| China ((zh)中国) | |
 | |
| The great wall | |
| Flag | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Capital city | Beijing |
|---|---|
| Area | 9 596 961 km² |
| Population | 1 439 085 892 hab. (2020) |
| Density | 149,95 inhab./km² |
| Nice | Chinese |
| Minimum altitude | 0 m |
| Maximum altitude | 8 848 m (Everest) |
| Form of State | Single Party, Democratic Centralism, Parliamentary Republic, Unitary State, Constitutional Republic |
| Change | Yuan Renminbi (CNY) |
| Electricity | 220 V/50 Hz, American and Australian plugs |
| Telephone prefix | 86 |
| Internet suffix | .cn,. 中国,. 中國 |
| Flow direction | Right-hand drive |
| Spindle | UTC 8 |
| Location | |
 35 ° 50 ′ 41 ″ N 103 ° 27 ′ 7 ″ E | |
| Government site | |
| Touristic site | |
Note: This article deals with the Chinese mainland. See as well Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
The China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country ofEast Asia, the most populous in the world but also one of the largest: its surface area is 9.597 million km2 and it counts surroundings 1 billion440 million inhabitants.
China has 14 neighboring countries, making it, on par with Russia, the country with the most neighbors. These neighbors are: the Vietnam, the Laos, the Burma, theIndia, the Bhutan and the Nepal to the south, the Pakistan (with the disputed territory of Kashmir), theAfghanistan (the smallest border of barely 80 km), the Tajikistan, the Kyrgyzstan and the Kazakhstan to the west, the Russia and the Mongolia to the north, and the North Korea to the East.
Understand
Geography
China is crossed from east to west by the river Yangzi.
Weather
The South is subject to the rainy season and the North is generally dry. The interior and the north of the country can be very cold in winter and very hot in summer. In addition, extreme climates are found in deserts or at very high altitudes.
History
Population
The population of China is 1,339,713,685, mainly of Buddhist, Taoist and traditional Chinese religion.
Holidays and public holidays
It is necessary to take into account the official holidays. There were mainly three major dates that each entitle a large number of Chinese to a week's vacation: Chinese New Year, May 1, and October 1. These three dates give rise to an over-frequentation of hotels, trains, planes and tourist sites. Since the beginning of 2008, the May holidays have been abandoned in favor of three-day weekends "yet to be determined".
Regions
China comprises 22 provinces (23 officially with Taiwan), 5 autonomous regions with many ethnic minorities (Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Tibet, Xinjiang), 4 municipalities for the largest cities (Beijing (Beijing), Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin) and 2 special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau).
.png/500px-Map_of_China_(fr).png) China map |
|
 | Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are dealt with in separate articles. From a practical point of view for the traveler, these regions are different with their own visa, currency, etc. Politically, Hong Kong and Macau are special administrative regions of China with a capitalist economy and a distinct political system, summed up by the phrase: “One country, two systems”. Taiwan is a special case. When the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949, the Communists controlled most of Chinese territory and the Nationalists only the island of Taiwan and other neighboring islands in Fujian Province. This situation continues today, Taiwan having had its own government for 60 years. Both governments theoretically support the idea of reunification, but a significant portion of Taiwan's population remains in favor of independence. |
Cities
- 1 Beijing (Beijing) – The capital (Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Great Wall of China, Beihai Park, Summer Palace Garden, large number of national museums, Confucius Temple, Yonghe Temple, 2008 Olympic Games Park, Tian Square ' an Men and the flag raising ceremony, Mao's mausoleum, Qing tombs, Pangjiayuan flea market).
- 2 Shanghai – the economic heart (Colonial quarters, Bund)
- 3 Canton (Guangzhou) – Sun Yatsen Park
- 4 Kunming – ethnic minorities
- 5 Qingdao – former German colonial town, beer festival in August.
- 6 Xi'an – the old capital (Terracotta Army of the First Emperor), various royal tombs, the city fortifications, the bell and drum towers. Famen temple.
