APPs on your cell phone:
- Translation
- Navigation, such as Amap (高德地图), Maps.me
- VPN if using china cell phone
- Chat, such as WeChat with translation function, WhatsAPP
- Payment, such as AliPay
- Train Tickets: 12306.cn
- Restaurants, Shops, such as DianPing (similar with Yelp)
- Ctrip.com, Hotels, airplane ticket, Attraction ticket, train ticket......
Useful WebSites:
- forbidden city ticket booking: https://bookingticket.dpm.org.cn/
- TianAnMen Square Reservation: https://yuyue2026.tamgw.beijing.gov.cn/web/index.html#/login
Useful Ways When you encounter difficulties:
- looking for nearest hotel, Especially the hotels in the building, asking the staff for help, because the staff may speak in english.
- asking someone for calling a phone to your driver, or hotel, or friend.
- asking some young boy or girl for showing the way to you, they may speak in english.
- text chinese translated on your cell phone and show to someone for help.
- Search for prominent landmark buildings, road signs, shops, street scenes in the surrounding area, take photos, send to friends, and seek help.
- if using wechat, sending the location to your friend.
- Tap To Ride Subway in Beijing and ShangHai by your Visa, or Master, or JCB card.
- how to hail a taxi on the street:
The key is to choose the right position to hail the taxi, don't stand on the cross road, Choose a location that is easy to park in and a location that does not block the road after parking.
Useful Chinese words and sentences:
- 厕所 , toilet, rest room
- 出租车, taxi, cab
- 酒店, hotel
- 餐馆, restaurant
- 飞机场, airport
- 火车站, train station
- 地铁, subway
- 药店, pharmacy
- 取款机, ATM
- 银行, Bank
- 警察, police
- 门票, ticket
- 手机, cell phone
Friendly Reminding:
- when someone approaching you, whatever he or she want to do, just say "no thanks".
- Word Games:
when you want to hire a charter car with driver, When you review the quotations given to you, if they says it will include entrance ticket, you must ask again what tickets will include to prevent them from playing word games,
Because：
Nowadays, attraction tickets often come in various types. For example, there are cable cars for ascending the Great Wall and slide lines for descending it. Don't assume that a "entrance ticket" covers all types of passes. - Home Car and License Taxi:
Nearly every country has "black cars" which means "Illegal operation of vehicles", where drivers may speak English better, but safety guarantees, such as insurance, are virtually nonexistent because insurance companies do not cover illegally operated vehicles.