Welcome to Changsha Mainland of China
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Welcome to Changsha Mainland of China AIESEC Changsha!!! Waiting for you!!! (长沙 pinyin: Chángshā;) the capital city of Hunan,is the political,economic,scientific and educational,tourist,cultural and trade center of the province. a province of south-central China, located on the lower reaches of Xiang river, a branch of the Yangtze River. Its municipality covers an area of 11,819 sq. kilometers and has a population of 6,017,600 (2003 intercensal estimate), the urbanized area has around 2.7 million people. Changsha is among the first group of historical and cultural famous cities announced by the State Council.It’s also one of the first group of superb tourist cities in China. Changsha is known as the ―star city‖ and enjoys the reputations of "The Entertainment and Consumption Capital of China. It is selected as the 2008 Happiest City of Mainland of China, and the “National Forest City” by the China Forestry Bureau in 2006. LIVING IN CHANGSHA How to get to Changsha Climate Cost of living Housing Electricity Transportation Finace Insurance &Safety Health care Telecommunication &Mail Language &Common Phrases Pbox in AIESEC Changsha Setting the right expectation How to get to Changsha By Air The most convenient method would be to fly to Changsha Huanghua International Airport (CSX). International flights to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong are available while over 60 air routes connect Changsha to more than 40 domestic cities. As there aren’t many direct international flights to Changsha, travellers can take a flight from their home country to Hong Kong, Changsha or any other Chinese province and transfer to a domestic flight to Changsha. Services: Airport Hotlines: 0731-84797255, 0731-84798777 Information Desks: The information desks situated in the centre of the Departures Hall, Lounge 6 and the Arrivals Hall Lost & Found: the information desk in the centre of the Departures Hall, 0731-84797255 Ticketing: south entrance of the Departures Hall, 0731-84798666, 0731-84799666 For more information on the airport, check out its page on Wikipedia. Here is a list some of the major airlines in China Airlines Airline Website Code Air China Limited CA http://www.airchina.com.cn/en/index.shtml China Eastern MU http://www.flychinaeastern.com/home_domestic.htm Airlines China Southern CZ http://www.cs-air.com/en/ Airlines China Shanghai FM http://ww1.shanghai-air.com/salnewweb-en/index.aspx Airlines All the websites above are available in English. By long distance bus There are 446 coach routes operated by bus terminals in Changsha, among which are 138 inter-provincial routes, connecting Changsha with 22 provinces and autonomous regions, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Hubei, Anhui, Zhejiang, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia. At present, all bus terminals have adopted internet ticketing. You can get more information about this service at www.csck.com.cn and www.daba168.com. However, these websites are only available in the Chinese language. By train If you prefer not to take a plane to Changsha, you can hop on to one of the domestic train service available. Please note that you’ll still have to board a plane to one of the nearby Chinese province to transfer to a train. Changsha Railway Station As an important hub of the national Jingguang Railway (Beijing-Guangzhou), Changsha benefits from rail connections to almost every major city in China. There is a bullet train departing from Shanghai South Railway Station daily and it arrives in Changsha in 8 hours. Guangzhou South Railway Station This railway station was built to serve the express trains running along the Wuhan-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway. Currently, there are over 50 high-speed trains departing and stopping at this railway station. The train only takes about 1.5 hours running between Changsha and Wuhan, and about 3hours between Guangzhou and Changsha. You can only book your tickets up to five days in advance of your travel date. However, it should be appreciated that sometimes this ticket pre-sell period may be adjusted when demand is heavy. The following table shows the locations of the various agencies so you can find the one nearest to where you intend to stay. It is important to tell you that China is a very big country and we would advice EPs to come to Changsha by flight to avoid getting lost and confusion due to the language barrier. Trains and long distance buses are alternatives that are available if you know how to get around China from previous visits to China or if you are extremely comfortable with the Chinese language. The cost of all 3 travelling methods varies depending on the period of booking and the distance