Finding Foods in China

Most international travellers will have difficulty getting some foods that suit them in China.
I recommend some of the restaurants or fast food counter that may suit international travellers.

There is fast food restaurant in China that serves healthy foods, well, this is my favourite part, as we know that, most of the fast food restaurant serve quick but unhealthy foods. The fast food restaurant is called “ Real Kungfu” (真功夫)

Kungfu Restaurant at Hangzhou Airport


Nice restaurant near to DongMen Road, Shenzhen

Most of the food served are steamed, instead of fried, and they also have ginseng and other Chinese herbal inside. Wondering how come nobody from South East Asia get their franchise and open one here, since healthy food has become a major concern in today’s society.

Also recommend to try-out a mix of Western and Chinese food in Café de Coral (大家乐) and one great restaurant near DongMen Street, Shenzhen.

If still, most of you cannot stand on Chinese food, you can find lots of American fast food restaurants in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, which are quick but unhealthy food.

Or even, a little bit pity, you can buy fast - oven food at 7 Eleven or any convenience store, they do sell Small Boxes of rice with beef (just like in Taiwan)

The Rice Box I bought at 7 Eleven

"Going Green" China

Metro


Motorbike

Motorbike used for transporting goods

It has been several years that China government is putting more attention on using electricity instead of using gas in daily life. It can be shown from the Metro System, Electric Bus, and encouraging its societies to use electric vehicle, and even bicycles are still encouraged to use ( there are traffic signs especially for Bicycles)


Electric Bus

Electric Passenger Car

From Guangzhou to Hangzhou

This morning we catched a flight to Hangzhou, which is famous of its beautiful scenery, but no, that's not the reason I flew to Hangzhou. Well, I must pass through Hangzhou in order to get to Yiwu, because it's cheaper rather than I took the direct flight to Wiyu.

It takes about 1.5 hour from Hangzhou Airport to Yiwu by bus, and you can purchase the bus ticket just outside the arrival gate No.5 , and it costs only RMB 60 per person.

Yiwu is famous of its textile industries, including the related ornaments. We came here because there is a fair regarding the garment ornaments. While we are arriving, the weather here is rather cold, 20 degree, if compared to Guangzhou.

We have been too tired during the trip, that my dad starting to get sick, so we just stayed at hotel (hotels here are very cheap). During our waiting time at Guangzhou Airport, we have visited a booth of Yiwu, in which a kind lady has explained to us there is a fair during our stays in Yiwu.

"Metro" - ing around Guangzhou

I found that the MRT system in Guangzhou quite useful for either society or travellers. The condition of the MRT station is clean, almost the same like in Singapore, and the languages used for announcements include English, Chinese, and Canton. The interchanges between different lines are also easy to access, as you don't need to walk very far to reach another line.

The cost is very cheap. The nearest destination only costs RMB 1, and the furthest destination is only RMB 12. With RMB 12, you can travel to other city (Panyu). There are a few of ticket - selling machine in each station, and if you are having difficulty or you don't have small change ( the machine only accept maximum RMB 10) buying the ticket using the system, there are counters where there are officers selling the tickets manually. If in Singapore, when you buy a single - trip ticket, you get a one thin plastic card, but in Guangzhou, instead of getting a card, you will receive a plastic coin. Be careful with the coin, you can easily loose it.

Visiting Pazhou International Exhibition Center - Pazhou

These few days I ve been extremely busy searching around Guangzhou for lady bags. My girlfriend wants to sell ladies bags in our hometown, and we have heard that Guangzhou is the place if you want to find cheap and good quality lady handbags. So there I was, in a Leather Center, wandering around and bargain to get the cheap and nice quality.






I really like the way that China Government organizing the business complex here. In Guangzhou, for example, they have A Massive Building specialising in Garments (Textile, garment accessories), another business complex specialised in Leather ( Shoe, Ladies Bags, Travel Bags), and another business complex specialised in IT products. Inside the business complex, there are hundred until thousand of related companies. So you don't need to wandering around different places just to find the related products.



This morning the weather of Guangzhou is not nice at all. There is strong wind along with raining cats and dogs from early morning until this evening, and the result of such weather is a lot of people can get sick, including me. So most of the time I spent today is at home.

Guangzhou - 16 April 2008

This morning, after having Chinese breakfast in hotel, we depart for Guangzhou by An Extremely Fast Train. I still remember, about my last trip to Shenzhen 4 years ago, we still have to travel 3 hours by train to Guangzhou, but now... according to my dad, it only takes 1 hour approximately. The tickets are about RMB 75 ( my father accidentally bought the 2nd class ticket), but the train is extremely nice, compared to the train 4 years ago. The new train is called GSRC , and we take it from Shenzhen Train Station. No kidding, the train runs on 201 km/h ( well, this is my first time boarding the train that runs for 200 km / h, but I noticed there are 400 km / h train in Shanghai).




After we arrived at my friend's house, I went to a bank to register a new account in China, for my future business purpose. After that, we went to Liu Hua to register as buyers at 103 rd Guangzhou Trade Fair by Guangzhou Metro (My friend told me that it's better to register in evening period, to skip the long queue). The MRT in Guangzhou is very nice, even compared with Singapore one. One tips if you want to visit the Guangzhou Trade Fair is that it's better if you ask for an E-pass from the Canton Fair Official Website, which can save you RMB 100 each person, and you must do this at least a week in advance.



Well, the site is so large, that it takes us 4 hours just to walk through 10 % of the whole exhibition site, and we are just focusing on garment site (as my father is doing garment accessories business), so I haven't had the chance to look at other sector. For those who cannot speak Chinese, there are lots of interpreters outside the exhibition site waiting to help, on a reasonable cost. But from what I noticed, most of the buyers that have decided to go for this exhibition, are able to speak in fluent Chinese, no matter they are from which part of the world. I 'm surprised, in order to do business with China, they are willing to learn Chinese language.



After a tiring walk throughout the garment site, we decided to come again tomorrow, to explore the rest of the garment site. O yeah, one tips for the buyers, please take a luggage with you when you explore the exhibition site, as you need it to keep all the brochures and catalogues that are given to you. Trust me for this, because for tomorrow, I'm taking one as well.

Shenzhen - 15 April 2008

Arriving Shenzhen Bao An International Airport, we took the 330 airport bus towards city center, and it only costs us RMB 20 per pax. The trip takes about 1 hour from Bao An International Airport to Hua Lian Bus Stop. I was told that we should stop at Hua Lian, because it's quite crowded there, compare to the last stop (Train Station), so we can take a cab to our hotel. Well, taking a bus is a good option, because we can save much for the cost, and the interval of each bus is about 10 - 15 minutes only. I heard the taxi cost about RMB 170 to RMB 200 to go to city center, but I have no idea if there is extra charge during midnight.






After check in, we went to nearest restaurant to have dinner (Thank God during 11 o clock the city still crowded, but there is not much options left). I have a bad time during the flight, so I skip the dinner during the flight, and reaching hotel, my belly starting to scream like hell.






Well, have to get to bed soon..... Tomorrow early morning we have to catch a train to Guangzhou... Until then.....