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

One of the myths of the Lantern Festivals origins is that Emperor Ming had a dream of a golden man driving darkness out of the land. Because of the dream, the Buddhist scriptures were found, and the Emperor ordered lanterns to be hung in honor of Buddha, who had the power to bring light to the people.

Emperor Ming was the second emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty and ruled during the era when Buddhism was spreading into China. He is considered to have reigned during the golden age and is famous for having ordered the construction of the White Horse Temple, which is considered as one of the earliest Buddhist temples in China.

The hanging of the lanterns, mostly made from paper, is an important part of the festival, but food is also  plays a crucial role. On the day of the Lantern Festival, people make dumplings to eat. The dumplings can be filled with meats or other savory mixtures, or they can be filled with walnuts and sweets. Dumplings are always eaten on the last day of the New Year celebration. It is customary to eat as many dumplings as you can during the celebration, since there is the belief that the more dumplings you eat, the more money you will make in the upcoming year.

Nanshan Ski Resort

Nanshan Ski resort is located near the village of Miyun, around 60 kilometers northeast of Beijing. Season regularly begins in the middle of December and lasts till the end of March.

Nanshan Ski Resort is known for its specialization in snowboarding, but offers mostly everything else that the Alpine skier might be after.  The resort is perfect for beginners, since they have the largest group of ski and snowboard instructors in China. For intermediate or advanced skiers and snowboarders, the Quicksilver Nanshan Mellow Park can be used to increase technique and flexibility in hard moves and tricks. The park is the favorite practice ground for Chinese top-competition snowboarders and is sponsored by the famous Austrian brand Quicksilver.

What is more, the ski resort has two snow-grooming machines and twelve snow blasters to certify the snow you ski on is as good as it can be.

As for places to stay at, in other words accommodation, there are two choices in this resort namely The Norwegian Villas and the Shirton Inn. The Norwegian Villas are self-managed single level cottages and contain six rooms, including living room, with a kitchen as well as a dining room. They are perfect for families, or e.g. groups of friends who want to live together and be more independent.

The Shirton inn holds 24 double rooms, each equipped with an electric fireplace, in a 2 two-storey compound. They offer drinks and western dining that live up to the expectations of foreigners.

Nanshan is not only a place to visit in the winter though, as you can do year-round activities whenever there is time for it. They offer grass skiing, water skiing, swimming and hang-gliding during the summer. Last but not least, at the top of the mountain, there is a Lavender mini tea bar that offers beverages of alcoholic and non-alcoholic sorts, as well as a fantastic view over the surrounding natural scenery.

Yabuli Ski Resort

Located in China’s northernmost province, Heilongjiang, about 180 kilometers southeast of the province’s capital city Harbin, lies what is considered to be China’s biggest and best Ski Resort. Built on the Mountain Yabuli Sun, it acts as training area and tournament area for International teams and China’s national teams in Alpine jumping, Cross-Country skiing and Freestyle skiing.

Yabuli Ski Resort has an average snowfall of 1 m at  the mountains peak and about half that amount in the midway of the mountain, in the valley, it averages around 0.2 m annually. The temperature averages at around minus 10 degrees Celsius during the winter but it happens that the temperature will sink to minus 45 degrees. In case that a snowless winter would occur, the resort is equipped with eight snow-making blast machines that create the highest quality snow a person can ski on.

Yabuli Ski Resort has nine intermediate to advanced Alpine pistes, a 5 kilometer Nordic trail and a 500-m gentleman alpine slope for beginners. With an independent Alpine pistes that measures around 3000 meters horizontally and a vertical drop of 805 m, Yabuli Ski Resort is the maintainers of the longest piste in all of Asia.

Yabuli Ski Resort has nine ski lifts and the view is described to be “spectacular as the visitor ascends alongside ridges and ravines, looking out over a forest of snow-clad trees.”

The Resort offers accommodation in several different aspects. There are options that incorporate the ski resort with a number of hotels with bed & breakfast inclusive. Also there are two 3-star hotels which offer not only cheaper prices but also the possibility of playing billiard, have a drink at one of their many bars, dine at restaurants and swim in an indoor swimming pool.

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

Traveling in China can be a thrilling, eye-opening experience for even the most weathered world traveler. The vastness of the country, the breadth of its cultures and the many thousands of years in which it has thrived all make for some of the richest, most beautiful landscapes and historical relics this great world has to offer. But there are many things traveling in China is not: easy, predictable and risk free being three of them.

