Can you leave China with Chinese currency?
Do you have to save all of your receipts for goods purchased?
(I guess for customs?)
Pay toilets (in China) on street cost 20-30 yuan?
Can you haggle in department stores in China?
Is it true that Air pollution is winter in cities is severe, many Chinese wear surgical masks?
Is it true that if I want to mail a package to US, I need to leave package open to be inspected at postoffice?
Just a couple of things I'm curious about. Anyone know the answers? :)
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7 comments:
Hiya Stephe,
I'll try to answer what I know, but some didn't apply =)
Yes you can leave China with Chinese currency. We kept one bill of each denomination and a smattering of coins. The extra we gave as gifts to our niece and nephews as gifts along with the kites we bought there.
We didn't save all of our receipts for goods and no one ever asked for them.
Never used pay toilets, and we also never used a squatty potty. (we were in Hong Kong, Changsha, ChangDe, Guangzhou)
We were there in March/April and didn't see many surgical masks...it was very rare, but was quite smoggy
No haggling in department stores (or at least the ones we went to...our guides were great in letting us know what the custom was where) Lots of haggling on the street and shops though (something I'm not very good at at all!)
No idea about post office...several places will post things home for you when you buy them at their shop though.
Kim
Yes, we also brought the Chinese currency home for our kids and some for her scapbook.
I tried to save my receipts and still have a few but not all. We were never asked for them at customs.
We didnt see any pay toilets, just a few with no toilet paper so bring some!!
No haggling in department stores, but haggled in the small shops on Shamian Island.
The pollution was bad and we did see people wearing the surgical masks while riding on scooters. We didnt see any on people walking around though.
Cant help with the post office question.
When Rob and I were in China on vacation a couple of years ago I had the unfortunate experience of using a pay "toilet" that was actually a communal trough. It was cheap, 10 yuan I think, but I never could pee (performance anxiety I guess). That is my only not-so-pleasant memory of the trip. My advice to anyone encountering this situation -- choose a location up stream in the trough. Where I was (wrong end), stuff came floating by. I'm not that squeamish, but it made me a little sick.
We brought home money from China. We tried to exchange some back at the White Swan but they won't reverse the currency to US. We changed some in HK.
We were never asked for any receipts although we didn't buy any very expensive items. I still have some receipts.
I didn't encounter any pay toilets. Our guide warned us that most public toilets will not have toilet paper so carry it with you.
I visited a department store in Jinan; there was no haggling going on.
We were there last February. I saw a few people with masks on, children and adults, but not a lot. I was surprised that the air quality didn't bother me as much as I'd thought it would since I'm asthmatic.
I can't help with the post office question.
Paula
Great questions! I was very interested to read the answers... the "communal trough" comment turned my stomach a bit though!!!
Lee-Anne
www.aust2china.blogspot.com
Here was our experience.
Yes you can bring Chinese currency home. I made every effort to spend all but a tiny bit before leaving Shaiman Island. :o) Shopping!
Only saved a few receipts as souveniers for the scrapbook.
Didn't see any pay toilets and actually made it through without using a squatty.
No haggling in the department stores in Nanchang but you can in the merchants on the mall.
Nanchang pollution was bad in December! Lots of people wearing masks and I even asked the guide about it. She said it was to keep their nose warm. Yeah, right, I am not buying that one. :o)
Don't know about the post office, we purchased an extra suitcase just outside the White Swan and shoved everything in it. Figured the overweight fine would be less than the postage to the US. Never had to pay though.
Kelly
www.acrystalgarden.com
My son ran into a communal trough at the Guangzhou Zoo and hasn't stopped talking about how disgusting it was. The ladies room had 1 western toilet and regular squatty potties.
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