Tibet (China) Mini Guide
   Source: World Travel Guide

Overview

China is the cultural treasure-house of East Asia: its social riches and 5,000 years of tumultuous history place it among the world's greatest travel destinations. The Great Wall, X'ian's Terracotta Army, the Forbidden Palace and Tiananmen Square: the very names reverberate with history and legend.

China's paradoxes are many: Shanghai's skyscrapers contrast with Beijing's historical treasures, while in rural provinces, mechanisation is slow. Its history is one of turmoil in between periods of stability.

The civil war in 1945 defined the China of today. Defeated Nationalists fled to Taiwan, while victorious Communists founded the People's Republic of China. Prior to that, China endured eight years of brutal occupation by the Japanese imperial army from 1937, souring relations between the two countries to this day. 

The convulsions of the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s preceded major economic reforms but little political liberalisation prompted widespread protest. In 1989, thousands occupied Beijing's Tiananmen Square, the army clearing the square with great loss of life and the government reasserting political control.

History and politics aside, China is a land of superlatives, encompassing the Yangtze River, the Silk Road, the bamboo forests of the giant panda and misty peaks immortalised in traditional ink paintings. China has 33 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Chinese food ranks among the world's great cuisines. From acrobatics to martial arts, calligraphy to Chinese opera, the vibrant, distinctive culture of this great land is everywhere to be seen.

Spectacular Tibet (Xihang) has been open to tourists since 1980. Occupied by China since 1950, the Cultural Revolution seriously damaged its cultural identity, yet Tibet's way of life and historically important Buddhism traditions have endured. Now linked by train to the rest of China, Tibet's unique culture faces renewed threats, from hordes of immigrant Han Chinese settlers and tourists.

China is set to become the world's major economic power within 20 years. Growth has come at great environmental cost. However, it has also spurred on China's rapidly improving tourism infrastructure. Beijing is currently undergoing a huge investment programme for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Flexibility and patience are still required to travel around China but, in return, China rewards visitors with memories to treasure for a lifetime.

Passport/Visa

Note:

Those wishing to visit Tibet are strongly advised to join a travel group. Individual travellers need an Alien's Travel Permit issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau (see Contact Addresses). Applicants will need to show their Chinese Visa also.

Passports

Required by all nationals referred to in the chart above. Passport must be valid for at least six months for a single or double entry within three months of the date of visa issue; at least nine months for multiple entries within six months.

Passport Note

(a) China does not recognise dual nationality.
(b) HIV-positive travellers are not permitted to enter the country.

Visas

Required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except:
(a) 1. nationals of the UK travelling to Hong Kong only for stays of up to 180 days.
(b) 2. all nationals referred to in the chart above travelling only to Macao for stays of up to 90 days (except nationals of the USA for stays up to 30 days; and nationals of the UK for stays up to six months).  
(a) transit passengers continuing their journey by the same or first connecting plane to another country within 24 hours who hold valid onward documentation and do not leave the airport.
(b) some passengers (not including nationals of the USA or UK) who transit through Pudong or Hongqiao airports only, with all necessary documentation, within 48 hours.

Visa Note

Journalists now need to apply for accreditation from the press department of the Chinese embassy before applying for a visa.

Business travellers are required to provide proof of a hotel booking in China and an official invitation from the Chinese Foreign Ministry when applying for a visa.

Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).

Types of Visa and Cost

Tourist/Business/Transit UK nationals: £30 (single-entry); £45 (double-entry); £60 (multiple-entry; six months); £90 (multiple-entry; 12 months and two to five years). Group (at least five people): £24 per person. US nationals: £65 (single-, double- and multiple-entry). Group (at least five people): £55 per person. Visa charges for other nationals vary; check with embassy for further information.

Validity

Tourist, Business and Group visas are normally valid for three months from the date of issue (single- and double-entry). Multiple-entry visas are normally valid for six months, 12 months or two to five years. The validity of Business visas varies. Transit visas are generally valid for up to seven days.

Applications to:

Consulate (or consular section at embassy); see Contact Addresses. Group visas will usually be obtained by the tour operator or travel agent.

