Things to know for China
-In open markets or with streetside vendors, ALWAYS HAGGLE. It's not being cheap, it's just the way things are done over there. You can't haggle in department stores, corporate-owned chains, or other fancy/organized places, but in open markets and small privately-owned or family-run stores, you can always haggle(pretty much whereever there are no price tags). A good rule to follow is to take their opening price and offer to pay 1/3rd of it and then work your way up to about half. But keep in mind that being a foreigner, you're always going to be paying at least twice as much as a local. The shop people will always open with a much higher price on an item with a foreigner and they'll be more stubborn. It's ok though, since everything's so much cheaper in China. Also, a lot of Chinese people in the Shanghai markets and tourists attractions understand basic English numbers and haggling terms like "too much," "expensive," "bad," "good," etc. Here's a basic outline of what you should do:
You: "How much is this?"
Shop owner: "200 yuan"
You: *surprised face* "THAT much? That's way too expensive! How about 60?"
Shop owner: "60? You crazy? I have a family" *swears in Chinese*
You: *start pointing out little flaws in the product - even if you absolutely love it, never act like you really like it* "But there's this scratch here. It looks like a chip. And the color's weird here, blah blah"
Shop owner: *Usually at this point, he'll try to praise the product - oh this is pure silk, this is hand made, yadda yadda* "Ok ok, how about 160 yuan?"
You: "That's still way too much. I was really hoping for 60. Maybe 70"
Shop Owner: "No no no, 70 too little! 150 yuan"
You: "But the guy over there had the same thing, and he sold it to someone for 70."
Shop Owner: "It no same thing! He a friend, he get discount. Ok ok 140 yuan, final price" (they say final price all the time - it's not)
You: *Start walking away slowly from the store* "Never mind. Thank you though"
Shop Owner: *Starts yelling prices toward you as you walk away* "Ok ok 120 yuan, 110 yuan, 100, 100!"
You: *Turn back and go buy it* "Alright, 100 is fine. Thank you."
The walking away works pretty well. It's all about timing and persistence. Just remember to be polite as well. Be patient, persistent, and don't be a dick and they'll usually give you a nice price with no hard feelings. And remember that a lot of the places sell similar items, so you can always go to a different store 10 feet away and try again.
-Keep in mind that when you're traveling with a tour group, you're NOT going to experience any of the authentic Chinese cuisine. You'll be fed the same Americanized crap you find in the states, like battered and fried chicken in heavy sauce, lots of boring fried rice, etc. I went to some provinces with a tour group a couple of times and it was horrible. At one place they actually gave us French fries.
ing FRENCH FRIES in China! If you want authentic cuisine(and please, keep an open mind - they have a lot of great dishes that so many foreigners are afraid to try, which is a shame), you're better off going out to local places in small groups on your own. Ask the hotel people or the local guide for recommendations. Beijing is well known for hot pots, especially the lamb meat hot pots. You should definitely try it. Shanghai is much more international and has a lot of foreign businessmen, so it's easier to find foods from all over China and Taiwan there. But as far as local food goes, try the drunken chicken, the Shanghai crabs, pigeons, and crab/meat dumplings. The fish is pretty good too. Also, find a nice dim sum place and a nice Taiwanese restaurant to try in Shanghai; it's worth it.
-Take extra film, compactflash, whatever it is you use. There's a lot to see and you'll probably take hundreds of pictures. And like most touristy places, the films and digital cam memory sticks are a total ripoff.
-Don't drink the tap water in China if you can help it. And don't eat really cheap looking street food either. They don't have proper water treatment and food sanitation in a lot of the parts. The locals have the immune system for it, you don't. The last thing you want is to get sick(the water and street food in Korea are pretty safe though).
-If you're not with a tour guide who'll explain everything, get an audio guide at the big sites like the Forbidden City(the audio guide in Forbidden City is narrated by Roger Moore of the James Bond films - extra points for cool). It helps make the tour better since you're not just staring at random things without knowing what they mean.
-When you go to the Great Wall, bring plenty of water. Some popular parts of the wall have many watchtowers that you can climb up, and it's a hell of a climb. I went to the 8 tower something something where you have to climb the wall until you get to the 8th tower at the top of the peak. My tour was only stopping for little over an hour, so I pretty much ran to the top. It's optional and only a few people make it all the way but it was definitely worth it. So bring a big water bottle.
-Don't tip anyone in China unless it's in a highly western setting(like at a Hyatt with many English speaking staff, maybe). It's not customary to tip in restaurants, cabs, or anywhere and it's understood as being included anyway. In some cases(especially in Japan and sometimes in Korea), people will get offended if you tip - they sort of take it as you saying "You did a terrible job. Here, I'll pay you extra so you can do your job better."
-Shanghai is very international and very modern. You'll probably feel more comfortable there. There are a LOT of foreigners(30% growth in foreign population annually). There are also many new tall buildings with nice architecture. Check out the Jin Mao tower and the Bund near the water. If you go out at night, there are many nice clubs near the Bund at all the hotels or at Xin Tian Di(also has nice restaurants and shops). Those will be more pricey though. But if you go to a local club, you might be solicited quite a bit by young prostitute types depending on the area. And oh, Shanghai is REALLY REALLY HOT and humid during the summer. Be prepared. Shanghai also has a drastic wealth spectrum from megarich foreign businessmen and real estate tycoons to the millions of people who came into Shanghai from the surrounding poor regions in search of a job, which creates some interesting social dynamics and problems.
-Beijing is very different. It's very traditional and there are many more old tourist sites and temples. There aren't that many tall or modern buildings. In fact, tall building over 50 stories or so were prohibited by the whimsical Chinese government after 9/11. Oh yeah, the traffic is RIDICULOUSLY BAD in Beijing. Because of the SARS scare a couple of years ago and the fact that cars became more affordable recently, many people who were afraid of public cabs got their own cars the past year, making traffic unbearable.
That's it for now for China. I'll post more if I remember later.
And oh yeah, try not to make shooting motions at the guards.
D Where you over in China/Korea because you had a job there or were in the military? or were you just backpacking?