China is an ideal getaway all year round. Whenever you come, China has something for you. While the best time to visit China is in April, May, September and October. Traveling during these period would be rewarded with comfortable weather and breathtaking landscape, while that also means your travel cost will likely be higher, too. Traveling in other months is also suggested, because you would be rewarded with extraordinary landscape, less crowded attraction area as well as cheap accommodation. In winter, enjoying world-famous ice festival in Harbin and experiencing the spree of Chinese New Year are also what you can not miss. Traveling during this period seems more money-efficient but still travel-effective. 

High Season vs Low Season

High Seasons in China:

• Labor Day (May 1, 3 days duration)

• National Day (October 1, 7 days duration)

• University Holidays: Summer holiday (June-September) and Winter holiday (January-February)

Many people plan a visit during high seasons. However it is not always the best choice. During high seasons tickets for trains, planes, as well as accommodations at hotels are hard to obtain, as great numbers of people travel during these times. It is highly recommended to join an organized tour if you must travel during high seasons, as doing so will certainly relieve you from the difficulties of obtaining tickets.

Low Seasons in China:

Compared with high seasons, low seasons couldn't be a better choice for visits. They offer you the following merits:

• Saving money. In low seasons, the related costs will be much lower than during the peak seasons. Entrance fees, travel ticket prices, and the goods sold in the places of interest will all cost less.

• Saving time. Low seasons offer you a more tranquil environment rather than a noisy, crowded place. It may take several hours to take a photo during peak time, while in low seasons you can enjoy yourself in the beautiful scenery without any interference.

Festival Preference

China is a great country with numerous nationalities and each nationality has their own festivals. Should you be a Chinese culture lover, come during the time the festival you wish to see is happening.   

Nearly each Chinese festival has its own legend and history. Please explore more details about Chinese festivals and determine your itinerary based on your favorite ones.

Based on feedback from our Swiss guests and our own travel experiences, we've found the following websites are very helpful for investigating and ticketing airfare to and from each of our trips.

• www.cheapflights.ca/

• www.tianxun.cn/

• www.tripbase.com/ 

• www.Expedia.com

• www.Orbitz.com

• www.travelocity.com

Before Packing

·Make a packing list and number them in order of importance.

·Reread you list. Think twice about the "desired or essential" items.

·Try to make the list as short as possible.

·Find related information about your destination and amend your list accordingly.

What to Pack

Travel light! Whenever you travel, remember that quality, not quantity is the order of the day. Hereafter are some useful tips for packing. Please read it carefully as it will surely help you.

Materials:

·Do remember to take you passport, visas, related health certificates, tickets, ID, money, credit card, map, itinerary and other important documents needed during traveling

·Do remember to make a card upon which are your personal details in case of emergency

·Do remember to make copies for your important materials. It is strongly recommended that you additionally store a backup of your information in your email account or other on-line storage.

·Do remember to bring guide and phrase books related your destination.

·Do not pack important items unprotected; put them into a waterproof bag to prevent damage. 

·Do not carry too much money all in one place, spread it around your pockets.

·Do not keep your credit card and identification card together.

·Do not take too many reading materials, 1-3 copies is ok.

Clothes:

·Do check the climate of your destination, and then see what kind of clothes you require.

·Do remember to take leisurewear which will keep you relaxed and comfortable.

·Do remember to take clothes that dry easily.

·Do remember to take a waterproof and umbrella.

·Do not take too many formal clothes, one or two is enough.

·Do not bring natural fibred clothing as it is hard to dry and are heavier than synthetics. 

·Do not forget to bring sunhat, sunglasses and sun block in summer 

·Do not forget to take you toiletries and your personal items such as toothbrush, towel and so on.

·Do not take sturdy clothes 

·Do not wear military-styled clothing in case of unnecessary misunderstandings.

Clothing Suggestion:

Electronic products:

·Do remember to take a power convert and adapter plugs. China's electrical system operates at 220 volts

·Do remember to take razor, alarm clock, camera and enough film as well as extra batteries

·Do not take too many electrical products which can be bought anywhere or are provided by hotels, hair dryers for example. It will be a burden for you.

