Chengdu Prepare | Travel | Experience THINK AHEAD. LEARN MANDARIN. Hutong School www.hutong-school.com Introduction Chapter 1: Before your arrival Chapter 2: How to Survive Your First Week Chapter 3: Get The Most Out Of Your Week Chapter 4: Weekend Guide Chapter 5: Scams in China Introduction Chengdu is a metropolis that, like many Chinese cities, seems to have developed and modernized overnight. New metro lines are opening every year, new skyscrapers are constantly being erected, and many new companies and startups are finding their way into the city’s growing economy. As the capital of China’s Sichuan province, it does not sit on China’s populated East coast, but the city has taken steps to position itself as the primary economic hub for Western China. Everyone who knows at least a little bit about Chengdu will all share the same two initial thoughts of the city: spicy food and pandas. China’s Sichuan Province is the country’s cradle for spicy food, as the cuisine makes liberal use of peppers and garlic, including the uniquely flavored Sichuan pepper. Additionally, Chengdu is home to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a breeding facility to help spur the population of the endangered giant panda bear. The total number of giant pandas left in the world is estimated at 1,500, with 80 percent located within the Sichuan Province. Outside of these two attractions, Sichuan offers plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in China, while also hosting familiar Western amenities if you ever desire them. In this e-book we will cover everything from the beginning to the end of your Hutong School adventure. We will walk you through the pre-arrival stage, how to survive your first few days, how to get the most out of each week and what to do at the weekend. This includes, nightlife, cultural activities, weekend getaways and money-saving tips. Before Your Arrival China, so you may want to consider stocking up Chapter 1: before coming to Chengdu. It’s always possible to order anything you need from Taobao, but Before Your Arrival only if you set up a bank account during your stay! Women should come prepared with all the Coming to China requires a lot of preparation. feminine hygiene products that they may need Fortunately for you, our team will help with during their stay, particularly for that time of any paperwork required for the visa process. the month. Once that’s been taken care of, it’s time to start packing and getting ready for an It might be a good idea to bring any medication amazing adventure in Chengdu! Here are our you use on a regular basis, especially tips on how to prepare for the Sichuan prescriptions. There are plenty of western capital. pharmacies in Chengdu (as opposed to Traditional Chinese pharmacies), but the language barrier can make it difficult to What to pack? distinguish medicine when you need it quickly. Clothes Miscellaneous Chengdu generally has a mild climate and Any traveler will want to snap and remember experiences all four seasons. Summers are their journey to China. If your phone’s camera is hot and very humid, winters are cold and not enough, you may consider bringing a overcast, spring is warm and autumns are separate camera with enough batteries and SD cool but comfortable. Make sure you pack cards to capture every cool place you come the right clothes for the season(s) you'll across. You never know where your weekend spend in Chengdu. It’s always worth bringing trips might take you! an umbrella with you, especially in the warmer months when the rainfall is Streaming junkies may want to consider concentrated. building up a library of shows and movies before leaving home. Many Western streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video Toiletries and Medicine are unavailable in China and don’t function when they detect a VPN is being used. Chengdu is a large, international modern city However, China has its own streaming so foreigners should be able to find most of providers (Youku) that have a respectable the toiletries and medicines they need. collection of Western shows and Hollywood Deodorants are not very common in movies. Before Your Arrival However... That being said, our best advice is to pack light. Chengdu (and China) is a developed city with many great shopping centers and markets where you can buy all necessities. You may want to consider bringing only the essentials and then buying anything else you need once you get here. You will probably find many things cheaper to buy here than in Western countries! Regardless, you’ll inevitably buy gifts, snacks, souvenirs, etc. that you’ll want to take home, so be sure to not to completely fill up your luggage. What to Install? We can’t stress this enough, but subscribing to a VPN service before you arrive in China will save you a lot of trouble. Internet in China is heavily controlled and the country blocks every website with information that could be damaging to society. Almost all Western social media sites, Google services, and VPN websites themselves are impossible to access. So, if you’re looking to send a Facebook message, share your travel photos on Instagram, or chat with your friends on WhatsApp, get that VPN software installed and working before coming to Chengdu! Before Your Arrival Apps The next step in your preparation for the Middle Kingdom is installing certain apps on your phone or tablet, especially if you have an Android device that uses Google Play Store. Here are some apps that expats in Chengdu can’t live without! Chinese Learning Apps Getting around in Chengdu Pleco: The absolute best smart phone Apple Maps: detailed and accurate app to find dictionary for Chinese. Very quick and easy your way through the city. Does not require a to look up words in Chinese using English, VPN. pinyin, or characters. The dictionary is free, and is offline. Google Maps: a decent option if you’re a Google loyalist, but you will need VPN. ChinesePod: from newbie level to advanced, ChinesePod offers over 3500 China Trains: helps you plan your journey from podcasts and videos about all kinds of A to B and shows the availability of tickets. situations. Chengdu Metro: clean and easy-to-use app Google Translate: now comes with an that brings you from one metro station to offline dictionary for Chinese, so you won’t another need VPN. WayGo: visual translator that reads Chinese characters and translates them into English. Pleco can also do this. Before Your Arrival Keeping in Touch WeChat: one of the most important apps in China. Set yours up before coming to China. You can’t live in Chengdu without having WeChat. WeChat is primarily used as a messaging app, but also Alipay: If you sign up for a Chinese functions as social media, calling, payment, news bank account, link your bank card source, scanner, translator and much more. to this app and it will serve as an electronic form of payment. Nearly every shop, store, restaurant, bar, etc. around the city will accept WeChat’s electronic pay or Alipay. You will quickly find that it is super convenient to be cash-free. 饿了么 Eleme ( ) / Sherpa’s: These two apps are essential for food delivery. Numerous restaurants are represented on these two apps, meaning you can get many different types of cuisines delivered to your door. Eleme is cheaper of the two, though it's only available in Chinese. Sherpa’s is available English, but the delivery charge is usually slightly higher. Other Didi: The Uber of China. Didi actually bought out Uber China and merged it with their technology. Didi is a ridesharing app that is very convenient, especially if you’re uncomfortable hailing a taxi or if the metro is closed. DianPing: For those that can recognize Chinese characters, this app is basically China’s version of Yelp & TripAdvisor. Aiyiqi & Tencent Video: These video streaming services are Chinese alternatives to Netflix and Amazon prime. Both feature a decent range of Western tv shows and films, although some foreign titles are partially censored. How to Survive Your First Week Chapter 2: How to Survive Your First Week Registration After a long flight and taxi ride you’ll probably be ready to go to your accommodation and rest. However, everyone arriving in China must register their residency at a police station. Try not to stress about this though, as a Hutong School staff member will help you with registration. Just don’t make any immediate plans for the moment you arrive Transportation Card in Chengdu! You will want to get a Chengdu Transportation Smart card: the Tianfu Tong card. These can be bought at any subway station and let you pay for the metro and buses easily. Alternatively, if you have a Chinese bank account you can use your contactless card or Alipay to pay for transportation fares. Sim Card Next up, you will want to get yourself a sim card. China is mobile mad. The smart phone has become an extension of the Chinese person’s arm. There are three carriers in China from who you can get a sim card and all offer relatively similar deals and packages: China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom. Most new users will need to pay a sim card deposit of 50- 100 RMB. SIM cards can be bought at kiosks in the airport, shortly after you step off the plane. Additionally, a Hutong School employee may be able to help you obtain one.