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Top Beijing Museum – From Ancient History to Movies

Beijing, one of the vastly urbanized cities in China, holds an immense collection of science, art, culture, and history. These are displayed in the top Beijing Museum.

It’s probably one of the main reasons why I’ve always loved going to Beijing. I always try to stay near the center of town. So much is in walking distance.

The top Beijing Museum contain events of Chinese culture and significant occasions in history, which present amazing opportunities for enthusiasts from all over the planet.

A number of them preserve old-fashioned architectural characteristics, while others are contemporary with superior technology. Touring museums in Beijing, compliments its significant heritage locations.

Beijing Capital Museum

Built in 1981, Beijing Capital Museum houses a great collection of valuable Chinese mementos and educational artifacts, and has the most excellent museum show service.

This top Beijing Museum is separated into five floors above ground in addition to two floors underground with an area of 63,390 square meters. The grand structure, a variety of exhibitions, and superior service make Beijing Capital Museum, one of the best museums in China.

Beijing Capital Museum
Beijing Capital Museum

Its plentiful relics like; calligraphy works, porcelain, bronzes, along with Buddhist figurines; have won an elevated standing around the world. Most of the compilations were uncovered after the birth of the People’s Republic of China, and a number of them date back to the New Stone Age.

Three chief components of the museum illustrate the momentary exhibits, the major display, and the excellent art compilation. Subsequently, there is the Stele of Emperor Qian Long, which is the prized collection of the museum.

National Art Museum of China

National Art Museum of China was reserved for the compilation, study, and demonstration of contemporary and modern artistic mechanisms in China. More than 100,000 portions are domiciled in this huge top Beijing museum, which encompasses an area of approximately 18,000 square meters; separated into five floors.

A compilation of masterpieces by well-known Chinese artists along with high-quality workings from the late Qing Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty, with the early Republic of China period; are the riches of this museum. Not including the family pieces, plenty of overseas creative works are well-liked in this museum.

Thousands of important demonstrations of prominent artists from China and overseas have been held in National Art Museum of China in the past.

National Museum of China
National Museum of China

Beijing Theater Museum

Beijing Theater Museum was initially built in 1807 (for the duration of the Qing Dynasty), and modernized and revived for the community in 1997.

In the older Xiangxianci Building, which is the major display hall of Beijing Theater Museum, the record of the growth of the museum is also told. The growth of Peking Opera initiated in this museum. You can also discover some pictures and acoustic recordings of famed Beijing Opera artists, like Mei Lanfang.

China National Film Museum

China National Film Museum is the biggest museum in China with the key intention of showing the times gone by; depicting the civilization of the Chinese with pictures and films.

A group of sophisticated multifunctional halls, over twenty exhibition rooms, one IMAX cinema, with two digital protuberance cinemas; offer an absolute experience of the modern cinema culture in China.

There are many other locations that are worth visiting but these are the absolute best and top Beijing Museums to visit. They are very interesting and worth visiting.

Enjoy!

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Insight into the Most Commonly Spoken Language in China

With more than 955 million people speaking the Mandarin language, it is the most commonly spoken language in the world. It is one of the major Chinese dialects and is also spoken commonly in China. There are several dialects of Chinese, each of which holds its own importance amongst the different cultural groups in the country.

Amongst the various varieties spread in China, seven different dialects are officially accepted. These include  the Mandarin language, Wu, Gan, Hakka, Xian, Yue and the Min languages. Of all these seven, Mandarin is the most commonly spoken Chinese dialect in the country as approximately 70.9 percent people in the country speak it in their daily routine.

Due to this reason, the Mandarin language is also regarded as the official language of the country.

It is also the official language of Taiwan and is amongst the four official and different dialects spoken in Singapore.

During my time in China, I noticed that the Mandarin language encompasses the different Chinese dialects that are widely spoken in the southwestern and northern China.

The Standard Chinese known as ‘Guoyu’ or ‘Putonghua’ in Chinese is normally translated in Mandarin and is one of the dialects included in this group.

The word ‘mandarin’ was used to refer to the Chinese officials of the empire and is derived from different languages: mandarim from Portugese, mantarin from Sanskrit and menteri from Malay. In all these languages, the word meant a ‘counselor’ or a ‘minister.’ As the dialects of all these languages were incompatible and unintelligible, the officials used to communicate with the help of a koine that was based on the different northern dialects.

