LANGUAGE APPS

PLECO 

If you’re a student of Chinese chances are you are already quite familiar with this APP. Pleco is a good dictionary with lots of add-ons including a camera reader and flashcards. Don’t forget to use the ‘clip reader’ function which allows you to effortlessly read entire paragraphs of material that you have copied onto your clipboard. Supplement this APP’S lack of examples by using Youdao dictionary or nciku/line dictionary.

 HANPING (Android only) 

Similar to Pleco, Hanping is a great mobile Chinese dictionary. The basic version of this APP is free with add-ons available for purchase.

FIREFLY FM 蜻蜓(qīngtíng)

Need to give those tīnglì scores a little boost? Firefly has thousands of radio programs for you to listen to from a wide range of categories.

Android|iOS

MAP APPS

BAIDU MAPS  百度地图(bǎidùdìtú)

Let’s face it, the first step to going anywhere is knowing where you are. This APP’s GPS and accurate compass will ensure you know exactly where you are at all times. While the APP accepts pinyin input, recognizing some Chinese will make using this APP much easier.

Android|iOS

METRO CHINA SUBWAY

English APP for all your subway map needs. For the Chinese version simply search for地铁通(dìtiětǒng) in your APP store.

Android|iOS

TAXI APPS

DIDICHUXING 滴滴出行

It appears dīdīchūxíng has yet to be released on Google play, but the APP’s predecessor (dīdīdǎchē) can be found here . Otherwise just use the Baidu search engine to search for 应用宝 (yìngyòngbǎo) from your cell phone. yìngyòngbǎo is the most commonly used APP store in China. After which you can download the Dīdīchūxíng APP.

iOS Download

UBER优步(yōubù)

UBER is a great way to save money on taxis in China because the company is losing upwards of $1 Billion USD a year as it competes with dīdīchūxíng for market share. Users will need a credit card to use the service (both international cards and Chinese credit cards are ok). Like in most places, the trouble with Uber lies in the lack of vetting of its drivers. Female users should be particularly cautious and might even want to avoid the service altogether if riding alone.

Android|iOS

TRAVEL APPS

CTRIP 携程(xiéchéng)

An English platform to conveniently book train tickets, airfare, hotels etc.

QUNAR 去哪儿

Another great option in travel APPs. This APP has a great selection of travel options and should certainly be considered when booking your next trip.

MUSIC:

QQ MUSIC

Great selection of music and because it’s powered by good ol’ Tencent you know you can share all of your favorite jams to WeChat.

XIAMI MUSIC

As close as one can get to a Spotify clone. Although the APP has been running into IP hurdles it nonetheless gives users the ability to stream from a vast library of music.

FOOD APPS

DIANPING 大众点评:

Known as the “The Chinese Yelp” this APP is loaded with pictures, reviews and coupons. Discover the delicious delicacies in your neighborhood!

MEITUAN 美团:

Coupons for almost anything you can imagine. Restaurants, movie tickets, hotels, train tickets all at a great price; A fantastic way to explore China on a budget.          

DATING

TANTAN探探:

A clone of Tinder. Find the partner of your dreams, all you have to do is swipe!

WALLET APPS

Accounts you can ‘charge up’ with money and use to pay for an array of items in China including taxis! With these wallet APPS traditional wallets are essentially obsolete.

ALIPAY支付宝(zhīfùbǎo): Alibaba’s wallet APP.

Setting up Alipay

Android|iOS

WECHAT WALLET: Tencent’s wallet APP; can be found within Wechat.

Setting up your wechat wallet.

COMMERCE APPs

TAOBAO:

When it comes to sheer shopping selection Taobao is king. The site allows users to browse millions of products, many of which are high quality counterfeits. Users should use discretion when making purchases as a large number of the items are indeed fake.

Android | iOS

JINGDONG京东(jīngdòng):

JD is an online marketplace similar Taobao but specializes in electronics. The site does a good job of limiting the sale of fake merchandise. Of course, users should do their best to vet sellers and use their best judgment when making purchases. Lastly, JD takes cash on delivery, making it awesomely convenient.

VPN APPS

ExpressVPN:

A tried and true VPN that works across all platforms. Although it is a paid service, three devices can operate on the same account simultaneously.

GreenVPN:

A free VPN for iOS products.

Air Monitoring

China Air Pollution Index:

A reliable APP that that provides air quality information for cities all across China.

Android | iOS

Is there an APP that is indispensable to your life abroad? Be sure to share it in the comments section below!

The post ESSENTIAL APPS FOR EXPATS IN CHINA appeared first on BOUND FOR BEIJING.

Last Minute Tips for Chinese New Year Success

With the Chinese New Year at our doorstep there’s no better time to talk about how to rock your next visit to a Chinese household.

