Our Guide

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Best Health Insurance for Expats in Taiwan

Click here if you want to send a request for a
free quotation to the broker we recommend at the moment

Health Insurance for Expats in Taiwan – Index

  1. Medical attention in Taiwan
  2. Why do I need health insurance in Taiwan?
  3. Hospitals in Taiwan
  4. Types of insurances in Taiwan
  5. What is an insurance broker and why you might need one?
  6. Table comparing health insurance types for Taiwan
  7. How to evaluate the features of a health insurance policy
  8. Send a request for a free quotation to the broker we recommend

Taiwan has been voted as the best place to live for expats, it’s also been voted as the third best place to do business in the world (only behind Singapore and Switzerland). This small island has a well-functioning society and is famous for taking care of its citizens and foreigners.

Even if Taiwan is generally safe with a low crime rate, you don’t know what issues you might come across. Buying private medical insurance can be a great option if you want to get access to high-quality healthcare with shorter waiting times.

In this article, we review the healthcare system in Taiwan and what you can expect in terms of medical treatment as a foreigner while working there. I will also explain whether you need private insurance, what kinds of hospitals that exist in Taiwan, and some more general information about the insurance market.

Note: if you are looking for a short-term travel insurance for Taiwan, then click here.

Let’s start and review how the healthcare system works in Taiwan and how it has transformed over the years.

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Traveling to Guangxi: The Complete Guide

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Traveling to Guangxi

Traveling to Guangxi – Index

  1. Key Information
  2. Why you should travel to Guangxi
  3. How to get to Guangxi?
  4. What’s the best time to visit Guangxi Province?
  5. Accommodations in Guangxi
  6. What to see in Guangxi?
  7. Food in Guangxi

Guangxi is a relatively small province bordering to Vietnam in the South. It’s famous for its rivers, hills, caves, and karst formations. The province is also home to many ethnic minorities and offers unique experiences with astonishing scenery.

If you plan to travel in Guangxi, then don’t look any further. Today, I will start and share some brief key statistics and information about the province. Later, I continue explaining why you should visit Guangxi, how to reach there, which cities to visit, scenic spots, a little bit about the food, and more.

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How to Get a UnionPay Card Without a Chinese Bank Account

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How to Get a UnionPay Card Without a Chinese Bank Account

How to Get a UnionPay Card – Index

  1. What is UnionPay?
  2. Why is it useful to have a UnionPay card in China?
  3. Available UnionPay prepaid cards providers
  4. Should I apply for a prepaid UnionPay card?

Along with the digitization and the ongoing process of making China into a cashless society, foreign travelers find it more difficult to manage payments there. Nowadays, most Chinese use online applications such as AliPay and WeChat, or pay by UnionPay credit and debit cards.

Previously, it was impossible for foreigners to apply for UnionPay cards as this requires that you have a Chinese bank account. However, several foreign payment service providers have started to offer prepaid UnionPay cards to foreigners recently. We will review each one of them in greater detail in this article.

First, let’s start and review what UnionPay is and why it’s become so important in the past years.

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Traveling to Dunhuang: The Complete Guide

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Traveling to Dunhuang

Traveling to Dunhuang – Index

  1. When to go to Dunhuang
  2. How to get to Dunhuang
  3. Where to stay in Dunhuang
  4. What to do and see in Dunhuang
  5. Food and typical products
  6. Suggestions and cultural aspects

Dunhuang (敦煌, Dūn​huáng) is a town located in the western province of Gansu and is particularly famous for the Mogao Caves, for the Singing Mountain and for the Lake of the Crescent Moon, an oasis in the middle of the desert.

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The 14 Most Useful Apps for Traveling in Hong Kong

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Apps for Traveling in Hong Kong

Travel Apps for Hong Kong – Index

  1. Google Maps
  2. Uber
  3. My Hong Kong Guide
  4. XE Currency and Transferwise
  5. Agoda, Booking, and Airbnb
  6. OpenRice Hong Kong
  7. HKG MyFlight
  8. Toilet Rush
  9. Hong Kong Disneyland
  10. Citymapper
  11. csl Wi-Fi
  12. Cantonese by Nemo
  13. Deliveroo
  14. Chope Restaurant Reservations

Will you travel to Hong Kong and want to download some of the most useful applications beforehand?