- 7 Guilin – magnificent karst landscapes, the elephant trunk in central Guilin.
- 8 Chengdu – panda reserve, sacred mountain (Emei shan).
- 9 Suzhou – its gardens classified as Unesco heritage
- 10 Hangzhou – West Lake (西湖)
- 11 Dunhuang – the caves of Mogao, the sand dunes, the oases, the gates of the Silk Road, the remains of the ancient great wall dating from the Han dynasty.
Other destinations
- The great Wall
- The Forbidden City
- The Terracotta Army
- National parks of China
To go
Formalities
For nationals of the majority of Western countries, a visa is not required to enter Hong Kong or Macao (maximum stay of 90 days). If, on the other hand, you wish to go elsewhere in China, a visa will be required. Depending on your nationality, it can easily be obtained in a Chinese embassy abroad or even in Hong Kong. Your visa is in principle valid for 30 days and only entitles you to one entry (it is in fact not possible to arrive in Shanghai, travel to Hong Kong and then return to Shanghai). For a longer or multi-entry visa, you will need to justify your request to the authorities. As of October 1, 2013, China no longer issues Visa for internships, unless you do so at a university to access the Student Visa (Visa X). If you want to go to Tibet, you will need a travel permit.
For French nationals, since 2010, visas are easier or faster (even for double entry) to obtain in France, in visa centers in Paris or in the provinces (Marseille, Lyon, etc.), than in Hong Kong , where 4 days is a normal time. This comes from a form of reciprocity in Franco-Chinese relations.
- Website of the Chinese Embassy in France – Information in French
By plane
China has a large number of international airports. Major "gateways" include Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou (Canton). Hong Kong Airport is also very important but is not located in China (in the administrative sense of the term).
On a boat
There are many international ports:
- Dalian,
- Tianjin,
- Weihai (in Shandong, boats to Korea (Incheon / Seoul) approx. 12 h and around 100 dollars),
- Shanghai,
- Canton.
By train
The famous train that connects Moscow to Beijing via Ulaanbaatar does exist. From the south, an "international" train also links Hong Kong to Shenzen and Guangzhou (Canton).
By bus
By car
People who do not have a Chinese driver's license are not allowed to drive in China, even with their own vehicle or that of their company.
To be confirmed, non-resident foreigners holding a tourist (or business ...) visa can drive rental cars in China, for example. Residents must pass a Chinese driver's license.
Circulate
There are a large number of means of transportation in China. The most common being the car. As a result, a lot of traffic jams form in big cities like Beijing or Shanghai.
On a boat
By taxi
This is a convenient and inexpensive mode of transportation. In large cities, all vehicles are equipped with a speedometer, which is almost always used. In small towns and in the provinces, check with your hotel to find out the usual price for a trip. On long journeys, it is very easy to negotiate an attractive off-the-counter price as long as you know the prices charged. Taxis can be found everywhere and at any time of the day or night. Just flag down the car. You can also call one by phone.
The drivers have a sense of service. The vast majority of them are helpful and do not try to scam.
By plane
Domestic links are provided by national or regional companies which have multiplied in recent years. The devices are safe. Planes often leave and arrive on time. At airports in major cities (such as Shanghai and Beijing) announcements are made in Chinese and English.
China has several major airlines such as Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, ...
By train
Very good railway network. Trains are generally very punctual. Tickets can be purchased at train stations, most hotels and many kiosks. Most tickets are on sale four days before departure, except tickets for ultra-fast trains (destination Shanghai, Nanjing among others) which are on sale earlier. For busy lines it can be difficult to get the ticket yourself. It is then better to pay a commission and entrust the case to an agency.
If you're going for a long trip, there's no need to worry about food. Vendors pass by on the train and at major stations street vendors offer local specialties through the windows.