You can plan a weekend getaway to New Hampshire and have a pretty dead-on idea of what it will be like and how it will go. You can plan a three week backpacking excursion through the Swiss Alps, and while there may be surprises along the way, even those surprises are of the variety that are to be expected on a trip through that beautiful, mountainous region complete with familiar, western amenities (“Oh my, honey! Look at this wonderful little bed and breakfast! It’s not even in our travel guide!”).

But while we may stumble across a hotel in Shandong that is significantly more awful than advertised, be humbled by our first squat-toilet experience outside of Leshan and struggle to consume some of the more exotic foods we are offered, that constant frustration and thrill is part of the package. But the one thing you cannot predict on any trip is this: horrible, unexpected, vacation-ending (or worse) injuries. In a place like China where the language and cultural barriers are so large, considering the prospect of a worst-case scenario can produce huge quantities of anxiety, particularly among mothers or other well-meaning, interested parties. But there are things you can do to help insulate yourself from surprises during a manageable medical procedure, and in the event of a horrific accident, if well prepared and insured you can get the best treatment possible and avoid the kinds of bills that will make you wish that tanker had landed on you instead of your husband. I am talking about having realistic expectations of what to expect at Chinese hospitals, and making sure you have travelers insurance.

What to expect at a Chinese hospital

While China is modernizing and urbanizing at a fantastic rate, the vast majority of the country continues to lack the kinds of  Chinese hospital resources that individuals from wealthy nations have come to take for granted. But that certainly isn’t to say that proper medical treatment is out of reach or even not the norm; it is merely to say that the way you have always been treated in hospitals and on doctor visits is probably nothing like any experience you will have in China.

Don’t expect to be able to converse in English. While many of the major cities (and some of the smaller ones) have hospitals with foreign wings/departments with English- speaking nurses and doctors, it is best not to count on it. When possible, bring someone with you who speaks Chinese, or at the very least someone who can assist you as you try to explain that you are experiencing terrible diarrhea through hand gestures and facial expressions.  Hopefully this person can also assist you with anything else you might need during your stay.

Chinese hospitals have a more do-it-yourself feel (not for things like operations, of course—I’m talking about getting yourself fed, your prescriptions filled, etc.), than you may be used to. You may have to pay a number of times; an initial fee (less than RMB 50) just to see the doctor, and then, once diagnosed, pay again for any treatments, medicine, further tests, etc. When it’s busy, there will be lines, so be prepared to spend some time waiting, and the standards for privacy and queuing are different than in the West, so don’t be afraid to shoo away interested or curious onlookers and forcefully establish your place in line.

Tom, from the great blog Seeing Red in China, works in a hospital in Nanjing and has put together an excellent list of things to know about Chinese hospitals. The basic gist is this: it may not be comfortable, it may not be quick, and it may not be easy, but it will be fine. As Tom says, “Most of the doctors in China are better than the hospitals they serve, so even though the hospital may look awful you can probably trust your doctor.” That being said, don’t settle for a tiny, local clinic when there is a major hospital within driving distance. The more serious the injury, the more serious you should be (and the hospital staff will be) about getting you to a major city or even out of the country.

Traveler insurance

If there is a persuasive argument as to why anyone wouldn’t get travel insurance, I have yet to hear it.  The fact is, in the grand scheme of your travel budget, the small expense of insuring yourself against the tides of fate pales in comparison to what you’ll be spending in the event of serious injury (not to mention that many plans cover property theft). The first time I came to China, I got travel insurance for 1/20 of the cost of just my plane ticket. While I never used it (woohoo!), I don’t regret for a moment incurring that small expense. There are a ton of companies offering affordable insurance. Do yourself a favor and get some. If you need to be airlifted to a hospital, you don’t want to be worried about the bill; you want to be able to focus on how you’re going to get that live shark out of your stomach.

If there is a persuasive argument as to why anyone wouldn’t get travel insurance, I have yet to hear it.  The fact is, in the grand scheme of your travel budget, the small expense of insuring yourself against the tides of fate pales in comparison to what you’ll be spending in the event of serious injury (not to mention that many plans cover property theft). The first time I came to China, I got travel insurance for 1/20 of the cost of just my plane ticket. While I never used it (woohoo!), I don’t regret for a moment incurring that small expense. There are a ton of companies offering affordable insurance. Do yourself a favor and get some. If you need to be airlifted to a hospital, you don’t want to be worried about the bill; you want to be able to focus on how you’re going to get that live shark out of your stomach.

