Looking for more hints and tips? Thanks to China Travels, look no further! Below are suggestions with a focus on the more vague aspects of travel packing. Once you feel prepared to begin traveling, consider booking a tour to China.
Toiletries and Medicine
Apart from the toiletries you would normally pack for a long trip, consider also packing (or purchasing once you arrive in China) the following items:
- Hand sanitizer or bacterial wipes
- Sunscreen
- Tissues (old-fashioned toilets in China may not have a toilet paper dispenser)
- Mosquito repellent (depending on which part of China you visit)
*Important: Deodorant is hard to come by in China – most products are only antiperspirants! Additionally, if you are particular about brands, consider stocking up on your favorites before you leave home – stores near where you are staying in China may not carry the same ones.
Although more and more Western products are becoming available in China, bring plenty of any necessary medication with you while you travel. There is no guarantee of finding the same medications abroad!
Electronics
The most crucial item in the electronics category to bring from home or purchase in China is an adapter and/or converter. An adapter fits onto the end of your power cord to transform the shape of the prongs, and a converter will either raise or lower the voltage of electricity flowing from the wall outlet.
Adapters
Chinese wall outlets tend to look like this:
Even if your adapter set claims to contain an adapter designed for use in China, open the package and make sure it contains an adapter that will fit into the slanted openings of a three-pronged Chinese outlet! Note that a two-pronged plug with parallel, equal-sized blades will fit into the upper two openings of a Chinese wall outlet without an adapter.
Converters
Check the labels on the cords of your electronics! China runs on 220V or 50Hz, a voltage much higher than that which is used in North America but the same as that which is used in most of Europe. If the label on your electronics says that the item can handle a voltage equal to or greater than 220V (e.g. 120V ~ 240V), you do not need to purchase a converter. Likewise, if the voltage the item in question can handle is less than 220 V, you will need to purchase a converter and use it every time you plug the item into a wall socket.
Money
In general, everyday shopping in China is quite affordable. Budget enough money to cover food, transportation, and other costs, and bring nearly all of it to China in the currency of your homeland and traveler’s checks.
Converting your currency into Chinese yuan, or renminbi, is quite simple. Take the money you wish to convert and your passport to any of the four Chinese national banks (Bank of China, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the Agricultural Bank of China, or the Construction Bank of China), and speak with a teller to change your homeland currency into yuan.
*Note: The exchange rate fluctuates every day, and each conversion includes a service charge. To make the most of each conversion, it is unadvisable to convert large sums of money. Do not convert more than you can use before your time in China is up, or you will be converting Chinese money back into the currency of your homeland and incurring double the service charge!
Armed with these travel tips, you can now confidently book a flight to China and explore!
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