1. Dazu Rock Carvings

Located 167 kilometers east of Chongqing, Dazu county is known as the county of rock carvings.

Started around 650 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and continued through the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, the Dazu Rock Carvings contain all the cliff-side carvings in Dazu county and demonstrate the peak of ancient artisans’ skills in the area.

The collection is composed of rock carvings in Beishan, Baodingshan, Nanshan, Shimenshan and Shizhuanshan. There are more than 5,000 statues and 100,000 Chinese characters of inscriptions and epigraphs among the rock carvings, with Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian figures showcasing the artistic achievements of the area and its people.

2. Ciqikou

On the banks of the Jialing River, not far from its junction with the Yangtze River, lies the ancient village of Ciqikou (porcelain village). Covering an area of about 1.2 square kilometers, it is 14 kilometers west of Chongqing.

Ciqikou can be traced back more than 1,000 years. It gets its name from the classic porcelain handicrafts made in the village.

Formerly a busy port at the lower reaches of the Jialing River, Ciqikou remains a symbol and miniature of old Chongqing. In 1998 the State Council listed Ciqikou as a protected cultural site.

Tourists will find that the locals are still devoted to their traditional lifestyles and unaffected by the trappings of modernity in the city. A major attraction is the Shu Embroidery workshops.

3. People’s Assembly Hall

As one of the largest public assembly buildings in China, the People’s Assembly Hall in Chongqing is one of the landmark buildings in the city.

Standing at Xuetian Wan, Renmin Road, the auditorium is built in the traditional Chinese style.

The main complex is a cluster of attached structures, which contain the hall and three attached buildings to the east, south and north. It is spanned by a greenish-glazed tile dome, supported by scarlet columns. The building’s pillars and other structural elements are sculpted in a delicate and refined way, all framed amid lush greenery.

4. Eating and drinking

As one branch of Sichuan cuisine, Chongqing cuisine, also called Yu cuisine, is famous for its distinctively spicy and strong flavors.

The city has a humid, cloudy climate with an annual mean temperature of 18.6 C, leading the locals to become addicted to spicy dishes that they reckon are stronger in taste than their Sichuan neighbors’ offerings.

Chili pepper, sesame, scallions, ginger, garlic, wine, soy sauce and seasoning are employed in almost 40 different cooking methods, including drying, salting, spicing, frying and smoking. Smell, taste, presentation and nutrition are all delicately coordinated in Chongqing dishes.

Many local specialties such as steamed sticky rice sparerib, taoran chili chicken with taro are popular with residents and visitors.

Chongqing is touted as the birthplace of hot pot in China and the restaurants can be found in virtually every corner of the city.

Hot pot used to be a winter dish but is now eaten all year round.

With the catering business thriving, many food streets are developing. The pedestrian streets around Jiefangbei (called Jiefangbei Central Business District), Nanbin Road, and Bayi Street are full of restaurants.

Many eateries also dot Nanbin Road by the bank of the Yangtze. Tourists can pick a riverside table to take in the night view of the river and the city as they wine and dine.

(Source: Chongqing express/China Daily 2012)

In China, in order to be allowed to drive a car you will need a local driving license. Indeed, your home driving license is not enough as you will be required to obtain a Chinese license as well. Below you will find all the information you need to obtain this license in Chengdu and you can download it in pdf format.

For getting the driving license in Chengdu the Traffic Management Bureau has the following regulations:

Preconditions:

Foreigners should bring the driving license from their home country; if the driving license is not already in Chinese, the applicant should also provide the Chinese translation. For translations, please call local translation agency: 028-86283116.
Have your original driver’s license scanned(both sides) or photographed, send the pictures to

ClC lnterglobal:
E-mail: clc@clc-interglobal.com or quote@clc-interglobal.com

The Vehicle Management Bureau will execute the Vehicle License Protocols Signed with other countries and other related Agreements.

For the foreign driving license holders:

You need to have:

-physical test form filled and verified by hospital staff

-residence verification form by local police station 境外人员住宿登记表

- a visa which is more than 6 months from expiration

-your passport and one copy,

-four 1-inch photos;

-your driving license, one copy of the driving license and the translated version of the driving license from the Notary office, foreign affairs office or local translation agencies

-application form

Note: You can only apply to local driving licenses for the same kinds of vehicles, providing that you meet the application requirements. This means if you drive a car in your home country you will only be able to apply for a car license here, not one for large trucks or motorcycles. If you want to get a license for trucks/motorcycles you will need to attend driving school and complete all of the steps listed in the next section.

For those who do not have driving license:

You need to register in a local Driving School and get the training from the School before passing the examination.

Note: A Translator can be provided for those languages that are not available in the data bank;

Available foreign languages: English and Japanese

Getting the local driving license:

At the Vehicles Management Office, ask for the Driving License Application Form and Vehicles Driver Physical condition Form and fill them.

