Just back from Beijing
 

Hi, I just got back from Beijing and had an amazing time. The highlight was definetly the Great Wall for me, it's incredible! Tienanman Square and the Forbidden City were interesting as well, just beware of the prostitutes walking around claiming to be "students". The food vendors in the city have the most exotic food I've seen in some time. They had squid (raw) on a stick and what looked like baby birds on a stick as well. I ended up eating in one the mall restaurants to say the least. I highly recommend seeing the Summer Palace on Kunming lake, it's 2 sq. km of amazing Chinese architechture and culture. Any questions feel free to email me.

Question: Are there ample ATM machines there? How did you handle the money? Did you use a cell phone or have need of one?

Duke,<BR><BR> I saw a couple of atm machines but I was warned against using them by a friend whose been there. It's best to exchange U.S. currency to Chinese Yuen or RMB as its also called over there, in the states before you arrive, you'll get a better rate, should be approx. 7.5RMB - 8.0RMB to 1US dollar. I have a cell but I didn't bother to use it. My friend I went with couldn't get a signal on his, maybe you'll have better luck. I never really use my cell when I travel anyway. Beware of "private" taxis at the airport when you arrive. They're perfectly safe but they'll charge you way too much for a ride into town. We got charged 150RMB, the city taxi we took from the city to the airport on the return came out to 70RMB. Beijing has a good subway system and taxi service throughout the city for getting around. The city taxis will have how much they'll charge per km on their window, i.e. 1.60RMB or 2.00RMB.<BR><BR> Good luck, let me know if you have anymore questions.<BR><BR> Sam

I had assumed there was a little irony in Duke's posting since all the questions he listed have very recently been discussed in exhaustive detail. Just do a search on 'ATM' (machines which work with foreign cards in Beijing), 'cell' or 'mobile' (which work on a different frequency from the US), and indeed 'taxi' to find plentiful advice on not even talking to any taxi driver who approaches you at the airport but going to the rank.<BR><BR>The advice on money exchange seems dubious. The rate for exchanging US$ cash in China is around Y8.07, rather better than the rate quoted for exchange in the US itself (unless I misunderstand the wording of the sentence). <BR><BR>Travellers' cheques are more typically around Y8.27, but there's a commission of O.75%. The RMB yuan is essentially pegged to the US dollar, and only moves within a very narrow band.<BR><BR>Peter N-H<BR>http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

Mike,<BR><BR> I tried emailing you a response twice but kept getting an error message regarding you email address?

For most cases, not just for China, you will end up paying more to exchange foreigh currencies in the US banks at home. And smaller US banks don't even provide such services. Since all countries have foreign currency exchange services at the port of entry, and always cheaper than doing that at home in the US, normally, you shouldn't exchange money at home, especially in large sum.<BR><BR>USD Cash is always the most convenient way if you are unsure or uncomfortable with other means, but I found, at least in Beijing, ATM is reliable and fairly convenient, and you certainly get better rates from Chinese ATM than from your local bank in the US.<BR><BR>Naturally, you should exchange your foreign currency back to the USD before your return home.<BR><BR>

Peter must be a stuck up jerk that knows China and that is all. I simply ask another opinion and Peter lambasts me again. And as you see by the answers...not everyone agrees. Peter: Get a life. I own my own businesses and can afford to travel all over. You are probably in some small apartment with crates for furniture.

Hey Duke,<BR>The kind of language you unsed on Peter is uncalled for. He was just trying to help. Although he might come across as a Mr.-know-it-all lecturing people, his information is accurate, more reliable than what you got from Sam. Peter is here to help as well as to promote his books, but the information he provides is reliable and objective, except when he talks about a travel business owned by his friends.<BR><BR>Mao Tze-tung

Alright, all of the currency rates I saw in Beijing were much less than in the U.S. around the low 7RMB. In all my travels around the world the exchange rate was either better or just slightly lower in the U.S., either way I haven't bothered with traverlers checks in years, I concur it's best to have the cash in the countries currency. Having said that I also should add that I work for the airlines and I get a little better rate on currency exchanges at times. As far as Peter and Mao go, helping is the point of this forum so that's fine if you want to help, just drop the sarcastic, negative attitude; that doesnt help anyone.

I'm sorry, but for the Chinese government to have allowed the tourist rate suddenly to zoom from just over eight to the US dollar to just over seven, an effective upward revaluation of around 12.5% is quite impossible, would have been headline news around the world had it happened, and caused something of an earthquake in the Chinese economy. The tourist rate of exchange is fixed by the Bank of China, and fluctuates only within a narrow band. I have spent more than four months in China this year (and I returned only two weeks ago) during which period I got the same exchange rate I always do--a little over Y8 to the US dollar. The on-line Xenon exchange site is currently showing Y8.27 to the dollar. In short, then, the assertion that the rate in China is in 'the low 7RMB' is mistaken. <BR><BR>I'm sorry if anyone wants to take this assertion as a personal attack or a laugh at their expense, but better that than that such an error goes unquestioned, and intending visitors to China are misled. Those who feel bruised simply by being queried, contradicted, or supplied with helpful information, were perhaps better not to post, and to reflect that people of many different cultures post here, and that the tone of each may be easily misunderstood by the others.<BR><BR>Peter N-H<BR>http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

Sam,<BR>I don't know where you were trying to exchange your currency, but the official rate is approx. 8.07RMB for cash and 8.27RMB for traveler's checks which is the rate charged by all banks and hotel exchange desks in China. And Peter is right, there is almost no daily fluctuation in the official rates. <BR><BR>Sorry Duke, but this is fact not opinion. To state that the exchange rate is 7RMB is grossly inaccurate.

Duke never said anything about the exchange rate. I just asked a question and Peter nailed me. Sorry: I am outta here. Gonna find what I need in a book....not Peter's.

What is the shopping like over there? Any hotels/restaurants that you would highly recommend?