How to Ask the Way in China?

When you have a trip or visit to your friends or acquaintances alone, you may come across an unknown or unclear address and you will have to ask the way. One day, Mike wants to go to Xidan and a warmhearted Beijing girl is telling him the way.
 
mài kè: Láo jià, xī dān lí zhèr yuǎn bù yuǎn?
麦克：劳驾，西单离这儿远不远？
Mike: Excuse me, is Xidan far from here?
Lì li: Bǐ jiǎo yuǎn, qí chē děi èr shí wǔ fēn zhōng zuǒ yòu.
丽丽：比较远，骑车得25 分钟左右。
Lili: Yes, quite far. It will take you twenty-five minutes by bicycle.
mài kè: zuò chē fāng biàn ma?
麦克：坐车方便吗？
Mike: Is it easy to take a bus?
Lì li: Hěn fāng biàn, yao zuò qī zhàn chē, xià chē jiù shì.
丽丽：很方便，要坐七站车，下车就是。
Lili: Yes, very easy. You just take seven stations to go to Xidan. You can’t miss it.
mài kè: Qǐng wèn dào fǔ yòu jiē yǒu duō yuǎn?
麦克：请问到府右街有多远？
Mike: And could you tell me how far is it to Fuyoujie from here?
Lì li: Nín qù xī dān de shí hòu, lù guò fǔ yòu jiē.
丽丽：您去西单的时候，路过府右街。
Lili: On your way to Xidan, you’ll pass by Fuyoujie.
mài kè: Fǔ yòu jiē dào xī dān yuǎn bù yuǎn?
麦克：府右街到西单远不远？
Mike: Is it far from Fuyoujie to Xidan?
Lì li: Bù yuǎn le, zǒu shí fēn zhōng jiù dào le.
丽丽：不远了，走十分钟就到了。
Lili: Not too far, you just need to walk for ten minutes.

1. 问路 wèn lù: ask the way
2. 离 lí: from
3. 这儿 zhèr: here
4. 远 yuǎn: far
5. 劳驾 láo jià: excuse me
6. 坐车 zuò chē: take a bus
7. 方便 fāng biàn: easy
8. 左右 zuǒ yòu: about
9. 比较 bǐ jiǎo: quite
10.路过 lù guò: pass by

How to Eat Roast Beijing Duck?

The roast duck is regarded as the specially delicate food of Beijing. Jane and Mike is now in the Beijing Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant which has more than 120 years history.

Zhēnní: Cháng yī cháng, zhè shì zhèng zōng de Bijīng kǎo yā.

珍妮: 尝一尝，这是正宗的北京烤鸭。

Jane: Have a taste. This is traditional Roast Beijing Duck.

Màikè: Zěn me gè chī fǎ?

麦克: 怎么个吃法？

Mike: How to eat it?

Zhēnní: Xiān ná yī zhāng báo bǐng, bǎ yā piàn fàng zài lǐ miàn, rán hòu bǎ mǒ hǎo jiàng de cōng jiā zài bǐng lǐ jiù kě yǐ chī le.

珍妮: 先拿一张薄饼，把鸭片放在里面，然后把抹好酱的葱夹在饼里就可以吃了。

Jane: Put slices of roast duck inside the thin pancakes which are smeared with sweet bean sauce and scallion.

Màikè: Míng bái le.

麦克: 明白了。

Mike: I see.

Zhēnní: Kǎo yā de wèi dào zěn me yàng?

珍妮: 烤鸭的味道怎么样？

Jane: How does the roast duck taste?

Màikè: Wèi dào hǎo jí le, zhēn shì míng bù xū chuán.

麦克: 味道好极了，真是名不虚传。

Mike: It’s very delicious and it really has a well-deserved reputation.

      

1. 烤鸭 kǎo yā: roast duck

2. 吃 chī: eat

3. 尝一尝 cháng yī cháng: to taste

4. 正宗的 zhèng zōng de: traditional

5. 怎么 zěn me: how

6. 薄饼 báo bǐng: thin pancakes

7. 鸭片 yā piàn: sliced duck

8. 放 fàng: to put

9. 里面 lǐ miàn: inside

10. 然后 rán hòu: then

11. 酱 jiàng: sauce

12. 葱cōng: scallion

13. 真zhēn: really

14. 好极了hǎo jí le: delicious

15. 名不虚传 míng bù xū chuán: to enjoy a well-deserved reputation

How to Exchange Money in China?

Foreigners in China should pay in Renminbi. Mike comes from the United States and works in Beijing now. One day, he goes to the bank to exchange some money.

mài kè: Láo jià, wǒ xiǎng bǎ měi yuán huàn chéng Rénmínbì.麦克：劳驾，我想把美元换成人民币。
Mike: Excuse me, I’d like to exchange some US dollars for Renminbi.

Xiǎo jiě: Nín yào huàn duō shǎo?小姐: 您要换多少？
Miss: How much do you want to change?

mài kè: Wǔ bǎi měi yuán.麦克：五百美元。
Mike: Five hundred US dollars.
Xiǎo jiě: Qǐng nín xiān tiān yī zhāng duì huàn dān.

