Lonely Planet China

by Lonely Planet

  The best-known river trip is the three-day boat ride along the Yangzi (Cháng Jiāng) from Chóngqìng to Yíchāng. The Lí River (Lí Jiāng) boat trip from Guìlín to Yángshuò is a popular tourist ride.

  Hong Kong employs an out-and-out navy of vessels that connects with the territory’s myriad islands, and a number of boats run between the territory and other parts of China, including Macau, Zhūhǎi, Shékǒu (for Shēnzhèn) and Zhōngshān.

  Boat tickets can be purchased from passenger ferry terminals or through travel agents.

  Bus

  Long-distance bus (长途公共汽车; chángtú gōnggòng qìchē) services are extensive and reach places you cannot reach by train; with the increasing number of intercity highways, journeys are getting quicker.

  Buses & Stations

  Routes between large cities sport larger, cleaner and more comfortable fleets of private buses, some equipped with toilets and hostesses handing out snacks and mineral water; shorter and more far-flung routes still rely on rattling minibuses into which as many fares as possible are crammed. Buses often wait until they fill up before leaving, or (exasperatingly) trawl the streets looking for fares.

  Sleeper buses (卧铺客车; wòpù kèchē) ply popular long-haul routes, costing around double the price of a normal bus service. Bunks can be short, however, and there have been several fatal fires in recent years.

  Bus journey times should be used as a rough guide only. You can estimate times for bus journeys on nonhighway routes by calculating the distance against a speed of 25km per hour.

  All cities and most towns have one or more long-distance bus stations (长途汽车站; chángtú qìchēzhàn), generally located in relation to the direction the bus heads in. Most bus stations have a left-luggage counter. In many cities, the train station forecourt doubles as a bus station.

  Tickets

  Tickets are getting more expensive as fuel prices increase, but are cheaper and easier to get than train tickets; turn up at the bus station and buy your ticket on the spot. The earlier you buy, the closer to the front of the bus you will sit, although you may not be able to buy tickets prior to your day of travel. At the time of writing, ID was required for the purchase of bus tickets in restive Xīnjiāng.

  Tickets can be hard to procure during national holiday periods.

  Dangers & Annoyances

  Breakdowns can be a hassle, and some rural roads and provincial routes (especially in the southwest, Tibet and the northwest) remain in bad condition. Precipitous drops, pot holes, dangerous road surfaces and reckless drivers mean accidents remain common. Long-distance journeys can also be cramped and noisy, with Hong Kong films and cacophonous karaoke looped on overhead TVs, and drivers continuously leaning on the horn – taking a music player is crucial for one’s sanity. Note the following when travelling by bus:

  ASeat belts are a rarity in many provinces.

  ATake plenty of warm clothes on buses to high-altitude destinations in winter. A breakdown in frozen conditions can prove lethal for those unprepared.

  ATake a lot of extra water on routes across areas such as the Taklamakan Desert.

  Car & Motorcycle

  Hiring a car in China has always been complicated or impossible for foreign visitors and in mainland China is currently limited to Běijīng and Shànghǎi, cities that both have frequently gridlocked roads. Throw in the dangers, complexity of Chinese roads for first-time users and the costs of driving in China and it makes more sense to use the subway/metro system and taxis, both of which are cheap and efficient in Běijīng and Shànghǎi. Hiring a car with a driver from your hotel is possible, but it’s generally far cheaper and more convenient to hire a taxi for the day instead.

  Driving Licences

  To drive in Hong Kong and Macau, you will need an International Driving Permit. Foreigners can drive motorcycles if they are residents in China and have an official Chinese motorcycle licence. International Driving Permits are generally not accepted in China.

  Hire

  Běijīng Capital Airport has a Vehicle Administration Office where you can have a temporary three-month driving licence issued (an international driver’s licence is insufficient). This will involve checking your driving licence and a simple medical exam (including an eyesight test).

  You will need this licence before you can hire a car from Hertz, which has branches at Capital Airport. There are also branches in both central Běijīng and Shànghǎi. Hire cars from Hertz start from ¥230 per day (up to 150km per day; ¥20,000 deposit). Avis also has a growing network around China, with car rental starting from ¥200 per day (¥5000 deposit).

