Procedures

Foreigners wanting to travel in China can register in travel agencies in their
countries or in China, which will arrange the trip. Travelers can also make
arrangement by themselves. They should apply with a local Chinese organization
of foreign affairs, consulates, or other organizations authorized by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs for tourist Visas. In the event of more than five
persons, the organizer has to apply for group tourist visas, which will be
issued by the organizer. For foreigners whose government has signed visa
agreement with the Chinese government, they could follow the agreement. Foreign
travelers who want to travel in Tibet could apply for visa with the permission
of the Tibetan Tourist Administration or its overseas offices. Foreigners
requesting to visit Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Xiamen special economic zones (SEZ)
may apply directly with visa authorities, approved by the Ministry of Public
Security, in these zones for "tourist visas to SEZs". Foreigners who will stay
in Hainan Province for less than 15 days for business talks, traveling, of
visiting relatives can apply with entry visas in Haikou or Sanya. Foreign
tourist groups from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on a
72-hour visit to the shenzhen SEZ are exempt from entry visas.

Foreigners with tourist visas must enter of exit through passes opened to
foreigners of designated passes especially for foreigners, and follow all
entry-exit procedures. Foreigners are not allowed to enter areas not opened to
foreigners. Foreigners who want to visit, on official business, an area not
opened to them should apply with the local public security organ for a
Foreigner's Travel Permit. The foreigner's Travel permit should be used along
with the passport.

A foreigner staying in China with tourist visa is not allowed to engaged in
activities unfitted to his position, such as employment, study, and illegal
journalist interviewing. Foreigners staying in China must abide by Chinese law
and respect Chinese habits and customs.

Foreigners traveling with their own transport vehicles should apply for approval
before they enter china. These include bicycles, motorcycles, cars, boats, and
aircraft.

A foreign tourist may travel in China during the approval period of his stay. If
he wants to continue traveling after the approved term of his stay expires, he
should apply with the local public security organ for the elongation of his
stay.

         
Customs
Inbound and outbound passengers should follow:

1. Customs Clearance
According to related laws and regulations, the luggage of inbound and outbound
passengers must be under customs supervision and control. Passengers should make
factually declaration to the customs on the actual information on the luggage
they carry into of the territory.

2. Restricted Inbound and Outbound items
Cigarettes, liquor
PassengersSet Bounds to Duty-free Tobacco ProductsSet Bounds to
          Duty-free>12? Liquors
          Inbound and Outbound Hong Kong and Macao (including passengers from
          and to Hong Kong and Macao200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 250 grams
          of cut tobaccoOne bottle (less than 0.75 litres)
          Forth and back within 24 hours, or shuttle between china and Hong
          Kong and Macao many times within a short period of time40
          cigarettes, or 5 cigars, or 40 grams of cut tobaccoNot allowed for
          duty free
          Others400 cigarettes, or 100 cigars, or 500 grams of cut tobaccoTwo
          bottles (less than 1.5 litres)
 
Note: The limits on importation of non-duty-free cigarettes and liquor are the
same as those of duty free; Passengers under 16 years old are not allowed to
carry any cigarettes nor liquor.

Passenger's Personal Articles
Each passenger is allowed to carry a camera, a portable tape recorder, a small
movie camera, a portable video-camera, and a portable word processor. If
exceeding the scope, he or she should make declaration to the customs.
Passengers should bring what they have brought with them back on their departure
with the permission of the customs.

Gold, Silver, and Articles Made of These Metals
Passengers with gold, silver, and articles made of these metals, each exceeding
50 grams, should make declaration to the customs, and should carry out. Gold,
silver, and their products (including new arts and crafts articles, such as
inlays and containers) bought from fixed shops shall be released by the customs
after examination of the Special Receipts issued by the People's Bank of China.

Foreign Currencies
There is no limitation for the amount of foreign currencies, traveler's check,
and credit card. Inbound passengers who are residents of China carrying more
than US$2,000 or non-resident passengers with more than US$5,000 or an
equivalent amount in other foreign currencies should make a declaration to the
customs. When the passenger leaves China, outbound customs will release
remaining foreign currency after examination against the declaration form issued
by the customs upon entry. For outbound passengers with foreign currencies
exceeding the above-mentioned, the customs shall release the foreign currency
after examination against the foreign Currency Carriage Permit issued by the
State Administration of Exchange Control.

Renminbi (RMB)
The limit of Renminbi for inbound and outbound passengers is 6,000 yuan. Inbound
and outbound passengers with more than 6,000 yuan will not allowed to enter or
leave the territory.

