Beijing, China - Preparation Tips and Checklists to Tick Off before Travelling

China is one of the world’s largest countries. It is also known as the world most populous country with a population over 1.3 billion. The history of China has an approximate span of 5000 years, beginning with prehistoric times, periods of dynasty to the official establishment of the People’s Republic of China. The country, embedded with its diversified and unique culture made it one of the must-visit for every traveller.

While browsing for places to visit and food to indulge on your next vacation to Beijing, there are certainly some additional preparations you must consider before travelling.

i) China visa

For Malaysian, you have to obtain a valid China visa prior to entering the country. The China Visa Application Service Center is located at Hampshire Place Office, KL. Three kind of services are provided, regular, express and rush application. Be sure to start applying visa as early as one month before your travelling date to avoid disappointment and having to pay extra cost for rush service. The visa application website is http://www.visaforchina.org/KUL_EN/

Tip#1: Schedule your appointment for visa application at its online page two or three days before visiting. Once arriving at the Center, skip the queue and show up your online reservation number to the officer. You can save up a lot of time by doing this.

Tip#2: Always remember to check on urgent notices/ latest updates relating to visa application procedures. They can be found at their website main page.

e.g. The Center requires the applicant to submit two photos, effective from 1^st August 2016.

ii) Season

China is a country with four seasons. Asian people like us are not used to such huge differences in temperatures, especially during the winter. It is useful to have a check on the local weather ahead of travelling to ensure you got the right clothes and boots in bag.

iii) Fitness 

Beijing has a number of historical sites worth visiting. Considering the vast area in each site, it is good to prepare yourself, both physically and mentally before the journey. We are proud to say that each of us had clocked more than a full marathon distance by foot in our Beijing trip last November. Travelling in Beijing requires lots of walking but they are definitely worth the steps, promised with the delightful views of Great Wall of China and Palace Museum.

Time to verify your fitness level by climbing up the Great Wall of China!

iv) Pollution

The pollution issue in Beijing is gaining global attention due to its rapid development in recent years. Smog and dusts are inevitable sights in the city while we were travelling in Mid-November. As you may spend most of the times at outdoors, it is important that you carry along face mask and towel before step out of your hotel each day.

Severe air pollution which made the Palace Museum almost invisible.

v) Food safety

The food safety issue in China has been in the global limelight following the discoveries of fake foods in the country. The regulatory bodies are doing best to maintain zero tolerance against violation of the Food Safety Law.

Beijing is popular for their various offerings of street snacks like the sugarcoated haws, hot plate squid, sweet corn, stinky tofu etc. However, the visitors are advised to be wary of the street food fraud, in particular to stalls selling at the entrances and exits of tourist attractions. One has to make their due diligence before taking them for pleasure as they may have fell victim to food scandal without notice.

There are signboards at famous tourist spots to warn tourist as well as locals on "fake" food.

vi) Roaming

It is recommended to enable international calls and data roaming features in your mobile before entering China. Based on our experience, the country’s internet security has restricted us from connecting to websites like Google, Facebook and Instagram. Nonetheless, we are good with Whatsapp and Wechat being the only two messaging applications working in the phone, with Baidu a reliable option for searching travel information and news within the country.