aboutshanghai.com » Travel

China Enters Aviation Market with New Jet

Tino La Shaw — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 11:00:35 +0000

A new Chinese regional jet, the ARJ-21 (which stands for Advanced Regional Jet for the 21st Century), is being assembled at the Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory in Shanghai. The plane was developed by the China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I), and production began in 2002. It is expected to be finished by the end of the year. The ARJ-21 will give China a presence in the aviation market, which up until now has been dominated by foreign companies such as Boeing and Airbus.

The ARJ-21 will seat between 70 and 110 passengers and will fly at a maximum of 39,000 feet. It can travel 3,700 kilometers without needing to stop for refueling. Components for the plane are assembled in Xi’an, Shenyang, and Chengdu are then sent to Shanghai, where the production is completed. A larger workshop will be ready for use in May, will allow 5 planes to be built at the same time, and the plant will be able to produce 50 planes a year.

According to AVIC I, there have already been 71 orders for the plane, from leasing companies and regional airlines such as Shanghai Airlines Co. and Shangdong Aviation Group. Air travel in China has risen dramatically in the last 5 years, and the new demand means that China will need 1,600 new airliners by 2020.

This project has allowed the Chinese to hone their marketing and management skills, and the ARJ-21 is being seen as a test. If everything goes will with it, China could have its own jumbo jet by 2010. Currently, only the United States, Russia, France, Germany, Britain, and Spain have the ability to build jumbo jets.

Shanghai to Extend Maglev Train Line

Tino La Shaw — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:00:25 +0000

Shanghai will be extending its maglev train line to the Hongqiao Airport, as part of a high-speed transport link between Shanghai and Hongqiao.

The current line runs from the Pudong International Airport to the Longyang Road Metro Station, and the new one will link Longyang to Hongqiao International Airport. There will be stops at the site of the 2010 World Expo and the Shanghai South Railway Station.

The Shanghai-Hongqiao link was originally supposed to be completed in time for the 2010 World Expo, but construction might not begin until 2010. Shanghai would be in charge of the construction between Shanghai and Jiaxing, and the Zhejiang Province would be in charge of building the connection to Hangzhou.

Upon completion of the maglev train line, trips between Shanghai and Hangzhou will take a half hour to complete, whereas trips now take two hours. Trains will reach a speed of 450 kilometers per hour.

Thoughtful Tourists Don’t Photograph Strangers’ Children

Jerry Hu — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:00:37 +0000

Photographs are still considered with more cautious guard than they may be in whichever first world country you are from. The Chinese do not smile upon you taking unauthorized photos of their children, but if you think about it, how would you feel about a foreigner who doesn’t speak your language taking pictures of your child without permission?

There are between one and three pictures meant to accompany this article (depending on the permission we can secure prior to going to press) that embody this sentiment. I’ll go through each with the photographer’s sentiments about his photographing stranger’s children.

Please check out the full-resolution images for this article by clicking here.

The first one is the blurry, black and white, on-the-plane photo. This was one snapped in terrible haste without adjusting the cameras settings, just to capture a moment of uncommon art, even if it was on the plane. The photographer, Mr. White, said, “I didn’t know who his parents were but it was a special moment and I just wanted to capture it without any flash or fanfare.”

The second picture is of a boy looking down from a bridge. This was a different matter. As the photographer explained, “I already set up my shot [in Suzhou] and the boy walked into my picture. I thought about waiting for him to leave but I’d already hit the button, and what I got was really great.”

When asked if he took more than one photo of the boy, Mr. White said, “Oh no, just the one, and I even pretended I hadn’t taken it. My shot was already set up before he walked into it, if the parents had caught me shooting their son I would have just told them truthfully that it was an accident, he was in the way of a shot I wanted to take anyhow.”

The third and final shot is the critically acclaimed “China Doll” shot from 2001. This photo, taken in the Forbidden City in Beijing, was what the photographer called an “impossible shot” that “just worked out”. He saw the little girl sitting there, set up his camera, walked past, paused, and shot it from the chest without so much as looking through the view finder. What he got was a piece of work that’s brought him no less than half his income as a photographer and earned mention in every one of his art show reviews.

But why didn’t you ask for permission, AboutShanghai asked him. “I was afraid the parents would say no, but I was also afraid the girl wouldn’t be natural in the pictures, that she might smile or frown or otherwise be aware of the camera.”

In truth, this article was written because I have that very print on my wall, but more important than that is the simple message that you shouldn’t take pictures of other people’s children. Consider how you’d feel if you went to the Statue of Liberty and a man from China wanted to take a bunch of pictures of your little blonde daughter without your permission or even knowing about it. It would be uncomfortable to say the least, and you would likely say no.