小姐: 请您先填一张兑换单。
Miss: Fill in the exchange form first, please.

mài kè: Jīn tiān měi yuán hé Rénmínbì de bǐ jià shì duō shǎo?麦克：今天美元和人民币的比价是多少？
Mike: What’s the rate for US dollars to Renminbi today?

Xiǎo jiě: Bǐ jià shì yī bǐ bā diǎn liù sān.小姐: 比价是一比八点六三。

Miss: The rate is 1:8.63.

mài kè: Wǒ tiān hǎo duì huàn dān le.麦克：我填好兑换单了。

Mike: I’ve finished the form.

Xiǎo jiě: Qǐng shāo děng. Zhè shì nín de qián.小姐: 请稍等。这是您的钱。
Miss: Wait a moment, please. Here is your money.

mài kè: Xiè xiè.麦克：谢谢。
Mike: Thank you.

1. 换钱 huàn qián: to exchange money
2. 百 bǎi: hundred
3. 填 tiān: to fill in
4. 兑换单 duì huàn dān: exchange form
5. 今天 jīn tiān: today                        

6. 比价 bǐ jià: rate of exchange
7. 请 qǐng: please
8. 等 děng: wait
9. 一会儿 yī huìr: a moment
10. 谢谢　xiè xiè: thank

Must-eat Whitening Vegetables When Travel in Winter

Pea

Eating more peas can dispel freckle. Research finds peas are very rich in pro-vitamin A, which can convert into Vitamin A in the body and Vitamin A has the function of moisturizing skin and straining the wrinkle around the eyes.

Potato

Potato is rich in B vitamin, Vitamin C and a significant amount of quality celluloses as well as microelement, protein, fat and quality starch, which have the function of eliminating toxin, relieving constipation, delaying ageing and whitening skin.

Mooli

Mooli is good to five viscera and has the function of promoting digestion, stimulating appetite, promoting gastrointestinal peristalsis, relieving cough and reducing sputum. Besides, mooli is rich in Vitamin C, which can suppress the melanin formation and whiten skin.

Carrot

Carrot is rich in beta carotene, which can resist oxidation, whiten skin and clean aged cutin. Besides, the pectic substances in carrot can combine with mercury so as to eliminate noxious elements in the body and make skin look ruddy and fine.

Mushroom

Mushroom is rich in protein and vitamin with low fat and no cholesterol. Eating the mushroom can make woman secrete estrogen more sharply so as to resist of getting old. Besides, the crude fiber in mushroom can keep water balance inside the intestines and absorb redundant cholesterol and sugar.

Cucumber

Cucumber is rich in protein, sugar and Vitamin B2, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, carotene, calcium, phosphor and iron as well as hydroxy-malonic acid and cucurbitacin, which can clean and whiten skin, as well as eliminate the freckle and sunburn on the skin.

Money-Saving Way on Travel to Popular Destinations

Vietnam

The cheapest way of tripping around Vietnam is to take the open tour bus departing from Ho Chi Minh City. You can buy the ticket in Sinh Cafe and Hanh Cafe with the price of 42 dollars. The hotels in Vietnam are inexpensive and the standard room’s price is between 10 and 15 dollars.

Egypt

The inns in Egypt are usually cheaper. The single room’s price with toilet is 30 to 50 Yuan and the conditions are much better than youth hotel and you don’t need to book in advance. Only pay 1 Yuan, can local people have a breakfast, so you should take care not to be raised the price.

Cambodia

The bus price from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap is different, so you should choose the cheapest one. The price of the Mekong Express is 12 dollars, but the Capital Express and Angkor Express are relatively cheap, about 7 dollars. However the cheapest vehicle is Tutu, a motorcycle with a canopy on its back, about 15 dollars per day.

Scotland

Taking the bus can save your money in Scotland and you can buy the Super Singles Ticket of Citylink, and take the line from Edinburgh to Glasgow for an example, the ticket is 1 pound, but the original cost is 5.7 pound. Besides, whether you are taking a short or long break in Scotland, the Explorer Pass offers an easy and money-saving way to see the top attractions, and you can enjoy the preferential price of over 70 hostels in Scotland with the ticket.

How to Arrange Your Tour in Shanghai and Beijing of China

Upon your arrival in Beijing on the first day, you can transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is left on your own to relax and adjust to the time difference.

On the second day, you can start your tour by a visit to Tiananmen Square, which is the largest city square in the world, and then visit to Forbidden City, which was home to 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. After your lunch, you can transfer to visit to the grand Temple of Heaven, which is China's largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings. For your dinner, you can enjoy a Peking Duck Banquet.

On the third day, you can start your tour by visiting the Ming Tombs through the

Sacred Way

, where 13 emperors buried. After Lunch, continue your tour to Mutianyu Great Wall and appreciate the beautiful landscape on the cable car. On the way back to the city, you can have a photo stop at the Olympic Stadium, nicknamed Bird’s Nest and the National Swimming Centre, known as the Water Cube. For your dinner, you can enjoy the local snacks.

