home Other countries How to travel around China and shop without knowing Chinese? How to get to the Great Wall of China.

How to travel around China and shop without knowing Chinese? How to get to the Great Wall of China.

I’ll tell you separately about our railway experience and how we got food on this trip. We made all our trips between cities in China by train.

These were our requirements for the dishes. It's good when a cafe has a menu with pictures. I generally like dishes with sweet sauce, although I can't eat a lot of them. But Lena didn't like them.

In general, the Chinese have a special love for sweets - it’s almost impossible to even find bread that isn’t sweet. We didn’t find bread there at all, as we understand it.

All the sausages we tried, although they looked similar to ours, tasted disgustingly sweet.

The potatoes there are also all sweet.

By the way, we liked Chinese beer.

As a result, we developed our own set of requirements for dishes:

不辣 - búlà - not spicy,
不甜 - bùtián or 不加糖 - bùjiātáng - not sweet,
没有豆腐 - méiyǒudòufu - without tofu.

Sometimes we also need to tell them to pack the dish for us to take with us. We simply showed this phrase written in Chinese. It's time for us to learn it:

请把这到菜给我包 - Qǐng bǎ zhèdàocài gěi wǒ bāo.

Maybe you will find it useful on your journey.

One day we tried to order baozi. The menu had no pictures. We saw the familiar hieroglyph 鸡 - Jī - chicken. We were delighted and decided to order baozi stuffed with chicken. They were tasty, but we didn't find any chicken there. There was 鸡蛋 - Jīdàn - egg. We knew what the word sounded like, but we didn't remember how to spell it.

A good review about Chinese food was written by the owner of the Way2China blog, Anna, in the article What and How the Chinese Eat.

Made it 65 minutes before departure. I swore off arriving at the departure time by train.

LESSON

Before big transfers or flights, leave a day in the departure city - there is always somewhere to walk there, and you definitely won’t be late for the plane.

To visit China and not visit the Great Wall of China is a crime. True, here, as elsewhere in China, there is the problem of choosing: to go on your own or with organized tour, but here it is further aggravated by the question: where exactly to go, to which section of the wall? Let's share our trials and errors in this matter.

How to go?

China is probably the only country we have visited where I am ready to advocate for organized excursions. Over the 2 months spent here, I’m already pretty fed up with the fact that nothing works out the first time, and the information in guidebooks very often differs significantly from what actually exists. But on the other hand, excursions for foreigners on English language from official travel agencies they cost some cosmic money, and with the budget option there is a risk of traveling on a bus full of noisy Chinese or spending most of your time not walking along the wall, but visiting tea and onyx shops.

In addition, an excursion to the Great Wall of China is one of the most popular routes of the Beijing “Ostap Benders”. It looks like this: a barker accosts you on the street and convinces you to buy an excursion to the Great Wall of China from him. He says that he has been working at this place since the time of Comrade Mao himself, his excursions are the best and cheapest, shows photos of satisfied clients and claims that a line of tourists is lining up for him, but he liked you and therefore he will be happy to take you tomorrow.

He says this very eloquently and convincingly, and you almost agree, especially since a good “guide” doesn’t even ask you for the entire cost of the excursion at once, 20-30 percent, in order to reserve your place. He “swears to his mother” that he will not deceive you and will pick you up right from the hotel tomorrow at the appointed time. But then tomorrow comes, and there is no bus, there is no guide in “his place,” and there is no money either.

We were warned in advance about the possibility of such a routing, and therefore we immediately rejected such proposals, and, I want to note, there were quite a few of them. Having compared all the pros and cons, we once again chose an independent inspection, and never regretted it, almost...

Where to go?

Currently, several sections of the wall are open for inspection: Badaling, Mutianyu, Symytai, Jinshanling, Huanghua, Jiugulou. Having studied guidebooks, the endless expanses of the Internet and travel forums, we came to the conclusion that on our own in one day you can only get to the first two: Badaling and Mutianyu. Badaling is the most accessible section of the wall and therefore the most visited, so we initially decided to go to Mutianyu.

