Planning your Trip to China 3

7. Language: Mandarin is the major language for communication in China, even in different provinces with their native language. Please note that most of the Chinese cannot speak or write English. Please remember if you need any help, please call the hotel that you are staying and ask for help from the hotel telephone operator or front desk manager or concierge. They can help you to translate what you want and do the translation. Don’t leave your hotel without bringing your hotel’s telephone number. If you are talking business, then you can hire the interpreter for the translation. Price range is around RMB200 to RMB500 per hour with minimum three hours hiring. Normally your hotel will help you to find the interpreter. This only applies to the 4 stars and above hotels in the core and secondary cities. For the rural cities, it will be a bit difficult to find people who speak English. Even if they speak English but not fluent. Please make sure the people fully understand what your meaning.

In the coming future, many foreigner are learning to speak Mandarin. Therefore, it will be very helpful if you can speak and understand the Chinese simplify letters when you travel or doing business in China!

8. Climate Addition: As I have mentioned that Changjiang River separates Northern part of China and Southern part of China. During Winter, only the Northern part of China has the central heating supplied. However, you will feel your skin very dry. Therefore you will need to bring your skin care and body lotion and use them often. Also please note that people in China have a custom to wear two pants in Winter, no matter they are in Northern or Southern part of China. People in the Northern part of China are not to bath daily during Winter period.

Please also note that there is an energy saving policy in China regarding the Air-conditioning in Summer and the central Heating System Supply in Winter.

Summer period - public places like department stores can only turn on the air-conditioning from March 15th to September 15th for both Northern and Southern parts of China. The hotels and government buildings air-conditioning are allowed and central controlled room temperature only at 25 degree centigrade.

Winter period - Central Heating system will start on November 1st for the Northern part of China only. If you cannot stand the heating system in you hotel room, you can turn off the heating and don’t forget to keep some hot water in tub in your hotel bathing room that make the room a bit humid not so dry. Please DON’T OPEN YOUR HOTEL ROOM WINDOW or else you will catch cold and flu very easily.