between your start off point and Changsha. Climate When travelling in Changsha one should be aware of the temperamental weather. Summer comes around the later May with high heat and heavy humidity. Travellers should pack light breathable clothes during summer as temperatures could rise to 37˚C. The scorching heat might be uncomfortable to some travellers who are used to the cold hence one should carry a parasol and water with them to avoid falling ill under too much sun. Whist winter comes around November bringing little sunlight and heavy fogs. Although it is reported that the average temperature in winter is about five degrees, the winter days in Changsha can be severely cold as those in the northern China cities due to the great humidity carried by the river winds from Xiangjiang River. The city has no heaters therefore we suggest travelers bring cotton and packed clothes, gloves and scarves and a hat for the windy cold days during winter. Another thing a traveler should bear in mind is that the weather changes greatly during the transit period between spring and summer or summer and autumn. Most of the rest days in a year are misty and cloudy. Cost of Living Changsha is famous for its lower general prices than other cities in China such as Beijing, Shanghai and Changsha. You can totally enjoy the life here without worrying about expenses. There are 3 possible circumstances for EPs- Free food and accommodation is provided by the TN. Free accommodation is provided by the TN. The EPs will pay some of food fee because tasting Changsha amazing snacks. Cost for Food: US$130(RMB800) per month for food but it varies depending on personal food intake. Service charge is not required in Mainland of China. Others: US$50 (RMB350) per month as a general guideline for these additional expenses but it varies depending on personal spending habits. Details in Changsha Item USD$ RMB A bottle of water(0.5Liter) $0.23 1.5yuan A bottle of Coca Cola(0.5 Liter) $0.52 3.5yuan A bottle of Juice(o.5 Liter) $0.52 3.5yuan A bottle of beer(0.5Liter) $1.02 7yuan A loaf of bread $0.30 2yuan A dozen of eggs $1.50 10yuan A small watermelon $0.60 4yuan 3 bananas $0.38 2.5yuan An umbrella $6.00 40yuan A magazine $1.50 10yuan Electricity The standard for Chinese plugs and sockets is set out in GB 2099.1–1996 and GB 1002–1996. The voltage across the pins of a Chinese socket will always be 220, no matter what the plug type. Image of a electrical socket in China Travellers do not have to worry about the sockets in China being different than those used in their home country as many socket converters can be purchased in supermarkets. Transportation Public Buses Bus fare for Changsha Bus Service: ¥1(non-air-conditioned) ¥2(air-conditioned) ¥1 surcharge for crossing the Wuyi square Operating Hours: 6 am to 12 midnight(varies between services&locations) Waiting time for buses varies from 5 to 20 minutes and bus stop located about every 300-500m. Taxis Taxi fares start at ¥6 which covers the first 2km. The fares then rise in stages, ¥1.8 for every kilometers traveled. 20% surcharge for journeys between 9pm and 5am, and ¥2.16 every kilometers over 2km. Changsha Taxi Company Address: 66 Zhaoxia Gang, Huoxing Town, Furong District, Changsha Customer Service Center: 0731-474 3330; 474 3317 Hotline: 0731- 474 3309 Fax: 0731-474 3330 Fiance Currency: Legal tender is the Renminbi (sign: ¥; code: CNY), whose principal unit is the Yuan. Coins are produced in denominations of 1 jiao, 5 jiao and 1 yuan whereas notes have been produced in types of 1 jiao, 5 jiao, 1 yuan, 5 yuan, 10 yuan, 20 yuan, 50 yuan and 100 yuan. Note that 1 jiao is one tenth of 1 yuan. Exchange rate: As of July 21 2005, the Yuan has been depegged from the U.S. Dollar and moved on to a managed floating exchange rate based on market supply and demand with reference to a basket of foreign currencies. To find out its latest exchange rate, please use a currency calculator from the internet or find out from the nearest bank available. Commercial banking: Some of the commercial banks in China include Agricultural Bank of China, and Bank of China. Foreigners can open bank accounts in China, it would be best to open one in the Bank of China as it has the most branches across the country and it is one of the biggest banks in China. You would need your passport, local Yuan and a local address. Credit cards: Credit cards are not widely used in Changsha, travellers could bring along cash or traveller’s cheque. Major credit cards such as Master Card, Visa, Diner's Card, American Express and JCB can be used in major cities such as Beijing or Shanghai to purchase goods in large shopping malls and stores in the big and medium cities, to pay for hotel rooms and for meals in some of the fancier restaurants, and to buy plane tickets with them.