Chinese calligraph
Chinese calligraph

I visited the areas in China where the Mandarin language is widely spoken. These areas are referred to as the ‘Mandarin areas’ or today really just “China. Mostly in Guangdong province they speak Cantonese. During my stay, I noticed that the Mandarin dialects spoken in the southwestern and northeastern China are quite dissimilar, which is why natives of these areas experience trouble communicating with each other. However, the variation existing amongst the several Mandarin areas is quite less compared to that existing amongst the non-Mandarin areas in China.

For a major part of China’s history, the capital of the country has been a part of the famous Mandarin area. Since the fourteenth century, a form of the language also served as the lingua franca of China. During the start of the twentieth century, elements of the Beijing and Mandarin dialects were combined together to form the country’s national language.

While you are visiting China for excursion or business purposes, it is essential that you learn to speak some of the commonly used phrases and sentences in the Mandarin language, so you do not face much difficulty communicating with the locals of the country.,

Here are a couple of phrases that I picked up during my time in China, and are also important to learn for basic encounters within China.

To ask somebody how they are in Mandarin, you should say ‘Ni Hao Ma?’

If you wish to say you are very good, you should say, ‘Hen Hao’,

To inform them of things are not so well, you should say ‘Bu Hao.’

To thank someone, you should say ‘Xie Xie.’

While staying in China, you will often need to visit the markets for purchasing different goods. To negotiate on the price, you should say ‘Hen Gui’ if you want to inform the salesperson that a certain item is quite expensive.

Street vendors will also interrupt you during your shopping. To stop them from perturbing you, you should say ‘Bu Yao.’ This means ‘no’  or “don’t want” and will mostly stop them from disturbing you.

For calling a taxi, you should say, ‘De Shi.’

To bid goodbye to somebody, you should say ‘Zai Jain.’

For excusing someone, you should say ‘Jie Guo.’

To ask for a receipt, say ‘Fa Piao.’

For saying you don’t want something, you should say ‘Wo Bu Yao.’

While not a lot of phrases, they’re super important and will impress most anyone you may be traveling with.

While the Mandarin Language is part of the culture and history itself, but sure to read my article on Chinese Tradition and Culture.

Enjoy!

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Chinese Civilization: Traditions & Customs of China

The words of wisdom by Confucius, which give a lot of importance to compliance, as well as to respect of seniors and accountability to the society; are the leading elements of the legendary Chinese civilization.

The state is very large, so traditions and customs can differ by topography, in addition to more than fifty tribal factions that live in this kingdom of over one billion citizens. A concise synopsis of the amazing Chinese civilization is presented below:

Confucius
Confucius

Religion

Since Chinese Civilization today is a Marxist country, there is actually no certified religion.

Moreover, above half of the inhabitants claim no religious association or identify themselves as atheists. Approximately a quarter of Chinese citizens follow Confucianism and Taoism, and various other diverse customary beliefs.

There are, in addition, a small number of Muslims, Christians and Buddhists. Even though various Catholic and Protestant bureaus have been dynamic in the state from the beginning of the early 1500’s, the ministries have made very little development in converting the Chinese to any of these religions until recently.

Language

There are in total seven major vernaculars of Chinese in Chinese Civilization.

Hakka, Cantonese, Mandarin, Xiang, Gan, Wu and Min. Pŭtōnghuà, the sort of Mandarin spoken in the Chinese capital of Beijing, is the bureaucrat nationwide language of mainland China. A lot of Chinese are, in addition, fluent in English too. The written lingo is character based.

Chinese calligraphy on beige paper
Chinese calligraphy on beige paper

Food

Like the various other features of Chinese lifestyle, cuisine is, to a great deal, subjective to topography, in addition to the ethnic range. Amongst the various approaches of Chinese food preparation are Cantonese, which sports the infamous stir-fried dishes, along with Szechuan, which prepares food by the extreme use of ginger, sesame paste plus peanuts, and is recognized for its sharp taste.

The Chinese term for rice is known to be fan, which in addition means food. In addition to that, rice is a staple of the Chinese diet (more so in the south than north), as are bean sprouts, scallions and cabbage. For the reason that the Chinese do not eat lots of meat, just occasionally consuming chicken or pork, tofu is the main resource of protein used by the Chinese people.

