Some Tips for Language During the traveling
 2016-12-20 17:30:22   Zhangjiajie Tourism Information Website  

English is not spoken as widely in parts of China as you might hope or expect. Many of the larger cities have something called a taxi-book. The taxi book is extremly helpful, it is basically a book of lists with the names and addresses in both Chinese and English of hotels, restaurants, banks, tourist attractions, airports, stores, pretty much everywhere a tourist would need to go. The taxi books can be obtained at many hotels and hostels. If staying at a hotel, be sure to take the card that will have the name and address of your hotel in Chinese (As well as English) so you can show it to the cab driver when you are ready to return to your hotel. Carry small bills to pay the driver with. By law, the cab driver must turn on the meter of the cab.If he does not use the meter you are getting ripped off and do not have to pay.

Carry a small calculator with you in your travels.Supermarkets and “Regular” stores have posted prices, but bargaining is acceptable everywhere else. The merchant will show you a price on his calculator, you may then either accept the price and pay or begin the bargaining process by putting your price on your calculator. The merchant is marking up his item by about 150%. You will always end up paying more as a foreigner, but hopefully not the original amount the merchant is asking.

A Chinese Guide-book is helpful, but a language book is not, since unless you can pronounce the “Tones” properly, your Chinese will not be understood.

Translated by Sophia