China Top Travel

Cellphone
Most of the cellphones bought in foreign countries like US, Germany, Japan and South Korea, even the 3G (the third generation) cellphone, can not be normally used in China since different countries in the world have different network service systems. In China, only GSM and CDMA systems are available. Besides, the working frequencies are different for different countries. A frequency of 900/1800Hmz only can be recognized in China. So the best thing is to purchase or rent a cellphone in China itself when you are here for your trip.

Many well-known world class brands of cell-phone like Nokia, Motorola, Siemens, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, NEC, Philips, Panasonic, among others, are sold in franchised stores or large-scale emporia of China. After you purchase a new cellphone in China, it will be necessary to have a new Chinese SIM card inserted in the cellphone. Different mobile carriers have different SIM cards. You can shop around and choose the one that suits you.

Mobile lease is also available in China though fewer people now use it. In the business halls of the mobile carriers, roadside cellphone shops or secondhand markets even at the airports, you may rent a cellphone. Besides, some companies will also offer you the mobile rental service through internet. You can have an online reservation to rent a cellphone. Generally, a certain amount of deposit is required ranging from 50 to 100 US dollars based on different mobile phones while 1 to 3 US dollars is needed as the daily rent excluding the first several days' rental.

The charging cost of your mobile varies, based on the different SIM cards. There are two big mobile carriers in China: China Mobile and China Unicom. Any of them can provide you with good service. Generally speaking, it is much cheaper for you to use cellphone in China. The phone bill is required to be paid in advance at the business hall of the carriers or through the bill-paying card. All kinds of affairs related to your cellphone can be handled at the business outlets of your Service Provider. Besides, the free 24-hour hot lines 10086 (China Mobile) and 10010 (China Unicom) for the customer service are prepared for your consultation to answer all your questions at any time.

Whether operated by China Mobile or China Unicom, the mobile phone number in China has 11 Arabic numerals usually beginning with 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139 and 159. In China, you can directly dial the local number of the mobile phone by using your cellphone. If you want to dial a stationary phone out of the city where you are, area code should be added in front. In reverse, if you use a stationary phone to dial the cellphone, '0' sApril 8, 2008 of other cities. For dialing countries overseas from China, the international access number '00' should be dialed first, then the code of your destination country and your local telephone with area code in front.

Postal Service
Although the mobile phone, internet or other even more advanced contact ways emerges as the times require and they have been developing fast, the postal service, a traditional communication way that can not be ignored today, still plays a very important part in people's daily life nowadays. In China, post offices, with a striking green logo, can be easily found everywhere in the cities. The operation time usually is 08:00 - 18:00 during the whole week from Monday to Sunday, but in some remote areas, the post office may be closed at weekends.

Envelopes and Stamps can be easily bought in any of the post offices. Do remember to stick the adequate-value stamp firmly on the envelope and write the address clearly. Besides, the zip code of the destination is required.

It is not expensive at all for you to mail a domestic letter in China. The price varies according to the weight of your mail and the delivering distance. Your letter should be less than 100g. For each 20g, 0.6 Yuan is charged if the mail is delivered in the same city, while 0.8Yuan is for the intercity mail delivery. If the letter is over 100g, for each extra 100g, 1.2 Yuan should be added for the mail delivered in the same city and 2.0 Yuan for the intercity mail. The delivering time is different based on the distance. Generally speaking, it will take 5-7 days for domestic mail. Registered post is much safer but another 3.0 Yuan will be charged for each mail as the registration fee. EMS (Express Mail Service) in China basically is the best way to mail the letter or parcel. Within 3 days, the mail will be successfully delivered. Besides, International postal service is also offered widely in China. Under normal circumstances, it will take about 1 week to 3 months for your mail to arrive according to the different delivering ways, but it only takes about 15 days if you use EMS service. Generally, airmail is the quickest way for delivering the international mail. 11185 is the 24-hour hot line as the customer service offered to you for your consultation about the mailing. Hereunder is the postal rate for the international mail delivery.

International Postal Rate
Category	Charging Standard	Postal Rate (Yuan)
		International	Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan
Letter	Less than 20g and 20g	4.40	1.50
	21g-50g	8.20	2.80
	51g-100g	10.40	4.00
	Over 100g -250g	20.80	8.50
	Over 250g-500g	39.80	16.70
	Over 500g-1,000g	75.70	31.70
	Over 1,000g-2,000g	123.00	55.80
Postcard	Each	3.20	1.00
Airmail	Each	5.20	1.80
Presswork	Less than 20g and 20g	3.00	0.80
	21g-50g	4.00	1.50
	51g-100g	6.80	2.30
	Over 100g -250g	12.50	3.80
	Over 250g-500g	22.40	7.50
	Over 500g-1,000g	37.50	14.30
	Over 1,000g-2,000g	59.50	25.50
	For Each extra 1,000g (mail is over 2,000g )	26.10	11.50
Packet	Less than 100g and 100g	7.80	4.40
	Over 100g -250g	15.70	9.00
	Over 250g-500g	28.3	16.20
	Over 500g-1,000g	46.9	27.00
	Over 1,000g-2,000g	87.8	50.40

For more information about EMS service and its postal rate, please refer to the official website of China EMS in English: http://www.ems.com.cn/english-main.jsp

Telephone and Fax
Making a telephone call - local, long-distance or international - is very easy in China. The phonebooths and other public telephones can be easily found on the roadside, hotels, railway stations, airports and large-scale emporia. Most of the public telephones in China are operated by inserting a phone card, whose par value ranges from 20 to200 Yuan. There are also other stationary telephones offered by the peddlers of the small roadside shops and here you should pay cash. Phone costs vary depending on the carrier - China Telecom, China Netcom, China Tietong as well as the place and the length of the call. IP phone cards can save you much if you make the long-distance calls. If you call overseas, do please dial the international prefix '00' first, and then the country code, area code and the telephone number of your destination.

You may also fax your message in China. There are public fax machines in many places. Scanning services etc are also available. The cost of faxing is akin to that for phoning, basically ranging from 3 to 5 Yuan.

Internet
Along with the advancement and development of China, internet access nowadays is widely available. Many cyberbars with quality computers and high-speed access can be easily found in places like the leisure area, busy street, schools and universities. The cost will vary from city to city, but generally it is 1-5 Yuan per hour. In most of the starred hotels, internet service is offered in a special area to guests. The cost will be somewhat higher, of course.

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