Traditional Style Dumplings
Traditional Style Dumplings

Tea is the mostly consumed beverage (more so in the south than the north).

Arts

Chinese fine art is very much prejudiced by the state’s rich religious and spiritual history. A lot of statuettes and paintings give a picture of religious figurines of Buddhism. Apart from that, a lot of musical apparatuses are basic to Chinese ethnicity, counting the xun, which is similar to the flute, as well as the amazing guqin, which comes from the zither kin.

Eastern approach to martial arts was, in addition, expanded within China. Furthermore, it is also the place of birth of Kung Fu, which actually transforms to individual achievement. Prehistoric Chinese were enthusiastic authors and theorists; in particular, for the duration of the Qing and Ming dynasties, and this is mirrored in the nation’s rich liturgical record.

I loved living in China for all of the reasons above. But perhaps the greatest reason was its rich and diverse history. From ancient Xi’an, to Beijing (which is the 5th capital of China and its youngest), to the raging Yellow River, Chinese Civilization has an abundant of things to see and do.

Enjoy!

 

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Common Chinese Food – The Great and Expected Variety

With 56 ethnic groups in China and nearly every town having its own staple food, it was never a question of finding but of “What to eat”? While it is commonly thought that all Chinese eat rice, it’s not so accurate. More people in Southern China, where rice is grown, eat rice. Northern Chinese eat heavier foods, including breads.

I remember back in 1999, it was the first time I had come to Hong Kong with my dad on a business trip. I was in high school and it dawned on me that Chinese food as we know it in the United States is not what people over in Hong Kong and China consider to be common Chinese food!

Tofu is a staple food of China
Tofu is a staple food of China

But it tasted so much better!

However, whenever you travel anywhere outside your country, it may be a concern for some people about finding things to eat (be sure to learn here about cultural differences). I had the same concerns, and often did while traveling the country as many regions had foods I just wouldn’t eat.

China is well known for its delicious cuisine and is a part of the menu served in different countries as well. However, while in China, you might not like everything on the menu.

So it’s a great to have some insider knowledge to what is common Chinese food.

You will find a huge variety of mouthwatering foods in different restaurants and on the food stalls in markets in China. Wheat and rice are the staple foods of the country and are commonly used in the majority of Chinese dishes. Corn, potato, buckwheat, sweet potato, legumes, millet noodles, stuffed buns, bread, dough sticks, egg, tofu and bread are also commonly eaten foods in the country.

Hot Fish Stew
Hot Fish Stew

Rice is one of the most common Chinese foods served restaurants.

Different vegetables, spices, noodles, egg and ingredients are added to it to create various varieties of rice. Some of the widely served rice dishes by vendors and restaurants in the country include egg fried rice, chicken fried rice, fried rice with garlic and beef, rice with curry beef, stewed beef rice, rice with braised beef brisket, fried rice with mixed vegetables and bacon, rice with assorted meat and white gourd in soup, rice in chicken soup and Hainan’s chicken rice.

Besides rice, noodles are one of the favorite and common Chinese foods. You will find many noodle dishes in Chinese food stalls and restaurants. Some of the famous ones include Guangzhou Shah Fen, Lanzhou Hand-Pulled Noodles, Guilin rice noodles, noodles with beef in brown sauce, rice noodles in red oil, beef stretched noodles, Sichuan noodles, cold noodles, Liuzhou snail rice noodles and rice noodles with horsemeat.

Egg is another common Chinese food that you will certainly find being sold by Chinese vendors. Residents of the country eat eggs in their routine and commonly use eggs of duck, quails, pigeon, goose and chicken. Century and salted duck eggs are two of the widely eaten egg dishes in the country and are often found on the menu of various restaurants in the country.

Century Eggs
Century Eggs

Fish is a common Chinese food consumed in the country and is considered a sign of prosperity and abundance. It is an integral part of the feast prepared during the Chinese New Year by the numerous households in the country. Some of the widely eaten kinds of shellfish and fish include grass carp, sea bass, carp, squid, crab, soft-shell turtle, crucian, prawn, oysters, shrimp and scallops.

Few of the famous fish dishes served in Chinese restaurants include West lake vinegar fish, broth-steamed bass, Xiamen boiled fresh fish, Sichuan poached fish fillets in hot chili oil and Hunan steamed fish head served with diced hot red peppers.

