Friday, 31 January 2014

Dangjiacun


The view of Dangjicun upon entering the village.
Located in Shaanxi province near the banks of the Yellow River, just a few hours north-east of Xi'an and 20 minutes outside Hancheng, lies the ancient village of Dangjiacun (党家村). The name, pronounced 'dung-jya-tsoon', literally means "the Dang family village". Built in 1331 during the Yuan dynasty, this beautiful village is surprisingly visited by a relatively small number of tourists. Most of the people that do come to visit are domestic Chinese tourists.

The view of Dangjicun following the road that leads into the village.

Before you can enter, you need to buy a ticket at the gate blocking the road that leads down the side of the valley into the village. This money goes towards the upkeep of the site, considering it is now half empty as many of the residents have left for the big cities looking for work. 

A monument supposedly erected by an emperor of the Ming dynasty.
Ornamental wooden carvings above the doorway to a house.
I visited this village back in 2010 when I was studying in Xi'an on exchange. 

As my three friends and I entered the village, a number of people approached us and offered accommodation in their homes. Seeing as there are no hostels or hotels within the village, this was our only option. A friendly man with one arm led us to his house and showed us our room which only cost RMB 20 per person per night. It had four single beds and we had a key to lock our belongings up for when we were wandering around outside. 

Our one-armed host sharpening a cleaver before making dinner.
That basin above his head was our bath for three days.
The family we were staying with ran a small restaurant out of their kitchen. The food was very nice and affordable. When we first ordered food, we ordered some dishes and asked for rice for four people, as you do when eating Chinese food. However, the cook informed us that in the regional areas of northern China they generally eat noodles, as the climate is too dry to grow rice. 


A wooden door leading into the central courtyard of one of the houses.

Inside the grounds of a nearby school there is a small tower. My friends and I looked around and set off some firecrackers that we had bought at the front gate.


Some flowers in bloom, signalling the beginning of spring with the tower in the background.
A wooden screen providing privacy from the courtyard outside.

My friends and I wandered around for a couple of hours soaking up the tranquil and calm atmosphere. We explored the cobblestone alleyways and the old houses that had been left open for tourists to come in and see. 

The old home of a wealthy family, now uninhabited.

Eventually, we made our way up the side of the valley for a better view. We found makeshift dwellings that had been carved out of the valley walls. Inside were beds made out of stone and bamboo or straw mats. 


The make-shift homes in the valley walls.
To the north of the village was a beautiful old temple. We decided to walk there along the country road than ran along the wheat fields. Along the way, cars and bikes would occasionally drive past and slow down to have a good look at us foreigners, with a few people calling out "hello!" and having a good laugh. A couple of girls on pushbikes came riding past, and as they drew near I called out in Chinese "is the temple that way?". One of the girls almost fell off her bike in shock, as she obviously didn't expect me to be able to speak Chinese. As she steadied herself with her feet safely on the ground, she had a little laugh and nodded her head. 

We spent the whole afternoon wandering about the temple grounds, soaking up the calm and relaxing atmosphere. 





The next day we walked out of the village and took a taxi to the Dragon Gate Bridge (龙门黄河大桥). This bridge spans the famous Yellow River which marks the border between the provinces of Shaanxi (陕西) and Shanxi (山西).

A Red Star atop the Dragon Gate Bridge

A view of the bridge from the banks of the Yellow River

Me beside the famous Yellow River, known as the "Cradle of Chinese civilisaiton".

Getting There
From Xi'an, get a bus to Hancheng City and then a bus from there to Dangjiacun. 

Click here to see all of my photos of Dangjiacun.





Tips for Surviving in China

Going to China for a holiday, work or study? Unsure of what to expect? Well, read through these helpful tips to ensure you are better prepared. While this post mostly focuses on negative topics, I assure you that despite these issues, travelling to China can be an amazing and rewarding experience.


Taxis
Taxis in China are very cheap and convenient. However, you need to be aware of a few things first before getting in. 

The meter — Make sure the taxi has a meter. if there is none, get out, it's not a genuine taxi. If there is one, make sure the driver starts the meter. If they don't, just say 请打表 (qǐng dǎ biǎo). If they refuse, get out and take another taxi. The reason for this is if they don't hit the meter, it is usually because they are either not a genuine taxi, they are trying to rip you off or there is some other conspiracy going on. 