Mutianyu

So, in theory, to get to Mutianyu you first need to find bus terminal, which is located at the metro station Dongzhimen. Everything is aggravated by the fact that you do not need the main terminal, which is located near the metro, but some additional one. Finding it is not easy, since there are no signs, and all the long-winded descriptions on the Internet are of little help. It’s good that we always try to give the exact location of the objects you are looking for on the map, and you will no longer have such problems.

After you have found the bus station with grief, you need to go to the very depths, there will be a stop for the bus you need, or rather buses, since we found information that buses either 867 or 936 go to Mutianyu from this station. One important detail, according to the information we found, buses on route 867 leave at 7:00 and 8:30 in the morning, so you will have to get up early. We arrived at the station at about 7:30 and bus 867 was already (or still) standing at the stop, we showed the driver the hieroglyphs recorded in advance, to which he, with gestures, explained as best he could that he was not going to Mutianyu, but was going to the place from where we should go further by taxi. Ok, we decided, then the 936th is definitely going where we need it. And they began to wait for him (by the way, bus 867 left at 8:00).

Besides us, at the stop there were some Japanese, Chinese with cameras, and a European with a Lonely Planet guidebook. By the way, he wandered around a bit between the buses and quickly retreated somewhere. Around 8:30 the treasured bus arrived and we happily boarded. Moreover, there was a real feeling that kids were swarming around you; in my memory, only schoolchildren can change their place so many times. Before departure, the conductor came up to us and asked where we were going, in Chinese, of course. By the way, in Xi'an, when we went to see terracotta army, the conductor spoke excellent English, which means .

In response to this, as in the case of the previous bus, we showed her the hieroglyphs we had prepared in advance and prepared for departure. But it was not there. Somehow our hieroglyphs did not suit her, she and the driver began to make some noise, shout and actually pushed us out of the bus. What it was and why remains a mystery to us, as does the whole of China)))
Having gotten used to the fact that we don’t succeed the first time in the Celestial Empire, we decided to try our luck the next day, but in the meantime go see the Olympic venues. Since we didn’t want to tempt fate with the conductors and Mutianyu again, we decided to use plan B, i.e. go to Badaling.

Badaling

Of course, this is the most touristy of all. possible options walls, but there is a train going there. And the train for us is The best way get to difficult sights, which helped us out more than once, for example in Kunming, when we...

So, trains to Badaling are starting from northern railway station, he is at the station Xinhimen. All trains in the direction we need have a 4-digit number, starting with “S2”, and then 01-99. In this case, odd numbers go to Badaling, and even numbers go to Beijing. By the way, this direction appeared not so long ago - it was built for the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

The train schedule is posted on a stand, but in China everything changes so quickly that I don’t mind its relevance. Tickets are sold on the same day, meaning you won’t be able to purchase them in advance. The procedure for traveling both in one direction and in the other direction is approximately the same.

You buy a ticket at the ticket office (by the way, it costs only 6 CNY), go inside the station and run into a queue. The Chinese have an unrealistic love for queues: they first create them from scratch, and then try to deceive everyone and get around them. But there’s nothing you can do about it – you have to stand, since the metal guides very strictly regulate the order of the fastest tourists. People are allowed onto the platform 15 minutes before departure, and then the fun begins...

The fact is that the train stops quite far from the station building. Therefore, when they get out on the platform, everyone runs cheerfully towards the train, hoping to take a seat. It's a great attraction, especially considering that the curb slabs on the platform are very slippery and this run can easily result in serious injuries.
An interesting observation: for some reason the Chinese prefer to climb into the very first carriage, the one closest to them, and then move on further inside the train. If you are not lazy and run to the end of the train, the likelihood of taking a seat increases significantly.

One and a half to two hours on the train and we are there. Then the whole crowd cheerfully tumbles out of the train and walks towards the wall, for about 10-20 minutes, depending on the speed and the number of photos taken along the way. It is important to remember that Badaling is not the final station, but since the bulk of passengers leave Here

How and where is it better to travel to China?