On the fourth day, visit Hutong by rickshaws and appreciate its unique layout and structure. After your lunch, visit the Summer Palace, which is the largest and best-preserved imperial garden in China, and then take a flight to Shanghai.

On the fifth day, start your Shanghai tour by a visit to Shanghai Museum, which is famous for its large collection of rare cultural piece. Then continue your tour to

Renmin Square

, Yuyuan Garden and the surrounding area. After your lunch, enjoy a Huangpu River cruise. For your dinner, you can enjoy the local snacks.

Art of Walk in the Mountains

1. To walk, not to skip. Skip will add burden to your knee and ankle, in this way, you will easily feel tired or be injured.

2. Keep an even speed, don’t rush. Walk with an even speed can save your energy and is good for you to maintain a good mood. Once you repeat the action of walking with haste and having a rest, you will be tired out.

3. Go fast and return slow. You can go fast on the way to the destination, but you need to slow on the way back in order to avoid the injury of the tired joint and tendon.

4. Walk on the stone stairs, not on the hill, which meets the requirement of mechanics and saves physical strength.

5. Walk on the hard road not the soft road. Try to walk on the concrete, asphalt or stone road, not the grassplot, riverbank or wetland, which meets the requirement of mechanics and saves physical strength.

6. There are 3 points you must remember. First, don’t wear high-heel shoes and platform shoes. Second, try to choose the waist pack or backpack to carry your stuffs. Third, ask the way more and go the long way less.

Tips for Tourists Who Are Going to Travel Abroad

1. Write down what you need to take before packing up to avoid missing necessary stuffs. If you are going to travel to Southeast Asia, do not forget to take your summer clothes, because the season there is summer all the year round. Besides, most of the hotels in Southeast Asia don’t prepare the tooth-cleaners and slippers for you no matter how high the hotel’s rank is, therefore, don’t forget to take them to avoid embarrassment.

2. Take some requisite medicines. Once you are not feeling very well, the medicines may cope with an emergency. There are some requisite drugs for travelers including cold medicine, motion-sickness medicine, anti-allergic medicine, diarrhea medicine, Band-Aid and thermometer.

3. Before you go, know some foreign customs. For example, if you are going to travel in Thailand, you need to know that you can’t touch the child’s head, you need to take your shoes off before entering the temples, and women need to dodge when meeting monks and can’t wear short skirts and sandals when touring the Grand Palace. If you are going to travel in India, you can’t hold the child. If you are going to travel in Singapore, don’t spit everywhere and leave litter untidily or the large fines will make you bad.

4. Upon your arrival in the hotel, you should take a card of the hotel, because there is the hotel’s information on the card such as the hotel’s address and telephone number, which will bring more convenience in communication with local drivers.

Choose an Ideal Outfit When You Travel in the Wilderness

Coat: If you travel in the wilderness, you’d better take an outdoor jacket, which has the function of windproof and waterproof with good breathable fabric.

Insulation Layer: You’d better choose the down jacket, but you need to tweak it before you choose so as to feel its softness. For carrying easily, the down jacket is the softer and thinner, is the better.

Underwear: Don’t choose the cotton underwear. You should choose the professional perspire underwear. If you travel in summer, you can choose the tennis shirt, which has the perspiration function and good style.

Trousers: You’d better choose the training pants, which has the good function of windproof and waterproof with good breathable fabric and fully open slide fastener on the outboard of the trouser legs. In hot summer, you can take off your pants easily without taking off your shoes.

Cap: You must wear a cap with tabs over the ears when you travel to the frigid place, because over 50 percent of the heat quantity of your body is lost from your head and neck.

Gloves: You must remember the 3 factors of choosing glove including warm, waterproof, windproof and anti-friction. Down gloves is your best choice.

Shoes: You need to wear ankle-high shoes with elastic sides and hard soles when you travel to a place with rugged and rough road to prevent sprain and to save energy.

Socks: You should wear the woollen socks in winter and wear cotton socks in summer with thickening design on the heel and sole.

Four-Day Trip in Beijing

Upon your arrival in Beijing on the first day, you need to transfer to the hotel and adjust to the time difference. Then the rest of the day is free at leisure.

On the second day, you can start you tour by a visit to the largest city square in the world – Tiananmen Square. Then walk to the massive Forbidden City palace complex, which served as the home of emperors and their households, and the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government for almost five hundred years. After the lunch, you can visit the grand Temple of Heaven, which was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. For your dinner, you can enjoy a Peking Duck Banquet.

On the third day, your initial sightseeing is the world famous Badaling Great Wall, where you can enjoy a feast for eyes. Then explore the city by visiting the Ming Dynasty Tombs through the

Sacred Way

. On the way back to the city, you can stop at the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube and have a souvenir photograph taken.

On the fourth day, start you tour by a visit to Beijing Zoo, where you can see the lovely giant pandas. Then transfer to the best-preserved royal garden – Summer Palace, where you will find variety of palaces, gardens, and other classical-style architectural structures. After the lunch, enjoy a rickshaw tour in Hutong to experience Beijing traditional lifestyle.