China’s not really a western place yet so there are a couple of things you should walk out for (or Kevin should watch out for):
- Don’t eat the watermelon. The theory is that since the water is dirty, the dirty water is absorbed by the watermelon and your stomach if you eat it. I’m not entirely convinced though.
- Bargain, bargain, bargain. If you are in one of the street or knock-off markets, you can get stuff pretty cheap (as long as you know the strategy). My general strategy for clothing stuff is to start at 1/5th the cost and stick with that price.
- Figure out what you need (to buy) before you go shopping, otherwise you’ll be overwhelmed by too much stuff
- When bargaining, don’t be afraid to leave. The shop next door sells the same thing and would be more than glad to bargain with you. (Seriously, they all sell the same things).
- I brought a lot of tissue paper since I was advised that there would be none, but if you stick to tourist places then you should be fine. I only use a couple of tissues, and that was to wipe my lens
- Bring lots and lots of $1USD for buying from street vendors (change may be counterfeit) and tips. The alternative is playing 10 Yuan which is about $1.4CDN after currency exchange.
- If you’re Chinese looking, the vendors won’t harass you as much. But if are Chinese-looking and dress like a tourist/backpacker, then they will still bother you.
- Don’t write tips too long after going to China, because by then you’ll forget what you’ll want to write.
2 comments
Hi! and welcome to the eclectic personal blog of Kevin Quan. Come in, stay awhile, peek into the nooks & crannies, and learn a bit about me and my interests.