Traveling In China
 

One of the most exciting things in coming to China is traveling.  China is filled with diverse and unique locations and not taking advantage of this opportunity will make your stay in China incomplete.

Teachers planning to travel for extended periods should discuss their plans with the International Office for safety reasons only.

Whenever you leave Linfen, make sure you have your passport with you. Whether you are traveling with the school or alone, you will need your passport. You will need it to check into hotels and will sometimes be asked for it when traveling on trains.  You will also need it when booking any domestic flights.  When traveling in China you are required to register with the local authorities within 24 hours of arriving in a new city.  If you are staying in a hotel, the hotel is responsible for handling this registration.  If you are staying with friends, you should contact the local security office to register.  This is only a formality but should be taken care of to be within the law.

Traveling outside China to other parts of Asia is also an option for you.  Be sure that your Visa is a multi-entry visa.  It is a short, moderately priced flight to Seoul, S. Korea.  Also, Boats can be taken to S. Korea for Tsingdao for around $50.  It is an overnight run.  American citizens can visit S. Korea as tourists for up to 30 days without requesting a visa.

If you travel south it is also possible to take trips into Vietnam or some other border countries.  Be sure you look into all the legalities of such a trip before you do anything.

If you don't like taking trains, domestic flights can be gotten from Yun Cheng to the south and Taiyuan to the North.  Sometimes domestic flights are comperable to the cost of an overnight soft sleeper train ticket.  Xi'an also has an International Airport, in addition to those in Beijing and Shanghai.

WARNING! It is a serious matter to lose your passport in China.  If you do you should immediately contact the school so they can begin the process for getting you a replacement.  If you possess a Chinese driver's license, this can be used for checking into hotels.

Documents necessary when traveling: PASSPORT and SECONDARY ID CARD (if one is possessed). If you leave China at any point prior to termination of your contract, you must have a visa which permits you to return to China. This is called a Return Visa. CHECK YOUR VISA BEFORE LEAVING!  New Visas double as residence permits and are placed within your passport.

Traveling alone in China needs careful preparation. A guidebook might be considered essential as is some basic Chinese, or a phrasebook. Traveling alone is often preferred because it provides for more freedom in choosing routes, which places to go to, and how long to stay there. However, it is possible for one to encounter problems when traveling alone, since the transportation facilities, hotel services and tourist guides are not yet able to cater for the rapid development of tourism in China. It is therefore advisable to check with your International Office or obtain the assistance of one of your students. It is best to avoid traveling during the national holidays, since all tourist attractions during these peak seasons are extremely crowded.

Check with the International Office which cities and areas are closed to foreigners. Special permission is required to travel to these areas.

CITS (authorized travel agency) in Linfen