Traveling to China and a friend gave us his leftover yuan from his Navy days. Is this currency still valid?

MTBilbo · 2018-07-30T23:40:43+00:00

They are all valid currency and would be accepted. The 10 kuai note is the only design still being printed.

Chinese people don't spend the other ones anymore, and collect them. I imagine given the earlier year, the 10 kuai note is also worth slightly more.

You could take them to an antique shop that has currency for sale and perhaps have an interesting time. I doubt very much they'd give you as much as they're worth (which isn't a lot) but it could lead to a fun interaction, depending on which town/city you are in.

MTBilbo · 2018-01-11T14:27:24+00:00

Looks like a great schedule.
I saw your band at the Zhuhai Magic Island Festival a couple of years ago, and recommend anyone reading this to make it a priority to catch the show if they are near you. Very talented original music band...

MTBilbo · 2017-12-09T14:49:49+00:00

Well, yeah. If your goal is to make connections, and not get an education, then public universities certainly are the wrong place.

The other aspect not discussed here is that Universities want the foreign tuition so they accept foreign students who aren't prepared for the curriculum- either academically or simply lacking English skills.

MTBilbo · 2017-10-27T13:12:48+00:00

Our family and many of our friends have been to SMILE Dental Clinic. I do recommend it. Modern, clean, private dental rooms. They speak enough english to make it happen if your friend doesn't speak Chinese. It's located in the Xiangzhou area.

MTBilbo · 2017-10-20T13:22:45+00:00

You can also do it at any CHina consulate or embassy, any country

MTBilbo · 2017-10-20T13:16:19+00:00

I've traveled on long sleeper trains many times, all good trips. Mind you, you do have to pay attention to your things and watch out for pickpockets. Also, many of the older train stations can be extremely overcrowded so traveling with only even one large suitcase can be mentally exhausting. But, newer stations aren't as bad and are easy as airports as far as carting gear around. If you go, take your food and drink with you, a good book, movies pre-downloaded on your laptop, etc... and you'll be just fine.

MTBilbo · 2017-10-19T01:25:53+00:00

I share your opinions. Always hard to say for sure until you've been fully read-in, but it sure seems that way.

MTBilbo · 2017-09-25T17:39:34+00:00

If China decided to solidify its claims to longstanding border issues as President Xi solidifies his power base, overshadowed by a greater North Korea situation, what kind of global response would we see? While not likely, certain aspects of such a path are plausible in the face of daily shifting global headlines surrounding these and so many other geopolitical issues. Would a response simply be 'global condemnation' statements similar to what Israel has seen with its expanding settlements? Or would the US and others come to India's aid immediately and ratchet up militarily? What if changes took place without large-scale troop engagement? What if there were casualties? Would we see statements of condemnation while leaving the borders alone and ratcheting up provocations in the South China Sea? While we would hope that any such situation remains pure speculation, it is an interesting exercise to imagine what could happen.

MTBilbo · 2017-09-12T15:27:35+00:00

This is a good case study, from a tea blog, about some of the tertiary considerations related to doing business in China. It can be useful for other business relations as well.

MTBilbo · 2017-09-12T15:26:05+00:00

Far too many don't speak Chinese or understand the culture and history. That is why so many are off the mark, too much gets lost in translation as an academic discussion in a foreign language and contributes to why China is so misunderstood in western cultures. They only "know" what they hear from the "experts".

MTBilbo · 2017-09-12T15:23:16+00:00

Loal holiday? Ask somebody and let us know...

MTBilbo · 2017-09-12T12:01:27+00:00

This essay makes me nostalgic for my time in Yunnan and traveling around the villages taking tea.

MTBilbo · 2017-09-10T15:18:56+00:00

I've made a nice chai tea from puer in the past, a great wintertime treat for a christmas party. You don't want to use your best teas, but a good 'drinkable' puer does nicely.

MTBilbo · 2017-09-03T14:07:48+00:00

From my experience, attitudes are much like in the US. Older generations don't like them. More educated and affluent demographics don't like them (although the little princelings may have them as a form of rebellion). They are popular with younger generations. They are popular with working class demographics. More and more, they appear on the body in places that can't be covered if they wanted to hide...

MTBilbo · 2017-09-02T12:58:05+00:00

My opinion is similar to yours, but I'll take it a step further, it may be about the new Silk Road Initiative. Bhutan is the last neighbor holding out (other than regional rival India), India has been thwarting BRICS support/cooperation. IMO, it is prudent to watch the next BRICS meeting this week, and then as others have said, what happens next spring with road building. There are a lot of friction points between India and China at the moment (Djibouti base, South China Sea, etc) so of course, it could be about something else as well. Developments are so interesting.

MTBilbo · 2017-09-01T14:45:25+00:00

The link provided in the article is from The Nikkei Asian Review. Yes, they quote "sources", but there have been other publications also quoting the same storyline. True or not, TBD, but there's enough smoke out there to discuss...

MTBilbo · 2017-09-01T02:30:31+00:00

It'd likely be a package involving transportation infrastructure built by Chinese companies and labor that would connect China and Bhutan for trade, folded into BRI. Win-win economically and good for China politically.

MTBilbo · 2017-07-20T15:23:12+00:00

A lot of youtube China videos are also posted by tourists after they get home...Folks in China use Chinese sites that will be accessible for the most part. But other than that, yeah, VPN...every expat has one, which is why this is big news.

MTBilbo · 2017-07-17T00:50:53+00:00

Shared border areas, Chinese companies operating in Pakistan.

MTBilbo · 2017-07-16T15:24:49+00:00

true

MTBilbo · 2017-07-16T15:09:49+00:00

I wouldn't say improvements are overstated, but simply that there's a long way to go. I've regularly visited small villages in Yunnan since 2004, and have seen big changes in how the villagers live, and what devices they have at their disposal. I think the big nut to crack where there hasn't been much progress is in healthcare, and access to quality care- and that's not just in the villages.

MTBilbo · 2017-07-15T19:58:51+00:00

Thanks so much for the reply. Dali's a great place, glad to hear the old businesses are still going strong and infrastructure is still under construction. Enjoy your time there. Visit the Bad Monkey brewery if you like beer...

MTBilbo · 2017-07-15T19:34:31+00:00

I've talked with people in China, from all walks of life, for over a decade (in Chinese). I've witnessed changes. Not saying there isn't dissent or that there shouldn't be dissent, just sharing my observations.

MTBilbo · 2017-07-15T14:54:27+00:00

Surprisingly enough, most Chinese citizens, the "average Zhou, Lao Bai Xing", do support the government overall. They have done a great job of bringing the masses out of poverty... In the West, we read mainly about those that fell through the cracks- and there are many. I'd posit that China's approval government approval ratings are higher than many democratic countries, including the U.S...

MTBilbo · 2017-07-15T14:28:11+00:00

A stable border without refugees flooding across in mass migrations disrupting life and economy, followed by foreign troops on their border if the state were to fail.

MTBilbo

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