China is the pearl of Asia. A country that accommodates not only a billion people, but also all kinds of tourist diversity. Considering that China is quite big country, the first thing you need to do is designate your route and what you should see. In the Celestial Empire you can find both megacities and protected areas, ancient cities.

Beijing - trip to the capital

The main starting point when traveling to China is Beijing. We must remember - this is the most expensive city in China. Its pricing policy is several times higher than prices in other cities. This is due to the fact that it is one of the main tourist areas.

You should not visit tourist places during national holidays. Since they will be crowded not only with tourists, but also with the Chinese themselves. If you are interested in the natural resources of China, Beijing is definitely not the place for you. Despite the fact that the capital is a fairly expensive city, there will be no problem with budget housing. For a small amount of money you can easily stay in a three-star hotel near the city center.

If you find yourself in Beijing, you can see such attractions as Summer Palace, the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City and adjacent Beihai Park, the Temple of Heaven, the Yonghegong Buddhist Temple and Tiananmen Square. These tourist attractions will cost you quite little. However, when visiting the Great Wall of China, you can visit several adjacent museums for free.

The main thing to remember in Beijing is that it is the main center of tourist scams. One of the popular schemes is when you are invited to a small teahouse, some unfamiliar Chinese becomes interested in the fact that you are a tourist. He wants to get to know your culture and tell you about China. Such people often know English quite well and, most likely, the establishment to which he will lead you will be practically empty. The Chinese will offer you to place an order, regardless of the prices, and will recommend what to order. So be sure to look at the menu.

As a result, they will bring you a bill for a large amount, and your new friend will offer to pay most of it. But at the same time, your part will still cost more than according to the menu. Such people often negotiate with the owners of such tea establishments to deceive tourists. Therefore, always look at the prices and do not trust the Chinese.

Shanghai

Another city in China that is definitely worth visiting is Shanghai. What to watch here? For example, the Pearl of the East is the name given to a huge television tower 468 meters high, which has long become the hallmark of this city. It’s worth climbing this tower to admire the views of the city at night - there are Observation deck and even a revolving restaurant for special connoisseurs.

If you are looking for entertainment, then take a walk along Nanjing Lu Street, which stretches 14 kilometers from the embankment into the city. Part of the street is a pedestrian zone, here you will find restaurants, shops, street vendors and other entertainment that always attract tourists. However, car roads and the multi-tiered interchanges here are also striking in their scope and scale.

Shahai is also known for Yuyuan Park, also known as Joy Park. If you like traditional Chinese park style, then you will definitely not be indifferent to this park. There are rocks, picturesque bridges, various plants of unusual shapes and types, and pavilions that decorate the park and create an atmosphere of good mood.

Even in Shanghai, you can go to the Jade Buddha Temple, which was built back in 1882, or visit the Longhuase Monastery, which is both the oldest and largest monastic complex.

But it’s not just luxury shops and skyscrapers of millionaires; there are also poor neighborhoods in China. And if you want to get to know this country better, you should look not only at the front side, but also at the back side.

Hong Kong

This is not China itself, but its special administrative region. But here you can learn no less about its culture than in its other provinces. An important point is the fact that Hong Kong is a fairly cheap territory of China. Its southern part is of greater interest, since the north of Hong Kong is an economic zone. The southern part is the area where you can find the same things as in China, but cheaper. Here big cities, natural beauty, Buddhist temples. Located on the island.

One of the prides of Hong Kong is its own Disneyland. It is much more compact than other Disneylands in the world, it contains oriental motifs, but in terms of entertainment and themed areas it is not inferior to its larger brothers. But it beats them due to more affordable prices.

Also here you can look at Victoria Peak - this is the most high point Hong Kong, its height is 552 meters, and to get to the top you will need to ride a cable-rail tram, and this in itself can be an interesting adventure.