Steamed Fish is a famously served at the end of meals
Steamed Fish is a famously served at the end of meals

A word for the adventurer in us all, there are markets across the country, usually in the deeper provinces and regions of the country, that serve a well… different plate of food. These would be completely foreign to a westerner and even some Chinese whom don’t travel to those regions of the country. What is a common Chinese food for someone in China may not be so common for someone else!

However, while traveling in the country, try not to make faces or vomit on seeing any of these foods being sold while you are amidst the Chinese people. If you are extremely grossed out and cannot control it, politely excuse yourself from the crowd and take a minute alone.

But, most of the food does taste great, and there is so much to go around. If you truly do not feel comfortable eating the foods, stick to rice and yes, beer. It can be quite filling.

Enjoy!

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Chinese Spicy Food – Top Hot and Sizzling Dishes

A lot of tears, shrieks of spicy contentment, and scrumptious treats, are some of the things you will experience when you eat Chinese Spicy Food.

China has various regional cuisines but the spiciest food items are from Chongqing, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou. Before trying out (be sure to check out my articles on being prepared for going out for dinner) any of these dishes, keep in mind that these are not for the faint hearted!

A bowl of Hot and Sour Soup
A bowl of Hot and Sour Soup

Chinese Spicy Food – Dan Dan Noodles, Sichuan

Nothing like the overseas Chinatown adaptation, there is no peanut, sesame seed paste, or sugar included in the genuine dan dan noodles offered in anywhere else.,

The proper dan dan noodle dish is prepared with a blistering chili black bean paste, ground ham, a dollop of uncooked crushed garlic and crunchy minced peanuts with scallions and cilantro on the top. The sauce is at the bottom of an unfilled bowl, and unseasoned al dente noodles are placed over the sauce and the customer is charged with the job of mixing it all up.

The noodles are vended by weight in Liang. One Liang is 50 grams; a satisfying meal would cost approximately three Liangs. Dan dan noodles are similar in one aspect to Lays potato chips: you cannot eat just one (Liang).

Dan Dan Noodles
Dan Dan Noodles

Chinese Spicy Food – Hot and sour fish soup, Guizhou

Guizhou food is not among the most well known cuisines in China, but this region has its reasonable share of spicy dishes that will entice the diner’s taste buds. A Guizhou favorite is the hot and sour fish soup, which is prepared with your selection of freshwater fish and a fish soup of tomatoes, local Guizhou red chili peppers, chili grease, garlic, and scallions.

The vinegary flavor does not come from vinegar like most presume; it comes from the fermented veggies that are consumed all over Guizhou.,

Chinese Spicy Food- Saliva chicken, Sichuan

Translates literally to “saliva chicken,” since you will salivate if you even imagine this dish. Occasionally, Chinese dishes sport weird names that do not illustrate what the dish is made of and might in fact turn off some unfamiliar diners.

This is exactly one of those dishes. Stewed chicken is marinated in sesame oil and chili sauce that incorporates ten sauces and spices, making it a sizzling yet delectable dish.

Saliva chicken
Saliva chicken

Chinese Spicy Food – Ma po tofu, Sichuan

The dish is prepared with tofu, ground pork, and a spicy bean chili sauce with a liberal sprinkle of the mouth numbing Sichuan peppercorn that is a bastion in Sichuan and Chongqing cuisine. The best ma po tofu comes from the eatery that bears the name, Chen Mapo Doufu in downtown Chengdu.

Mapo tofu, Chinese cuisine
Mapo tofu, Chinese cuisine

Chinese Spicy Food – Gan Guo, Hunan

Pick from an assortment of vegetables, meats and tofu to be blaze stir-fried and sent sizzling to your bench in a tiny wok. Hunan provisions are less greasy than Sichuan cuisine and the great quantity of ginger, garlic, fresh red and green chili peppers and scallions make Hunan food possibly the spiciest gastronomy in China.

Chinese Spicy Food – Hotpot, Chongqing

Hotpot, Chongqing
Hotpot, Chongqing

Even though a variety of hotpot approaches are enjoyed all through China, the most tantalizing hotpot originates from Chongqing.