Working Days Required

Four. Two weeks for Group visas. Applications should be made one month in advance. The express service (£15 fee) requires one day. Same-day service visas, which must be submitted before 11am, are available for a cost of £20. Visas, however, cannot be issued on the same day unless the same-day airline ticket or itinerary is presented.

Money

Currency

1 Renminbi Yuan (CNY; symbol ¥) = 10 chiao/jiao or 100 fen. Notes are in denominations of ¥100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1, and 5 and 1 chiao/jiao. Coins are in denominations of ¥1, 5 and 1 chiao/jiao and 5, 2 and 1 fen. Counterfeit ¥50 and ¥100 notes are commonplace.

Currency Exchange

CNY is not traded outside China. Foreign banknotes and traveller's cheques can be exchanged at branches of The Bank of China. In hotels and Friendship Stores for tourists, imported luxury items such as spirits may be bought with Western currency. Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes cannot be exchanged.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in major provincial cities in designated establishments. However, the availability of ATMs is often limited to airports, large tourist hotels and major shopping centres, and credit cards are often unlikely to be accepted away from the major cities.

Traveller's Cheques

To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in US Dollars.

Currency Restrictions

Restrictions apply.

Banking Hours

Mon-Fri 0900-1600/1700. Some banks close for lunch from 1200-1300.

Health

Vaccinations

* A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from all travelers arriving from infected areas.

Food and Drink

Outside main centers, all water used for drinking, brushing teeth or freezing should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish. Pork, salad, scallops, snails and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.

Other Risks

Vaccinations against tuberculosis and Japanese encephalitis are sometimes advised. Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) is endemic in the central Yangtze river basin. Avoid swimming and paddling in fresh water. Hepatitis E is prevalent in northeastern and northwestern China and hepatitis B is highly endemic. Sporadic outbreaks of avian influenza (bird flu) have resulted in a small number of human deaths. Rabies is present. If bitten, medical advice should be sought immediately. There are occasional outbreaks of dengue fever.

Health Care

Medical costs are low. Many medicines common to Western countries are unavailable in China. Medical facilities in international hospitals are excellent. There are many traditional forms of medicine used in China, the most notable being acupuncture. Medical insurance is strongly advised.

Getting There

Getting There by Air

The flag carrier is Air China (CA) (website: www.airchina.com.cn or www.air-china.co.uk).

Approximate Flight Times

From London to Beijing is approximately 10 hours and from New York is 14 hours 30 minutes.

Note: Flights are often overbooked, so travellers are strongly advised to re-confirm their return flight reservations.

Main Airports

Beijing Capital International (PEK/BJS) airport is 28km (18 miles) northeast of the city. To/from the airport: Buses and taxis area available (journey time - 40 minutes). An Airport Express subway line from the airport to central Beijing will open in 2008.

Guangzhou Baiyun International (CAN) airport is 12km (7 miles) north of Guangzhou (journey time - 25 minutes).

Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) airport is 13km (8 miles) southwest of the city (journey time - 25 to 40 minutes). It is mainly served by domestic flights.

Shanghai Pudong (PVG) airport, in the eastern financial district, is 30km (19 miles) from the city centre. To/from the airport: Buses and taxis are available (journey time - 50 minutes). Pudong is a major international airport with the Maglev magnetic levitation train and an underground link (due for expansion to connect Pudong with Hongqiao by 2009). The Maglev takes passengers to Longyang Road, where it is possible to connect to the Shanghai Metro.

Facilities: All the above airports include duty-free shops, banks/bureaux de change, ATMs, post offices, business facilities, Internet, bars and restaurants.

Departure Tax

¥90. Paid in Chinese currency only. Children under 12 and transit passengers (proceeding within 24 hours) are exempt.

Getting There by Water

Main ports: Fuzhou (Foochow), Guangzhou (Canton), Hong Kong/Kowloon, Qingdao (Tsingtao) and Shanghai.

Several major cruise lines offer cruises to China. There are regular ferry services linking Chinese ports with Kobe in Japan and the west coast of Korea (Dem Rep). There are regular ferries between Shanghai and Osaka in Japan. Regular ferry services operate between Weihai, Qingdao, Tianjin and Shanghai in China to Incheon in Korea (Dem Rep). There are regular fast ferry services between Hong Kong and Macau and a number of towns and cities in Guangdong province including Shenzhen and Zhuhai operated by Chu Kong Passenger Transport Co (tel: +852 2858 3876, in Hong Kong; website: www.cksp.com.hk) and TurboJET (tel: +852 2859 3333, in Hong Kong; website: www.turbojet.com.hk).