If you want to take a break from big city, visit the fishing village of Aberdeen. Here you can have lunch at a water restaurant, rent a boat to take a ride around the village and look at sampans - these are traditional houseboats that were popular in China in the early centuries and still exist today. At the same time, see how simple people live local residents– helps to understand the country.

An additional bonus is that Russians do not need a visa to Hong Kong if the stay is no more than 14 days and if you do not plan to leave somewhere. But if you are going to Beijing or Shanghai, you will have to register Chinese visa. Ordinary areas of Hong Kong are similar to all others in the major cities of China - cramped, crowded, a lot of signs and houses piled on top of each other:

Macau

Macau, also known as Macao, is another separate administrative region of China along with Hong Kong. It is located in southern China, so it is quite possible to come here on vacation in winter, at this time it is about +15 degrees, but if you want it to be warm and sunny, come to Macau in November-December.

This place used to belong to Portugal (it was a colony), so here you can see an interesting clash of European and Chinese styles in architecture, as well as in the way of life.

Here it is worth looking at strange fortresses, mansions and other buildings, as well as trying the extraordinary local cuisine. By the way, Macau was returned to China only in 1999.

What to do in Macau? Of course, play all kinds of gambling, it’s not for nothing that this area is considered the gaming capital of China. Casinos and other gambling are legalized here, so it’s no wonder that thousands of adventurers from all over the world come here, so why not come from Russia too? In fact, Macau is the Chinese Las Vegas on an equally grand scale.

Tibet

This the best place to spiritualize your personality and the opportunity to get to know mountainous China. The big plus is that you can visit many temples for free. The only thing recommended is to leave small offerings. You can also make a wish and buy a fairly cheap souvenir for good luck.

And, as a bonus, walking through the mountains, you can enjoy beautiful views for free. But in this case, you should still use the services of a guide, since it is easy to get lost there. To make it cheaper, you can join large groups with other foreigners.

One of the main tourist areas of Tibet is the Potala Palace. The palace complex, which includes the palace itself, the temple and big park. You can hire a guide and go on a short or long trek along mountain trails, staying in small hotels for tourists, but here you will need some special equipment, such as trekking poles, as well as clothing and shoes suitable for such hikes.

However, it is not for nothing that Tibet is called the Roof of the World - it is worth coming here in order to understand yourself by going on this spiritual journey. Forget about entertainment, restaurants, luxury hotels - come to Tibet and get something much more important for your self-development.

. I recommend renting a car through two services:
The best way to order a gorgeous photo album about your trip is on the website. An incredible selection of formats, designs and the opportunity to create your own unique style.

The Chinese were traveling and lost their eggs. The girls thought - raspberries, bit off half (folk ditty)

Podmoskovnaya electric train Yaroslavl direction. We sat down. One person at a time at the window. Noses in phones, headphones, respectively, in ears. Everything as usual. Now there will be a carload full of us - the good guys working in the capital of the Motherland, the hero city of Moscow. Somehow, unexpectedly, the train jerked and slowly, creaking and swaying on the switches, began moving towards the region. I look around: there are surprisingly few people, they are sitting, sleepily looking around, and, habitually meeting their eyes with fellow travelers, they do not even look away, but simply look through; This is how all residents of big cities look at their own kind. Apparently, it is for this indifferent look that the rest of the population of our vast Motherland does not like Muscovites, without even realizing why. Well, what can you do, you won’t be nice by force... but we, who have come in large numbers, love you very much, with all our hearts. This is our adaptive reaction to the forced daily movement among countless human masses. We survive as best we can, don’t blame us.

