When to go: the weather during spring (April – May) and fall (September and October) are enjoyable for a visit in China. However, you may expect lots of tourists during these periods. If you hate crowds, try to avoid the holidays: the week of May 1 (Labor’s Day) and week of October 1 (National Day).

Money: the exchange rate between US dollar and Chinese Ren Ming Bi (RMB) is about $1 = RMB 8.2. Traveler’s checks, available through banks and travel agents, are the best way to carry your funds around. They have better rate than cash and are well accepted by Chinese banks. However, it is always a good idea to carry a small amount of cash in case of emergency use.

Do not expose your money in public.

Getting around: for many foreign travelers, the most convenient way to get around is taxi. You can easily find Taxis everywhere in major cities. Registered drivers are required to display their license on the dashboard. Make sure you see this before you accept a ride.

Registered taxies are installed with miters. Use miters instead of negotiating price with the drivers. It will cost you more if you negotiate. Remember to make sure the cab driver restart the miter before you leave. Usually, taxis will cost RMB ¥10 ($1.2) for the first 3 kilometer (about 1.5 mile) and ¥1-3 per additional kilometer.

If you want to save money, subways and air-conditioned buses are other means for public transportation. Subways in Beijing and Shanghai have announcements in English. Most buses don’t have announcements in English. If you ride the bus remember to look out for oncoming bicycles when you exit.

Passport and visa: in the US, it will take about six weeks to get your first passport. It is a good idea to apply for you passport in advance. A single entry visa to China is valid for 90 days after it has been issued, therefore you should apply for your visa between 90 and 20 days before your departure.

Eating and drinking: Eating in the restaurant is very inexpensive in China. Don’t expect Chinese food in China to be like Chinese food in America. You may have trouble to order food at restaurants because the menus are not always in English. Some restaurants have menus with pictures to help foreigners.

Do not drink the water in China directly from the pipe. Make sure the water has been boiled before you drink it. Every hotel room is equipped with a Thermos, which the floor attendant will fill for you.

Using public bathroom: Hotel's bathrooms are usually fine. I don’t recommend you to use public bathroom unless you have to. Try to use bathroom at your hotel before you head out for the day.

Shopping: you can bargain at most shops, especially on the street market it's important to bargain if you want a good deal. Some merchants ask for high price when they see foreigners. You can easily cut prices by at least 50%. If you don’t like to bargain, China has big shopping center or department store too.

You can find many black market products, including clothing, shoes, CDs, on the street market. Prices are very low, but don’t expect high quality.

What to bring: a voltage adaptor to convert 220v to 100 if you use electric devices. However, you can purchase these adaptors very cheaply in China if you know where to go.

Don't bring a lot of things when you travel. If you forget something you can easily purchase it very inexpensive in China.

Emergency #: Police: 110; Fire: 119; Ambulance: 120