Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
him/her what you want to say and hand the phone over to whoever you are trying to com-
municate with. Surprisingly, random strangers are rarely fazed by this.
Phonecards
For domestic calls, IC (Integrated Circuit; IC kǎ ) cards, available from kiosks, hole-in-
the-wall shops, internet cafes and China Telecom offices, are prepaid cards in a variety of
denominations that can be used in most public telephones. Note that some IC cards can
only be used locally while other cards can be used in phones throughout China, so check
this when you purchase one.
For international calls on a mobile phone or hotel phone and for long-distance domestic
calls buy an IP (Internet Phone; IP kǎ ) card. International calls on IP cards are ¥1.80 per
minute to the USA or Canada, ¥1.50 per minute to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and
¥3.20 to all other countries; domestic long-distance calls are ¥0.30 per minute. Follow the
instructions on the reverse; English-language service is usually available. IP cards come in
various denominations, typically with a big discount (a ¥100 card should cost around
¥40). IP cards can be found at the same places as IC cards. Again, some IP cards can only
be used locally, while others can be used nationwide, so it is important to buy the right
card (and check the expiry date).
Time
All of China runs on the same time as Běijīng, which is set eight hours ahead of GMT/
UTC (there's no daylight saving time during summer). When it's noon in Běijīng it's 4am
the same day in London; 5am in Frankfurt, Paris and Rome; noon in Hong Kong; 2pm in
Melbourne; 4pm in Wellington; and, on the previous day, 8pm in Los Angeles and 11pm
in Montreal and New York.
Toilets
Over the last decade the capital has made its toilets less of an assault course of foul smells
and primitive appliances, but many remain pungent. Make a beeline for fast-food outlets,
top-end hotels and department stores for more hygienic alternatives. Toilet paper is rarely
provided in streetside public toilets so keep a stash with you. Toilets are often squat ver-
sions, although most public toilets will have one sit-down toilet for disabled users (and in-
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search