Meanwhile, if you are traveling through China with your child — which I certainly do not advise against — be aware that your child will be something of a little celebrity. Don’t worry, most people will share this same respect and ask for your permission, but even if they try to take a quick snap with their cell phone, understand they’re just being curious, not malicious.

China Enters Aviation Market with New Jet

Tino La Shaw — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:00:31 +0000

How to Order Your Big Mac

Mark Einhorn — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 08:00:46 +0000

When all else fails and you’re so hungry you could eat at McDonalds, the easy thing to do is surrender, go in and order your Big Mac, fries, coke and any other such fatty delights of home that may please you. But what do you do if they don’t speak English and your Chinese is limited to “hello” and “thank you”? Just use the picture menu.

I’ve had problems ordering food in McDonalds everywhere from Hamburg to Beijing to Paris to Los Angeles, with only limited absences of problem in between. In my first visit to a McDonalds in Shanghai I was curious how it would go down, since I know McDonalds isn’t exactly famous for paying top wages, and people paid low wages aren’t exactly famous for speaking foreign languages.

Please check out the full-resolution images for this article by clicking here.

The solution is so simple it’s silly. Every McDonalds has a picture menu with everything in English for you to order off of. You just point and indicate the number with your fingers, then pay the amount on the cash register’s digital read out, and enjoy.

I’d proposed this article to the editorial staff last month and was told it wasn’t important enough, and I agreed, until this week when I had to bring it up again. Some high traffic McDonalds, specifically the one in the middle of the Nan Jing Road pedestrian area, have such a menu at every terminal and you won’t even have to ask to see it. Well, I hit a McDonalds where I had to ask for it, ask for it a second time (more loudly and slowly) and a manager had to come over before my request was understood.

I took this to the editor and he agreed, we simply must get the word out. People have to know about the picture menus, people need their chicken sandwiches and tasty cheeseburgers.

The menu is less expensive on the surface than it is back home. Not like Starbucks where everything costs as much or more than back home, no, most of the menu is designed to appeal to the locals, who won’t pay what you will and can’t eat as much as you can. But while the prices seem lower, bear in mind that the portions you’re getting for that price are smaller as well. A combo meal there has a small fry and a small drink, as opposed to ones twice the size.

Also, if you have your sandwich customized back home, don’t try to have it customized here unless you speak enough Chinese to make your point clear. They won’t understand you and it will save everyone a ton of grief if you just take the pickles off yourself.

And before you leave, try out some of the regional menu items. Maybe there’s a chicken sandwich more spicy than back home or a dessert you’ve never heard of. It’s not every day you go to China and it’s likewise not every day you can try out something from McDonalds you’ve never heard of and will never see again.

Disneyland China: Twice the Pleasure and a Bit of Heartache Too

Mark Einhorn — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 08:00:27 +0000

Hong Kong Disneyland opened six months ago in a joint venture between the company and the Hong Kong government. Disney’s $314 million investment in the $1.8 billion park has gotten off to a rocky start with rumors that it has not been meeting the company’s expectations. And now they’ve been faced with a new problem, too many visitors. Despite troubles in Hong Kong, Disney has acknowledged that they are in talks with the Shanghai city government about placing a park within its auspices.

Until Shanghai’s park is built, HK Disney will remain China’s only Disney park. HK Disney is much smaller than Florida’s Disney World and the original Disneyland, as such, the park has a capacity limit of 30,000 visitors per day. And, over the New Year holiday thousands of visitors had to be turned away due to the overselling of tickets.

Park officials believed that they had planned adequately for the holiday by selling date-specific tickets for the holiday week. Unfortunately prepaid ticket holders arrived en masse over the holiday with their non date specific tickets and everyone was served on a first come first served basis.

The result was a disenchanting adventure for families who’d traveled from all over China to celebrate Spring Festival Disney-style and a media relations fiasco for Disney. Hong Kong legislators criticized Disney for failing to plan for the influx of mainland visitors, forcing Disney to temporarily suspend their sale of Internet ticket sales — the non-specific tickets are good for any date within six months of purchase – and are refunding money to those denied entry on a case-by-case basis. Those receiving refunds must prove that they cannot return within the 6-month period. Further, Disney has pledged to work with travel providers about how to coordinate their groups in the park in time for the next national holiday, Golden Week, in May. It was, after all “Our first Chinese New Year celebration,” said Lisa Haines, Disney Spokeswoman. And she acknowledges that “In light of the huge numbers of visitors, we certainly realize the need to reevaluate our ticketing processes during expected peak times of the year.”

The rumors have been swirling for years and throughout last year Hong Kong and mainland media were reporting Shanghai’s hopes to start construction on the theme park in 2008. Walt Disney chief executive Robert had no comment on a timetable but admits that “Shanghai is attractive due to its high population and rapid economic development” revealing that plans for Shanghai Disney are more than mere rumor when he further stated, “We have ongoing discussions, ongoing and ongoing and ongoing, with the Chinese government about a park in Shanghai.”