Negotiating Fares — On longer trips, it can be worth your while to ask the driver to not hit the meter and negotiate a price instead. This could end up saving you money in the end.

Sharing — It is quite normal to share taxis with strangers on longer trips. For example, when I was leaving Xi'an, I went to the bell tower to catch a shuttle bus to the airport. The tickets for the bus were about 35 RMB. As I was going to purchase a ticket, a taxi driver approached me and asked me to take his taxi. Now, a taxi all to yourself would commonly cost 100 RMB if the driver agreed to not hit the meter. However, he was offering a ride for 25 RMB as he had three other passengers who were paying the same amount. 

Know your route — If possible, get an idea of the general route the driver needs to take to reach your destination, as they could go a longer way and charge you more. In some situations, the driver may not even know where your destination is but won't say anything. 

This actually happened to me in Xi'an. We were going to a friends apartment, but the building was quite new, so the driver didn't actually know exactly where the address was. He didn't tell us this and just drove around the suburb. When we asked him if he knew where it was, he said yes and kept driving. Eventually it became obvious we weren't getting there and we asked to pay and get out. With a bit of walking around and asking for directions, we finally got there.


Motorcycle Taxis
Motorcycle taxis are much faster and even cheaper than cars as they can weave in and out of traffic with ease. They don't have meters, as they are usually not an official taxi service, just some people trying to make a living, so you need to negotiate a destination and price before you hop on. A warning though, they are not for the faint hearted—it's quite a thrilling ride at times. 





Rickshaws
Another possible mode of travel is by rickshaw. This is very convenient, and very cheap. Again, you negotiate a price before getting in. Keep in mind, the generally won't take you a great distance, they will usually only go several blocks, so you may need to negotiate the destination as well.








Pick-Pockets
Like many other countries around the world, having your things stolen by a pick-pocket is a very real danger. In China, it happens out in the open in broad daylight, and despite what you may think, witnesses virtually never say or do anything to stop it, and they have very good reason not to. 

If you see someone having items stolen from their bag or pocket, don't say anything. Pick-pockets usually work in groups, with one person doing the dirty work, and sometimes another close by to try and block most people's view of what's happening with more further down the street keeping watch. If you do anything, it can get dangerous and you may very well get hurt. 

Some thieves work alone, and in some parts of China, I've seen children stealing with an adult standing nearby keeping watch. 

They can be very cunning, and you won't even know you've been hit until it's too late. Some thieves even use chopsticks as an aid to lifting items out of pockets or bags.

I know a true story of my American friend in Xi'an who was walking on the street outside the university we were studying at early one morning. He had earphones in his ears as he was listening to music on his iPod. It was cold, so he had both of his hands in the front part of his hooded jumper. His ear became itchy, and just as he lifted his hand up to scratch it, the music stopped. He reached back into his jumper only to find there was no iPod attached to the other end of his earphones. He looked all around him on the ground but it was no where to be seen. He asked people standing around on the street if they'd seen anything, but no one was willing to help. 

My advice is to walk with your bag on your front, or put anything valuable in a pouch strapped to your body. If you choose to simply put things in your front pockets, it would be a good idea to walk around with your hands in your pockets. 

Be constantly aware of your surroundings. Occasionally look to either side of you, or over your shoulder as you walk, even during the day. if you are observant enough, thieves usually stand out and are pretty obvious. If you see someone stealing from someone else, try and remember what they look like so you can recognise the thieves that operate in each area you frequent. 

When I was studying in Xi'an, there was a busy and narrow street that I would take almost every day. I noticed there were about three or four thieves that worked that street. Every time I walked past them, I would subtly acknowledge them by making eye contact and smiling. Eventually, they would smile and give a little nod of their heads whenever I walked past them. In the eight months I spent in Xi'an, I would have seen at least ten or fifteen people having their bags or pockets raided on busy streets in broad daylight, however I never had anything stolen. 



Street Food
Along the busier streets all over China you will find stalls selling food and snacks cooked right there on the street. This food can include meat skewers, squid, mutton and bread, Chinese style pancakes and burgers, and even fried insects.

While this food can be delicious and very convenient, you should be aware of what exactly you are putting into your mouth, and the risks involved.

Some street vendors use 地沟油 (dìgōuyóu) or "gutter oil" in their cooking. This oil is either simply recycled oil used over and over, or it is made by collecting sewerage and boiling it down to extract the oil. Animal fats and recycled cooking oil are also added. This oil can be very dangerous for your health as it contains harmful bacteria and carcinogens.