First-aid Kit

·Do remember prescribed medications! 

·Do remember to prepare some drugs for emergency use, including Aspirin, vitamins, anti-inflammatory, anti-histamines, remedy for diarrhea and antacid.

·Do take along your medical history (Blood Group, Allergies, and Known Medical Conditions) and keep in your first-aid kit. This may be helpful if you need to see a doctor or become incapacitated.

·Do not carry excessive quantities of drugs; you may encounter problems at China Customs.

·Do not bring a pharmacy, just bring the essentials.

Packing tips

·Roll your clothes instead of folding them or use vacuum bags. In this way you will save a lot of space and provide extra protection for your clothing.

·Put the items your will use regularly at the top.

·Bring several plastic bags with you. You will find many uses for them during your trip.

·Remember the rules on carrying liquids; you may have to remove them at your point of departure.

Swiss passport holders will need a visa to travel to and enter China (apart from Hong Kong and Macau for stays up to 90 days). There is no Visa-On-Arrival provision except in extraordinary cases. You should apply to the closest Chinese Visa Application Service Center to your home. Your passport must be valid for six months from your proposed date of entry and contain two blank visa pages when you hand in the visa application. Acquiring the standard one-month tourist visa is not difficult.

Places to apply for a visa: 

◎ Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Switzerland

Address: Kalcheggweg 10, 3006 Bern 

Tel: +41-31-3527333

Fax: +41-31-3514573 

Email: china-embassy@bluewin.ch 

Website: http://www.china-embassy.ch/ger/ (German)

Consular Office

Address: Lombachweg 23, 3006 Bern (Take bus No.19 and get off at Petruskirche)

Tel: +41-31-3518257

      +41-31-3514593 (manual answered between 14:30 - 15:30)

Fax: +41-31-3518256

Email: visastelle@bluewin.ch

Office Hours: 09:00 - 12:00, Monday - Friday (except holidays)

Important Notice about China Visa Application

1. Mail Applications will not be accepted. The embassy does not provide mail back service as well. If applicants can not visit the embassy in person, applications can also be lodged to the consular office by someone else (friends, relatives, visa agencies or travel agencies) entrusted.

2. Appointment is not required.

3. From October 8th, 2012, the embassy and consulate will no longer accept Cash as a mean of payment, please pay by MasterCard, Visa/Visa Electron, Diners Club/Discover, Union Pay or Maestro, V Pay, etc.

When NOT to travel in China

Weather aside, avoid traveling during any of the China's national holidays if at all possible. In the 1990's the Chinese government introduced the "Golden Weeks" to develop domestic tourism industry. The three Chinese national "Golden Weeks" to avoid are:

1.Chinese New Year (Spring Festival): This is the worst time to travel. The exact dates each year varies since it’s based on the Lunar Calendar, but it’s usually around late January to mid-Feb.Technically about 2 weeks but many Chinese will just get the first week off. Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional holidays, kind of the equivalent of Christmas in the West. A huge chunk of the population — from white collar to migrant worker — takes off work to travel back to their hometowns to spend time with their families. Most businesses shut down completely, so your options for eating and shopping also become severely limited in smaller towns. Of course, if you don't mind the crowds, it can be lots of fun (festivals, street activity, etc).  

2. National Day (starts Oct 1): A week-long holiday that celebrates founding of the People’s Republic of China. In particular, avoid some hot sites, such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Yellow Mountain, Jiuzhaigou Valley, etc. 

3. Labor Day (May 1): Until 2007, this was a week-long holiday but has since been scaled back to a long 3-day weekend. So not as crazy as before but still definitely want to avoid being in transit during this time.

Money Matters

The renminbi (RMB, sign: ¥; code: CNY; also CN¥, 元 and CN元) is the official currency of China (People's Republic of China). Renminbi is legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Macau. It is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of China. It literally means "people's currency".