It is appetizing because there is a coating of rendered beef fat in the hotpot at the middle of the table. Dried out and fresh red chili peppers and twenty other aromatic plants and spices go into the hotpot broth ensuring that whichever animal protein, vegetable, noodle or tofu you dip into the hotpot you will be satisfied with a highly spiced euphoria that will remain long after the meal has ended.

I’ve always been a personal fan of hot and spicy food. But I had to admit shortly after arriving in China that these were some of the hottest foods on the planet! And check out the best etiquette for using chopsticks, too.

Chinese Spicy Food are sizzling and offers some of the best variety around. I loved hearing from local people how they each cooked the same food in their own style.

But try them if you dare, but the reward is at first hot but then tasty.

Enjoy!

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China Nightlife Scene – From Night Clubs to Relaxing Bars

There I was. Gawking in doubt. Was it the throb of the drums pounding through my torso? Were they the laser lights and golden chandeliers distributing rays of light shimmering in all directions? And is this an assemblage of totally wasted businessmen dripping their drinks as they danced collectively on the floor? The China Nightlife Scene!

Yes. The response is yes! Yeah, this is utterly ludicrous. Yes, I will drink an additional whisky and juice. And YES, I am still speculating about how I got here.

A crowd of young people dancing in a nightclub
A crowd of young people dancing in a nightclub

Two words actually encapsulate the nightlife the China nightlife scene: Absolutely wacky. Sure. In the top tier metropolises, you can stop over at the bar for a glass of Guiness. And you can find foreigner monopolies to satisfy the longing for foreign ferments and well-known corporations, but this is not why you are vacationing here.

You traveled to China for the venture. Pull your socks up and hold on fast as carousing in China is one amazing experience.

China Nightlife: Local bars

Local bars exist in the region of high-rise neighborhoods in chief cities of China. You are not going to locate a lot of foreigners at this juncture. These bars are inconspicuous, have little liveliness, nevertheless can be an amazing place to get a beer if you desire a calm societal setting. Throughout the point of time I was residing in China, I witnessed very few bars. Trust me – it is low key.

If you want bars as we know them in the west, really only main cities will have them, Shenzhen, parts of Dongguan, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing, and a few in Qingdao.

China Nightlife: Nightclubs

The image of city in Beijing,Asia
Plenty to do in Beijing

If you make a decision to stop over at clubs in the top tier cities for instance Shanghai and Beijing, you are expected to discover women who like to prey on lone foreigner travelers. They will lure you for a small drink and then tea swindle you! Be careful! On the other hand if you visit a bar in lower tier cities, WHAM! You are bound to witness the divine grail of China’s nightlife.

Talk to someone for only a short time and drinks are bound to magically appear in front of you. If you dance on the floor people will pledge you are the modern Justin Bieber. The ambiance is extremely absurd. Live amusement, deafening music, wannabe gangsters, ULTRA stimulus for all the senses. Overall, a sensory overload for the wayward tourist.

But please head my warning, or advice, or whatever you may call it. There are lots of different kinds of “clubs” in China Nightlife.


Most are “real” but enough are scams or offering well… unintended services… Great story behind that but just keep mindful if you’re in a new place and not with someone that knows the area.

Foreigner Joints

night scene of shenzhen city
night scene of shenzhen city

Chengdu, Shanghai, Xi’an, Beijing, and a range of foreigner traveler locations around China offer you Foreigner Joints. If you are longing for an ambiance that is similar to your home, you should definitely just stay in these towns.

Foreigner joints for China nightlife are there to provide more often than not to the expat group of people living in the city. Chengdu’s Shamrock or Beijing’s Paddy’o Shays are the leading exemplars. A broad assortment of overseas food is typically on hand. The mood seems picked up exactly from the U.S.A.

These businesses are suitable if you want to have a good time, and to tender a number of the comforts found at home.

When on a visit to China, experiencing the nightlife is a must! You should definitely give it a go to experience some of the best drinks, atmosphere and of course people of all times.

And I know I said it plenty of times, but I don’t consider myself a partier by any means. But there are lots of things to explore and enjoy and I know many people that this is what they lived for!

Oh, and make sure to watch out for this scam if meeting some people you don’t know for the first time.

Enjoy!

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Shop in China – Where Should You Shop and What Products to Buy?

Without a thought, this would be one of the top 3 questions people asked me, no matter where they were going. Where to shop in China and and what to buy?