I must stress that gutter oil is not in use everywhere. It has been estimated that one in ten of all restaurants, eateries and street stalls within China use it, although it is most likely to be used in the cooking of street food, especially for deep-fried foods.

From experience, you can usually tell where gutter oil is being used from a very strong sickening stench. I smelled this stench every time I passed a particular stall in Xi'an that was selling deep fried foods. Although it is possible it may not have been oil made from recycled sewerage, I am certain it was at least made from oil that has been recycled and reused over and over again, which in itself is very unhealthy.

You can see some news stories on this topic by Radio Free Asia and NTDTV.

I want to emphasise that I am not trying to put you off going to China or from trying the delicious street food there. I only included this story as I think it is important to have more knowledge on this issue and to keep it in the back of your mind when trying street food.



Money
The currency of China is known in English as Chinese Yuan (CNY), although in Chinese it is called 人民币 (rénmínbì), meaning "the people's currency", hence the common abbreviation RMB. The symbol for the RMB is expressed as either ¥ or 元.

The division of the currency is basically like dollars, dimes and cents. One 'yuán' (元) is divided into ten 'jiǎo' (角), and one 'jiǎo' is divided into ten 'fēn' (分). It is important to take note that 'yuán' is often referred to as 'kuài' (块) and 'jiǎo' as 'máo' (毛) in spoken Chinese. 

The notes used today come in 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 yuan, and 5, 2 and 1 jiao. The coins come in 1 yuan, and 5, 2 and 1 jiao. It is still possible to come across 5, 2 and 1 fen notes and coins, although they are very rare as they are no longer being produced.






Fake Money 
Counterfeit money is a common issue throughout China. You will notice some shops and restaurants will either refuse 100 yuan notes, or they will use a sort of UV light to check for security features.


The security features to look for on the 100 yuan note are:

  1. A watermark on the left-hand side of the note, which when held to the light shows an image of Mao Zedong
  2. An unbroken metallic strip threaded down the width of the note, with a holographic image of '¥100' appearing as the strip is shone in the light
  3. The '100' in the bottom left-hand corner will change colour from green to a sort of silvery blue as you change the viewing angle of the note
  4. To the right of the colour changing '100' is another '100' that appears when held to the light as the paper is thinner in that area
  5. To the right side of the watermark you will see an image of an old Chinese coin with a square hole that will appear when held to the light as each half of the coin on either side of the note merge
  6. In the top left-hand corner next to the coat of arms is a '100' filled with a pattern formed by tiny 'RMB100' and '100RMB'
  7. There are textured areas on the note that can be felt when you rub your thumb over them, such as over Mao's coat, over the red lines on the right-hand side of Mao, over the braille in the bottom right-hand corner, and over the PRC coat of arms in the top left-hand corner
  8. In the top right-hand corner, another '100' should only be visible if you place the note horizontally in front of your eyes
If you are learning Chinese, it is worthwhile noting that the numbers appear differently on bank notes and legal contracts. Traditionally, this was to eliminate the potential for changing the amounts by adding extra strokes. 

The characters 一,二,三,四,无,六,七,八,九 and 十 appear as 壹,貳,叁,肆,伍,陸,柒,捌,玖 and 拾.

The characters 百,千,万 and 亿 appear as 佰,仟,萬 and 億.



Saturday, 25 January 2014

Accessing Your Money in China

When I went to China on exchange in 2010, I really didn't have much knowledge about how things work there and about what I really should be wary of. Thankfully, I made many international friends who shared their survival knowledge with me and I also learnt many things on my own.

One of the most important things you need to sort out is how to access your money while avoiding heaps of fees. If you are going to China for a long period of time, it is best to have several options for accessing your funds. The first step is to exchange some cash into Chinese Yuan (CNY), also more commonly known outside of bank circles as Renminbi (RMB). To avoid confusion, I'll refer to it as CNY in this post.




Exchanging Cash
While the exchange rate is preferable, exchange a certain portion of your funds into CNY cash. This is entirely up to you how much you wish to exchange and depends on how much cash you will need upon your arrival in China. Over the past six years, for one Australian dollar the rate has been around CNY 6 at the higher end and around CNY 4 at the lower end.
After you arrive, you can exchange more cash when you need it as the exchange rates are usually better in China than Australia, and the commissions and exchange fees are lower.