Trains all have a number, sometimes preceded by a letter. For example, the letter Z for fastest trains or the letter T for express trains. The longer the number of a train, the more stops it will make. The classes in the trains are:
Sitting hard 硬座 (yìngzuò) - In this category, there are two types of tickets, those with a reserved seat and those without. So there are always more people than there is a seat. To be taken for short trips under 5-6 h.
Lying hard 硬卧 (yìngwò) - In this category, the number of places sold corresponds to the places available. There are no closed compartments, but "alveoli" with 3 beds on each side: the bottom bed, the middle bed and the top bed. On long journeys, the lower bunk is often occupied during the day as a seat. The place I recommend is the top one, nobody bothers and it's the cheapest (but it's more athletic).
Sitting soft and lying soft 软座 软卧 (ruǎnzuò / ruǎnwò) - Available in certain trains only. Equivalent to a first class. Much more comfortable and quiet (private compartments), but less interesting.
There are also platform tickets 台 票 (táipiào), which are normally also used to accompany people on the quay. Once on the train you have to see the controller to exchange it for, depending on availability, a seated ticket (without number) or a berth.
From top to bottom and left to right:
- In red, ticket numbers (found in the middle of the barcode number)
- Ticket point of sale
- Departure station and arrival station with train number
- Date (year / month / day), departure time, wagon number and seat number (and if applicable which bed)
- Full price and style of wagon (for example, new wagons with air conditioning of express train ...)
- Ticket limits: for example, to be used on the said day, for the said train etc.
By bus
By car
Road signs are more or less close to international standards. The directions are generally written in Chinese, the translation into English is becoming frequent especially on the main axes and highways.
For a non-resident it is simply impossible to drive in China. If you really want to, you will first have to obtain a resident card (difficult to obtain because the procedures are long and complex) then exchange your license from the country where you live for a Chinese driver's license. You still have to go over it again (theory only) with the learning of panels. Different languages are available for the exam, but the translation is haphazard.
It should be noted for those who have the privilege of driving in China that vehicles whose steering wheel is on the right are strictly prohibited. So-called "all-risk" insurance is recommended because of the many accidents that occur with vehicles towed by animals and cyclists.
Fuel is available in many places, "unleaded" exists under octanes between 90 and 97 but engines running on diesel are prohibited. Beijing.
Highways (often toll ...) are emerging across the country, the comfort and safety equipment are of a level equivalent to that of any Western country.
The most feasible solution is to hire a taxi with a driver, which will be much cheaper; moreover, he will already be familiar with the local driving style which is proving to be quite chaotic for a Westerner. The traffic constantly increasing, each motorist has the annoying tendency to "elbow" from one line to another despite the congestion, not to mention the lack of concept of the highway code and the resulting danger. The traffic lights exist but are still only decorative, each driver decides the opportune moment to engage. The cohabitation between motorized vehicles and the eternal bicycles becomes hell, which does not go without causing serious accidents. Beware of the behavior of the Chinese population, it can be dangerous at times.
It must also be said that road checks are frequent and that fines following real (or even imaginary ...) causes are legion!
Speed limits:
- Highway: 120 km / h
- Expressway : 100 km / h
- Route: between 70 and 80 km / h
- City: between 30 and 40 km / h
Speed controls (fixed or mobile, etc.) often take place, any overtaking is punishable by a fine.
Speak
The official language is Chinese Mandarin (putonghua). Each region, each city has its more or less distant dialect. Mandarin is learned at school all over China. There are also other official languages (and which do not use Chinese characters) which correspond to the autonomous provinces: Tibetan, Uyghur, Mongolian among others. In the big cities and in the very tourist places, there are some bilingual Chinese signs. English. But this is a minority and the translations are sometimes incomprehensible.
English is taught in secondary school. But the level is rather low. As the Chinese are numerous and always happy to speak English, you will probably find someone to help you if you need it. It is still advisable to know a few basic sentences and always have the destinations marked in Chinese.
