About.com China Travel

Free things to do in Shanghai

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:38:10 +0000

After six years in Shanghai, a city I used to think was relatively inexpensive, I'm finding costs creeping farther up. Little white stickers are appearing in more and more restaurant menus covering old prices and indicating new ones. As Shanghai becomes more cosmopolitan and developed, so are the prices.

But that shouldn't get the traveler down. There are still plenty of things to do that don't cost a fortune. In fact, I've put together a little list just for this sake. Take in the free stuff and spend your money on treasure for home and delicious food. But even food doesn't have to break the bank - there are plenty of cheap and yummy eats in Shanghai.

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Free things to do in Shanghai originally appeared on About.com China Travel on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 19:38:10.

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Keep Warm with a Cup of Tea

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:19:21 +0000

My Asian tea experience began over twelve years ago in Japan where I studied tea ceremony for about six months. It's extremely ceremonial and - I learned recently - an import from Song Dynasty China. Meditative, beautiful and sometimes painful (try sitting on your knees like that for ten minutes, much less an hour!), it is certainly not casual.

Move forward in time and I find myself looking wistfully into Chinese tea houses watching patrons merrily sipping tea with friends. While I have a deep appreciation for the Japanese tea ceremony, I like the gregariousness of casual Chinese tea drinking.

But there's ceremony involved here as well and a proper way to prepare and drink Chinese tea. But it's really a lovely pastime, and a good way to keep warm in these cold temperatures. After choosing which tea to drink, one can enjoy the fragrance as well as the flavor, an aspect that develops as you drink through your pot of tea.

Drinking tea in China is as quintessentially Chinese as Tai Chi and Ping Pong. Don't let your holiday pass by without stopping to enjoy a nice cup (or two or three...)

Photos: Tea preparation at the Song Fang Maison de th�. � 2007 Sara Naumann, licensed to About.com.

Keep Warm with a Cup of Tea originally appeared on About.com China Travel on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 20:19:21.

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Thanksgiving in China

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:32:36 +0000

American Thanksgiving is around the corner, coming up on November 26th. Are you going to be in China over the holiday? Want to know how to get your turkey fix? Read on.

Thanksgiving in China originally appeared on About.com China Travel on Saturday, November 14th, 2009 at 20:32:36.

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Avoid extra baggage fees - use China Post

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:24:08 +0000

I just returned from the US and was shocked by multiple calamities at the United Airlines check-in counter in Chicago. First, there were no check-in personnel at the international counter. I thought it was strange since someone would have to look at my visa and sure enough, after spending 15 minutes with the machine, I had to wait for a staff member to come finish up the process. That wasn't traumatic. The second debacle was.

I was grossly overweight in one of my checked pieces and under on the other one. By the way, soon, United will only allow one piece of checked luggage and knowing this, I was trying to bring back lots of things I can't find in China (like full-flavor molasses). Kind check-in personnel took pity on me, gave me a box and, in the end, I was able to divide up my extra pounds and make it on the plane without paying any of the original $350 over-weight fee. Phew! (Thank you, United Airlines Chicago check-in staff for being so nice to me. That doesn't happen often.)

My point in bringing this up is not only to remind you that soon, only one bag will be allowed on overseas trips out of the US; but also to introduce the idea of shipping your treasure home from China.

In China, most tourist-friendly stores are more than happy to arrange shipping for you. Especially for large pieces, furniture for example, the shop almost always has the ability to arrange for container shipping to anywhere in the world. But what about all those little items you collect along the way? The box of terracotta warrior replicas, the tablecloths (one for you and one for each of your friends), the numerous strands of pearls...the list goes on. You may not even have room in your baggage and once the new baggage allowance rules take effect, you may be in for a big fee when you try to check in with that extra bag.

China Post is your answer. The US Postal Service did away with sea mail over a year ago but China still uses it and it's very reasonable - and reliable. Take your goodies to a post office and they can box it up for you and ship it home at very reasonable costs. Don't be afraid of a language barrier - in large cities you'll probably find at least one English speaker and hand signals work very well. (You're in the post office, you've got a bunch of stuff, you're foreign. They'll understand what you're doing there.) The forms are in English and Chinese so you'll be fine there.

So keep shopping, and hit the post office every few stops. Now the only inhibition to your China shopping spree is your wallet.

Avoid extra baggage fees - use China Post originally appeared on About.com China Travel on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 00:24:08.

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Intimidated by Dim Sum in Hong Kong? Don't be - we've got answers.

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:56:34 +0000

When you're traveling in Asia it can be very tempting to head toward recognizable brands so you don't have to face language issues and possible embarrassment when you order. You know the Starbucks servers in Shanghai will speak English enough to understand you need a triple-Venti-caramel-no-foam-whipped-cream-decaf-latte and you know you'll be able to point to the pictures in the McDonald's in Beijing. Failing that, you think, well Spaghetti Bolognese is rather internationally understood, so I'll eat Italian tonight. I know what I'll get.

But to skip eating locally while traveling in China is to skip part of the culture. In China, food IS culture. Eating is a big part of daily life - it's important and people enjoy it. It's like not going to the Louvre in Paris, skipping the Dome in Florence, not going to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Are you in China? Then you must eat Chinese food.

All that in mind, I never said it is always easy. And I, for one, have on more than one occasion ordered fried rice because I knew what it was, even though there were some mighty mouth-watering dishes on my neighbors' tables.

Dim Sum is one of those things that folks are universally familiar with but might be intimidated to try. On a recent trip to Hong Kong with my husband's family, eating Dim Sum was high on their to-do list and after a great meal, I thought about them trying to do it on their own without us Old China Hands along to help. So to ease the intrepid Dim Sum seeker's mind, I've written a how-to on eating Dim Sum. Rory Boland, our Guide to Hong Kong and Macau has also broken it down. Armed with our info, you'll be sure to enjoy your authentic Dim Sum experience.