Going to pay a Chinese friend a visit over Chinese Spring Festival 春节chūnjié is referred to as 拜年bàinián and if you are living in or visiting China during this time it’s something you should totally take part in!

Set up an appointment. Set up a time that is suitable for the host. Chances are your host will have family and friends visiting during the entire week so it’s important to go over when appropriate. Visiting friends over Chinese New Year is tradition so don’t worry about being too formal. Try something like the following:

Hey are you free today? I’d like to pay you a New Year‘s visit.

你好，你们今天有空吗？我想去你们家拜年。

Nǐhǎo, nǐmen jīntiān yǒu kōng ma? Wǒ xiǎng qù nǐmen jiā bàinián.

Don’t have any Chinese New Year plans? It’s not too late, send that wechat message or make that call because having no plans over Chinese New Year is lame! (Trust me I know)

 Don’t Show Up Empty Handed: Giving Gifts During the New Year

Of course with gifts it’s the thought that counts but there are a few helpful pointers.

Generally, Chinese don’t give gifts in odd numbers. A dear friend of mine recently told me a story about the first time he went to his girlfriend’s house:

“I was very excited to meet her family, so I brought the best bottle of alcohol from my family’s distillery. It took my uncle 10 years to make! Still, when I left their house the girl’s mother said to her, ‘How could your boyfriend only give one bottle of alcohol!’.”

Unfortunately that relationship didn’t last long, so be sure to give gifts in even numbers! If your budget is tight it is better to give two cheaper bottles of báijiǔ （白酒）than one expensive one. The same would go for boxes of tea and packs of cigarettes. When giving non-consumables this rule seems less strict; i.e. If you give someone a scarf I don’t think they’re going to expect a second one. If you’re giving a child a hóngbāo (红包) I would recommend giving 200 RMB or above（100 is the bare minimum). Kids in tier 1 cities are accustomed to getting 1000 RMB or more. Luckily if you’re a foreigner there’s little to no expectation for you to give hóngbāo so giving a little less shouldn’t be a problem. Side note: right now people still get a kick out of the new gold colored RMB so it would be a nice touch to stuff those red envelopes with the gold plated stuff! Otherwise toys and books are good gifts for children as well.

Taboos

While there are several gifts that are considered taboo they’re all quite easy to avoid. These gifts include: clocks, scissors, shoes, handkerchiefs and umbrellas. Seriously, would you even think of giving any of these gifts to anyone? If someone brought a clock or scissors to my party they definitely aren’t getting another invite! On the other hand, while I stated earlier that gifts should be given in even numbers, the number 4 has to be avoided because the Chinese pronunciation of 4 四 sì sounds like 死 sǐ which means death. Owing to the fact that the Chinese language has so many homophones many of these items are prohibited as gifts because they have a negative homophone. i.e. “to give a clock” 送钟 sòngzhōng has the exact same pronunciation as 送终sòngzhōng which means “to bury a parent” (or another senior member of the family). Find an entire list of taboo items here.

You’ve finally Made it to the House

Upon arrival you will be expected to take off your shoes and will probably be offered sandals. If you’re like me then the sandals will be too small which will force you to waddle around like a duck, but don’t worry, you don’t have to wear them for too long and you can slide them off once seated.

Introductions: Be sure to greet everyone in the room whether you know them or not. If you haven’t learned how to introduce yourself or greet someone in Chinese you can do so here. While your Chinese friend may speak awesome English, the older generations at the gathering may prefer to speak Chinese with you. Knowing just a little bit can go a long way!

Dinner: It’s finally time to eat. Wait for the others to sit first this way you’ll have a better idea of where you should sit. Once food has been served you’ll want to wait for the elderly at the table to start eating first. Don’t put too much food into your bowl at once. While eating, pick up the bowl and bring it to your mouth to avoid dropping food (your thumb should be on the top rim while your other fingers are holding the bottom of the bowl). Lastly, when drinking alcohol drop your glass slightly lower than the glass of your host just before the glasses “clink” together; this is a sign of respect. Find an in depth guide to Chinese etiquette here.

Have an awesome Chinese New Year and don’t forget to subscribe to the Bound for Beijing Bulletin for fresh and useful content delivered right to your inbox.

Want to beef up your Chinese New Year’s vocab? Check out these seasonal articles from LostLaowai and FluentU

The post CHINESE NEW YEAR CRASH COURSE! appeared first on BOUND FOR BEIJING.

“Ugh my head is killing me” she said. Class had just been dismissed when my classmate suddenly shared what was ailing her. “Must have been a crazy night”, I said laughing. “I wish”, she replied “I was riding my bike when some woman on a scooter ran a red light and our heads smacked together.” It was at that moment I realized expats  needed some pointers before getting on the road in China.

