BESTEP Survival Guide to China

Things that you would not expect but they really do happen in China

China is...

• 4th largest country in the World; • The oldest continuous civilizations; • The most populated country in the world (1.3 billion).

SHANGHAI is...

• The largest city in China • Oriental Paris• New-age New York• 20 million inhabitants

Traffic in China ...

•Includes all means of transport- cars, trains, buses, Maglev (fastest World train), bikes, bicycles, metro;

•Works against pedestrians;

•Means unless you own a big car and drive like a go-kart rider you take taxis.

During Rush Hour...• You might not be able to hop on the metro that comes or you might be pushed away from the train by crowds.. • Fastest is to move on your bicycle.

THE RUSH HOURS : 8.30am to 9.15am and 5.30pm to 6.30 pm.

Language can be tricky since...•Mandarin as an official language and there are as well 100s of dialects;

•1.3 million Chinese out of 1.3 billion population speak English;

•People on the streets, in the shops and taxis do not speak English BUT like to talk and bargain in Chinese.

Money

• Currency is Chinese Yuan/Kuai/ RMB;

• The biggest banknote is 100 RMB (11 Euro);

• Minimum Salary for a Chinese employee is 1200 RMB/month- some people make only 500 RMB/month;

Accommodation for locals...•A symbol of status and can be expensive;

•In one apartment sometimes live all generations of one family;

•Public showers and toilettes are common, many apartments have none; shared kitchen is common as well.

Chinese cuisine is...

•Delicious but sometimes surprising;

•Differs based on the regions and ranges from spicy to sweat and sour dishes;

•More about variety than quantity.

Rules in business life and society• Guanxi;

• Don’t let a person loose face;

• Be polite and never too quick or direct;

• Unusual personal questions or statements are common.

Nightlife

•Karaoke rules;•Drink early, sleep early;•Drinking games.

Hospitals and doctors•100 people in a queue;

•Combination of Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine;

•Special sayings and believes about health and food.

Shopping is...

•One of the most favourite leisure activities;

•Needs lot of bargaining;

•Can be frustrating because of the sizes;

•Definitely an experience on its own.

Ready to take the challenge and experience the difference?

Then you are here right.Welcome to CHINA!