General advice for trip to China

[jean_hee_lee]

I'm looking for advice for a trip I'm taking to China over Christmas.

I will look through some guidebooks, but I'm just wondering if anyone

has ideas about buying film or equipment, getting processing, where

to go, etc. Also, what is your favourite thing about a certain place

or the country in general? Are there any spots I just have to see? In

your opinion, at least...=) Here's where I'm going: Beijing,

Langfang, Shijiazhuang, Nanjing, Hefei, Changsha, Chengdu, Hangzhou,

Shanghai.

 

Thanks!

Jeanie

[rich815]

Your question is way too broad and vague. There's so much to see and do in the places you are going that reading through guidebooks and tailoring the trip to your tastes is best---everyone will have an opinion on what's best but it will vary and in the end your own tastes will dictate what you want to do-----temples? street markets? museums? parks? hutongs? so much..... I lived in China for 5 years and have only been to half the places on your list but still could go back and see more and more. In the larger cities there are pro-calibre labs to get stuff processed and such but unless you're going to be there for months, and it seems you'll not be in one place very long, then just bring it all back with you to be developed at home (carry-on luggage only of course). DO NOT use just any lab you come across----you WILL be sorely disappointed in the quality of prints and the scratching of the negs. I lived in Kunming for almost 2 years and Beijing for over 3 and in that time it took me a while to find a dependable lab in both locales---and both were sort of out of the way, not really near places and areas you'll likely want to go with only a short time to be there and so much to see. Film is the same story. Kodak and Fuji basic consumer films can be found everywhere but they are just Chinese versions of Kodak MAX400 and Superia HQ, in other words: it's crap. Best to bring you own film. That said for typical snaps I found Chinese Lucky 100 color neg film to be not all that bad.

[jean_hee_lee]

I know it's a vague question. I was wondering what YOU might find interesting and worthwhile. I don't really have an idea in my head as to what I want to see or do, so I'll listen to everything anyone has to say! Having said that, I probably won't want to spend too much time in museums, as I enjoy just walking around...I probably won't have too much free time because it's a concert tour, but the organizer says he's trying to get as much free time as possible...

 

As for the labs, I won't bother processing anything over there, based on what you've said. I thought maybe there might be decent prices for film, but apparently not? I don't have the schedule yet, but I believe there will be several flights within China. Should I worry about x-ray machines there, or are they like in the US?

 

Thanks for your answer!

Jeanie

[gabriel_shaw1]

When in China at popular tourist spots (Great Wall etc) do not be surprised by frequent requests to be photographed with groups of Chinese tourists from provincial areas, as they want to prove to their friends and neighbours that they have actually seen a westerner in the flesh

[larrybc]

<p>Jean-Hee Lee , nov 09, 2004; 04:28 p.m. wrote:<br><i>

I'm looking for advice for a trip I'm taking to China over Christmas. I will look through some guidebooks, but I'm just wondering if anyone has ideas about buying film or equipment, getting processing, where to go, etc. Also, what is your favourite thing about a certain place or the country in general? Are there any spots I just have to see? In your opinion, at least...=) Here's where I'm going: Beijing, Langfang, Shijiazhuang, Nanjing, Hefei, Changsha, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Shanghai.

</i>

</p>

<p>

You're going over Christmas, or over a few months!? That's a lot of places. Of the places you've mentioned, I've only been to Beijing.

 

One thing I wish I did more often was wake up EARLY, like 5:30a or just before the sun comes up. I did this one morning in Beijing and it was a real eye-opener (no pun intended). Seeing the process of Beijing waking up in the morning provided many photo opportunities that disappeared after 9am. It was a totally different city that early in the morning. Many of the open spaces on the sidewalks were occupied with people performing morning exercises. Sidewalk vendors appeared, selling breakfast items, and people were lined up outside of bakeries, waiting for the fresh goods to appear. More than a few pick up trucks had commuting labourers asleep in the box. Of course, the light is wonderful at that time of the morning, too.