Intimidated by Dim Sum in Hong Kong? Don't be - we've got answers. originally appeared on About.com China Travel on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 10:56:34.

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Buying pearls in Shanghai? If you�re unsure, you might get some help.

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:43:46 +0000

A reader recently wrote in the following, "I bought a very expensive pearl necklace at Fanghua in Beijing. When I returned home to the USA and had the necklace appraised, our jeweler said it was not worth the price I paid for it."

This is very disappointing for anyone and when you're buying something expensive and think you're getting a good value, then it's doubly so. My general advice has always been if you're not an expert buyer, then be do be careful. A good guideline is to spend what you're comfortable losing - so if what you bought breaks or turns out to be a fake, then you're not too disappointed. Of course, buying pearls in China can be a good value. If you know what you're doing, South Sea pearls can be purchased at a fraction of what you'd pay elsewhere (US$1000 vs $10,000 elsewhere) but that's still a significant amount of money and not many folks would be happy if their $1000 strand turned out to be fake.

So buyer, do beware. If you're shopping in Shanghai and want some help buying pearls, then you may want to look into using a personal shopper like Ms. Angela McDonald. McDonald's been in Shanghai for many years, speaks Chinese and has her own pearl business. She's now offering tours and educational seminars to teach people how to buy and she takes people to reputable sellers.

If you're on your own, then make sure you keep your head about you, bargain hard and test the pearls for fakes.

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Buying pearls in Shanghai? If you�re unsure, you might get some help. originally appeared on About.com China Travel on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 09:43:46.

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Planning for winter travel in China

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:12:53 +0000

Just a few days ago I was sitting in the sunshine basking in our late October warm weather. Now, with snow in Beijing and cold temperatures here in Shanghai, those warm days seem like a distant memory. Winter's on it's way and if you'll be in China in December, January or February, you might want to start making some plans.

There are some fun festivals and events that should warm you up even in the coldest temperatures. And if you can't stand the cold, then there are plenty of locales across southern China that will help you defrost.

Read all about Winter in China.

Planning for winter travel in China originally appeared on About.com China Travel on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 07:12:53.

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November in China

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:19:47 +0000

November can be a really lovely month to travel in China. The October holidays, and associated fare increases, are long over and folks are settling down for the winter. Therefore, November can be a relatively peaceful month in which to travel and see some of China's Top Attractions.

While northern China will begin to see some really wintery temperatures in late November, central and southern China will still see moderate and comfortable temperatures in which to sight see and tour.
Enjoy China in November!

November in China originally appeared on About.com China Travel on Sunday, November 1st, 2009 at 19:19:47.

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Why drinking Lipton green tea from a tea bag makes me angry

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:15:51 +0000

Here I am multi-tasking again. By the way, the weather cooled off today, apparently we're expecting a cold front in Shanghai tomorrow accompanied with drizzle...thank you sun, we enjoyed you during your long visit. I'm in a caf� called Amokka on Anfu Road in the heart of the former French Concession. It's one of those places I hate to love but the coffee is really good and the big tables and good wi-fi connection are conducive to my multi-tasking (eating lunch and working).

But today I ordered green tea as I'm saving my coffee for later. It came in a tea bag labeled Lipton. Now, I'm going to hope that the tea was bagged here in China but I'm sorry, with all the wonderful tea on offer here, must you offer me a bag of Lipton tea? This, at a cost of 22rmb, is actually insulting.

From now on, at places with names like Amokka, I'll stick to coffee and follow my better instincts to Song Fang Maison de th� for my tea-drinking needs. I should have known better. (But shame on any self-respecting caf� in China for serving bagged green tea. Ahem.)

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Why drinking Lipton green tea from a tea bag makes me angry originally appeared on About.com China Travel on Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 at 01:15:51.

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You get what you pay for - shopping for fakes in China

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:01:22 +0000

The Chinese saying is 一分;钱一分;货, "yi fen qian, yi fen huo" (pronounced ee fen chee-ahn, ee fen hoo-oh). This translates literally to one cent gives you one cent's worth of merchandise. Makes sense, right?

There's a whole industry of fake goods in China that lots of visitors to China go wild for when they arrive but there's a healthy local market for them as well. It goes beyond pirated DVDs and fake Gucci bags (those are the ones the tourists buy). Very few locals will spend money on legal copies of software when copies of everything from Microsoft Windows and Adobe Photoshop are available for install at every cybermarket. There are smart phones on the market that look like iPhones, operate like iPhones and smell like iPhones for a fraction of the cost (just don't drop it, it will likely shatter and don't expect and after-sale warranties on fake goods).

As a travel writer, I get asked frequently where to buy the fake goods. The answer is easy to give: every large market in China sells fake products - be it eyeglasses, watches, bags, shoes, clothing or electronics. But I remind visitors that you get what you pay for. People are often surprised when they get home and their watch doesn't work anymore or their sunglasses don't actually offer any UV protection whatsoever. The best example comes from my poor husband who bought a "leather" briefcase at the old Xiangyang Market (Shanghai's famous fake market that's now been closed and moved). To his credit, he needed a new bag for an upcoming business trip. We lived close by the market so it seemed like a quick and easy option. After an important meeting in Frankfurt, he closed the meeting, grabbed his bag and left the room - with just the handle in hand.

You get what you pay for. If you come to China and do some shopping, it will be tempting to sample some of these fake goods. But don't pay too much money for them and don't forget, yi fen qian, yi fen huo.

You get what you pay for - shopping for fakes in China originally appeared on About.com China Travel on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 20:01:22.

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