Fulbright China Guide for Lecturers

Living in China - Introduction

China is the world's fourth largest country in land mass (after Russia, Canada, and US) and covers a total area of 9.6 million square kilometers (3.7 million square miles). The major cities are Beijing (capital), Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Wuhan, and Chengdu.

The population was estimated at 1.3 billion as of July 2004.

Time

Local time is EST+12

Language

Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, and other minority languages.

Currency and Exchange

The currency used in China is the Renminbi Yuan (RMB or ¥) and the value is pegged to the US dollar. The Yuan is divided into 10 jiao or 100 fen. Notes come in denominations of ¥100, 50, 10, 5, 2, and 1. Make sure you exchange your left over Yuan before returning home because it can be exchanged only within China's borders.

Electricity

Electrical current is 220 volts, 50Hz. Plug types vary but the two- narrow-pin type are most common. Adapters are generally required.Important Numbers

Important Numbers

The international access code for China is 86. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code. 

In the event of an emergency:
110 for Local Police
114 for Operator
119 for Fire Department
120 for Medical Emergencies
122 for Traffic Emergencies

The number of digits in Chinese phone numbers is not fixed - it can be as few as six and as many as ten.

Media

Radio and Television: English services are available on both radio and television in China.  China Radio International is popular for both news and music. On Chinese cable television, China Central Television channel 9 (CCTV-9) offers English-only programming, which includes international news, cultural programs, and a Dialogue show frequented by Fulbrighters. Satellite television, offering CNN, BBC, HBO-Asia, and Star-TV is available only in venues catering to foreigners.

Newspapers and Magazines: Major international papers and magazines are available in most international hotels in major cities, and college and university libraries receive some subscriptions. If you are in Beijing or a city with a U.S. consulate, you might also check with the Information Resource Center (IRC) for publications or online journals otherwise hard to find.

Climate

Beijing and New York are at the same latitude, with similar weather except that Beijing is much drier. Guangzhou and Miami share similar latitudes and subtropical climates. Changchun winters approach those in upstate New York, but with less snow. Xi’an winters and summers are quite similar to those in Beijing but more moderate. Temperatures in Shanghai, Wuhan and Xiamen stay above freezing through the winter, but the climate is wet and buildings are not heated. Chengdu is considerably wet and cloudy except for the few warm summer months. 

Dining In or Eating Out

Universities provide dining rooms where foreign professors, scholars and students may eat.  Also nearby most campuses are a variety of restaurants and cafes. For cooking or baking at home, you may consider buying a small oven, as most apartments will be equipped with only one or two burners. For drinking water, many Lecturers arrange to have large water bottles delivered to their apartments.

Some useful websites for information about China:

http://www.china.org.cn/english/index.htm
http://chineseculture.about.com/ 
http://www.cctv.com/english/index.shtml
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/home/index.html
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn
http://202.84.17.11/en/index.htm (Xinhua News Agency)
http://chinadigitaltimes.net