So, we are moving home as usual, so that tomorrow morning we will be back on the same train again, pushing and swearing, looking “through” each other... We approach the Moscow 3 platform. And then my attention is drawn to a group of passengers, compactly, but with huge luggage of checkered “shuttle” bags, located in one of the six-seater “compartments”. The guys are not ours - Asians, they chatter in a somewhat alarming manner, point their fingers at the window, the phrases are intonationally interrogative, although, perhaps, in “their” language they are not interrogative at all, but affirmative or even imperative. I look closely at them and even listen somewhere. And the kids are getting more and more excited, starting to helplessly turn their heads, looking for a response. “Help me, please!” I read in their narrowed eyes the only foreign phrase I know. I get up, come closer, loudly and with an accent to make it clearer, I ask what happened, how can I help? In Russian, the stump is clear, I ask. Since I don’t speak other languages very well. And with their nationality, not everything is clear yet. Would it be clear what's the point? Then one of my counterparts, the most brainy one, began to shove some pieces of paper into my nose. I see the papers are in Russian. Well, thank God! Tickets! To Beijing! Yes, and this brainy one babbles something like “xiao, liao, we are Chinese, xiao, liao, we are Beijing.” And with gestures he asks: why is Beijing now a completely, completely different side? Illumination came from Above! This, therefore, is a team of Chinese guest workers or whatever their name is, having worked their shift sewing local “branded” clothes somewhere in the near Moscow region, returning to their homeland, judging by the ticket, to Beijing. By and large, I have great respect for the Eastern mentality, but these guys, apparently, were recruited by bad people somewhere in the remote villages of the Celestial Empire, promising a lot of money for working in Russia, and, having profited from their gullibility and cheap labor, they imprisoned on the train to Moscow and handed me tickets “Moscow-Beijing”, without bothering to explain that in Moscow you need to change trains long distance. The train, approaching Moscow, moved in short dashes, stopping at each pillar, then, standing for several minutes Yaroslavsky railway station, went back to the region, either to Alexandrov, or to Zagorsk, or rather, to Sergiev Posad. I don’t care, it won’t get past my native Mytishchi, but the Chinese can’t get home on this shaitan-arba. But they didn’t know this! Well, their benefactors-employers didn’t tell them about the transfer, they forgot, damn it... I look at the tickets, then at the clock, it turns out that there are 20 minutes left before the departure of their train. The train stopped right there. The doors opened, and opposite was standing opposite, also with open doors. I grab the checkered bags and drag them to the exit, throwing them onto the platform. I shout to the Chinese: “Go there quickly, coolies!” The language barrier collapsed on its own. The boys, who were smoking in the vestibule of the oncoming train, quickly realized what was happening and pulled the “stop tap”, which, by the way, is not a “stop” at all, but blocks the closing of the doors, and began to drag numerous bags along with numerous Chinese into their carriage . I shout after them to let the “checkered” ones off at Yaroslavka and take them to the first tracks, from where the trains go Far East are coming. But, probably, no one heard me, our doors and theirs closed and the trains each went in their own direction.

I'm going home to Mytishchi. To the northeast. The Chinese are also going home, but in the other direction, to the southwest, although China is in the east, even much east of Mytishchi... It’s a paradox, however... I’ll come home and look in the geographical atlas, it should be gathering dust somewhere on a shelf. In the meantime, you can take a nap for about forty minutes, pressing your forehead against the rattling glass. No, everything is fine, everything is fine... The earth is round... I hope the Chinese will catch their train. Then they’ll get to Beijing in a week or two... probably...

(function(w, d, n, s, t) ( w[n] = w[n] || ; w[n].push(function() ( Ya.Context.AdvManager.render(( blockId: "R-A -143470-6", renderTo: "yandex_rtb_R-A-143470-6", async: true )); )); t = d.getElementsByTagName("script"); s = d.createElement("script"); s .type = "text/javascript"; s.src = "//an.yandex.ru/system/context.js"; s.async = true; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); ))(this , this.document, "yandexContextAsyncCallbacks");

I am often asked how to communicate with the Chinese (shopping, ordering food in a restaurant, getting directions, etc.) without knowing the Chinese language. Not everyone speaks English, and those who speak often have a terrible accent. How to be? I addressed this question to my mother, who has been to . I give the floor to her.

The Chinese language is so complex that few people will study it if they have a short-term trip. Moreover, you can do without knowledge of Chinese literacy. When I come to Shanghai and some others Chinese cities, I lead an active lifestyle, although I don’t speak or read Chinese. I walk along the streets and parks, visit temples and museums, buy food and things in stores and from street vendors. You have to bargain (it’s impossible without this), greatly reducing the price. It is worth mentioning public transport, which can be used by any foreigner who does not understand a single word of Chinese.