Buy
The official currency is the Yuan Renminbi (RMB) or yuan. Its value is linked to dollars and follows its evolution. The yuan breaks down into jiao (tenth) and fen (hundredth). In spoken language we say rather kuai instead of yuan and mao instead of jiao. The banknotes have the values of 100 kuai, 50 kuai, 20 kuai, 10 kuai, 5 kuai, 2 kuai, 1 kuai, 5 mao, 2 mao, 1 mao, 5 fen, 2 fen and 1 fen. There are also coins that intersect the lowest values from 1 kuai.
| Current CNY exchange rate | |
| XE.com: | CADCHFEURGBPUSDJPY |
| OANDA.com: | CADCHFEURGBPUSDJPY |
| fxtop.com: | CADCHFEURGBPUSDJPY |
Number "one" in China
Number "two" in China
Number "three" in China
Number "four" in China
Number "five" in China
Number "six" in China
Number "seven" in China
Number "eight" in China
Number "nine" in China
Number "ten" in China
Many counterfeit banknotes are circulating (100 and 50 yuan banknotes). Observe how carefully these banknotes are examined by the Chinese. It is better to be careful when receiving 50 bills in return or for some reason being returned a 100 bill.
In large cities, there are many automatic cash machines (ATMs). There are the Plus networks. According to the distributors, you can withdraw up to about 5,000 yuan. But it is also better to check the limits of your own bank. - Corrective 2011, valid at least for Shenzhen: maximum withdrawals of 2500 yuan (s), but cumulative on the same day in the same branch or another -.
In stores, even if the prices are written, you can haggle. In tourist markets, marked prices can be very inflated and negotiable at a quarter of what is displayed.
If you want to negotiate but don't speak Chinese well enough, it is possible to use the language of the hands. But beware, the Chinese do not have the same way of counting as the Europeans! (see pictures on the sides)
Credit cards cannot be used in all shops and restaurants (only the most expensive or those for tourists).
A little trick to "break" your 100 yuan bills (before going to the market, to the grocery store, ...) without bothering anyone: Internet cafes generally ask for a deposit of 10 to 20 yuan, and return the difference. once the surfing is over (around 3 yuan an hour in Canton). Do not hesitate to pay in bills of 100, we make a lot of small bills easily.
See as well : Negotiating in China
Eat
Very quickly, we can see that there is not one Chinese cuisine, but many. Each region, each city has its specialty. The variety of vegetables and preparations is impressive. To the north, you will find flat breads and noodles made with flour. In the south, more rice and products derived from rice. Restaurants in the West reflect only a minority of this multitude. Don't hesitate to walk into one of the many restaurants (as long as it looks clean enough). The menus are rarely in English (except in some tourist restaurants) and some of the English menus only offer part of the dishes.
The most famous cuisine is the Cantonese, among others, it includes the famous pork in sweet and sour sauce and the dim sum 点心 (wide choice of ravioli, donuts and other small snacks). sichuan is strong and spicy. It includes: the mapodofu 麻 婆 豆腐 tofu and minced meat cooked with chili, garlic and ginger or even di sauce yuxiang 鱼香 (literally "with the scent of fish") also based on chilli and garlic. The kitchen Pekingese includes the Peking duck 烤鸭 (kaoya) and the Mongolian fondue 火锅 (huoguo).
For vegetarians, China remains the homeland of tofu. Here it is found in many forms, but it happens to be cooked with meat. Again, the easiest way is to have your requirements or allergies written down in Chinese on a piece of paper.
Here are some recognized specialties:
- Peking duck : More than a specific dish, this is an entire duck-based menu with the famous Peking duck as the highlight. You can find restaurants all over the place. Several good restaurants can be found south of Qianmen.
- Mongolian fondue or hot pot - huoguo : This dish is mostly served in winter, at that time many restaurants offer it. These can be recognized by the gas cylinders under the tables. The principle is to cook the ingredients yourself in a boiling broth. The bowl can be split in half with normal broth on one side and strong broth on the other.
