13 Things You Should Know Before Coming To China
China is such a wonderful and unique country and one which some people can be hesitant to explore. It is such a huge place that it can often seem intimidating, but don’t worry I am here to help and this post will tell you 13 things you should know before coming to China.
1. A FEW USEFUL PHRASES
I always give this advice for whatever country you are travelling to, it’s always handy to know a few phrases to get by and be able to communicate a little. Now Mandarin is hard but if you know a few day to day phrases you can get by. It also depends on which city you will be travelling to as many people in Beijing are used to tourists and so can speak a little English, in other cities however this may not be the case. Watch my video with Quayjo from Elementary Chinese to learn a few phrases and download a translation app like Google Translate before you come.
Travel Tip: You can download an offline version of Chinese so you can use it without wifi! Just remember to download this before you arrive so you can access it straight away without any problems.
2. DOWNLOAD A VPN
This is really important to do before you leave your home country as once you get to China it’s pretty difficult. Some websites, emails, maps etc are hard to access in China.
A VPN is a Virtual Private Network that lets you gain access to these apps when you are in the country.
Things which are not accessible in China include Facebook, Instagram, Google, YouTube, TikTok, Gmail etc, if you download a VPN then you can access them on your phone and laptop. I recommend getting one which you pay for as it’s worth the money.
You can get different subscriptions depending on how long you need access. Most are usually for a minimum of a month.
Check out this post to learn more about VPN options.
3. POLLUTION
People often ask, ‘What’s the pollution like?’ people assume it’s a constant thing and it’s so awful you can barely see. Now I’m not denying there are days like this but some are worse than others. The pollution is a bit like the weather, it changes, and you can’t guarantee to have blue skies every day which is just like pollution, it also depends on the city. China is taking great measures to change this so hopefully, in the next few years the air quality will certainly improve. The pollution is far worse when it is just coming into winter and is so much better in the spring. You can download an AQI indicator so you know which days are worse and wear a mask, most weather apps tell you this already which is helpful.
4. GET READY TO BE A CELEBRITY
As a Westerner no matter where you are from you look different to a Chinese person and so many people will stare and even want to take pictures. It’s like being a celebrity and I say embrace it! People might take your picture on the sly and I usually just smile or make the peace sign which they find funny. Sometimes they want to take a photo of you with them in it. I think it’s quite sweet, it took a little while to get used to but I say own it, and enjoy it!
5. TRANSPORTATION IS SUPER CHEAP
Even though China is such a big place transportation is incredibly cheap, even in the capital, Beijing. Unlike other capital cities I’ve been to where transportation is pricy, a metro journey can cost you as little as ¥2/2p/3cent buses are the same, even taxis are cheap so after you’ve had a night on the tiles you can get home with ease and cheaply.
6. THERE ARE ENGLISH SIGNS
It’s much easier to get around than people think, in loads of major cities the signs are in English and there is often a language choice on things like the metro so it’s really easy to navigate big cities. You will find on the train and metro announcements are also in English. Again, if you are in a big city, then more often than not, most of the menus will have an English translation so it’s easy to pick, if not you can use your offline translation app to get by!
However, sometimes the Chinglish translation is a bit of a fail.
7. SPITTING IS COMMON AND SO IS BABIES WEEING ON THE STREET
Now, this is one myth that I would like to bust but unfortunately, it is true. You will see many people spitting on the street and you may not agree with it but that’s just life here so try not to get in someone’s way.
Another release of bodily fluid is weeing in the street, now this seems to happen mainly with kids thankfully and they just hoist them up and let them go wherever. Most kids have split pants instead of nappies so the view is when they got to go, they got to go, wherever they are.
My suggestion is just to try not to get in the way of either!
8. YOU DON’T HAVE TO TIP
So a big difference when you go out for a meal is that you don’t have to tip. In most Western countries it’s customary, whereas here it is viewed as insulting. You will find in some Western restaurants that there is a service charge added but this is as close as you will get. Some tours which cater to Westerners wouldn’t be insulted and have become more accustomed to receiving tips so in this case, it would be ok. Overall though it is pretty handy to save you a bit of cash on your travels through China.
9. PEOPLE ARE FRIENDLY AND A SMILE CERTAINLY HELPS
When you visit China you might find some people stare at you because you are foreign. If you give a smile and an ‘Nǐ hǎo’ then usually they will warm up and smile back, if not who cares.
You may also find that some people come up and speak to you directly. If they speak a bit of English they are excited to try it out and maybe take a photo with you. A lot of people will try and speak to you even in Chinese and you just have to smile and nod along even if you don’t understand - this happens to me all the time.
I’ve never had a bad or intimidating encounter in China. Most people are super friendly and curious. They are happy you are visiting their country and want to share it with you.
10. BARTER IN MARKETS
It’s common knowledge in China that you need to barter, now I wouldn’t advise it everywhere like a coffee shop but its certainly something you need to do at markets especially souvenir ones. It’s like a sport here they love it, they will often go super high and you need to know how much you are willing to pay and have a joke with it. At the end of the day, you can just walk away, they will either lower the price or I’m sure you will find it somewhere else as well. Usually, I would say offer 10-20% and then settle for around 30-50%.
Check out my post and video about ‘Beijing's Best Markets’ to see some of the best in Beijing.
11. THE BEIJING BIKINI
When the temperature is high in China then so are the men’s t-shirts. This summer fashion trend is known locally as the ‘Beijing Bikini’. In the summer months, men will roll up their tops usually just covering their pecks and exposing the belly so it looks like a bikini.
You will see this all over China not just in Beijing, although in the past few summers, it has been heavily frowned upon in some cities but some of the older generation still do it to cool down.
12. BRING TOILET ROLL EVERYWHERE
I can’t stress this point enough as there are loads of toilets in China, but most of them do not have toilet roll. ALWAYS bring toilet roll. Also, be prepared that most toilets are squat toilets which aren’t always the nicest -but look on the bright side you bum will look great after all that squatting!
13. HOT WATER IS LIFE
Feeling sick?
Drink hot water.
Got a cold?
Drink hot water.
Too full?
Too hot?
Drink hot water.
Hot water is life here. Whilst Westerners might find it strange on a 35˚ day to be handed a pot of hot water in a restaurant in China it’s customary. What we find refreshing they find strange and vice versa it’s just one of those things. If you ask for water for the table then make sure you ask for it cold or it won’t usually have been in the fridge.
The same goes for beers, if you want it cold make sure to ask for it or you might get a room-temperature beer.
That’s the great thing about travelling to a new country you get to have new experiences that you wouldn’t get in your home country. Sometimes those experiences are great and sometimes they can be challenging. Hopefully, this will help you navigate a few differences that you may not have expected.
Check out our video to find out more…
If you need some help planning your China trip then get in touch I can help you!