Getting There by Rail

International services run from Beijing to Moscow (Russian Federation), on both the Trans-Mongolian Railway (via Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia) and the Trans-Manchurian Railway (via Zabaikalsk in northern China). The Trans-Siberian Express operates two weekly services, a train to Russia servicing Moscow and Beijing via Harbin and a China train via Ulaanbaatar. A service operates between Nanning, in Guangxi province, and Hanoi, Vietnam. A second cross-border service runs from Kunming via Lao Cai to Hanoi. There are also services from Beijing to Pyongyang (Korea, Dem Rep). Owing to demand, it may be necessary to book up to two months in advance. 
 
A regular train service runs from Hong Kong to Guangzhou (Canton). There are several trains daily. Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (tel: +852 2929 3399, in Hong Kong; website: www.kcrc.com) has express trains servicing Kowloon to Guangzhou and an indirect Kowloon to Lowu service. The services between Shanghai-Kowloon/Hong Kong (journey time - 25 hours) and Beijing-Kowloon/Hong Kong (journey time - 24 hours) both run on alternate days. There are twice-weekly trains from Almaty in Kazakhstan to Urumqi. There are three types of fare: hard sleeper, soft sleeper and deluxe soft sleeper.

Further information on rail services is available from the Chinese Ministry of Railways (website: www.chinamor.cn.net).

Note: Travellers on the Trans-Mongolian or Trans-Manchurian Railways are strongly advised to search their compartments and lock the doors before departure, owing to an increase in smuggling via this route

Getting There by Road

The principal road routes into China follow the historical trade routes through Myanmar, India, the former Soviet republics and Mongolia. It is also possible to travel from Pakistan to Xinjiang on the Karakoran highway. Motorways exist between Guangzhou and Shenzhen and Guangzhou and Zhuhai. These roads link the cities of Dongguan, Zhongshan, Foshan, Jiangmen, Huizhou and Shunda to Hong Kong and Macau. Motorway links to major cities in neighbouring countries are few.

Climate

China has a great diversity of climates. The northeast experiences hot and dry summers and bitterly cold winters. The north and central region has almost continual rainfall, hot summers and cold winters. The southeast region has substantial rainfall, with semi-tropical summers and cool winters. Central, southern and western China are also susceptible to flooding, China is also periodically subject to seismic activity.

Required Clothing

North – heavyweight clothing with boots for the harsh northern winters. Lightweight clothing for summer. South – mediumweight clothing for winter and lightweight for summer.

Contacts

China Tibet Tourism Bureau

3 Norbulingka Road, Lhasa, Tibet, People's Republic of China
Tel: (891) 683 4315.
Website: www.xzta.gov.cn/yww

China Tibet Tourism Bureau Beijing Office

Room A28F Oriental Kenzo Plaza, Dongzhimen, Beijing 100027, People's Republic of China
Tel: (10) 8447 7899.
Website: www.xzta.gov.cn/yww

Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the UK

49-51 Portland Place, London W1B 1JL, UK
Tel: (020) 7299 4049.
Website: www.chinese-embassy.org.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1230 and 1400-1700.
Consular and visa section: 31 Portland Place, London W1B 1QD, UK
Tel: (020) 7631 1430 (telephone enquiries: Mon-Fri 1400-1600 only) or 09001 880 808 (recorded visa and general information; calls cost 60p per minute).
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1200.

China National Tourist Office (CNTO) in the UK

71 Warwick Road, London SW5 9HB, UK
Tel: (020) 7373 0888 or 09001 600 188 (brochure request and general information; calls cost 60p per minute).
Website: www.cnto.org.uk

Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the USA

2300 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 328 2500.
Website: www.china-embassy.org  
Visa section: Room 110, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Tel: (202) 338 6688.

China National Tourist Office (CNTO) in the USA

Suite 6413, 350 Fifth Avenue, Empire State Building, New York, NY 10118, USA
Tel: 1 888 760 8218.
Website: www.cnto.org