Beijing and Shanghai, which rank 35th and 41st globally, are now Asia’s seventh and eighth most expensive places for expats to live, while Hong Kong has slipped from being sixth to ninth in Asia since last year, the survey says.

The survey also found, on average, the actual prices of goods and services purchased by expatriates have risen by 9 percent in China over the last 12
months.

For example, the cost of living in Chinese provincial capitals such as Chengdu and Wuhan have increased greatly, Chengdu rose 21 places to 144th and Wuhan went up 20 places to 146th in global rankings.

“Living costs are affected by inflation and exchange rates,” Yang Fan, professor with the Business School at the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times yesterday.

“It makes sense that the strong currency of yuan and rising prices have allowed Beijing and Shanghai to overtake Hong Kong,” Yang said. “Expatriates may feel the increase clearly, as they tend to choose more expensive goods and services.”

“When we look at Hong Kong in a regional context, the weak dollar means that the city is now cheaper than a number of other locations, including Singapore, Beijing and Shanghai, where not only has there been significant price inflation, but also currencies have strengthened.”

A Hong Kong native living in Beijing agrees there has been a pinch. “The living costs in Beijing are quite high. I have to pay more income tax than in Hong Kong,” said Mrs. Wong, who moved to Beijing two years ago.

Wong, a marketing professional, said she has noticed the prices of some dishes in restaurants have risen by one or two yuan ($0.157 or $0.314).

“But one of the clearest increases in living costs is rent, which has risen drastically over the past year,” said Wong.

Four Japanese cities: Tokyo, Nagoya, Yokohama and Kobe, occupied the top four most expensive locations in Asia, due largely to the Japanese currency’s recent rise, the survey said.

As on of the biggest foreign owned real estate company, we will provide general information. Moreover, we invited Bonnardson Law Firm and Standard Chartered Bank to provide insights and share experience about different aspects how foreigners can purchase a property (legal aspects, policy of property purchase mortgage, etc).

Venue: Sasha’s
Date: December 20th
Time: 19:00-20:00 (19:00-19:15 registration, 19:15-20:00 presentations, followed by Q&A)
Entrance: RMB 60 (include two drinks)

For attending, please contact Maxxelli’s Shanghai Rep Pepijn by e-mail (p.meyer@maxxelli.net) or phone (18616855930).

If you’re not able to join this time, please feel free to attend one of our next seminars.

Maxxelli Real Estate frequently holds property purchase investment seminar in different Chinese cities
Info and presentations of an earlier seminar:

Looking forward to your attendance,
the Maxxelli Team.

Both countries were given a “low-proficiency” score, with China standing 29th, one place ahead of India in a list of 44 countries rated according to an English proficiency index.

The study was carried out by EF Education (EF), the world’s largest privately held education company that specialises in language training and other education areas.

“Despite its British colonial legacy, extensive use of English for administrative purposes and vibrant English media, India is now no more proficient in English than rapidly improving China,” the study said.

A large English-speaking population has been one of the key factors behind the boom in outsourcing to India which has seen Western companies set up IT back-up or call centres in cities such as Bangalore and Hyderabad.

But numerous experts have warned that India is losing this linguistic edge to its giant neighbour which is pouring far more resources into English-language teaching.

The study used data from 2.4 million adults globally who took free online English tests between 2007 and 2008, and EF acknowledged that the results could not be “guaranteed” to be representative of any country as a whole.

Only people wanting to learn English or curious about their English skills would have participated and the fact that the tests were online excluded those without Internet access.

Nevertheless the findings published earlier this month were similar to a 2009 British Council report that highlighted a “huge shortage” of English teachers and quality institutions in India.

The report concluded that China “may already have more people who speak English than India.”

And India’s own National Knowledge Commission has admitted that no more than one percent of the population uses English as a second language.

The EF study said there were currently more than 100,000 native English speaking teachers working in China where the private English training market is estimated to be worth three billion dollars.

“The ability to communicate in English (in China) has become synonymous with better professional opportunities and higher income levels. English is regarded as a key criterion in white collar job hunting,” it said.

Out of 44 countries rated in the EF index, Norway boasted the highest level of English proficiency, while Kazakhstan was at the bottom of the list.