  Road Rules

  Cars in China drive on the right-hand side of the road. Even skilled drivers will be unprepared for China’s roads: in the cities, cars lunge from all angles and chaos abounds.

  Local Transport

  Long-distance transport in China is good, but local transport is less efficient, except for cities with metro systems. The choice of local transport is diverse but vehicles can be slow and overburdened, and the network confusing for visitors. Hiring a car is often impractical, while hiring a bike can be inadequate. Unless the town is small, walking is often too tiring.

  On the plus side, local transport is cheap, taxis are usually ubiquitous and affordable, and clean and efficient metro systems continue to rapidly expand in large tourist towns.

  Bus

  With extensive networks, buses are an excellent way to get around town, but foreign travellers rarely use them. Ascending a bus, point to your destination on a map and the conductor (seated near the door) will sell you the right ticket. The conductor will usually tell you where to disembark, provided they remember. In conductor-less buses, you put money for your fare into a slot near the driver as you embark.

  AFares are very cheap (usually ¥1 to ¥2) but buses may be packed.

  AIn cities such as Běijīng, Shànghǎi and Hong Kong, a locally purchased transport card can be used on the buses.

  ANavigation is tricky for non-Chinese speakers as bus routes at bus stops are generally listed in Chinese, without pinyin.

  AIn Běijīng and Shànghǎi and other large tourist towns, stops will be announced in English.

  AAlways have change ready if there is no conductor on the bus.

  ABuses with snowflake motifs are air-conditioned.

  ATraffic can make things slow.

  ADisembark from the back door.

  Subway, Metro & Light Rail

  Going underground or using light rail is fast, efficient and cheap; most networks are either very new or relatively recent and can be found in a rapidly growing number of cities, including Běijīng, Chéngdū, Chóngqìng, Dàlián, Guǎngzhōu, Hángzhōu, Hong Kong, Kūnmíng, Shànghǎi, Shěnyáng, Shènzhèn, Sūzhōu, Tiānjīn, Wǔhàn and Xī’ān.

  Taxi

  Taxis (出租汽车; chūzū qìchē) are cheap and easy to find. Taxi rates per kilometre are clearly marked on a sticker on the rear side window of the taxi; flag-fall varies from city to city, and depends upon the size and quality of the vehicle. Most taxis have meters but they may only be switched on in larger towns and cities. If the meter is not used (on an excursion out of town, for example, or when hiring a taxi for the day or half-day), negotiate a price before you set off and write the fare down. If you want the meter used, ask for dǎbiǎo (打表). Also ask for a receipt (发票; fāpiào); if you leave something in the taxi, you can have the taxi located by its vehicle number printed on the receipt.

  Some more tips:

  ACongregation points include train and long-distance bus stations, but usually you can just flag taxis down.

  ATaxi drivers rarely speak any English – have your destination written down in characters.

  AIf you have communication problems, consider using your mobile to phone your hotel for staff to interpret.

  AYou can hire taxis on a daily or half-day basis, often at reasonable rates (always bargain).

  ATo use the same driver again, ask for his o
r her card (名片; míngpiàn).

  AIn many provinces, taxis often cover long-distance bus routes. They generally charge around 30% to 50% more but are much faster. You'll need to wait for four passengers.

  Other Local Transport

  A variety of ramshackle transport options exist across China; always agree on a price in advance (and preferably have it written down).

  AMotor pedicabs are enclosed three-wheeled vehicles (often the same price as taxis).

  APedicabs are pedal-powered versions of motor pedicabs.

  AMotorbike riders also offer lifts in some towns for what should be half the price of a regular taxi. You must wear a helmet – the driver will provide one.

  China By Train

  China's Train Network

  Train Travel

  Train Types

  Tickets

  China By Train

  Trains are the best way to travel long distance around China in reasonable speed and comfort. They are also adventurous, exciting, fun, practical and efficient, and ticket prices are reasonable to boot. Colossal investment over recent years has put high-speed rail at the heart of China’s rapid modernisation drive. You really don’t have to be a trainspotter to find China’s railways a riveting subculture; as a plus you'll get to meet the Chinese people at their most relaxed and sociable.

