I. Chinese Visas
Chinese visa is a permit issued by the Chinese visa authorities to a foreigner for entry into, exit from or transit through the Chinese territory.
II. Visa Authorities
Overseas Chinese visa authorities include Chinese embassies, consulates, visa offices and departments; domestic Chinese visa authorities include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), and local authorities of foreign affairs as well as local authorities of public security authorized by the MFA and the MPS respectively.
III. Visa Types
Chinese visas are divided into four types: diplomatic, courtesy, service and ordinary visas. Of these, the ordinary visa consists of eight sub-categories, which are respectively marked with Chinese phonetic letters: Tourist visa (L Visa)，Visitor visa (F Visa)，Student visa (X Visa)，Work visa (Z Visa)，Transit visa (G Visa)，Crew visa (C Visa)，Journalist visa (J Visa)，Permanent residence visa (D Visa). Chinese visa authorities has discretion to issue, in accordance with relevant laws, different types of visas to different aliens according to their status, purpose of visiting China and the types of passports they hold.
IV. In accordance with The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and The Basic Law of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong and Macao exercise autonomous exit-entry control after the transfer of their sovereignty to China. The application of aliens for visiting Hong Kong SAR of China shall be handled in accordance with the Basic Law. And all aliens who are to visit Macao can apply for a visa on arrival, except those who are exempted from visa according to the agreement.

Student visas are generally issued to applicants who intend to study in China for more than 6 months.
 Requirements:
 1). One completely filled out Visa Application Form for the P.R. China (Q-2007) .no item should be empty or altered.
　2). One recently taken 2X2 in. photo showing entire face and without a hat on. Please affix the photo to the application form.
　3). Original passport with at least 2 blank visa pages and valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of application.
　4). A visa application form for international students (JW-201 or 202) issued by the Ministry of Education of China, and notification of admission from enrolled school with the seal of the said ministry are required (together with their copies).
　5). A Physical Examination Record for Foreigner (Q-2)filled out and signed by a doctor (together with their copies).
　6). An applicant born in China who is applying for a Chinese visa with his or her new foreign passport is required to submit his or her Chinese passport or last foreign passport.
　7). A child of Chinese descent and born in a foreign country who applies for a Chinese visa for the first time is required to submit his or her Birth Certificate and foreign passport or foreign permanent resident permit (e.g. Green Card) of one of his or her parents.(together with their copies).
　8).Non-US passport  bearers shall provide documents valid for at least 6 months  that entitle them to reside or work for an extended period of time in the US.(together with their copies).
　9). Former Chinese visas (if any, together with their copies).
　10). other files consuls request.
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In general, the employer shall apply for the Alien Employment License of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the Alien Employment License) if it intends to employ foreigners. Foreigners seeking employment in China shall hold Work Visas (Z-type visa) for their entry into China, and may work within Chinese territory only after they obtain the Alien Employment Permit (hereinafter referred to as the Employment Permit) and the Alien Residence Certificate (hereinafter referred to as Residence Permit).

There are two kinds of study programs for study in China—short-term and long-term, and majors include Chinese language, Chinese culture, Chinese medicine, law, painting and calligraphy, traditional architecture, cooking and physical training. About the tuition, it ranges from  ＄55/month — ＄550/month.

HSK timetable 2009 in Mainland China is as follow:
HSK（Basic）:
Test Time:23rd May; Registration Time: 6th May—12th May；Entry Fee: RMB400
HSK(Elementary-Intermediate) :
Test Time: 24th May; Registration Time: 6th May—12th May; Entry Fee: RMB500

HSK (Elementary-Intermediate):

Test Time: 13th Dec.; Registration Time: 1st Dec.—4th Dec.; Entry Fee: RMB500

HSK (Advanced):

Test Time:23rd May; Registration Time: 6th May—12th May；Entry Fee: RMB600

HSK (Advanced):

Test Time: 12th Dec.; Registration Time: 1st Dec.—4th Dec.; Entry Fee: RMB600

Here we will introduce you some law offices that provide English services: Global Law Office, Beijing YueCheng Law Firm, Jun He Law Office, and King & Capital Law Firm

Here we will introduce you two hospitals enjoying high reputations between international friends. They are Vista Clinic and United Family Hospital, providing services of pediatrics, gynecology, stomatology, Psychiatry&Psychology, sports medicine, specialist outpatient and traditional Chinese medicine treatment.

There are many libraries in Beijing. The most famous is National Library of China, Capital Library. And each district has its own library, such as Chaoyang District Library, Chongwen District Library and so on. For the National Library, you can apply for a card by paying deposit RMB100, and there are rooms for individual study open for free. Also, you can visit its digital reading room at particular time.

For more information, please visit its official website: http://www.nlc.gov.cn/en/indexen.htm.