The primary unit of renminbi is the yuan (元). One yuan is subdivided into 10 jiao (角), which in turn is subdivided into 10 fen (分). Renminbi banknotes are available in denominations from 1 jiao to 100 yuan (¥0.1–100) and coins have denominations from 1 fen to 1 yuan (¥0.01–1). Thus, some denominations exist in coins and banknotes. Coins under ¥0.1 are used infrequently.

For RMB (CNY) and ZAR exchange rate, please visit The Currency Converter.

Credit Cards

Currently there are seven main foreign credit cards available in China, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, JCB, Federal and Million. Credit cards can be used for withdrawing money, shopping and other transactions in most major cities of the country, but generally not accepted in rural areas.

ATM

In China, most of the local ATMs machines accept Visa and Master. CITIBANK card and HSBC are also very popular in China because Citibank and HSBC have agreement with UnionPay. For other cards, you may check the ATMs you are going to use and see if they have the logos and signs for your credit cards. 

Basically there are two main standards for voltage and frequency in the world. One is the standard of 120 volts at a frequency of 60 Hz, and the other is the standard of 220–240 volts at 50 Hz. China uses generally 220V, 50HZ, AC (Hong Kong is 200V; Taiwan is 110V).

Electricity in South Africa is 230 Volts, alternating at 50 cycles per second. If you travel to Beijing and other parts of China, you will need a voltage converter and a plug adapter.

Communications

1. Internet

Most hotel rooms will offer an internet connection for your laptop. Airports, Starbucks, and a number of coffee restaurants provide free Wi-Fi. If you don't have a laptop, inexpensive internet bars are scattered around the city. 

2. Post Offices

Airmail letters to South Africa usually take between four days and a week to reach their destinations. Stamps are sold at the post office counters.

3. Telephone

♦Call a fixed phone

If you are going to call a fixed phone in a particular city in China, please dial the exit number of your home country 0011 + 86 (China's country code) + 10 (i.e. Beijing's city code) + phone number. 0011-86-10-63827918

♦Call a cell phone

If you are going to call a mobile phone in a particular city in China, please dial the exit number of your home country 0011 + 86 (China's country code) + Cell phone number. 0011-86-15611078753

Conversion

Although a traditional measurement system exists, China now uses the metric system.

1 kilometers = 0.62 mile

1 meter = 1.09 yards

1 centimeter = 0.39 inch

1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds

1 gram = 0.035 ounce

1 liter = 0.76 pint

0℃ = 32 ℉

Meeting Etiquette

·Greetings are formal and the oldest person is always greeted first.

·Handshakes are the most common form of greeting with foreigners.

·Many Chinese will look towards the ground when greeting someone.

·Address the person by an honorific title and their surname. If they want to move to a first-name basis, they will advise you which name to use.

·The Chinese have a terrific sense of humour. They can laugh at themselves most readily if they have a comfortable relationship with the other person. Be ready to laugh at yourself given the proper circumstances.

Dining Etiquette

·The Chinese prefer to entertain in public places rather than in their homes, especially when entertaining foreigners.

·If you are invited to their house, consider it a great honour. If you must turn down such an honour, it is considered polite to explain the conflict in your schedule so that your actions are not taken as a slight.

·Arrive on time.

·Remove your shoes before entering the house.

·Bring a small gift to the hostess.

·Eat well to demonstrate that you are enjoying the food!

Table manners

·Learn to use chopsticks.

·Wait to be told where to sit. The guest of honour will be given a seat facing the door.

·The host begins eating first.

·You should try everything that is offered to you.

·Never eat the last piece from the serving tray.

·Be observant to other peoples' needs.

·Chopsticks should be returned to the chopstick rest after every few bites and when you drink or stop to speak.

·The host offers the first toast.

·Do not put bones in your bowl. Place them on the table or in a special bowl for that purpose.

·Hold the rice bowl close to your mouth while eating.

·Do not be offended if a Chinese person makes slurping or belching sounds; it merely indicates that they are enjoying their food.