Okay, so maybe two questions but they go together, right? I mean, there is such diversity of goods to buy in China, but China is also the number 1 country in the world for selling counterfeit goods and plenty of scams (see my article), so you have to be careful, too.

shanghai yuyuan garden

It is a known and well-recognized fact that if you are travelling to a different country, you will come back with a lot of shopping. You will be shopping for your family and your friends back home and also for your own self. This means that a majority of your time will be spent in shopping malls and stores.

I have put together a brief guide in this post to help you become one of the most well informed shoppers in all of China. To start, you should always know what you want to buy, what you have in mind and where you are going to get it.

In a country like China, you can face many difficulties if you end up getting lost, lose your money or end up at the wrong places.

You need to be very well informed about how you can save time and money while shopping for all the things that you need. As a traveller coming to China, you find many things in China to be strange, but here is a very comprehensive list of all the places you can go to and all the things that you can buy when you are travelling in China.

You should also know what skills you need to possess and what steps you need to take whenever you are shopping on your own in China:

  • Shop in China – You need to know how to haggle and bargain with the shopkeeper!
    • This is difficult for many people to grasp for some reason, that almost, except food really, anything you buy from a vendor can be bargained for. Don’t be afraid to push the price down even 50-70% of what was originally asked. I know, sometimes it seems you’re haggling over pennies, which you are, but it is part of the “game.”
    • This reminds me once when I was visiting Beijing with my dad and brother and we went shopping in there flee market. Saw this awesome tie with dark navy blue and crimson red stripes going down vertically. Starting price was 70RMB, which back then was some 10 USD. After haggling for a few min, ended up being 35RMB or around 5 bucks. Laughed the whole time, cause at the end it was over a couple of cents. It can be fun!

    • When you shop in China How do you know when you’ve gone too low? The shopkeeper will turn and walk away from you or he will let you leave his stall.

If there is one thing that you need to know about shopping in China, it is the art of haggling or bargaining with the shopkeepers. I can’t tell you how many times this has helped me get a good deal!

Items to Buy
Items to Buy
  • Shop in China – What to Buy

There are a number of great things that you can bring back from China and here is a list of all the things that you can choose from and many more! I will be posting articles of thing to look for depending upon which city you’re going too:

  • Silk slippers make unique gifts
  • Beijing Opera Masks can be a treat for your friends and family at home.
  • Name, stamp carving shops where you can get your name embossed or carved on different day-to-day things that you use around the house or at work.
  • You can also purchase large jade carvings which are extremely beautiful.
  • Freshwater and sea pearls can be a rare and beautiful find.
  • Silk pajamas for children
  • Chinese tea is a great idea because the Chinese culture (the Asian culture to be exact) is very much concentrated around different types of tea. In fact, tea is served with almost every meal and even between meals. Be sure to check back for my extensive articles on tea!
  • Different Chinese musical instruments that you can enjoy back home.
  • Chinese zodiac signs in jade
  • Ornamental tassels
  • And more!
  • Shop in China – Where do you need to go?

You can go to a number of places such as:

  • The Dong Tai Road Antique Market
  • Hong Qiao New World Pearl Market
  • Shanghai Longhua Fashion and Gift Market
  • Shanghai South Bund Fabric Market
  • Pearl’s Circles
  • Lowu Market
Lowu Market, Shenzhen
Lowu Market, Shenzhen (everything copy)

As mentioned, when you shop in China, be careful for counterfeits. But if you want a world leading Rolex copy, then China is the best place to get it!

I plan on writing about each city and what each city has to offer on things to buy so be sure to check back soon!

Enjoy!

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Adapting to Time Zone Changes in the Smart Way!

Ever wake up in the middle of the night and think it’s day time, but to discover it’s the middle of the night? Or ever play that game Where in the World is Carman Sandiego? Well, changing time zones can certainly make you feel that way!

Clocks of Time
Clocks of Time

At some point in our lives we have all experienced jet lag. It stops us from enjoying and exploring a new place, and often times it leaves us feeling tired.

There are ways to make sure that the time zone never changes no matter where you are. Changing time zones is troubling for anyone.

It was particularly difficult for me when I first started flying back and forth between New York and China. I didn’t know should I keep myself up, read, watch movies, sleep? I’d land and be wide awake but exhausted at the same time.

There really are no time zones that you need to worry about, all you have to do is prepare your body in the right way and not let these time zones affect you in any way possible.