Even if many young and middle-aged people speak English in Hong Kong, you’ll come across areas where speaking Cantonese is the only mean of communication. Downloading a handful of applications can help you to avoid getting lost and to save time and money.

In this article, we list some of the most popular and widely used apps in Hong Kong, not only among travelers but also locals. If you have any recommendations of useful apps not listed below, feel free to drop a comment after the article!

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Travel to Xinjiang: The Complete Guide

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Travel to Xinjiang

Travel to Xinjiang – Index

  1. Key Information
  2. Is it safe to travel to Xinjiang?
  3. Do I need a special travel permit to Xinjiang?
  4. How to get to Xinjiang?
  5. What’s the best time to visit Xinjiang Province?
  6. Accommodations in Xinjiang
  7. What to see in Xinjiang?
  8. Food in Xinjiang

Xinjiang is one of the biggest provinces in China and located in the located in Northwestern parts, bordering to nine countries and three Chinese provinces. Being the home to many ethnic minorities, especially Uyghurs, Xinjiang has played an important role throughout China’s history, mainly as the Silk Road passes through the province.

The province is rich in mountains, lakes, deserts, and steppes, offering splendid sceneries to travelers. If you plan to travel to Xinjiang, don’t look any further. In this article, we explain all the details of how you can get there, which cities and sites you should visit, what to eat, and much more.

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Cost of Living in China – The Complete Guide

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costoflivinginchina

If you live in China, click here to fill out the questionnaire and help us to better our estimation of prices in the city of your residence.

Cost of Living in China – Index

  1. General reflections
  2. Price tables for the largest Chinese cities
  3. Monthly expenses (according to your profile)
  4. Is it expensive to live in China?
  5. Salaries in China and minimum wages for foreigners
  6. Salary differences between Chinese cities
  7. Personal tax regulation for foreigners
  8. China’s new income tax law
  9. Frequently asked questions

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The 130 Top Things to See and Do in Shanghai

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Traveling to ShanghaiShanghai in a small model on display at the Shanghai World Financial Center

Travel to Shanghai – Index

  1. What do you need before traveling to Shanghai
  2. Tour or independent travel?
  3. Transportation in Shanghai
  4. When to travel to Shanghai
  5. Main tourist attractions in Shanghai
  6. Shopping in Shanghai
  7. Where and what to eat in Shanghai
  8. Bars and clubs in Shanghai
  9. Museums and shows in Shanghai
  10. Parks and amusement parks in Shanghai

Before you begin

This article contains a brief review of the main tourist attraction in Shanghai. For every attraction we’ll also specify the address and closest metro stop. Here you’ll find an interactive map of the Shanghai metro, while here you’ll find our guide designed for those who wish to move to Shanghai.

To conclude, here you’ll find our reviews on the best hotels in Shanghai.

Note: in this article, we indiscriminately use the words “Road” and “Lu”. The meaning is the same, since both have the meaning “way” or “street” (the difference is that the first word is in English and the second is in Mandarin).

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Travel by Train in China – How to Book Your Ticket and Choose Your Train

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train in chinaA Chinese class K train.

Trains are a primary form of transport and certainly the most widespread for extra-urban movement in China, by which you can reach just about every corner of this immense country.

Travel by Train in China – Index

  1. How to buy a train ticket in China
  2. Buying your ticket online (recommended option)
  3. Buy your ticket at a train station
  4. Buy your ticket at a booking office
  5. Buying tickets over the phone
  6. Types of Chinese trains and their different classes
  7. How to pick up your tickets from the train station
  8. How to read a Chinese train ticket
  9. Loss, reimbursement, change and cancellation of train tickets in China
  10. Primary policies of the Chinese rail system
  11. How to take a train in China
  12. Tips to travel by train in China

How to buy a train ticket in China

First of all, it’s important to understand that if you plan to buy your train ticket at the train station, or using the official China Rail website, you can only buy a train ticket starting from 28 or 30 days before your trip, respectively (even if for some trains of C and D categories the period is even shorter).

