10 Tips to Survive in Guangzhou Canton Fair

10 Tips to Survive in Guangzhou Canton Fair

If you want to make direct personal contacts, identify suppliers, and find out the ‘ins and outs’ of doing business in China, attending trade fairs are a great first step. However, it is important to bear some points in mind to get the most out of your business visit to China. For many Westerners, China is definitely not the easiest place to travel in.

 

How to survive in Guangzhou then?

 

Here are 10 points for your to keep in mind when attending the Canton Fair in Guangzhou:

 

1. ENGLISH SIGNS. Even though Guangzhou is one of China’s most prosperous, liberal, and cosmopolitan cities and English signage improved with the Asian Games there is still a lack of English signs and few locals fluently speak English. If your Chinese is not up to scratch, remember to take an interpreter wherever you go. Also, It’s a good idea to have the address of your destination in Chinese characters written or printed on paper, so you can show it to the taxi driver. Also, keep a copy of your hotel’s business card in your wallet so you can get back easily.

 

2. TAXI. When hiring a taxi, make sure you take a legal one (marked by appropriate colors and signage). Check that there is a taximeter and that it starts ticking when the ride starts. Avoid illegally operated, unmarked vehicles, as you may have no idea how much a ride should cost, and the driver will let go of no opportunity to exploit you. The taxi service hotline is 96900, should you wish to complain about poor service, or recover luggage you may have left in the taxi. Always ask for the receipt, as that will have the taxi number on it!

 

3. TRAINS. Remember that there are three main railway station in Guangzhou: Guangzhou East Station has trains to Hong Kong and other popular tourist destinations, while Guangzhou Station has trains that go all around the country, and the new Guangzhou South Station is one of the four largest railway passenger transportation hubs in China. Make sure you know which station your train is leaving from.

 

4. STORE-VALUE CARDS. Long-stay visitors to Guangzhou should get a multi-purpose Yang Cheng Tong stored-value card, similar to the Octopus Card in Hong Kong. It can be used for public transportation (bus, subways and some taxis) and also some shops and places on interest.

 

5. WITHDRAWING MONEY.  ATMs that accept foreign credit or debit cards are common in shopping malls and tourist areas. However, withdrawals are available in Chinese currency only. Be careful, as most of the ATM’s issue cash and a receipt before returning the bankcard, as many foreigners have inadvertently left their card in the machine.

 

6. EATING. Despite the culinary achievements of Guangzhou, be careful when choosing restaurants and dishes. Avoid uncooked food, and contaminated meat.

 

7. SAFETY. Guangzhou is not a dangerous city by any means, but be sure to exercise common sense, as you would in your home country. Petty crimes are known to take place in some areas. Be careful, in particular, of pickpockets. Do not show off your valuables in public, do not walk about alone late at night, and be careful at all times. When in a bar or nightclub, exercise prudence. In particular, try not to provoke an argument by making derogatory statements about any person, community, or country.

 

8. TRAFFIC. First-time or infrequent visitors to Guangzhou may not have experienced the chaotic traffic that the city has acquired a repitation for. Be careful when crossing roads.

 

9. SCAMS. Avoid walking into obvious scams like Guangzhou’s famous “laptop scam”, in which locals offer to sell you a brand new looking laptop for a few hundred RMB. These laptops are probably very old, but have been disguised to look like new ones.

 

10. MOBILE. Remember that the Great Firewall of China blocks many popular webpages, such as all Google pages, Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. So for example when navigating in the city, Google Maps does not work. Don’t worry, there are plenty of useful apps to download on your phone that help you. You can get apps for subway lines, maps, finding restaurants etc., see some of them here. There is also an app for the Canton Fair, download it here. You can buy a Chinese SIM Card easily from China Mobile or China Unicom to avoid charges using your homeland’s SIM.

 

Source: Cantonfair.net

 

Read our previous posts about the Canton Fair here and surviving a Chinese trade fair here.

 

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