Hi Fodorites,

My trip to China is getting closer, and I have more questions.

1. If anyone has exchanged USD into Chinese RMB in China within the last few weeks, what kind of rates are you getting and how much commission do the banks charge?

2. When I'm in China, I'm going to need some kind of day pack for water, toilet paper, maps, etc. I have a student-sized backpack, but I've heard that thieves often slice off backpacks from travelers' backs. Does this happen without the traveler being aware of it (like a pickpocket), or is the traveler held up at knifepoint/gunpoint?

3. I could use a shoulder bag (like a messenger bag). But wouldn't thieves be slicing shoulder bags off from travelers?

4. How rampant is pickpocketing, from either backpacks or from pockets? In the USA, where I live, I've never been pickpocketed. I've never had bags sliced off me, either.

If it helps any, I'll be in Beijing, Xi'an, Suzhou, and Shanghai.


Thanks,
H_X

1. You can check exchange rates online at sites like oanda.com. The dollar has been gaining gradually against the yuan recently and is around 6.8 to the dollar now. Banks and hotel exchange desks charge a small percentage (0.075 percent, I think) and there is a better rate for travelers' checks.

2-3-4. Pickpockets are a big problem in many places in China (as well as most of the rest of the world) and yes, slicing straps from backpacks or messenger bags is possible. Also, they can slice the strap of a fanny pack or anything hung around your neck. They also have been known to slash the bottom of a bag or purse, letting the contents fall out. You're surprised but they aren't, and they scoop up a wallet or camera and are gone.

One line of products that addresses all of these weaknesses is PacSafe. They have backpacks, fanny packs, and a lot of other products you might find useful. They're not cheap, but if they save you from one incident it's worth it in my opinion. You can Google pacsafe and also find products available at a lot of internet stores.

Be careful, stay aware of who's around you especially in crowds, leave your passport in the hotel safe, take a couple of different credit cards stashed in different places and have small bills in your wallet, and you'll be all right.

K.

The 0.75% commission is on the cheques, which as a result overall makes the rate worse for cheques than for cash (plus cheques are increasingly a nuisance as fewer and fewer hotels will deal with them. An ATM card is the way to go).

As for the theft questions, this is entirely out of proportion to the actual dangers. Naturally it pays to be cautious especially at crowded railway and bus stations, for instance, as it would anywhere else. But bag slashing and pick-pocketing is far less of a risk than in most other heavily touristed parts of Asia, dramatically less than in South America, and less even than in the US.

When it does happen theft is indeed by stealth or by scam, and not by violence. Violence for the purpose of theft against foreigners is sufficiently rare that it's major news when it does happen.

In short, just stop worrying about this beyond the demands of common sense. Use a money belt (under the clothes) if it makes you feel better. Carry whatever ordinary shoulder bag you like but carry it with the bag to your front if you want to. Keep a wary eye open when there's a crush. But don't fret about this. You are less likely to be robbed than the Chinese around you, and less likely to be robbed than when at home.

Peter N-H

Kudzu and PeterN_H, thanks for the replies!

If it helps any, I'm of Chinese ancestry, but I was born in and have lived in the USA all my life. In fact, this will be my first trip to China!

I do speak some Mandarin, enough for a conversation.

Native-born Chinese (in the USA) have told me that the locals will know I'm not from China once they hear me talk. I don't know if the locals will pick up on any non-verbal cues.

It seems like I won't pass for a local, but I won't stand out the way a "white" visitor would, either.

H_X

It's a curious business, but it is true that being of Chinese descent does but you in a separate middle category, sometimes 'one of us', and sometimes not 'one of them', but something else, a category called 'Overseas Chinese', viewed with mixed admiration, envy, and disgust. Speaking Mandarin will tend to make you more 'one of us' than something else.

Mainland Chinese are usually able to spot pretty quickly when someone of Chinese descent is from somewhere else, although the boundaries are gradually blurring as the still tiny as a percentage but increasingly numerous middle class acquires foreign things and foreign habits. But clothing, body weight, and body language are still usually giveaways long before the mouth is opened.

But being of Chinese descent does make you a little more likely to encounter problems. However, you still shouldn't fret too much about theft, and should just exercise the usual caution you would when travelling; not much more. There aren't any ghettoes or no-go areas, and you can walk around at night anywhere and as much as you wish.

Peter N-H