Reservations usually open 30 days before departure for online bookings and 28 days before departure for sale at stations, for most long-distance trains. Some overnight D-category sleeper trains only open 20 days ahead, some C-category trains only 10 days ahead. You cannot buy tickets before reservations open.

The problem is that, in particular during peak seasons – Spring Festival (in January or February), May Day (May 1st), National Day (October 1st) and Summer Holidays (from July to August) – you should buy your ticket as soon as possible or you’ll risk that tickets will already be sold out. [Read more…]

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Bike Sharing in China: The Complete Guide

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A well-parked Mobike Light

They invaded China, and now they’re invading the world, nation after nation. In Europe they have already arrived. They are yellow or orange, green or blue, and have pedals and two wheels: bike sharing, is the green answer that has arrived directly from China for getting around the city. Specifically, in Italy the first to arrive are Ofo and Mobike, but they’re not the only ones made in China.

In fact, since they do things big in China, they’ve moved on from taking advantage of carbon mines to a wild bicycle movement with unfair competition at times, to the last seat.

The idea, although it has been realized with exponential numbers that have grossly crowded up the sidewalks of their respective cities, was to bridge the gap in the lack of public transportation in an ecological way: which it does, in fact, in those cases where your destination is too far away to walk, but not so far as to call a taxi and then have to wait for it.

It is for that last mile to cross, from your door to the metro, from the office to the bus station, that Mobike, Ofo, Hellobike, Bluegogo, Yongxiang, Xiaoming, Yubike and many, many others have come.

The situation, it must be said, is a little complex and rapidly evolving: in fact the dominance of Ofo and Mobike, the respective properties of Alibaba and Tencent, has made it so that smaller private companies are slowly disappearing from circulation. So I will limit this to describing in detail the two leading companies.

So here’s the complete guide for how to stay up to date with shared bicycles in Europe, but especially, on your next trip to China. [Read more…]

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Top 10 Travel Destinations in China for 2020

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Top 10 Travel Destinations in China

Top Travel Destinations in China – Index

  1. Beijing
  2. Shanghai
  3. Chengdu & Leshan
  4. Xi’An
  5. Tibet
  6. Guilin & Yangshuo
  7. Dali & Lijiang
  8. Zhangjiajie
  9. Jiuzhaigou
  10. Hainan

China is a popular travel destination thanks to its size, old history, distinct cultures, food, and beautiful landscapes. Truth be told, it’s probably one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world, traveling to China is one of the most memorable experiences among foreign travelers.

Yet, before you travel to China, you must do research, deciding where to go and making an itinerary. Most people don’t spend more than a month when traveling a China, a reason why you should do thorough planning beforehand.

After many years of starting this website, we decided that we should write an article that lists some of the best travel destinations for China. Let’s get started and review one of the biggest and oldest cities in the world, Beijing.

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Travel to Hainan Island – The Complete Guide

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Travel to Hainan

Travel to Hainan – Index

  1. How to get to Hainan
  2. When to go to Hainan
  3. Hainan’s city and population
  4. Tourism on Hainan
  5. Haikou
  6. The volcano complex geopark
  7. Mount Wuzhi
  8. The mountain of the Seven Spirits
  9. Bo’Ao and the BFA
  10. Sanya
  11. The monkey island of Nanwan
  12. The food of Hainan
  13. The laoba cha

I’ll start off this article with a song from Namewee: 不到海南岛不知道身体不好 bu dao Hainan dao bu zhidao shenti bu hao “if you don’t go to Hainan Island, you don’t know how bad off you are”. Hainan Island 海南 (literally “to the south of the sea”) is the largest tropical island in China, not to mention one of its most visited tourist destinations, especially in summer.

The name Hainan is also abbreviated as 琼 qiong (you’ll find these characters on the license plates of cars on Hainan) which, for its part, is an abbreviation of 琼瑶 qiong yao “pure jade”.

Hainan is considered a Chinese province, in the southernmost part of China; it was the final province conquered by the army of the Communist Party not too long ago in 1950.

In the past, Hainan was an area isolated from the rest of the Chinese empire, mainly used for sending into exile characters like Su Dongpo and Hai Rui.

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