English
Traveling to China is a unique experience and Beijing, is one of the most interesting cities in the world for travelers. Its cultural, exoticism and history will attract you at first sight and you´ll be fully immersed in their peculiarities. But before embarking on your adventure to the far East, there are some things you should consider:
Visa
To enter Beijing, it is essential to have a visa along with your passport. The price ranges between 30 and 90 euros, depending on the type of visa you need. They usually get it in about 7 days, but try asking for it one month in advance to avoid problems with your trip.
Currency
The local currency is the yuan and you can only get this currency once you are in China. Foreign credit cards work to withdraw money, but they are not very commonly used in local business, so you need to have cash for most purchases. It is best to change your money at the airport in Beijing because it will be more difficult to find exchange offices in the city.
Food
The Chinese cuisine is rich and varied with hearty dishes abound to address the cold winters: pastas, stir fries, soups and meats such as lamb and chicken, seasoned with spicy sauces. The Peking duck is one of the most traditional recipes, which dates back to the X century, you should not miss it.
If this is your first trip to China, take some precautions like avoiding uncooked foods, thoroughly wash or peel fruit and drinking mineral water. If you can not use chopsticks, buy some plastic cutlery to take with you.
Culture
Be prepared for a culture shock. The main obstacle is the language, since the majority of the population speaks only Chinese, so it will be very helpful to take a guide with Mandarin phrases in order to communicate and print notes with Chinese characters and phrases to get to common tourists sites.
The communist regime that prevails in the country shows in things like censorship, that you can see if you try to access the Internet on your vacation, and you can not enter such common sites as Facebook. Topics such as the slaughter of Tiananmen, Taiwan or Tibet are taboo and you better avoid them.
Beijingers are very nice and very curious Westerners cause, so that many will come to talk to you, but also very noisy and spitting is a socially accepted habit that may surprise you.
Shopping
On your journey, you will discover that everything is very cheap in Beijing, especially food and clothing, but if you want high-end brands, beware of counterfeits. Outside of the tourist areas, traders are very honest and will not try to rip you off. Bargaining is very common and a full opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture.
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