Here are a number of ways that I believe can help you adapt your body and get rid of jet lag:

  • Decrease The Consumption of Alcohol and Caffeine

I think that it is important to reduce the amount of liquor and caffeine you consume when you are travelling. This is because the caffeine and alcohol in the drinks messes with your body’s clock. Your biological clocks can suffer a great deal if you consume a lot of caffeinated drinks or alcohol.

  • Adjust Your Schedule

Try to help your body adjust to the role beforehand, so that there are minimal surprises and adjustments for your body. You can do that in many ways.

In my experience readjusting your bedtime every few days is effective as it helps your body adopt the time of the country you will be staying in. This way the transition will be smooth and easy because it will allow your body some time to get used to it.

If the transition is rocky and abrupt, your body will experience many unpleasant sensations, which will cause you to be, jet lagged and miserable for the first few days of the trip.

I also found taking night flights helped too. This way I’d be up all day, and after getting on the flight it would be time for sleep.

  • Make Sure You Have Layovers

This one is highly debatable, I agree. When I first traveled I enjoyed the layovers. I’d fly from NY to either Anchorage, Alaska then to Taiwan, and then into Hong Kong. Or, from NY to Seoul, Korea and then into HK. But later when I was used to the long flights I’d prefer to take the nonstop which was 16hrs.

Try to make a few stops when you are travelling to the other side of the world. Usually the stops are not taken as an advantage, but frequent stops give your body some time to adjust to the time zone.

If you speedily fly from one time zone to the other then there will be a few factors that your body will have to get used to. Our bodies are used to travelling on the road and in slow motion, but travelling in an airplane is a totally different experience, which is why time zones might end up disturbing you.

  • Get Exposure to The Sun

When you are in a different time zone, get at least half an hour of sun exposure whenever you wake up in the morning. This helps your body realize that it is morning and that it is indeed time to wake up and start the day.

In this way, the next few days when you do follow this ritual, your body will come back to the right time and you will be able to cope with this in an appropriate manner.

  • Engage Yourself in Different Activities

When we experience jet lag we are often times stay up at night and sleep in the morning. To avoid this try to extend your period of wakefulness and engage yourself in a number of activities.

So that when you are in your bed late at night, you become tired and your muscles will start to crave some sleep. In my opinion, this allows your lack of sleep to take a back seat, so that you can be prepared to seize the day when morning comes.

These tips helped me a lot over the years. And the more you fly, the easier it gets.

Enjoy!

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Counterfeit Chinese Money: Tips on How to Spot it!

No matter what part of the world you are in, you will find crooks of different kinds regardless of where you are.

When you are travelling to a different country, you will find yourself in a tough position because you are not as familiar with the currency of that country as the locals are; just as you are more familiar with your local dollar than most Chinese people are. It took me a while to spot counterfeit currency; you might have some difficulty too.

Chinese RMB
Chinese RMB

This is the reason why you need to learn how to sport counterfeit money while you are in China so that you can receive the right money and honest dealings.

Every currency has its own ways of vouching for its authenticity. In China, even some locals have trouble finding out which currency is real and which one is fake. As a foreigner you will have be a little more careful when it comes to things like this.

You have to keep your eyes open and be mindful of what the other person is giving to you. Here are a number of ways in which you can ensure that the other person is giving you the right currency note:

  • Counterfeit Chinese Money: The watermark

In any currency anywhere in the world, you will see a watermark when you put the currency note in range of light. There will be a watermark in the shape of a Chinese man on the left hand side of the note.

The Chinese man shown on the watermark is Chairman Mao. The watermark in fake currency will be very obscure whereas the one in real currency will be fairly visible and clear.

  • Chairman Mao’s Hair

On a real currency note the hair on the picture of Chairman Mao’s can be felt by your finger when you scratch it, but on a fake currency note you will never be able to feel Chairman Mao’s hair on the note.

100 yuan bill
100 yuan bill

  • Counterfeit Chinese Money: Chairman Mao

The picture of Chairman Mao should not be blurred in fact it should be very clear no matter how much the currency note has been used. If you receive a note in which Chairman Mao’s face is blue or obscured, refuse to accept it. Also, refuse to accept any currency notes that have anything written on the face of Chairman Mao.