For a better deal, I recommend exchanging your money at banks in China rather than currency exchange offices or at airports. If you need to exchange money from CNY to another currency, you will usually need to make an appointment as Chinese banks usually only have USD or EUR on site. Keep this in mind to ensure that you allow enough time to exchange your money before leaving China.




Travel Money Card
The next option that I recommend is to load another portion of your funds onto a travel money card. 

These can be obtained from virtually any bank in Australia, although I strongly recommend the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) as it is the only Australian bank that allows you to load CNY onto the card and they do not charge an initial load fee. 

The following information is about the Commonwealth Travel Money Card (CTMC) only.




Here's a list of the advantages:
  • Your funds are completely secure and protected with a PIN
  • The initial load is absolutely free
  • You can reload more money onto the card at any time over the phone or via BPAY
  • You receive two cards, the second card is a backup in case you lose your first card
  • In-store, online or over-the-phone purchases are free
  • If you are travelling to other countries, you can transfer the funds from one currency to another on the same card for free
  • You can receive SMS alerts when your balance is getting low
  • You can receive an emergency cash advance for free (excluding third party fees involved in delivery of funds) if both of your cards are lost are stolen
  • Unlike other travel cards, there is no inactivity fee and the card is valid for up to three years so you can reload and reuse your card as often as you like
  • There is no fee for the closure of your card 
  • The maximum amount you can have on the card is AUD 100,000 or foreign currency equivalent, which is a lot more than the other banks allow
  • When you load the money onto the card it is subject to the exchange rates on that day and does not change (this could also end up being a disadvantage depending on which way the exchange rates go)

Here are the disadvantages:
  • To obtain the card from the bank, you will have to pay AUD 15, although they will waive this fee if you have a valid Australian student card
  • There is a flat fee for ATM withdrawals of CNY 15 (this fee varies for other currencies)
  • When you load the money onto the card it is subject to the exchange rates on that day and does not change (this could also end up being an advantage depending on which way the exchange rates go)
  • Additional loads after the initial load will incur a fee of 1% of the reload amount up to a maximum of AUD 15.00 or foreign currency equivalent
  • If your cards are lost or stolen, there is an AUD 15 replacement fee, but you would only need to replace the cards if you lose both of them
Click here for a full list of fees associated with the CTMC.

I recommend the CTMC, especially for those traveling to several countries, as they offer a choice from thirteen currencies whereas the other banks only offer ten or eleven. The CBA is the only Australian bank that offers CNY.

Here's a full list of the currencies that CBA offers:
  • United States Dollars (USD)
  • Euros (EUR)
  • Great British Pounds (GBP)
  • Australian Dollars (AUD)
  • Japanese Yen (JPY)
  • New Zealand Dollars (NZD)
  • Hong Kong Dollars (HKD)
  • Canadian Dollars (CAD)
  • Singapore Dollars (SGD)
  • Thai Baht (THB)
  • Vietnamese Dong (VND)
  • Chinese Renminbi (CNY)
  • Emirati Dirham (AED)

More information on the Commonwealth Travel Money Card can be found here.


 Western Union

In combination with the options above, I would recommend you leave the rest of your funds in your bank account and send money to yourself in China through Western Union. You will need to have net-banking set up to do this.

This way you will avoid the hefty international money transfer (IMT) fees, which from my experience can set you back up to AUD 55 each time you transfer depending on the amount. What's more is that the exchange rates are usually better than exchanging cash in Australia. 

You can pick up your cash from any Wstern Union branch or affiliated agent after you present your ID and a special code. You can also have the money sent directly to a bank account or to a Western Union Prepaid Debit Card. For the bank account transfer, it would obviously be better if you opened a local Chinese bank account for this purpose.

There is a transfer fee, however the exchange rate is better than what the Australian banks offer. For example, today (25/01/2014) the Commonwealth Bank is offering an exchange rate of CNY 4.75 and would charge a currency exchange fee of AUD 8 for cash exchanges. For IMTs their rate is CNY 5.09, plus they charge a fee to send as well as a fee to receive the money, which could be anywhere from AUD 33 to AUD 55 in total. The Western Union on the other hand is offering a rate of CNY 5.20 for their money transfers which would be given to you in the form of cash when you pick it up.