A Shanghai city government spokesman said: “Since building a Disney theme park is an international project, we ultimately will have to get central government approval.”

Hong Kong tourism officials are not worried about Shanghai taking the wind from their sails just as their 6-month old park is getting its footing. Michael Wu, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents clarified that “Shanghai attracts mainland tourists, while Hong Kong’s visitors are from Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and so on.” And, while noting that no deal has yet been inked between the two sides, a Hong Kong Disneyland spokeswoman reiterated that another Chinese park would not open before 2010.

Let’s hope Disney has all the bugs ironed out by then.

Getting into China Through Customs

Lisa Thompson — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:00:41 +0000

When traveling in to China, it’s important to understand the customs regulations, so that you do not bring in any forbidden items. Though these things may be illegal, common sense alone should help you avoid any legal trouble, with the greatest fear being only that you could forfeit your goods upon entry to the country.

I will list the restricted items, then explain them each below.

You may bring with you up to four bottles of alcohol and three cartons of cigarettes. Guns and illicit drugs are forbidden, but common sense should already have told you this much. There is no limit on how much foreign currency you may bring in (such as cash AND travelers checks) but amounts in excess of $10,000 generally will require additional paperwork and must be declared on customs forms.

No vaccinations or inoculations are currently required to enter China, but those wishing to secure a work visa longer than six months will need to provide bona fide proof of a negative AIDS test.

Unless you have a particularly discerning taste in alcohol, don’t bother bringing in any at all. There’s no shortage of inexpensive, local beers and liquors. If you prefer the name brands you favor from home, such as Bacardi, Skyy, Jack Daniels or others, you can still find these with relative ease in China. Despite the fact that they had to follow you 6,000 miles across the world, they’ll probably be cheaper than in your local liquor store due to the high taxes typically applied in most states in America.

If you are a smoker, I strongly recommend you bring what you think will be enough to last you for your entire stay. The longest tourist visa is only 30 days and you’re allowed three cartons, so as long as you can keep it to a pack a day you should be fine. Finding American cigarettes in China can be more difficult than it seems. While you will find such brands as Marlboro Red readily available, they are not the same leaves and formula as you’d find back in the United States. It will be close, but not quite the same, so bring your smokes. If you smoke pipe tobacco or a premium (read that as rare and uncommon) brand of cigarette, you will be hard pressed to find anything close to it, so stock up in advance.

There is a very clear regulation against bringing firearms in to China. I don’t believe you’d be successful in boarding a plane with a firearm on your person or carryon baggage, but if you somehow might entertain the notion of packing one in your checked luggage, I advise you now against it. It is not the dumbest thing you could ever hope to do in a lifetime, but it is very high on the list.

If you are an abuser of illicit drugs, it is my suggestion that you do not travel to China, as they are one of the more progressive countries in terms of their war on drugs. The tolerance for illicit drugs, and if you have to ask which drugs I’m referring to, just assume that your favorite is on the list, is very, very limited. If you are a habitual drug user and you are bringing an amount sufficient to sustain you for a week or more, it could very easily be construed as a “for distribution” quantity, and that could land you in very hot water, for a very long time, regardless of how much power you think your family or money may carry. Think of it like a hand grenade. If you live in Afghanistan that may be a perfectly normal thing to have, but if you show up in a US airport holding one there isn’t any amount of diplomacy that will keep you from a lengthy stay in a very harsh prison.

We’d originally said that $10,000 was by far and away more money than you could ever wish to carry in to China, but we’ve since received two impassioned emails to the contrary. There’s no reason to limit the cost of your vacation, especially if your lifestyle affords you such expenditures, but easy is easy and that’s the best way out of this one. You can pay for your hotel and major purchases with credit cards (specifically Visa) and even get daily cash advances from your credit or debit card from many, many cash machines throughout the greater westernized China. If you still need to bring more than $10,000 in to China, you are free to do so, only that you must declare those negotiable funds with customs. If this is the case, do not fear doing so. You are not in trouble or suspect, unless you are inherently in trouble or suspect. China has many, many, many persons who travel in and out of the country regularly with far more money than any writer on this staff has ever personally held.

But the big caution has to do with coming home. If you’re bringing cameras and electronics with you to China (which, statistically speaking, all of us are,) you should seriously consider bringing proof that you are taking these FROM America, so that when you return TO America there will be no doubt that these are included in your original possessions.

If you do not have receipts, outbound customs can help you document them so that there will be no fear of facing import taxes on them upon return. I’ve never heard of this happening, but I have known several people who have taken these steps to insure that it would not.