After that, you will take the physical examination. Hand in the two forms from the exam, and the required documents mentionned above before paying the related fees at the counter.

Hand in the bill in the hall and reserve the date for the examination;

Then, obviously, pass the examination to get your Chinese driving license.

Examination Fee:

Applying Car Driving License: 280 RMB / Person (Can take written test two times before having to pay again)

Applying Motorcycle Driving License: 140 RMB / Person / Times

Retake Examination Fee for Car Driving License: 140 RMB / Person

Retake Examination Fee for Motorcycle License: 70 RMB / Person

Driving License Issue Fee: 10RMB

Note: A translator can be provided for those languages that are not available in the data bank;

Available foreign languages: English and Japanese

Contacts:

Vehicle Management Dept, Traffic Management Bureau, Chengdu

Tele: 028-87850133/134

Information on how to obtain a Chengdu Drivers license –

The level of difficulty in setting up your company depends on your industry. The reason is that China encourages foreign investment in certain industries while discourages it in others.

There are several different registration classifications for foreign companies doing business in China. You will need to decide which one best suits your needs. The main classifications are Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise (WFOE), Joint Venture (JV), Representative Office and Partnership Enterprise (PE).

A Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise is a business that is 100% owned by a foreign company or companies. These are often established in Special Economic Zones. Only businesses in certain industry categories are allowed to set up as a WFOE. A WFOE requires a minimum capitalization, can generate income, pays tax in China and can repatriate profits. (Ref. 2)

A Joint Venture is a partnership between a foreign company and a local partner. A Joint Venture may be appropriate if WFOEs are not permitted in your industry classification.

A Representative Office is easier to set up than either a WFOE or JV. It costs less and does not require capitalization. However, Representative Offices may not engage in trade, receive fees for service, sign contracts or directly generate income. They are typically used for market research, promotion, and establishing or maintaining China business contacts.

A Partnership Enterprise is a new classification that came into effect March 1, 2010. It allows partnerships between foreign companies and individuals, and Chinese companies and individuals. (Ref. 2)

It typically takes 4 to 6 months to register a WFOE or JV, depending on scale and industry. (Ref. 3)

A number of government offices are involved in the process including the Ministry of Commerce or its subsidiary, the Local Industry and Commerce Administration Bureau, the State Taxation Bureau, the Local Taxation Bureau, the Foreign Administration Office of Police, the Bank, the Foreign Exchange Administration Bureau, the Public Security Bureau, and the Customs Office. (Ref. 3)

Basic Steps

Here is an outline of the basic steps to setting up a WFOE or JV in China. (Ref. 1) The process is simpler for Representative Offices.

1) Name Approval
2) Approval to Establish Company
3) Registration of Business License
4) Filing and Carving Seals
5) Enterprise Code Certification
6) Statistics Bureau Registration
7) Foreign Exchange Approval
Registration with City Tax Bureau
9) Setup of Bank Accounts
10) Customs Bureau Registration
11) Capital Verification
12) Business License Update

References

1. Orientation China Guidebook, First Edition, American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai

2. Types of Business Presence in China, Path to China

3. Register a Company in China: Full registrations, Authority and Timeframe, NSW Chamber

Recommended Reading

How to Start a Business in China – WFOE, China Law Blog

How To Start A Business In China — The Minimum Capital Requirements For A WFOE, China Law Blog

Setting Up a Representative Office in China, Export.gov, US Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration

How to Form a Representative Office in China, China Law Blog

8 Must-Knows about Business Set-up in China, NSW Business Chamber

Starting a Business in China, International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group

If you have any questions or requests don’t hesitate to contact us at:
e-mail: info@maxxelli.net
tel: (86) 4000 150 600
or leave a comment on the blog

Hot Properties Chongqing April 2012

In our view, a city’s level of internationalization depends not only on how many people from overseas settle there as well. An increasing number of foreigners have already or plan to choose Chongqing as a place to live in the long-term. One impressive person, who is in his mid-twenties, told us that he hopes to stay in Chongqing for at least another 40 years. It is delightful to hear of more and more foreigners settling down in Chongqing, buying a property, or marrying a local, all of which prove Chongqing is developing a foreigner-friendly environment.

2012 will see more developments in Chongqing’s internationalization.

- Close to Chencheng residence, one of five prime presidential sites

- Combination of urban and natural river view

Please see the following project profiles for more information
E-mail address: marketing1@maxxelli.net
Tel: 4000 150 600

City Heights Introduction _ENG_

Should you not find your TV/DVD remote control in the list, then just send us a picture of your remote control to info@maxxelli-blog.com and we’ll add it to the list for you.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Should you not find your A/C remote control in the list, then just send us a picture of your remote control to info@maxxelli-blog.com and we’ll add it to the list for you. We couldn’t bare just letting you freeze or melt like a popsicle!

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Useful vocabulary