My eyes grew wide and I stared at her, not quite sure how to respond. Not only was I concerned for Jane’s well-being (especially with all of us being so far from home) but I was also concerned how angry Jane was that people on the road didn’t follow regulations like in her country. She may have had some preconceived notions that were making her life in China less than ideal. Jane had assumed, “green light, I have the right of way, time to go.” She was right, she did have the right of way. What she didn’t realize was that having the right of way didn’t help her in anyway shape or form after the collision. Her language inability coupled with complete lack of familiarity with local customs left her helpless and concussive. If you are in China or you are coming to China and you plan to ride a Bicycle, an electric scooter, a motorbike etc. this guide is for you. The better you understand traffic behavior in China the better you can protect yourself.

On paper, traffic regulations in China probably aren’t so different from your own country. What is different however is how few of these rules are actually enforced. Let’s take a look at traffic behavior in China which is only partially influenced by traffic regulations.

What to Know Before You Commute in China

Accidents: Technically all accidents should be reported to the police. In reality if there is a small collision with little to no bodily harm the two parties will often settle the dispute on the spot with a cash settlement. There is an understanding that when accidents do occur the larger type of vehicle is always at fault. For instance, if a car hits a motorcycle the car is at fault. If a motorcycle hits a bicycle the driver of the motorcycle is at fault; if a bicycle hits a pedestrian the bicycle is at fault. Pedestrians in China bravely charge into intersections because they know that when push comes to shove the cars will have to yield. Of course there are some exceptions to such a generic rule. A student in Beijing was driving his electric scooter down the wrong side of the road when he clipped an oncoming car; he was forced to pay 70 percent of the damages. Concerns of discrimination against foreigners in these situations do exist. Please note that fleeing from the scene of an accident is one of the most harshly punished traffic related offenses in China.

Compensation: If you’re an expat and you are involved in an accident with a vehicle of equal size (i.e. you are both driving a scooter or a bicycle) the chances of you obtaining compensation are quite low. Compensation may be possible if you’re willing to argue and you want to practice your Chinese, but you may create a spectacle which could result in a mob forming around you. If you feel like you are being taken advantage of your best option would be to call the police (110) who can help settle the matter relatively objectively.  See how an expat in Shanghai dealt with the settlement process after he crashed his bicycle into a pedestrian at echinacities.

Personal Note: The author of the above article hit an elderly lady stepping off a bus. It is highly recommended you avoid passing buses on the right, you never know when someone will step out of the bus or come running into the street to catch the bus; cautiously pass the bus on the left instead.

Right of Way: There is a general consensus that the object in the way has the right of way. If you’re driving 60 miles per hour （about 96 KPH） and a car cuts you off going 20 MPH (about 32 KPH) it’s your responsibility to avoid the collision. In other words, be prepared to be cut off regularly. While making a right hand turn motorists will largely disregard traffic coming from their left. The car making the turn is already in the way, so it is up to the vehicle coming from behind to yield.

Left Hand Turns: If motorists making right hand turns slow down the flow of traffic, motorists making left hand turns bring traffic to a complete halt. When the traffic light turns green, cars often lurch forward into the middle of the intersection to block oncoming traffic so that they can make the left before oncoming traffic enters the intersection. The cars following then tail the first car so that none of the oncoming traffic can proceed (See image below).

The result is that even though an individual may have a green light they will not be able to proceed forward because of opposite traffic making left hand turns. (See the funny description of the chaos a left hand turn can cause here http://soimgoingtochina.blogspot.hk/2007/06/beijing-traffic-lesson-left-turn.html)

Right Hand Turns: When making a right hand turn in China vehicles do not have to stop at the light. With this said motorists and cyclists should be extra careful of oncoming traffic coming from the road they are turning onto. The good news is the bikes and scooters driving opposite the flow of traffic usually stick to the far left or right sides of the road so by making a wider turn you ensure that both parties have space to avoid a collision (See image below).

Motor Cycle Silhouette Designed by Freepik

Registration: In Beijing electric scooters are technically considered bicycles, therefore no license is required to drive them. Registration, however, is required and can be done at the same police station you register your visa and residency at; it will cost you 10 RMB. Many Beijingers have yet to register (especially students) and this is due to the fact that there is very little risk of receiving a fine or having an electric scooter seized in Beijing. A fine or seizer in Shanghai is quite likely. For more information regarding registration information in Beijing see this article from The Beijinger. For Shanghai check out TimeOut Shanghai.

Still looking for more information about traffic behavior in China? Check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_of_the_road_in_China

Stay tuned for live footage from the streets of Beijing and  new guides coming soon!

The post RULES OF THE ROAD: HOW TO COMMUTE IN CHINA appeared first on BOUND FOR BEIJING.