I want to say right away that I have never been to the Chinese outback. But more or less major cities and at Chinese resorts I sometimes forget that I am in a foreign language environment. How can I do this? Very simple. You just need to have an idea about, take into account their traditions, know a few spoken phrases and distinguish at least a dozen. I almost forgot, you must have a bilingual map of the city in your bag (in Chinese and English), and in your pocket a compass (this makes it easier to navigate) and a notepad with a pen ( or navigator in mobile phone, but I had situations where it didn’t work; That’s why I always carry a printed map of the city with me - M.A). For those who for some reason have not mastered chopsticks, it is worth having a knife and fork (conveniently plastic) with you.

Modern Chinese are always ready to help a foreigner. They will try to find a communication option with you. The younger the Chinese, the easier it is to contact him. It is more difficult with older people or with those who have recently arrived from the village.

Mastering Chinese literacy

If you want to win over any Chinese (starting from passport control at the airport), then smile and politely say ni hao你好, which means “Hello.” In taxis, shops, markets and other places, repeat this magic phrase like a spell. Contact is immediately established between you and the Chinese. It’s also good to remember the words “thank you” sese谢谢 and "goodbye" Tsai Jian 再见.

Another phrase will save your life. She sounds questioning: La de ma?辣的吗, which means “Is it spicy?” A Chinese cook or waiter will understand your fear and put less pepper in your food. Or offer another dish.

If you urgently need to show that you do not want something, or you need to suspend some action, then say “No!” or Russian “No!” These words, plus your intonation and the corresponding gesture will become a signal to any Chinese that it is necessary, at a minimum, to clarify the situation.

There are several hieroglyphs that it is advisable to memorize to such an extent that you can recognize them on products, signs and menus. This is: "beef" (牛肉 nuzhou), "pork" (猪肉 zhuzhou), "chicken" (鸡 ji), "horse" (马 ma), "fish" (鱼 yu), "milk" (牛奶 Nyunay), "vegetables" (青菜 qingcai), "salt" (盐 yang, pronounced like day), "red" (红 hun; for black tea, which is called red in China), “green” (绿 Lü), "tea" (茶 cha), "water" (水 Shui). It is useful to know the characters for “entrance” (入口 Zhukou), "exit" (出口 chukou) and "stop" (站 zhan).

To fill out various questionnaires and forms (starting from the plane), you need to remember how to write “Beijing” in English - “Beijing” (or the city where you are flying). The name is pronounced like Beijing, i.e. " northern capital" The Chinese spelling for Beijing is 北京.

In public transport

As soon as any problems arise, I turn to any passerby. If his knowledge of English does not allow us to find a common language, then I take out the metro map and show him the station I want to go to. They either point me in the right direction or accompany me to the place where it will be easier for me to get there. In addition, there are always metro employees at the station who will help you find your way.

It happens that older people shrug their shoulders and move away. They would be happy to help, but they are afraid of doing something wrong. The upbringing of past years also has an effect: distrust of strangers. Modern youth are completely different. As soon as I stop studying the map, someone will immediately come up and ask in English if I need help?

For convenience, it is better to immediately buy a card (metro + bus) and always have a reserve on it. If you don’t want to understand the operation of modern machines through which your account is topped up, then you can go up to the metro workers and show them with your hand the machine, card and banknote. They will come up and put your card and money in the right slot in front of you and press some buttons. If the workers are busy, then you can contact any Chinese.

I rarely use buses, although they are modern and very comfortable. I'm more used to the metro. A single card (for metro and buses) saves me from searching for a place to buy tickets. I address the passengers with questions (which bus, where is the stop, when to get off?). There will always be someone who knows English. You can also show the desired location on the map.