Cultural Relics (including works of died famous contemporary calligraphers and
painters) If inbound passengers with cultural relics want to carry the relics out of the
territory, they should make a clear declaration to the customs. Passengers could
carry out the relics bought in China with the appraisal by the Chinese
administrative departments for cultural relics. When cultural relics leave the
territory, the customs shall release them after examination against the export
permit from these departments and the appraisal marks stamped on the relics.

If passengers carry cultural relics out of the territory but fail to declare
them to the customs, the customs shall deal with them in line with law.
Raw and prepared Traditional Chinese Medicines.

The limit for tourists bound for foreign countries on raw and prepared
traditional Chinese medicines is 300 yuan; for tourists to Hong Kong and Macao,
150 yuan. To mail to foreign countries, the limit is 200 yuan; to Hong Kong and
Macao, 100 yuan, Outbound tourists carrying a reasonable amount of raw and
prepared traditional Chinese medicines for personal purpose bought with foreign
currency will go through the customs with related receipts and foreign currency
exchange certificate.

Tourist Commodities
There is no restriction as to amount, value and variety for overseas tourists
carrying tourist souvenirs and handicraft articles purchased with foreign
currency in china except the variety of duty or with export permit in line with
national regulations. The customs will release against related receipts and
foreign currency exchange certificate.

3.Rules for Duty of Luggage and Mail Articles
To simplify customs procedure, Chinese Customs has instituted special tariff
rules and rates for inbound passengers' luggage and inbound mail. The tariff
rate includes 10%, 30%, 80%, and 100%.The tariff of articles will be charged ad
valorem import rate. The CIF prices are approved, published and carried out
according to the retail prices on international market.

4.Articles Prohibited from Entry and Exit:

Articles Not Allowed into China

Various weapons, imitation weapons, ammunition, and explosives;
Counterfeit money and forged securities;
Printed matter, negatives, records, films, audio and video recordings, laser
optical video-discs, computer storage media and other articles containing
materials deemed harmful to China politically, economically, culturally, or
ethically;
Deadly poisons;
Opium, morphine, heroin, marijuana, and other narcotics;
Dangerous bacteria, harmful insects, and other harmful animals, plants, and
their products; food, drugs, and other articles from epidemic-stricken areas if
such articles may be harmful to human beings and animals.

Articles that may not be taken out of china

Manuscripts, printed matter, negatives, photos, records, films, audio and video
recordings, laser optical video disc, computer storage medium and similar
articles if they contain state secrets;
Cultural relics and relics not permitted to exit;
Endangered and protected animals and plants (including specimens), their seeds
and breeding materials.

Quarantine Service          

Inbound and outbound passengers must accept health quarantine inspections by
frontier quarantine services if so requested.

Persons carrying such objects as microorganisms, tissues from the human body,
biological products, blood, or blood products cannot enter or exit unless they
apply with a health quarantine service and accept requited quarantine
inspections.

Persons who enter or leave China carrying, or consigning for shipment luggage or
objects which may cause the spread of contagious disease must submit to health
quarantine inspections. The quarantine inspection service is obliged to treat or
destroy such articles as foodstuffs, drinks, and aquatic products if they are
contaminated by contagious diseases.

Persons arriving from areas infested with yellow fever must present certificates
of inoculation against yellow fever to the quarantine department when entering
China. Any such person not having the above mentioned certificate will be
detained for observation until the sixth day after leaving the infested area, or
such person may be inoculated and detained until the time when the inoculation
is deemed effective.

Animal & Plant Quarantine

The following objects may not be brought into China: 1) Animal and plant
pathogens (including bacterial and venomous vaccines), pests and other injurious organisms; 2) animals and plants,
their products, and other quarantinable objects from countries and regions infested by infectious
diseases; 3) animal carcasses; and 4) soil.

Persons intending to bring animals, plants, and related products or other
quarantinable objects into China must submit application forms to the customs,
and they should be examined by the frontier quarantine department. Those who
bring animals into China must present quarantine and other certificates issued
by the country or region of origin.

Each passenger is allowed to bring one pet into China. Such pets should be
accompanied by quarantine and rabies-immunization certificates.

