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9,596,960 sq km |
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1,286,975,486 |
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The currency of Mainland China is the renminbi (RMB), also known as the "yuan", and colloquially as "kuai". The People's Bank of China (PBOC) issues RMB bills and coins in denominations of one, two, five, 10, 20, 50 and 100. Counterfeit notes are a problem in China. Very few Chinese will accept a 50 or 100 note without first checking to see whether or not it's fake.
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China's language is officially Mandarin, as spoken in Beijing. About 70% of the population speak Mandarin, but that's just the tip of the linguistic iceberg. The country is awash with dialects, and dialects within dialects – and few of them are mutually intelligible. Of the seven major strains, Cantonese is the one most likely to be spoken in your local Chinese takeaway. It's the lingua franca of Guangdong, southern Guangxi, Hong Kong and (to an extent) Macau.
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| Beijing | 9.00 am | 12 noon | 5.00 pm | | Melbourne | 11.00 am | 2.00 pm | 7.00 pm | | London | 1.00 am | 4.00 am | 9.00 am | | New York | 8.00 pm* | 11.00 pm* | 4.00 am | | Tokyo | 10.00 am | 1.00 pm | 6.00 pm | | Wellington | 1.00 pm | 4.00 pm | 9.00 pm | | Los Angeles | 5.00 pm* | 8.00 pm* | 1.00 am |
* previous day
| | | Note that China does not use daylight saving time |
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86 |
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220V, 50Hz |
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Did you know that if you want to drive in China you will need a residency permit and you will need to apply for a Chinese driving license? Once you've settled in, the best way to get around is to rent a bike and join the pedalling throng.
There is plenty of local Chinese housing depending on your budget, with renovated lane and courtyard houses popular to rent. A growing number of expats opt to buy property in the major cities. Just remember, everything's negotiable, from the price to the contents of your lease agreement.
If you require schooling for children, it is important to contact international schools as far in advance as possible because the demand for places is extremely high.
The ANZ Guide to China provides a wealth of information on day-to-day living, including valuable resources to help you get settled. Information includes shopping, banking and business hours, transport information, help with finding accommodation and schooling, details of the Chinese health system plus some great tips on leisure, food, wine, etiquette and much more.
All travel and tourism related content about the destination has been provided by Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. ANZ has not checked the accuracy or reliability of such content and makes no representations or warranties in relation thereto.