  China's Train Network

  One of the world’s most extensive rail networks, passenger railways penetrate every province in China and high-speed connections are suddenly everywhere. In line with China’s frantic economic development and the pressures of transporting 1.4 billion people across the world’s third-largest nation, expansion of China’s rail network over the past decade has been mind-boggling.

  The network currently totals over 103,000km in length. In China, thousands of kilometres of track are laid every year and new express trains have been zipping across the land since 2007, shrinking once daunting distances. State-of-the-art train stations are ceaselessly appearing, many to serve high-speed links. You can climb aboard a train in Běijīng or Shànghǎi and alight in Tibet’s capital (although ticket scarcity for trains into Lhasa means it’s easier to fly in and take the train out); lines are poking further into Tibet, with a line to Shigatse. The time to get to Yánjí (near the South Korean border) from Chángchūn in northeast China has recently been slashed by hours. The highly anticipated Xī'ān–Chéngdū line will hopefully open by 2018 and will cut travel times from 13 hours to under three hours.

  With the advent of high-speed D, G and C class express trains, getting between major cities is increasingly a breeze (albeit far more expensive than regular fast trains). High-speed rail has put the squeeze on numerous domestic air routes and the punctuality of trains sees far fewer delays than air travel. Useful high-speed links that have opened in recent years have connected Běijīng and Xī’ān, Lánzhōu and Ürümqi, and Tiānjīn and Bǎoding; there is even talk of extending links through Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Turkey to Bulgaria. Down south, China is also planning a high-speed link from Kūnmíng in Yúnnán to Singapore, via Laos, Thailand and Malaysia.

  TRAIN ROUTES

  Route Duration Fare (seat/sleeper)

  Běijīng West-Xī'ān North 5½-6hr 2nd/1st ¥516/825

  Běijīng West-Guìlín 10½hr 2nd/1st class ¥806/1250

  Běijīng-Dàtóng 6½hr Hard seat/sleeper ¥54/113

  Běijīng South-Hángzhōu 5hr 2nd/1st class ¥540/909

  Běijīng West-Kūnmíng 34hr Hard seat/sleeper ¥317/575

  Běijīng West-Lhasa 41hr Hard/soft sleeper ¥813/1289

  Běijīng South-Qīngdǎo 4½hr 2nd/1st class ¥314/474

  Běijīng South-Shànghǎi Hóngqiáo 5½hr 2nd/1st class ¥553/933

  Běijīng South-Tiānjīn 33min 2nd/1st class ¥54/65

  Shànghǎi Hóngqiáo-Hángzhōu 1hr 2nd/1st class ¥77/117

  Shànghǎi Hóngqiáo-Shēnzhèn North 10½-11½hr Hard seat/sleeper ¥479/597

  Shànghǎi-Lhasa 48hr Hard seat/sleeper ¥403/896

  Shànghǎi Hóngqiáo-Nánjīng South 1½hr 2nd/1st class ¥135/230

  Shànghǎi Hóngqiáo-Wǔhàn 5-6hr 2nd/1st class ¥302/426

  Shànghǎi Hóngqiáo-Xiàmén North 6½-8hr 2nd/1st class ¥331/416

  Shànghǎi-Xī’ān North 11hr 2nd-class seat/soft sleeper ¥338/834

  Píngyáo-Xī'ān North 3hr 2nd/1st class ¥150/188

  Shēnzhèn North-Guiìlín North 3hr 2nd/1st class ¥212/265

  Kūnmíng-Lìjiāng 7-10hr Hard/soft sleeper ¥152/245

  Kūnmíng-Chéngdū 17½hr Hard seat/sleeper ¥139/270

  Kūnmíng-Guìlín 19hr Hard seat/sleeper ¥153/296

  Ürümqi-Kashgar 17hr Hard/soft sleeper ¥344/537

  Wǔhàn-Guǎngzhōu South 4hr 2nd/1st class ¥464/739

  Xī’ān North-Luòyáng Lóngmén 2hr 2nd/1st class ¥175/280

  Běijīng West-Píngyáo 4hr 2nd/1st class ¥183/255

  Train Travel

  Trains are generally highly punctual in China and are usually a safe way to travel. Train stations are often conveniently close to the centre of town. Travelling on sleeper berths at night means you can frequently arrive at your destination first thing in the morning, saving a night’s hotel accommodation. Think ahead, get your tickets early and you can sleep your way around a lot of China.