It is advisable to have with you a piece of paper with the address of the apartment or hotel, which is written in hieroglyphs. You can show it, as well as a specific place on the map or the seller’s business card, to the taxi driver.

There are also pedicabs. They are usually taken to travel short distances. Price is negotiable, from 5 to 10 yuan. Ten fingers on your hands will help you determine the price.

In shops and markets

There are many shops in China. Very different. There are huge international chain supermarkets: Carrefour ( Carrefour, 家乐福 Jialef), Walmart ( Walmart 沃尔玛 voerma), "Auchan" ( Auchan, 欧尚 ocean) and small (in “step” and “half-step” accessibility). Prices for products in small stores are often lower than in chain stores. The price is indicated not per kilogram, but per 500 grams (斤 jing). In grocery stores there is no cash register. There are no problems with not knowing the language if you limit yourself to buying familiar products. The pictures on the bags help you identify what is in the opaque packages. The accompanying inscription in English also helps. It will be useful to become familiar with some hieroglyphs (“beef”, “milk”, etc.).

Spas English is yogurt

Do not reject the help of the seller, even if it seems unnecessary to you. A couple of years ago we chose a comfortable and light backpack. Such that your back can breathe, your shoulders don’t get tired, there’s a strong zipper, a lot of pockets and a place for a laptop. The seller stood nearby for a while, watching us. Then she went to another rack and brought exactly the backpack that met our needs.

Several times, sellers literally “took away” my bottle of olive oil, a package of eggs and other goods, bringing instead fresher, tastier or cheaper analogues. In the same way, we were able to try the wonderful Chinese dry red wine that the seller offered us instead of the one we had chosen.

Another thing is the market. Bargain for your health. To the question “How much?” (“How much?”) the seller will most likely answer in Chinese first. Then draw a question mark in the air and shrug. The seller will immediately have a calculator or phone in his hands, on which a greatly inflated amount will be indicated. It must be lowered by pressing the calculator buttons and using gestures and facial expressions. Name your absurdly low cost. This will be the start of the bargaining.

Show with all your appearance that you don’t like the product, that it has flaws. Speak in any language that you are taking it not for yourself, but for a friend. You don’t need this thing, it’s small (large), the color doesn’t match, etc. The more details you provide, the more convincing your arguments are. Moreover, each of you speaks his own language. You can even pretend to be disappointed and leave. With some instinct, the seller will understand you, appreciate you and agree to a compromise price. Of course, first he will run his hand over his throat, showing how hard it is for him to give away the goods for such a pittance.

The Chinese bargain willingly and with pleasure. If it is possible to reach a common language (English or Russian), then such an argument will do. Listen to all the seller's arguments. He will tell you for a long time at what price he buys goods at the factory. Agree with him. Tell him that you don't want to interfere with his business and deprive him of profits. And this product is too expensive for a gift to friends (neighbors). You change your mind and buy something cheaper elsewhere. To be more convincing, write down the cost in yuan, multiplied by 5 or 6 (at the current yuan to ruble exchange rate). Be horrified by the result, saying that in Moscow you can buy the same thing much cheaper. Not a single Chinese seller will let go of a buyer who has come to him. He will take out a calculator (a piece of paper and a pen) and start bargaining. As a last resort (hopeless) case, ask for a discount. They usually don't refuse. But this option is possible if the seller and you speak at least a little of the same language.

Bargaining (in full) will not work if the seller is a person (often an elderly relative) who was asked to look at the goods. He will call the owner of the product a hundred times and consult with him about discounts. He may immediately show that bargaining is not appropriate, after which he will lose interest in you and go about his own business. In this case, even excellent knowledge of the Chinese language will not save you.

Beijing's Yabao-lu street is considered “Russian”: many sellers here speak Russian

Help from someone who speaks Chinese

Many times I found myself in a situation where I urgently needed to resolve some economic issues with the Chinese who did not speak other languages. I immediately took out my phone, dialed the number of my Chinese friends and gave them the phone. After about five minutes, the interlocutors explained to each other the essence of the issue (with all the details), after which they reported to me what needed to be done. This method of communication allows you to contact repair shops, order drinking water, etc.

