Enjoying the Culture 179booking airplanes and hotels. Train and bus stations are
automatically packed during this time and difficult to
maneuver as many Chinese find it the most economical way
to return home to see their family or sightsee.
Travel during this time provides a unique opportunity to
interact with many local Chinese whose holiday destinations
match your own. It is best appreciated with good preparation,
an abundance of patience and a sense of humour. You will be
required to wait in long lines to see sights, sit elbow to elbow
at restaurants, and put up with the Chinese habit of constant
snacking and dumping the packaging at some of China’s
most scenic nature spots. That said, the added element of
seeing how enthusiastically the Chinese travel and enjoy
their country adds a unique dimension to understanding
the culture.
Logistics
Maps
Current maps of China can be purchased at any airport,
bookstore, train or bus station kiosk or hotel. Most maps are
in Chinese, which provides the most use if you ask local people
at anchor spots in your travels to circle on the map where
you are. To travel comfortably, you should always have the
attendant at the hotel’s front desk provide you with a business
card and to circle the hotel’s location on the map, as well
as the location of any spots that you are aiming to travel to
throughout the day. With a hotel business card, you can jump
into any taxi if you are lost, provide them with the card, and
comfortably arrive back at the hotel with minimal hassle.
Personal Documents
Anyone traveling within China is required to carry valid
identification at all times. A visitor must provide his or her
passport whenever checking onto a flight, checking into a
hotel, changing money or purchasing tickets. It is required
that anyone staying in a private residence register with the
local police within days. To be safe, do it within the second
day if you intend a stay of more than a week. When you check
into a hotel, it automatically registers you with the police.