  On entering a large, old-style station (such as Běijīng West Train Station), you will have to find the correct waiting room number, displayed on an illuminated screen as you walk in. Modern stations (such as Shànghǎi Hóngqiáo Train Station) are more straightforward and intelligently designed, without waiting rooms; instead your platform number will appear on the screen.

  Trolleys of food and drink are wheeled along carriages during the trip, but prices are high and the selection is limited. You can also load up on mineral water and snacks at stations, where hawkers sell items from platform stalls. Long-distance trains should have a canteen carriage (餐厅车厢; cāntīng chēxiāng); they are sometimes open through the night.

  In each class of sleeper, linen is clean and changed for each journey; beds are generally bedbug-free.

  If taking a sleeper train, you will generally be required to exchange your paper ticket for a plastic or metal card with your bunk number on it. The conductor then knows when you are due to disembark, and will awake you in time to return your ticket to you.

  Some tips regarding train travel:

  ADon’t wait to board your train until the last minute, as queues outside the main train station entrance can be shocking.

  AYou are required to pass your bags through a security scanner at the station entrance.

  AKeep passports handy when entering a station as checks will match the name on your ticket with the name on your passport.

  AKeep your ticket handy after disembarking the train as there can be checks when exiting the platform and ticket-fed turnstiles in newer stations.

  AOn a nonsleeper, ask a member of staff or a fellow passenger to tell you when your station arrives.

  TRAVELLING THE TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY

  Rolling out of Europe and into Asia, through eight time zones and over 9289km of taiga, steppe and desert, the Trans-Siberian Railway and its connecting routes constitute one of the most famous and most romantic of the world’s great train journeys.

  There are, in fact, three railways. The ‘true’ Trans-Siberian line runs from Moscow to Vladivostok. But the routes traditionally referred to as the Trans-Siberian Railway are the two branches that veer off the main line in eastern Siberia for Běijīng.

  Since the first option excludes China, most readers of this guide will be choosing between the Trans-Mongolian and the Trans-Manchurian railway lines. The Trans-Mongolian route (Běijīng to Moscow; 7865km) is faster, but requires an additional visa and another border crossing – on the plus side, you also get to see some of the Mongolian countryside. The Trans-Manchurian route is longer (Běijīng to Moscow; 9025km).

  TRANS-MONGOLIAN RAILWAY

&nbs
p; Trains offer deluxe two-berth compartments (with shared shower), 1st-class four-berth compartments and 2nd-class four-berth compartments. Tickets for 2nd class/1st class/deluxe cost from around ¥3496/5114/5064 to Moscow, ¥1222/1723/1883 to Ulaanbaatar and ¥2559/3734/4052 to Novosibirsk. Ticket prices are cheaper if you travel in a group. The K23 service departs on Sunday (2nd/1st class ¥1259/1849, 11.22am, 30 hours) and terminates at Ulaanbaatar on Monday.

  AFrom Běijīng Train K3 leaves Běijīng Train Station on its five-day journey to Moscow at 11.22am every Tuesday, passing through Dàtóng, Ulaanbaatar and Novosibirsk before arriving in Moscow the following Monday at 1.58pm.

  AFrom Moscow Train K4 leaves at 9.35pm on Tuesday, arriving in Běijīng Train Station the following Monday at 2.04pm. Departure and arrival times may fluctuate slightly.

  TRANS-MANCHURIAN RAILWAY

  Trains have 1st-class two-berth compartments and 2nd-class four-berth compartments; prices are similar to those on the Trans-Mongolian Railway.

  AFrom Běijīng Train K19 departs Běijīng Train Station at 11pm on Saturday, arriving in Moscow (via Manzhōulǐ) the following Friday at 5.58pm.