</p>

<p>

And definitely check out the Wang Fu Jing Snack Street night market. It features tons of interesting food kiosks that pop up in the evening, a few blocks from the Forbidden City. Great photo opps and everything from mild to wild for your palate. Cheap, too! I think a skewer of chicken or beef cost us around USD$0.20. Might be more now, but it'll still be cheap. For a real thrill, walk near the tricycle that is used to pick up used cooking grease and other stuff.</p>

 

<p>

Gabriel Shaw , nov 10, 2004; 06:38 a.m. wrote:<br><i>

When in China at popular tourist spots (Great Wall etc) do not be surprised by frequent requests to be photographed with groups of Chinese tourists from provincial areas, as they want to prove to their friends and neighbours that they have actually seen a westerner in the flesh</i></p>

<p>

That never happened to me, but then again, I'm Chinese. And with a name like "Jean-Hee Lee," she might be, too. ;-)

</p>

<p>

Larry</p>

[colin_lee3]

I was in China for the first time earlier this summer. It was quite the experience.

 

Of the places you are going to, I was only in Beijing. We went a bit off the beaten path, and ended up spending most of our time in Jinan, He Ze, Qu Fu, and Liaocheng (sp?). These are my impressions:

 

I was very surprised by the amount of pollution in Beijing, and the haze did show itself in my photos. I should have had a filter....

 

We visited the section of the Great Wall at Badaling early in the morning (6am) and found it very dim at that hour, plus we still had the morning fog covering the tops of the hills. It made for slightly slow shutter speeds. The advantage of going to these sights at an early hour, is you can take photos without hordes of people passing in front of your camera. Needless to say, "Bring a wide angle lens!".

 

The Forbidden City is another sight, along with Tian An Men Square in Beijing. I found my 28mm lens not wide enough for some shots, depending on the size of the courtyard you happen to be in at the moment. People walking in front of my camera was my biggest problem.

 

I wouldn't risk buying film in China at any tourist attraction. Surprisingly, many chinese now have digital cameras. I don't recall seeing anybody actually buy film from a vendor at an attraction, which is a good thing. The film largely sits outside, at high temperatures (30+ C) for weeks on end. Strangely, ISO 400 film was hard to come by. I brought my own film with me. Vancouver airport's security didn't have a problem doing a hand check on my film when I departed, nor did the Chinese security when I left. However, don't try to bring any alcohol back in your carry-on. It's considered a flammable liquid, and the Chinese airlines won't allow it. They actually open all bottles and smell them to verify.

 

If you want to shop at a North American type of store, go to the Friendship Store or the area called Wang Fu Jing. Some stores will still let you bargain. But if you're looking for camera equipment, you're probably out of luck. From what I saw of camera stores in Wang Fu Jing, you're basically paying North American prices.

 

Alot more fun, was the Silk Market Road. Everything can be bargained (and it's expected) but nothing is of really high quality. Still, it's alot of fun just bargaining with them. All of the street vendors speak enough english to chat with them.

 

My favorite thing about China? The food. And more food. And then some more. Beijing of course being more expensive than smaller, less traveled cities. It was a bit disconcerting to see "Dog meat" followed by "Dog meat with sauce" on a menu.

 

I hope this helps,

 

Colin Lee

[michael_chmilar]

Suzhou is close to both Hangzhou and Shanghai. It is around two or three hours bus trip to Suzhou from either city. If you can arrange it, you could visit Suzhou while travelling between Hangzhou and Shanghai (leave Hangzhou early morning, spend day in Suzhou, and arrive in Shanghai in the evening).

 

Suzhou is famous for its classical Chinese gardens. If you have limited time in Suzhou, hit the "Humble Administrator's Garden" first, as it is one of the largest and best.

 

Hangzhou is famous for West Lake ("Xi Hu"). It is fun to go to West Lake early in the morning to see the Tai Chi, martial arts, and ballroom dancing.

 

A very short trip from Hangzhou (you can take a city bus - very cheap) will take you to the Lungching (or Lungjing) and the "Dragon Well". This is one of the most famous tea-growing areas in China.

 

A short daytrip from Chengdu is the Shilin Stone Forest, which features some fantastic stone formations. You can take a train in the morning, and return on the same train in the afternoon.

 

Chengdu also has Sichuan opera, which is different from Beijing opera.

[rich815]

Micahel, Shilin is near Kunming in Yunnan province, not Chengdu. Unless there's another in Sichuan I am not aware of.

[michael_chmilar]

Richard, you are correct! I was confused. Shilin is near Kunming.

 

From Chengdu, you can make a daytrip to see the big seated Buddha in Leshan. There is also a Panda research station that you should be able to see in a daytrip.