Western Union charges flat-rate fees according to the amounts being transfered:

Amount Being Transferred
(AUD)
Fee
(AUD)
1-50
5
51-250
10
251-5000
18


So, if I were to transfer AUD 1000, after fees have been deducted I would receive CNY 5103.02 through Western Union. However, through the Commonwealth Bank I would only receive CNY 4707.83 for a cash exchange, or CNY 4806.08 for an IMT.

Alternatively, to receive CNY 5000, I would be charged a total (including fees) of AUD 980.18 through Western Union. To receive the same amount, Commonwealth would charge me AUD 1061.56 for a cash exchange or AUD 1038.13 for an IMT.

For more information about transfering money through Western Union, visit their website.

For more information about international money transfers through Commonwealth, click here.


Travelers Cheques
I do not recommend travelers cheques for those traveling to China, as you will have a lot of difficulty finding a place that will cash it for you. Even the major banks do not accept travellers cheques.

When I went to China the first time back in 2006, I could not cash my travelers cheques at any financial institution and I had to rely on my friends father who is a successful and well-known businessman in Dongguan to use his connections to find someone who would cash them for me.



Thursday, 23 January 2014

Studying Chinese in Australia


I completed a Bachelor of Languages at the University of New England, and I am currently studying a Masters in Interpreting and Translation at the University of New South Wales. I have also been attending HSK lessons at Strathfield College in Sydney. In this post I will give my evaluations of each of these educational institutions.


Strathfield College, Sydney
As there are hundreds of dialects being spoken in China today, the Chinese Proficiency Test (abbreviated as HSK from 汉语水平考试 Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì) is designed for Chinese people to prove their proficiency in the national dialect, Mandarin.

I strongly recommend undertaking a Chinese Proficiency Test preparation course to learn Chinese, whether it be on its own or in conjunction with a Chinese course at university. The HSK courses are usually run through the Confucius Institute and if you take the exam (optional) you will receive an official certificate that can be used to prove your Chinese level when applying for jobs where Mandarin is required, both inside and outside China.

The levels are very well structured and you learn a very wide range of vocabulary. Words are constantly reemerging throughout each level which helps to reinforce what you have already learnt.

If you're not sure of your level, you can take a free placement test, and if you're not sure whether or not you want to study there, you can sit in on one class for free.

You can also apply for jobs in China and scholarships to study in China through this college.

The administrative and teaching staff at the college are extremely friendly and helpful. Classes for all levels are generally held in the evenings from 6pm-8pm. You can find the class timetable and class outlines for each level here

All other information can be found on the Strathfield College Sydney HSK Centre webpage.

The Strathfield College HSK Centre is located at level 5, 451 Pitt Street, Sydney, just a short walk from Central Station. Their phone number is (02) 9212 7799 (extension 121 or 119). 


 

University of New England, Armidale
UNE is one of the top regional universities in Australia. I don't know if this is still the case, but when I was studying there (2008-2012) it was the only university in Australia that offered Chinese language degrees online.

Even though I am originally from Tamworth, which is about an one hour or so drive from Armidale, I moved to Sydney and did my Bachelor of Languages degree online. This was extremely convenient as I could fit my study around my work, and I could study at whatever pace suited me with the option of studying as few or as many units per trimester I wanted. In fact, you could live anywhere in the world and do this course online. Some of my classmates were actually living in Taiwan and China while they were studying the course.

They run one week intensive schools at the Armidale campus each semester with cheap accommodation provided at the on-campus colleges. As a large number of the off-campus students live in or near Sydney, they also organise weekend schools in Sydney near Town Hall where a lecturer comes all the way from Armidale to ensure everyone is up to pace. This usually happens around every semester or every second semester. 

This university operates on a trimester format, so you have the option of completing your course faster by studying over the summer. 

In the Bachelor of Languages and Bachelor of Arts degrees, you can study two languages equally as a double major, or you can study one language as a major and another as an elective. This means you can focus more on one language than the other. I did a double major in Chinese and French, splitting my units equally between the two languages. 

I am very glad to have been able to do this, however with a difficult language like Chinese I now personally think I should have just focused on Chinese alone, which is why I am taking a year off my Masters course to go to Beijing and improve my Chinese as much as I can. 