Main Ports of Entry

Air:
Beijing, Chengdu, Dalian, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hohhot, Hong Kong,
Kunming, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenyang, Tianjin, Urumqi, Xiamen, and Xi'an

Land:
Erenhot, Manzhouli, Ji'an, Hunchun, Tumen, Xunke, Mohe, Suifenhe, Friendship
pass, Pingxiang, Wanding, Ruili, Nyalam (Zhangmu),Yadong,Baketu, Alataw, and kunjirap

Water:
Tianjin, Qinhuangdao, Dalian, Dandong, Shanghai, Lianyungang, Zhenjiang,
Nanjing, Yangzhou, Ningbo, Jiujiang, Weihai, Qingdao, Yantai, Hankou, Guangzhou, Huangpu, Shantou, Shenzhen,
Zhanjiang, Beihai, Haikou, and Sanya
Practical Information

Chinese Currency
Chinese currency is issued by the the People's Bank of China

The standard unit of Chinese currency is the Renminbi (RMB), also known as the
yuan, The subsidiary units are the jiao and the fen. One yuan equals ten jiao
and one jiao equals ten fen. Yuan, jiao and fen are issued both in bills and in
coins. Chinese currency is issued in the following denominations:one, two, five,
ten, fifty and a hundred yuan; one, two and five jiao; and one, two and five
fen.

Currency Conversion

The circulation of foreign currencies and the setting of accounts with foreign
currencies is forbidden in the people's Republic of china. All expenditures in
China must be settled with RMB. The Bank of China and other designated Chinese
banks can convert foreign traveler's checks and cash in 22 foreign currencies
and the New Taiwan Dollar into RMB. These banks can also issue RMB against
foreign credit cards. The following currencies can be converted into RMB: US
dollar, British pound, German mark, Japanese yen, Australian dollar, Austrian
schilling, Belgian franc, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Swiss franc, Danish
krone, Dutch guilder (florin), Norwegian krone, Swedish krona, Singapore dollar,
Malaysian ringgit, Italian lira, Macao pataca, and Finnish markka. Some hotels,
restaurants and stores in China also provide foreign exchange service. The daily
exchange service. the daily exchange rate is issued by the State Administration
Exchange control. A foreign traveler may have the remaining amount of RMB
converted back into foreign cash and brought out of China within six months
prior to departure from china, upon presentation of a foreign currency
conversion receipt
.
Credit Cards
The following foreign credit cards are accepted in China: Master; Visa; American
Express; JCB; and Diners.
These card holders can draw cash at the Bank of China or use the cards for
payment in stores, restaurants, and hotels designated by the Bank of China
.

Traveler's Checks
The Bank of China can cash traveler's checks sold by international commercial
banks and traveler's-check companies in the United States, Canada, Australia,
Hong Kong, Japan, Britain, France, Switzerland, and Germany.

The Bank of China also serves as agent for traveler's checks of the American
Express Company, the First National City Bank, Thomas Cook Traveler's Check Co.,
Sumitomo Bank, and the Swiss Bank Corp.

Postal service

Postal service is available at the service desks of hotels and post offices.
Note: to use standard envelopes, write the postal code, and be sure to use
enough stamps. EMS is also available in most post offices and express mail
agencies. Many stores can send items anywhere in the world.


Special Telephone Numbers

0086-IDD code of China
110-Police
119-Fire
120-Emergency
112-Telephone repair desk
113-Long distance operator
114-Directory inquiries and information
115-International operator
116-Long distance directory inquiries
117-Time
121-Weather

Electricity

The electricity in China is 220 volts, but the bathrooms of many luxury and
medium-grade hotels also have 110-volt sockets.

Drinking Water

Only a few luxury hotels provide drinkable tap water, so don's forget to ask the
hotel whether the tap water is drinkable or not. Boiled water is available in all guestrooms, and bottled
mineral water is on sale everywhere.

Newspapers, Books, and Periodicals

Newspapers and magazines in English, such as China Daily and Beijing Review, are
free in many hotels. Foreigners can also buy books and maps in foreign-language
book stores or Xinhua Book Stores.

Television

English and Japanese television programs are available in many hotels via
satellite relay. The China Central Television Station (CCTV) and some local TV stations also provide news and other
programs in English.


Shopping

1.Business hours for most stores in China are 8:00 or 8:30 a.m. to 20:00 or
20:30 pm. In winter, the business hours for most stores are 9:00 a.m. to 19:00
p.m. Many shop assistants can speak English. Foreign currency exchange is
available in most shopping centers and tourist stores.

2.The designated tourist stores are the most reliable place for shopping in
China.


Medical Service

Hotels that receive foreigners have clinics that provide medical, health, and
massage services. You can telephone the emergency centers in nearby hospitals or ask your tourist guide to make
arrangements for medical service.

Work and rest

The working week in China is from Monday through Friday. Most people do not work
on Saturdays and Sundays. Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 17:00 p.m. with one
hour for lunch.

Public Holidays

1，New Year's day：
January 1, one day off;
2，Spring festival (Chinese New Year)：
The first day of the first month on the Chinese lunar calendar, three days off;
3，International Labor Day:
May 1, three days off;
4,National Day:
October 1, three days off.