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Using A Cell Phone When Traveling In Beijing

Posted August 17th, 2011 in China by Dan

 

Forbidden City - Beijing

Capital of the People’s Republic of China as well as the center of most of China’s renowned historical sites, Beijing is a must-see location for any new traveler arriving in China. Beijing is considered to be China’s cultural mecca. It is a city that is full of ancient historical sights, amazing architecture, excellent shopping and exotic foods.

Splendid sights which include the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square and the Summer Palace are all located near Beijing. Tourists can also enjoy an enchanting cruise along the Yangtze River or a tour among the extraordinary gardens of the Prince Gong mansion of the Qing Dynasty.Beijing is one of the world’s most intriguing cities in the world. While visiting the these amazing locations, it is important to have access to a cell phone to keep in touch with family back home, make hotel or dinner reservations or in the event of an emergency. Using a cell phone for Beijing is very easy if you have the right information.

The Breathtaking Great Wall Of China

There are many options when it comes to Beijing cell phone access. You can first start off by checking with your local mobile cell phone provider and finding out if they have any roaming plans for China and the associated rates. Your network will have to be on a GSM network in order to have Beijing cell phone access while in China.

Your cell phone for Beijing will have to be unlocked for international service and then all you have to do is purchase a SIM card. The largest Beijing cell phone providers are China Mobile and China Unicom. These SIM cards can be purchased at any of the airports in China or in the local mobile phone shops or convenience stores. An interesting little tidbit for tourists includes some of the Chinese suspicions regarding “lucky” or “unlucky” numbers. Cell phone for Beijing numbers that are considered auspicious include 6, 8 and 9. These numbers will be more expensive than the “unlucky” numerical digits such as 4, which is the number of death.

If you are not going to use your home cell phone, it is possible to buy a prepaid phone, which is usually the more affordable option. These phones have different features and various options when it comes to SIM cards. It is important to find out if the SIM card permits calls outside of China if you want this type of access. Some SIM cards allow you to make calls to other countries, while others do not. Most SIMS permit users to place calls outside of China but they won’t permit you to send out text messages. In order to text, you will have to put down a hefty deposit and purchase two different SIM cards. This may not be worth the added expense or hassle.

Beijing is truly an amazing vacation destination. It is not difficult to receive mobile phone access while exploring the ancient ruins or enjoying any of the various festivals. It is important to know how to gain mobile phone access prior to your trip so you are prepared to make calls as soon as you arrive in Beijing.

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A Cell Phone For China – Avoiding High Call Charges

Posted May 13th, 2011 in China by Dan
Years ago cell phone service in China was a huge issue for travelers. But, as time has progressed as has China’s cell phone coverage. The service available in China is widely available, has great coverage, and is available at a competitive rate. Rather you’re visiting China to see your relatives, meet up with Chinese friends, or to take in some traditional Chinese cuisine having a cell phone in China with you is essential.

The mobile phone market in China has helped cater to the over 1 billion people living in China. The mobile phone coverage is reasonable and can be used on any GSM compatible phone. GSM phones are capable of being used in over 190 different countries. In fact Chinese GSM SIM cards, which are essentially the brain of the phone, can be put into a North American GSM phone in order to use it on the Chinese network. Generally there are great deals on phones and service in China, but the phone market in China and Hong Kong are rampant with knock-offs, so it’s a great idea to purchase a cell phone for China while still at home.

Shangai

What may shock you is that some cell phone services in China can cost as much as 4 dollars per minute. This is why you want to shop around and find the best plan for your money. Getting an alternatives plan such as one that Chinese people use when traveling to North America can really help cur your costs. It is possible to get competitive rates on a cell phone for China, such as $1.75 a minute for incoming calls and $1.50 for national calls. If you’re calling the United States or Canada you can expect to pay around $2.95 per minute. Text messaging and data rates are often much higher on Chinese plans than in other countries. Data can be as much as 14 cents for every 10 Kilobytes, whereas texting can be around 80 cents per text message.

Cell phone service is definitely more expensive in China. But, think of all the benefits of having a cell phone. Getting lost is not going to be an issue as long as you have a cell phone on you. Keep in mind that if you have Chinese friends you can use your cell phone to have them ask questions for you if you’re not well versed in the language. Consider that you may not be able to tell your taxi driver where you want to go, but if you have a fluent friend that can help make your trip considerably easier through the simple use of a cell phone in China.

If you shop around you may be able to even find a cell phone plan with unlimited incoming calls. It will help you to know that most of China has pretty good cell phone coverage. Of course there are still some rural areas that don’t get the best of coverage, so make sure you know if your cell phone plan is going to have any roaming charges attached to it. It is a good idea to see if your phone is capable of taking another SIM card. This is another consideration to make for anyone in the market for a new phone that plans on traveling in the future. If you can simply replace your card with a new one you can pick up a prepaid cell phone SIM card for which ever country you plan on visiting.

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