China has a lot of different foods. For every taste. it's very easy to navigate because most of the menu (often thick books) is accompanied by photographs of the dishes. Many restaurants have special menus for foreigners. Speaking of sticks. I like to eat using a fork and knife. I don’t want to give up this habit and switch to sticks. In most restaurants you can ask for a knife and fork (often with gestures). Sometimes I have to use a plastic kit that is always in my bag. The Chinese don't care what you eat.

You can’t do without the help of the Chinese when filling out such a menu.

In small “dumpling shops”, where incredibly tasty 饺子 (“dumplings”) with various fillings are prepared, the menu is usually in Chinese. In this case, a “cheat sheet” will help, which you will show to the waiter. It should be written in advance by a Chinese friend or a person who speaks Chinese, indicating what filling you like.

It is clear that there are dumplings inside

I love Chinese baozi 包子 (stuffed steamed flour products). I buy them, showing them a notebook with a list of toppings I like. They are written in characters (for Chinese) and in English (for me). In order not to take a lot of time when calculating the total cost, I hand over a obviously large bill and take the change. There was never any deception.

Some restaurants will tell you everything in English

Don't be afraid to seem funny

One day I needed to buy a cream to protect against the scorching sun. First I went to the nearest supermarket. In the cosmetics department, young saleswomen spoke only Chinese. I had to get out a notepad and pen. Draw a man and a sun. Write + 30°C and show how I will apply the cream to my face and body. She said the qualifying word “Hainan,” a resort in southern China. The saleswoman understood everything and brought two tubes. She gave one and touched her lips and eyelids with clearly prohibitive gestures. The other tube had no contraindications. I nodded my head and made it clear that I was taking both tubes. After that, the saleswoman took them to the cash register, wrote the price on a piece of paper, and only after my consent did she sell the goods. She put it in a transparent bag along with the receipt and gestured to the floor below (there were cash registers), making it clear that she would need to show this bag. During the purchase, a small pantomime was performed. None of the strangers paid any attention to her.

There are words in the Chinese and Russian languages that are understandable to both us and the Chinese. For example, “tofu” 豆腐, “ginseng” 人参, “mango” 芒果. I bought tablets with ginkgo extract that are very beneficial for the body at the pharmacy without a translator. They understood me perfectly. When purchasing tubes of the famous Chinese ointment “999,” a panacea for many ills, all I had to do was write three nines on a piece of paper, agree to the price and pay for the purchase at the cash register, to which I was shown.

Our friends in Beijing had difficulties related to the lack of liquid for storing contact lenses. They were never solved because an independent attempt was made to find a Chinese character rather than allow the Chinese to help solve the problem. It was necessary to show at a pharmacy or a store that sells glasses an empty lens container that needs to be filled. It was possible to clarify the wish with a drawing. Then the Chinese would offer a choice the best means famous companies. China is a country of bespectacled people and people who use contacts. Everything related to optics is well developed there. There is no shortage of care products.

These are just a few of the techniques that help you feel comfortable in China without knowing the language. China is a convenient country to live in, where you can always find communication options. In some cities there are blocks and streets with signs in Russian, sellers who have studied Russian. However, it is easy to navigate and solve your problems, even if you find yourself in a Chinese environment without knowing the language.

M.A.: If you are going to China, it is useful to write down several useful hieroglyphs on a piece of paper and in your phone that will allow you to navigate. In addition, there are various mobile applications - translators. I use dictionaries "Lingvo"(Russian-Chinese and Chinese-Russian) and "Pleco"(English-Chinese), as well as Google translator.

Even if you don't know Chinese, set the Chinese language on your phone in two ways: using the Pinyin phonetic alphabet (syllables written in Roman characters) and by writing the hieroglyph on the touchpad. In case of any problems, you can ask the Chinese to write an unfamiliar word or phrase on the phone and then translate it into Russian.

Perhaps, after reading this article, you will still decide to learn Chinese. Then read the post.