Linear Measure
China uses international system for its linear measure, for example, kilometer, meter, decimeter, centimeter and millimeter, etc. China also has its own linear measures, such as chi, cun, li, gongli, etc
1 chi≈3.33 dm
1 cun≈3.33 cm
1 li=0.5 kilometer
1 gongli=2 li=1 kilometer
Example 1：
A: How tall are you?
B: One meter seven eight. (1.78 meters）
Example 2
A: How far do you live from here？ B: About 500 gongli. (About 500 kilometers）
 Square Measure
China uses international system for its square measure, for example, square meter, square centimeter, etc. China also has its own linear measures — mu。
1 mu≈666.67 square meters
Example 1： A: How big is the playground？ B: About 800 square meters.
Example 2: A: How much land does your family own B: Three mu. (About 2,000 square meters
Cubic Measure
China uses international cubic system such as cubic meter, cubic centimeter, etc。
For example A: How big is this wooden box？ B: About 2 cubic meters.
Capacity Measure
China uses international capacity system such as liter and milliliter.
For example A: How much medicine is there in the box? B: 150 milliliters.
Weight Measure
China uses international weight system such as ton, kilogram and gram, etc. Besides, there are also jin, gongjin, and liang widely in use.
1 gongjin=2 jin=1 kilogram
1liang=50 gram
Example 1: A: How much goods can this truck carry? B: Two tons.
Example 2: A: How much rice do you want？ B: Three liang. (150 grams）
Currency Measure
1 yuan RMB≈0.105 Euro (varying according to different exchange rates）
Example 1 A: Here is your change, 26 yuan 1 jiao and 5 fen. B: Thank you.
Example 2： A: How much is the egg？ B: 3 kuai 8. (3 yuan 8 jiao）

Chinese Government Scholarship scheme is established by the Ministry of Education of China (MOE) in accordance with educational exchange agreements or understandings reached between Chinese government and governments of other countries, organizations, education institutions and relevant international organizations to provide both full scholarships and partial scholarships to international students and scholars. MOE entrusts China Scholarship Council (hereinafter referred to as CSC) to handle the enrollment of international students and carry out the routine management of Chinese Government Scholarship Programs.

1) Full scholarship:

Exempt from registration fee, tuition fee, fee for laboratory experiment, fee for internship, fee for basic learning materials and accommodation on campus;
Living allowance;
One-off settlement subsidy after registration;
Fee for outpatient medical service, Comprehensive Medical Insurance and Benefit Plan for International Students in China;
One-off inter-city travel subsidy.
2）Partial scholarship:

   One or some items of the full scholarship (not including one-off settlement subsidy and one-off inter-city travel allowance).

 

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The Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) is a national standardized test to assess the Chinese language proficiency of non-native speakers (including foreigners, overseas Chinese and students of Chinese national minorities). It is a comprehensive test system catering to various levels of the Chinese learners, including HSK Basic, HSK Elementary-Intermediate and HSK Advanced.

HSK Function:

The HSK Certificate serves

1) to certify that the holder has obtained the required Chinese Proficiency to enter a college or university as an undergraduate or graduate student.
2) to certify that the holder can be exempt from studying Chinese courses depending on the level of certification.
3)as a basis for the employment institutions to evaluate the Chinese proficiency of their employees.

Joining a package tour organized by travel agencies may save trouble, time and even money. Then how to choose a travel agency in China?
I. Do not readily believe in tourism advertising when selecting a travel agency. You may consult the tourism bureau or tourism centers of your destination if necessary. A standard tourism advertisement should include information like name of the agency, address, license number and legal representative;
II. It is necessary to confirm the qualifications of a travel agency. In general, a legitimate travel agency should at least have the following certificates: "Travel agency business license", "Evidence of quality bail payment by the travel agency" and business license issued by the Trade and Industry Bureau.
III. We should ask the travel agency travel routes and quotation. Travel routes include short and long ones and quotation falls into two categories: one that includes food, transport and travel (tickets to tourist destinations), and the other at a lower price that doesn’t include meals.
IV. Confirm the means of transportation.
V. Learn more about the grade and standard of accommodation. For an economical tour, the arrangement would be ordinary rooms without sanitation. Several people share a room, and the price is relatively lower. A standard tour usually offers standard rooms with sanitation, air-conditioning, telephone, television and so on. For a luxury tour, it is usually star-rated hotel or hotels catering to overseas tourists comparable to star-rated hotels.
VI. Inquire about the travel arrangements to see whether the visit is reasonably and tightly scheduled.
VII. Make clear how the guide service fee is charged.
VIII. Sign a contract with the travel agency.

Ten Reminders on Travelling in China
1 When chatting with a new acquaintance, Chinese people would usually ask about the other person’s family or age. It is only a way of greeting with no intention of offence. When shaking hands with a Chinese, you should take the gloves off and look at the other person in the eye, or else you would be considered impolite.
2 Chinese people like things to be in pairs, and consider even numbers to be auspicious. Thus odd numbers are deemed taboo on some occasions, which is different from foreigners who think of odd number as auspicious.
3 Do not strike up conversations with unfamiliar girls. Chinese girls are relatively conservative. Conversations started by a stranger would trigger antipathy, and you may even be seen as a bad guy on this occasion.
4 In China, tap water is usually undrinkable. Please carry bottled water when going outdoors.
5 In China, you have to prepare toilet paper for yourself when going to the public washroom, for there is usually no toilet paper in washrooms at railway stations, bus stations and other public places.
6 In China, the Renminbi can not be exchanged into a foreign currency randomly. So you should anticipate the time you want to stay in China and figure out in advance how much RMB you’ll need.
7 The frequency of mobile phones in China is GSM900/1800. Please modulate your mobile phone by yourself upon entering China. If your mobile phone does not support frequency selection, prepare some change for using public telephones.
8 When shopping in stores in China, do not bargain if you have not decided to buy, or else it would be considered impolite.
9 The stores in China are usually open from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm, and bars are open from 10 pm to early next morning.
10 If you come across any danger in China please call 110 for the police. And call 120 for medical assistance.