[CountDracoola]

Been to China multiple times, on business though, so most of the stuff is already taken care of.

The guys at the hotel will definitely speak English, the folks on the road - well, most of them don't. You can ask your hotel to arrange your trips, will work out better. Mind you, you will dish out more if you arrange your tour cab from the hotel. Easiest thing to do is, go to the hotel reception, tell them where you want to go, ask them to write it in Chinese, take that to the cab guy. Works best.

Needless to say, you will be going to the Great wall of China, right? You may also want to visit the TV Tower, opposite the Bund.

Take the Maglev - the second fastest train in the world now. The last time I took it - around 5 months back, it clocked 440km/hr. If you are heading to Shanghai, you will be landing in Pudong airport. There are a lot of good hotels in Shanghai, but since you are paying from your pocket and not using your corporate Amex, you may want to try Indigo Shanghai and it is on the Bund and it gives you good views and is not very expensive.

Three tips -
1) Since you are a foreigner, you will be approached by guys asking if you would like "company" - you know what the answer should be
2) Do try the night market, wonderful stalls where you can have local, fresh Chinese cuisine.
3) Always have the hotel's visiting card with you - usually have the name and address in Chinese and English

Have fun in China!

[darthcoder]

Whenever someone approaches you for anything you dont want, say "Boo Yao!" i.e. No thanks . I was there for a month long trip (Beijing - Shanghai - Nanjing - Xian) last year.
If you are a veggie then food will be a problem, I survived on veggie subs (subway) and some other veggie stuff.

If you are in Beijing, places to visit would be the Forbidden palace, Great Wall, Temple of heaven, Tienanmen square (lots of security/vigilance here so have to be careful). If you have time for shopping go to the Beijing Silk Market, bargain like mad! I got a fake Ralph Lauren jacket for 150 RMB (Started bargaining from 3000 RMB).

Shanghai is purely commercial, dont be surprised if you are approached for "Massage" every 100 metres . Dont fall into that trap however tempting it might seem. Shanghai is very expensive. For electronics and stuff you might want to go to the big one near the Shanghai main station. Language is not a problem in Shanghai as it is full of expats but the local taxi drivers might not understand it (but there is a toll free translation number written on the back of driver seats in most taxis in case you need it). In case you go out clubbing in Shanghai, you must go to a club called "Muse". Good luck and have fun!

[naveen.raju]

Guys, reached China. Was in Hangzhou for a couple of days. Now in Shanghai. Leaving to Beijing tomorrow morning. Going well. Will be updating the thread.

[OHCVtec]

I have been offered an opportunity to work in Shanghai, China. However I am unaware of the living expenses etc hence could not decide upon a salary which I should quote.

I will be relocating to Shanghai with my wife and one year old daughter. I have around 8 years of experience in IT field, what is the minimum package I should look at. I have googled this however could not find any substantial information. Also can someone throw some light on the pros and cons of working in China. Thanks in advance.

[funkmeister]

I can provide a few tips as i was in China for around 6 years.

A booming economy has only increased the living expenses in China. As i was in Wuhan during my stint in China, i can only say that expenses in Shanghai would only be more expensive than where I was. i would need around 400-500 USD a month for expenses (including rent). And that was in 2010.

I don't think language would be a problem in Shanghai because of the diverse nationalities over there. If you are a pure vegetarian, your options are limited as for outdoor food. They use meat in almost every dishes and mostly it is pork!

Watch out for pickpockets. They are almost everywhere and are a talented lot!!

This is all i can think at the back of my head right now. Any more info u need, i would be glad to help.

[athanedar]

I have stayed in China for 4 months in Beijing and Shenzhen deputed by a reputed IT company.
Living cost of Shanghai is slightly higher than Beijing.
You should get a decent 2BHK furnished apartment for 5000 CNY per month in a high rise building with all amenities.
Food and commutation shouldnt cost more than 3000 CNY per month
My salary was about 28000 CNY per month. So was able to save substantial amount.
1CNY is hovering around Rs. 7

I believe you should quote around 30K CNY per month.

Pros of living in Shanghai :
Excellent infrastructure
Excellent public transportation system

These are few difficulties which I faced :
1. Language : If you dont know Mandarin it is very difficult to navigate around. You will have to have the address of source and destination written in mandarin with you all the time to get directions. Hand gestures come very handy here.
When you go to restaurants the menu card is also in mandarin.

2. Veg food : Unless you are cooking at home very difficult to find. Chinese people eat each and everything which moves. Once I saw a dog hanging along side road which the guy was selling.

3. Driving car: For us bhpians this is very important but in china you would find it extremely difficult to get license and drive. Since all road signs are in Mandarin.

4. Very less indian restaurants and grocery stores.

[naveen.raju]

I think the experts have pointed out some valuable points. I was there only for a week but I have mentioned some points that might help you. i have updated my travelogue here
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ays-china.html

[anilkalvani]

Didn't know where to post this but for folks travelling to Yiwu (wholesale goods market) & not wanting to feel homesick, here are some tips:

1. Stay on Chengbei Road.
2. 3-4 hotels like Byland Star, Times Hotel, Junwei Hotel, Hiyat Hotel. (Railway station is around 8km)
3. Its a km walk from District 1 of Yiwu International Trade Centre.
4. Good choice of Indian restaurants in the vicinity.
5. Grocers also stock Indian goods & food items.

P.S. Don't ask me on the markets, you can google it. I'm just trying to help in the travel part.

Pro-tip: Always travel on bullet trains within China, its the best option. You can download the Ctrip app & make reservations online to make it easier.

My 2 cents.

[nagarjun]

I have an upcoming trip to China and was wondering how to get a sim card in China? Are there any kiosks in airports similar to other European destinations?

My current Indian operation plan seems to be quite expensive for a roaming package.

[alpha1]

I remember seeing SIM card kiosks at the Beijing arrivals a few years back.
Another option is to use the likes of Matrix SIM cards that offer you with Chinese phone number and calling to India should be much cheaper.

[rk_sans]

Interested to know few things while travelling to China. If anybody has visited please suggest.
1. Maps
2. VPN app
3. good place to shop in Shanghai (have very limited time, so preferably one place)
4. do's and don'ts

Mods,
Didn't find any thread on this. If there is any, please share it or merge my question.

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by rk_sans

Interested to know few things while travelling to China. If anybody has visited please suggest.
1. Maps
2. VPN app
3. good place to shop in Shanghai (have very limited time, so preferably one place)
4. do's and don'ts

Mods,
Didn't find any thread on this. If there is any, please share it or merge my question.

Don't know if this thread is relevant as I had gone way back in 2011.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ays-china.html (6 days in China)