  • Counterfeit Chinese Money: The Metal Strip

A small metal strip will be running in the note in a vertical line. You have to see if the strip is the average size and is not in the wrong place. It also has to be well embedded in the note. You have to take care of that. If the metal strip seems fake or out of place, refuse to accept the currency note.

Example of Metal Strip
Example of Metal Strip
  • Counterfeit Chinese Money: Weight and Size

Weigh the note to see if it weighs right or not. If it seems heavier or lighter than a regular currency note then do not accept it!

In addition, most fake currencies are a little smaller than real currency notes. Try to compare it with the others to make sure it is the right size. This is one of the basic things that are usually overlooked by people because they are not familiar with the size of the original note.

Once you observe the real currency note carefully, you will figure out how easy it is to differentiate between an original currency and between counterfeit money.

Counterfeit Chinese money are some of the most counterfeited bills in the world.

It is fairly easy (compared to US dollars) and many people are less aware of what a real bill feels like. It is very common in China for locals to refuse any bill with a written mark on it or a tear. Be sure to follow this example.

Also, from my own experience, the quickly way to know if a bill is fake or not is the feel. Most of the time, a fake bill will feel very smooth, like it has a lamination on it. A normal bill tends to be rougher in feeling. If a merchant refuses to give you another bill if you feel you’ve received a fake, simply move on, most likely you can find the same item to buy elsewhere and for less.

Also, be sure to check out my post on scams in China.

Always be safe and enjoy!

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China Customs – Passing The Stranger on The Street

There is so much to learn about Chinese culture that I feel I’ll be writing about it a lot. It varies so much from ours that it’s very interesting to learn about and try to understand. Having lived in China for over 7 years, and having had the opportunity to visit many more, I have noticed the cultural variations; every country has its own flavor.

China customs, unlike any other country, also has its own set of norms, language,  cultures and traditions. What is considered impolite or rude by you might not be viewed the same by a Chinese. This is because it is an entirely different country and has its separate culture. If you are planning to visit the country, it is imperative for you to have some basic understanding of its culture and behavioral patterns, so you don’t feel strange on encountering the Chinese people.

I have found many people comment that the Chinese are impolite, but in my opinion this is not entirely true as their values and beliefs are different from yours.

The behavior of the Chinese people is quite dissimilar to what is practiced in the West. For instance, in the West, we often greet a passerby on the street and return a smile to them if offered one by a stranger.

However, you won’t experience the same behavior when you are in China. One of the most surprising things that I noticed about Chinese customs was that they seldom greet or smile on seeing strangers.

The reason behind this behavior is how the Chinese view the world.

The Chinese people live by a theory known as the ‘In’ and ‘Out’ theory, in which the close friends and family are the part of the ‘In’ group, whereas the remainder of the world is included in the ‘Out’ group.

This is why they do not adopt what we consider a polite behavior on encountering anyone from that world. They don’t feel obliged to host a welcoming behavior towards the foreigners visiting their country. So, while you are visiting and learning about China customs, you won’t experience many courteous smiles from bus drivers, taxi drivers, salespersons or passersby on their road. At first I found this very rude but I slowly understood that this is how they live.

The Chinese have a very strong bond with their family and treat them with a lot of love and care, and are of the opinion that strangers should not be treated like family, which is why they don’t bother being courteous to the strangers.

The Chinese also view people traveling by themselves with pity and curiosity and may ignore them completely. I initially found this different. In the West, if we ever saw a stranger passing strange looks at us we may feel insulted. However it makes sense when you understand the reason for their behavior.

I learned that Chinese people find it quite unsettling to travel alone, which is why they would behave differently with solo travelers. They always need their close people aka their support group with them while traveling outside their native home homes. Chinese people are very tied to their home towns as it represents the base of there culture, history, language, foods, and communal bonding.

However, China customs are changing in different parts of the mainland. I have noticed this change over the last few years. If you are ever planning a trip to China, I suggest you try passing smiles to the people you meet on the street, in the markets, hotels and elsewhere as this will, and who knows you might get a lovely smile in return.

Oh, and after living in China for so long, I really needed to learn the language. While it helped tremendously being there, my wife being Chinese, I started my adventure of learning the language with this software. It was a big problem for me then not knowing it, and if you’d like to learn too, I’d check it out for sure. Having even the most basic understanding of the language gives great insight into China customs.

Enjoy!

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