·There are no strict rules about finishing all the food in your bowl.

Tipping in China

Tipping is not widely expected or required in Mainland China. However, at superior hotels and restaurants catering to western tourists, porters, room service and wait staff may have become used to receiving small tips. You can tip in cash, some small gifts brought from your country would also be appreciated, such as music CDs, books, perfumes, candies, etc.  While in Hong Kong and Macau, tipping is very common and important, just like many parts of the world.

Business Hours

Most of China's business world slows down considerably during the spring festival in late January and early February. Business visitors would be wise to avoid this two to three week holiday period. 

In most cities in China, businesses and government offices are usually open Monday through Friday and every other Saturday from 8 am to noon and from 1:00 to 2:00 pm to 5:00 or 6:00 pm. China has a five and a half day workweek consisting of 44 hours. Banks are open Monday to Saturday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Shops are open every day.

What To Do in an Emergency in China

Hopefully, you won't have to deal with an emergency while you're in China. However, if you do find yourself in a bad situation, it is important to know what to do.

In China the organization that is responsible for public safety is the Public Security Bureau (PSB). There are usually several PSB locations within a city district. If you feel you are in danger or need to call for help, you can reach the PSB by dialing 110 on any phone in China.

If you lose your passport, you should report the lost passport as soon as possible to your nearest Public Security Bureau and to your embassy or consulate in China. In order to get a new Chinese visa, a Police report about the loss/theft will be required. 

Below are some emergency phone numbers that you should make note of:

110 for the police

119 in case of fire or

120 for an ambulance

If you lose your credit cards or travelers checks, call the issuers immediately. There is usually an international number on the backside of your credit card that you can dial collect 24 hours a day from anywhere outside your home country.

♦ The PSB Office in Zhangjiajie

Tel: 0744-8225175

No. 32, Nanzhuang Lu, Yongding District, Zhangjiajie

♦ The PSB Office in Beijing

Tel: 010-84020101

Add: No.02, Andingmen Dong Dajie, Beijing

Subway: next to the subway station of Yonghegong (Lama Temple)

♦ The PSB Office in Shanghai

Tel: 021-62310110

Add: No. 128, South Wuning Lu (Wu Ning Nan Lu) 

♦ The PSB Office in Guangzhou

Tel: 020-83116688

Add: No.200, Qiyi Lu, Guangzhou

♦ The PSB Office in Xi'an

Tel: 029-87234500 

Add: No.63, West Street (Xi Da Jie) 

♦ The PSB Office in Guilin

Tel: 0773-2823334 

Add: No.1, Sanduo Lu

Consular Assistance

♦ Embassy of Swiss Confederation in Beijing

Address: No. 3, Dong Wu Jie, San Li Tun

Postal Code: 100600

Tel: (+86)10 8532 8888

Fax: (+86)10 6532 4353

E-mail: vertretung@bei.rep.admin.ch

Website: http://www.eda.admin.ch/beijing 

Office Hours: 

09:00-12:00, Monday to Friday (In the afternoon on appointment)

Saturday, Sunday and public holidays closed

♦ Consulate General of Swiss Confederation in Guangzhou

Address: 27/F, Grand Tower, No.228, Tianhe Rd.,Tianhe District, Guangzhou

Postal Code: 510620

Tel. +86 20 3833 0450 (Chancellery)

+86 20 3833 0451 (SBH) 

Fax +86 20 3833 0453

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 08:30-12:00 (In the afternoon by appointment) 

Saturday, Sunday and public holidays closed

♦ Consulate General of the Swiss Confederation in Shanghai

Chancery: 22/F, Building A, Far East International Plaza, No.319 Xianxia Road, Shanghai

Postal Code: 200051,

Tel: (+86) 21 6270 0519, (+86) 21 6270 0520, (+86) 21 5257 4111 (Visa)

Fax: (+86) 21 6270 0522

E-mail: Vertretung@sha.rep.admin.ch

Office Hours: 09:00-12:00, Monday-Friday

Saturday, Sunday and public holidays closed