In the Bachelor of Languages degree, there is a compulsory one year period of overseas exchange. To help with this, you can apply for a $1000 scholarship as well as a loan of around $5,000 that you just pay back with your HELP loan with the rest of your tuition fees. If you are on Youth Allowance, you can still receive full payments while you are overseas as you are receiving credit towards a course at an Australian university.

As I was studying a double major, I spent a semester in China and a semester in France. I highly recommend doing exchange if you are at a university. Because of this, by the age of 22 I had visited 11 foreign countries (China, France, England, Portugal, Sweden, Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands).



My final Chinese calligraphy assignment.



One of my favorite elective classes at UNE that I strongly recommend is the Chinese calligraphy class. This offers a great insight into the origins of Chinese characters and helps you understand the basics about their formation that can actually improve your everyday Chinese handwriting. 

This university offers a lot of convenience, although I would not recommend it as the best university to go to in order to learn Chinese. Having said this, it is still worthy of consideration.

For more information, checkout the UNE website.















University of new South Wales, Sydney
UNSW is one of the top five universities in Australia and has a good reputation.

I don't know what the undergraduate Chinese courses at this university are like, but I can highly recommend the Masters in Interpreting and Translation for those who have already studied Chinese.

Among the list of lecturers are Dr Mira Kim who specialises in applied linguistics, and Dr Sandra Hale who specialises in legal translation and interpreting. Both of these women are well-known in their respective fields, and have several publications on their résumés.

To study this course your Chinese should already be at an advanced level as you don't learn more about Chinese specifically, you just learn how to translate or interpret professionally. 

Through this course you can gain accreditation through the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) and be qualified to work in government departments and private companies as a professional translator or interpreter. 

There are many languages you can do through this program including Indonesian, French, Russian, Spanish, Korean and Japanese. You don't have to just choose one language, you can also do translation in another language if you wish, so long as you have studied it before to at least an upper-intermediate level. Last semester I did French technical translation along with the usual classes as I had already studied French in my undergraduate course.  

Some of the individual classes include bilingual enhancement, media translation, technical translation, legal interpreting and community interpreting. My favourite classes so far have been media translation and legal interpreting. In the legal interpreting class you learn so much about the NSW legal system and it is invaluable in preparing you for a career related to interpreting in legal settings. 


Applying for a Chinese Visa

Applying for a visa can be stressful and confusing, especially if you don't know anyone who has experienced the process to answer the millions of questions racing through your head. Well, I have applied for two tourist visas and two student visas for China over the past nine years, so I have built up quite a lot of experience and knowledge in this area.


How do I apply?
The first step is to go to visaforchina.org and select your country and nearest city. For example's sake, I have chosen Sydney Australia. Next, click on the 'Step By Step Guidance' link and select the appropriate visa type for you according to the descriptions on the right-hand side. This will then produce a list of things you will need in order to apply for that visa.


Homepage of the Sydney Visa Application Centre website

You don't need to make an appointment. You can just walk-in to submit an application or pick up your passport and visa. If you want to save time, you can make an appointment via the 'Quick Access' link on the homepage of the website. The visa centre in Sydney is open from 9am-3pm Monday to Friday and is located at Level 5, 299 Elizabeth Street. It's on the corner of Elizabeth and Liverpool Streets opposite Museum Station.

The most common visas are L (tourist), X1 (long-term student, more than 180 days) and X2 (short-term student, up to 180 days). 

These visas usually only take four days until they're ready for collection (this includes weekends), however you can pay extra for an express service and have your visa ready for collection in as little as two days. Postal applications take about 10 days. You have 90 days to collect your visa after it's ready, and you pay the processing fee upon collection. I applied for the normal processing time and my visa cost me AU$98.50.


Who do I contact to answer my questions?
Unfortunately, there aren't many places to go to get answers to specific questions. When I called the Sydney Visa Centre, a recording simply told me to check the FAQs on their website, and when I emailed them they didn't reply. I ended up having to check online forums and blogs similar to this one to find answers to my questions.

Eventually, I called the Canberra Visa Centre and lo and behold, they have human operators that actually answer all of your questions! You can contact them between 9am and 3pm Monday to Friday on (02) 6279 7800. Press '1' for English, and then '9' to speak to an operator. 


Tourist Visa (L) 
The 'L' visa is usually valid for a maximum of 90 days, however this can vary depending on your individual situation and purpose for travel.

