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CHINA
Getting
Around
China is huge, and unless you concentrate on a small area, you're
going to spend a good deal of your time - and budget - just getting
around. Fortunately, public transport is very comprehensive and
reasonably priced considering the distances involved, and there's
usually a choice of travel options available.
You can fly to all regional capitals and many of the larger cities;
the rail network extends to every province except Tibet; while if
you're up to slow hours of rough riding, you can reach almost all
corners of the country on local transport - which covers everything
from buses to tractors. There's even a fair number of rivers still
plied by passenger ferries, and a few vessels chugging between coastal
ports and down to Hainan Island. Tibet is the one region where there
are restrictions on independent travel. Tours are one way of taking
the pressure off travel, and in some cases are the only practical
way of getting out to certain sights; they're never cheap, but can
be good value.
While there are plenty of options, travel can also take some planning
and patience. Bus timetables are unpredictable, with scheduled state
services losing out to ad hoc private operators, while train journeys
have their own peculiar pitfalls. You also want to weigh up the
mental and physical rigours involved if you insist on travelling
the cheapest way all the time - it's well worth covering long distances
in as much comfort as possible
Trains
Mainland China's first rail lines were laid in the nineteenth century,
and it was popular resentment against foreign involvement in them
which led directly to the successful 1911 revolution establishing
the Chinese Republic. Much of the original network was destroyed
during the Japanese occupation and subsequent civil war, but since
its takeover in 1949, the Communist government has constantly expanded
the facilities, and today China's rail network is vast and efficient,
definitely the safest, most reliable way to travel through the country.
Buses and minibuses
Despite the ever-widening net thrown by the rail lines, there are
still many parts of China unreachable by train - in which case bus
is the cheapest (and often only) way of getting there. The huge
numbers of private operators who have sprung up in the last few
years mean that services are increasingly frequent, even to remote
places, though some cities have so many depots it can be hard to
find the right departure point. The advantages of bus over train
travel are that seats are cheaper and it's no trouble to buy a ticket
- queues really don't compare. And, while you can't usually book
more than a day in advance, you are also almost guaranteed a seat,
albeit often a hellishly uncomfortable one, even if you buy the
ticket minutes before departure. On the downside, bus travel is
very slow - count on an average speed of 30km per hour, breakdowns
from time to time, and stops every few minutes to pick up or set
down passengers. Airhorns make the experience noisy, too, as drivers
are obliged to announce their presence before overtaking anything,
and earplugs are seriously recommended. There are some new expressways,
but poor surfaces and maintenance means that country roads can be
downright dangerous, as is the habit of saving fuel by coasting
down hill or mountainsides in "angel gear" - neutral,
with the engine off. Take some food along, because though buses
usually pull up at inexpensive roadhouses at mealtimes, they have
been known to take two drivers and plough on for a full 24 hours
without stopping.
Tickets are sold at the point of departure, whether this is a proper
bus station or just a kerb stop - in which case you'll pay on board.
You'll do this too if you hail a bus in passing; destinations are
always displayed (in Chinese characters) on the front of the vehicle.
It's best to buy your ticket a day or two in advance if possible,
though it's often unnecessary; hotel desks might do this for you
but queues at bus stations are rarely as horrendous as those for
the train.
Planes
China has some fourteen regional airlines linking all major cities
and many important sites, overseen by the Civil Aviation Administration
of China, or CAAC . It's a luxury worth considering for long distances,
but you'll have to offset comfort and time saved against a lamentably
poor safety record (although standards are improving rapidly), and
the cost - flying is a little more expensive than going soft berth
on a train.
Buying tickets from the local CAAC office, hotel desk or tour agent
is seldom problematic, and there seem to be enough flights along
popular routes to cope with demand. CAAC - both in China and abroad
- can furnish you with a bilingual timetable , though you'll occasionally
find these inaccurate. Airlines frequently, but not always, provide
a bus to meet arrivals or take departing passengers to the airport
for a small fee; as airports can be 30km or more from city centres,
you need to find out in advance if these are available. Check-in
time for all flights is two hours before departure, and there's
always a departure tax - currently ¥50 for internal flights.
The planes themselves vary from carrier to carrier, or sometimes
destination, with older vessels palmed off on to less profitable
routes - Yunnan Airlines, for example, is noticeably modern, and
all international flights are generally of reasonable standard.
Service is usually good, with soft drinks, biscuits and souvenir
trinkets handed out along the way, and sometimes there's even a
raffle.
Ferries
There are any number of river and sea journeys to make while in
China, though passenger ferries are generally on the decline as
new roads are built with buses providing a faster service between
points. The Yangzi , one of Asia's largest rivers, is navigable
for thousands of kilometres between the Sichuanese port of Chongqing
and coastal Shanghai, a famous journey which takes you through the
spectacular Three Gorges. Another popular jaunt is the overnight
spin up the Xi River between Guangzhou and Wuzhou, which gives easy
access to famous beauty spots around Guilin. Elsewhere, while it
might not always be the quickest or cheapest form of transport,
a boat ride can be a refreshing change from the tribulations of
train or bus travel, and it's always affordable.
Driving
and car rental
Driving a car across China is quite an appealing idea, but an experience
as yet forbidden to foreigners - though bilingual road signs going
up along new expressways suggest that the notion is being considered.
It is possible, however, for foreign residents to rent vehicles
for local use in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Sanya, on Hainan
Island. You need an international driving licence, proof of residency
and some plastic to leave as a deposit. Special licence plates make
these rental vehicles easily identifiable to Chinese police, so
don't try taking them beyond the designated boundaries. Rates are
about ¥300 a day plus petrol. The Chinese technically drive
on the right, although in practice drivers seem to drive wherever
they like - over pedestrian crossings, through red lights, even
on the left. They use their horns instead of the brake, and lorries
and buses plough ahead regardless while smaller vehicles get out
of the way.
Bicycles
China has the highest number of bicycles of any country in the world,
with about a quarter of the population owning one. In a land where
private car ownership is beyond all but the most affluent, it's
how the majority get around. Few cities have any hills, and all
have rental shops or booths, especially around the train stations,
where you can rent a set of wheels for ¥5-10 a day. You will
need to leave a deposit (¥200-400) and/or some form of ID and
you're fully responsible for anything that happens to the bike while
it's in your care, so check brakes, tyre pressure and gearing before
renting. Most rental bikes are bog-standard rattletraps, available
in black or black - the really de luxe models feature bells and
two working brakes. There are cheap repair shops all over the place
should you need a tyre patched or a chain fixed up (around ¥5).
Note that there's little in the way of private insurance in China,
so if the bike sustains any serious damage it's up to the parties
involved to sort out responsibility and payment on the spot. To
avoid theft always use a bicycle chain or lock - they're available
everywhere - and in cities, leave your vehicle in one of the ubiquitous
designated parking areas , where it will be guarded by an attendant
for a few mao.
Hitching
Hitching around China is basically possible, and in remoter areas
might save some time in reaching sights. However, drivers will usually
charge you the going bus fare, and, given the added personal risks
inherent in hitching, and the fact that public transport is becoming
ever-more available, it's not particularly recommended as a means
of getting around.
If you must hitch, don't do it alone. The best places to try are
on town and city exit roads. Get the driver's attention by waving
your hand, palm down, at them. Expect to bargain for the fare, and
make sure that you have your destination written down in Chinese
characters. |
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