In Chinese restaurants, there are a few things to know, especially with chopsticks; in addition to knowing how to handle them (see images opposite), you must not:
- Plant his chopsticks in the dishes (which will refer to the grave and the burial in Chinese culture. By doing this, you would desire the death of your guests);
- Play with chopsticks;
- Tapping with his chopsticks on his bowl (this makes begging because it is the gesture they make to ask for food);
- Make gestures with his chopsticks, show something or someone with it;
- When you have finished your meal, place the chopsticks horizontally on the top of your plate or bowl.
In addition, you may need some Chinese meal customs: Food is served in large communal dishes, and in almost all cases, you will be given chopsticks to eat. Since the dishes are common, you should help yourself to them and put the food in your bowl or plate. If you don't know how, wait for someone to help themselves to the food, then copy what they are doing. If you have been invited by a Chinese, he can put food in your bowl, don't be surprised.It is very rude not to eat what you are given. If you are offered something that you absolutely cannot stand, finish all the rest, and leave the rest on your plate. Leaving a little food, in general, indicates that you are full (but not too much, at the risk of making it clear that you did not like) .Chinese have a habit of asking for boxes to take the excess food home. . Just ask the server: 可以 打包 吗 (keyi dabao ma)?
Don't be offended if your diners eat with their mouths open, talk with their mouths full, make strange noises (all kinds of rude things in the West), or smoke even though there is a no-go sign. This is normal in China.
- Chinese restaurants listed in the Michelin Guide
Have a drink / Go out
There are a lot of beers, not strong but not expensive.
Housing
In cities and tourist areas, hotels of all classes and for all budgets.
Learn
Practical advice and tips for preparing a language course abroad on the language stay guide.
To work
Manage the day-to-day
Time zone
China Standard Time ((in) Chinese Standard Time) is eight hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC 08:00). This time zone is used as legal time throughout the People's Republic of China. It corresponds approximately to the solar time of Shanghai in the east of the country.
China is the largest country to use only one time zone. As the country measures nearly 4 000 km wide, the far west of China generally does not see the Sun rise until after 9 h morning, while the far east is used to summer sunrises before 5 h in the morning.
In comparison, a country like the United States uses four separate time zones over such a large distance (corresponding to the distance between California and Florida, which are 3 hours apart in terms of schedule). On the other hand, time coordination throughout China never requires mentioning which time zone we are talking about.
security
 | Emergency telephone number: Police :110 Ambulance:120 Firefighter :119 |
China is not a dangerous country.
Of course, it makes good sense to avoid ostentatious behavior, to pay in large denominations (100, 50 or even 20 yuan is too much in small stalls and in markets; in addition to provocation, it will annoy the trader to seek to make the change), or to walk alone, in the evening, at random in the streets.
As a rule, Chinese are very respectful of strangers, and you will see far more outstretched hands than hostile stares. Be as open and as communicative as possible, and everything will be fine.
Government travel advice
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Belgium (Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation) 
Canada (Government of Canada) 
France (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) 
Swiss (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs)
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Health
In addition to the classic vaccines and the one against hepatitis B, it is recommended for those who stay long enough in China, especially in humid and hot countryside, to be vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis (70 € in France with an application that can last 2 months to obtain the provisional authorization to use the vaccination center of the hospital of your choice). For information, Japanese encephalitis kills about 15 to 20,000 people per year in China. Vaccination against influenza appears to have a protective effect against SARS.
Respect
Very marked by Confucianism, the Chinese give a lot of respect to the elders.
Although you may not always think it is, it is a fact; so, especially if you are in China for work, pay special attention to older people (compared to you), show them respect (without overdoing it; the fact that you are a foreigner means that you will often be shown as much respect while forgiving you for your blunders), and wait until they are finished to speak (they tend to monopolize the floor ...).
