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Gatecrasher · 04-26-2004, 10:02 PM

the organized tours could be overwhelming, and you might not have much time to see non-tourist places. so take every chance you can to go out on your own.

for example, you will probably go to tianamen square with the tour.. but go ahead and grab a couple people and go visit it on your own some evening. go the the hotel concierge, and tell them to write down "tianamen square" (or wherever you want to go) on the back of the hotel's business card, so that you can show it to the taxi driver.

shanghai and beijing will often look very modern and "middle-class" on the roads you will travel... the chinese government wants this to be the effect. but just two blocks off the main boulevards will be very poor and dirty. so go for a walk in the evening around your hotel. it's safe.

the tour groups usually stop at hotel buffets that will feed you americanized chinese food. ditch the group for those couple hours and find something on the street.

best food i had in china was after we went clubbing in shanghai. a guy on a bike stopped by us, and he had a rectangular 8x11inch barbecue strapped to back of his bike, already going, and then he took out some beef shishkabobs from a bamboo "cooler", and cooked it for a minute.. and i had 5 of those kabobs for a dollar. delicious.

when you travel with the tour group, you might go to a silk factory, tea plantation, herbal medicine center, jade factory, etc. these might indeed be interesting, but afterwards, you will be given the "opportunity" to buy "authentic" gifts (they will try to tell you that everything onthe streets is fake).. and the tour company gets a huge commission for everything you buy.. so that is why trips to china sometimes cost so little.

also remember that taxis are super super amazingly cheap... most places are very safe... haggle about EVERYTHING you buy.. and the haggling is expected, and is fun and light hearted.. it isn't like arguing with a manager the way we sometimes have to in the US.. you can buy things up to 90% off (and its not that you are taking away from the "poor" merchants income.. its just that they mark up their item 90% for the gullible tourists).

also, when you meet a chinese person eager to be friendly and eager to practice their english, take advantage and talk to them, and ask them for tips about what to visit... i met a girl who took us clubbing, to some other lesser known places, and was just being truly friendly.

MY MAIN POINT..: Ditch the tour group when you can!

(sorry i rambled in this post. i just have so many great things to say about china. i've traveled all over europe and the "western world" that i was truly bored of being a "tourist" there. then i went to china.. and there was something new to see everywhere)

04-26-2004, 10:02 PM	#6 (permalink)
Gatecrasher Tilted Location: 213	the organized tours could be overwhelming, and you might not have much time to see non-tourist places. so take every chance you can to go out on your own. for example, you will probably go to tianamen square with the tour.. but go ahead and grab a couple people and go visit it on your own some evening. go the the hotel concierge, and tell them to write down "tianamen square" (or wherever you want to go) on the back of the hotel's business card, so that you can show it to the taxi driver. shanghai and beijing will often look very modern and "middle-class" on the roads you will travel... the chinese government wants this to be the effect. but just two blocks off the main boulevards will be very poor and dirty. so go for a walk in the evening around your hotel. it's safe. the tour groups usually stop at hotel buffets that will feed you americanized chinese food. ditch the group for those couple hours and find something on the street. best food i had in china was after we went clubbing in shanghai. a guy on a bike stopped by us, and he had a rectangular 8x11inch barbecue strapped to back of his bike, already going, and then he took out some beef shishkabobs from a bamboo "cooler", and cooked it for a minute.. and i had 5 of those kabobs for a dollar. delicious. when you travel with the tour group, you might go to a silk factory, tea plantation, herbal medicine center, jade factory, etc. these might indeed be interesting, but afterwards, you will be given the "opportunity" to buy "authentic" gifts (they will try to tell you that everything onthe streets is fake).. and the tour company gets a huge commission for everything you buy.. so that is why trips to china sometimes cost so little. also remember that taxis are super super amazingly cheap... most places are very safe... haggle about EVERYTHING you buy.. and the haggling is expected, and is fun and light hearted.. it isn't like arguing with a manager the way we sometimes have to in the US.. you can buy things up to 90% off (and its not that you are taking away from the "poor" merchants income.. its just that they mark up their item 90% for the gullible tourists). also, when you meet a chinese person eager to be friendly and eager to practice their english, take advantage and talk to them, and ask them for tips about what to visit... i met a girl who took us clubbing, to some other lesser known places, and was just being truly friendly. MY MAIN POINT..: Ditch the tour group when you can! (sorry i rambled in this post. i just have so many great things to say about china. i've traveled all over europe and the "western world" that i was truly bored of being a "tourist" there. then i went to china.. and there was something new to see everywhere) Last edited by Gatecrasher; 04-26-2004 at 10:15 PM..