Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
numbers separate from the cheques. They
also attract a slightly better rate of exchange
than cash. Available through banks and travel
agents, they can be cashed only at branches
of the Bank of China and at tourist hotels.
It's still worth taking along a small quantity
of foreign currency - such as US, Canadian
or Australian dollars, or British pounds or
euros - as cash is more widely exchange-
able than traveller's cheques. Don't try to
change money on the black market as you'll
almost certainly get ripped off.
For post office hours, see p.39; for banking
hours, see opposite; and for restaurant, bar
and shop opening hours, see the Eating
(p.111), Drinking and nightlife (p.123) and
Shopping (p.135) sections.
For dates of public holidays, see p.28.
Phones
Local calls are free from landlines, and long-
distance China-wide calls are fairly cheap.
Note that everywhere in China has an area
code which must be used when phoning
from outside that locality. The area code for
Shanghai (021) has been excluded from
listings in this topic but must be added if
you're dialling from outside the city.
A cheap way to make international calls
is with IC card phones, which you'll find in
every hotel lobby, and in booths on the
street. IC cards (I-C k
Credit cards and wiring money
China is basically a cash economy, and
credit cards, such as Visa, American
Express and MasterCard, are only accepted
at big tourist hotels and the fanciest restau-
rants, and by some tourist-oriented shops;
there is usually a four percent handling
charge. It's straightforward to obtain cash
advances on a Visa card at many Chinese
banks (though the commission is a steep
three percent). Visa cardholders can also
get cash advances using ATM machines
bearing the “Plus” logo. For lost or stolen
cards, call
k in Mandarin) are sold
at every little store and in hotels, in units of
¥20, ¥50 and ¥100, and can also be used
for long-distance calls (¥0.2 for 3min).
There's a fifty percent discount when used
after 6pm and at weekends. You will be cut
off when the credit left on the card drops
below the amount needed for the next
minute.
An even cheaper option is the IP (Internet
Phone) card, which can be used from any
phone, and comes in ¥50 and ¥100 denomi-
nations (though the card is always
discounted). You dial the number on the
card, then instructions in Chinese then
English ask you to dial a PIN printed beneath
a silver strip on the card, which activates the
account; finally you call the number you
want. Rates can be as low as ¥2.4 per
minute to the USA and Canada, ¥3.2 to
Europe. The cards are widely available, but
some are China-only, so ask for a guoji card
T
62798082 (Amex),
T
10 800
110 7309 (Mastercard) or
T
63236656
(Visa).
It's possible to wire money to Shanghai
through Western Union (
W
www.western
union.com); funds can be collected from one
of their agents in the city, in post offices and
the Agricultural Bank of China.
Opening hours
Offices and government agencies are
open Monday to Friday, usually from 8am to
noon, then from 1 to 5pm; some open on
Saturday and Sunday mornings too.
Museums are either open all week or are
shut on one day, usually Monday. The best
time to sightsee is during the week, as all
attractions are swamped with local tourists
at weekends.
if you want to make international calls.
Note that calling from tourist hotels,
whether from your room or from their
business centres, will attract a surcharge
and may well be extortionate.
Calling mainland China from abroad
To call mainland China from abroad, dial your international access code, then 86
(China's country code), then the area code, minus the initial zero of the regional
code (so for Shanghai call 21, not 021), then the rest of the number.
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