To apply for an 'L' visa, you will need:
  • Passport with at least six months remaining validity
  • Photocopy of passport data/photo page
  • Visa application form with recent colour passport photo attached. You can complete an Online Application Form or you can download an application form and fill it out by hand
  • Return travel ticket
  • Itinerary showing booked accommodation, or an invitation letter. The invitation letter should include:
    • Applicant's information (full name, date of birth, gender, etc.)
    • Details of planned visit (purpose of visit, arrival and departure dates, place(s) to be visited, relationship between applicant and inviting party, financial support to be provided during stay in China)
    • Information of inviting party (name of individual or organisation, phone number, address, official stamp or organisation, signature of individual or legal representative)
If you used to be a Chinese citizen but have changed citizenship, or if you are applying for a visa outside of your country of citizenship, there are further requirements. For a full list of the requirements of the 'L' visa, have a look at the Chinese Visa Application checklist.


Student Visa (X1)
The 'X1' visa is for those going to study in China for more than 180 days. To apply for an 'X1' visa, you will need:
  • Passport with at least six months remaining validity
  • Photocopy of passport data/photo page
  • Visa application form with recent colour passport photo attached. You can complete an Online Application Form or you can download an application form and fill it out by hand
  • Original and photocopy of Admission Notice from the relevant educational institution
  • Original and photocopy of the JW201 or JW202 form (this will be sent to you by the relevant Chinese university or college). 
If you have this visa, you must apply for a residence permit (below) at the local Public Security Office (公安局 gōng'ānjú or 派出所 pàichūsuǒ) within 30 days of entry into China. 


My previous Residence Permit

When I applied for my visa in Sydney, the person accepting my application told me to select "one entry valid for 3 months" on my application form, even though my Admission Notice stated I will be studying for one year. 

They explained that the expiration date simply refers to the date before which I must enter China, not for how long I can stay. The expiration date on the Residence Permit is the date that I must leave China by, and after I am issued this permit, I may leave China and return freely within the specified period of validity on the permit. Sure enough, when I received my visa, there is an unspecified "duration of stay" (see below).



My X1 visa
If you used to be a Chinese citizen but have changed citizenship, or if you are applying for a visa outside of your country of citizenship, there are further requirements. For a full list of the requirements of the 'X1' visa, have a look at the Chinese Visa Application checklist.


Student Visa (X2)
The 'X2' visa is for those going to study in China for less than 180 days. To apply for an 'X2' visa, you will need:
  • Passport with at least six months remaining validity
  • Photocopy of passport data/photo page
  • Visa application form with recent colour passport photo attached. You can complete an Online Application Form or you can download an application form and fill it out by hand
  • Original and photocopy of Admission Notice from the relevant educational institution
If you used to be a Chinese citizen but have changed citizenship, or if you are applying for a visa outside of your country of citizenship, there are further requirements. For a full list of the requirements of the 'X2' visa, have a look at the Chinese Visa Application checklist.

Can I change from a tourist visa to a student visa while I am already in China?
For Australians, no. The rules have recently changed. If you enter China on a tourist visa, you will now need to leave the country and apply for a student visa outside the country before you can re-enter. The best place to do this would be Hong Kong as you don't need a visa if you have a British passport, and most nationalities (such as Australia, U.S. and Canada) don't need a visa if they are staying less than 90 days. For the visa requirements according to your nationality visit the Immigration Department of Hong Kong's website

I've been told that you can't change visas in Taiwan as the mainland Chinese government considers Taiwan Chinese territory. 

Do I need to undergo a physical examination to apply for a student visa? 
No, not anymore! However, you will need it for registration at the university. You can go and register first, then they will send you to a hospital or medical centre for the examination.

During the exam they record your weight and height, they test your blood for a whole range of diseases, and they check your vision, ears, nose, tonsils, chest, abdomen, blood pressure and pulse rate.

I strongly recommend to get a heap of passport photos taken, as they need them for almost every application form you fill out at the visa centre, at the university, at the medical exam and at the public security office. 

If you get the photos done in China, make sure you ask for a light background as many places do it with a red or blue background without asking as this is acceptable for most places in China. However, some universities specifically ask for a white background. 

When I was in Xi'an, I got some passport photos done at a small shop just outside the university gates. They only had a blue background, so when I told them I needed a white one, they used Paint on their computer and manually coloured the background in white. My head looked a little square, but it was accepted by the university for registration!