Land of the Dragon
China is an exotic land steeped in history, culture and landscapes of temples, rivers, and mountains; also famous for its Great Wall. Having the largest population, it is also politically and economically powerful. But despite the differences in language, China is a giant modern country with bustling cities, great hotels, fabulous food, spectacle, grandeur and many historical and contemporary attractions.
THE BEST TIME TO VISIT
Autumn (September –October) and Spring (April–May) are the best times to visit China, as the temperatures are moderate.
Climate:
Winter – Daily high temperatures approx 40°F. January is the coldest at an average of -36ºF (-38ºC) in Harbin and 25ºF (-4ºC) in Beijing
Summer – between 25 degrees to 33 degrees Celsius
Autumn – between 15 degrees to 27 degrees Celsius
Spring – between 10 degrees to 23 degrees Celsius
WHAT TO EXPECT
Language:
The official dialect of China is Mandarin, also call “Putonghua”.
More than 70% of the Chinese population speaks Mandarin.
There are also several other major dialects in use in China: Yue (Cantonese), Xiang (Hunanese), Min dialect, Gan dialect, Wu dialect, and Kejia or Hakka dialect
Currency: The renminbi is the official currency (¥)
Banks & ATMs:
The gig four banks are:
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
Agricultural Bank of China
Bank of China and China Construction Bank
There are ATMs on almost every corner in China, but not all of them are foreigner-friendly. There are a couple things you need to ask yourself when finding the right ATM in China to use. Which Chinese Bank? Typically you want to find a Bank of China, China Merchant’s Bank or ICBC.
Plugs and Sockets:
There are three associated plug types, types A, C and I. Plug type A is the plug which has two flat parallel pins, plug type C is the plug which has two round pins and plug type I is the plug which has three flat pins in a triangular pattern.
China operates on a 220V supply voltage and 50Hz.
Highly recommended to carry a universal adaptor.
Culture:
China is a multi-religious country. Taoism, Islam, Buddhism, Protestantism, and Catholicism have all grown into culture-shaping neighborhoods during Chinese history. Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are considered as “three pillars” of ancient Chinese society. The majority of Buddhist believers are Han Chinese.
Safety:
China is generally a safe country to travel to, as long as you know where you’re going and most importantly be vigilant and stay alert.
Air China is China’s exclusive national flag carrier along with many other International airlines.
Search Skyscanner for many great airfares.
