What Is China Like?

Well it is a big mixture of traditional and modernising cities and vast rural areas of farmland and villages.

Central China’s cities are great fun as they are not the sophisticated China of the east coast cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou. English is not commonly spoken and although KFC, Macdonald’s & Pizza Hut have stamped their mark on the towns other western food is not in evidence and the local food is spicy, good and often interesting!

Central China gets up to 40C some days in July/August and -15C in the winter (thermal underwear needed). Not much sun or blue skies as a veil of smog usually covers the sky! The trouble is a big valley surrounded by mountains, additionally it is a significant coal producing and burning area with big power stations dotted around.

Caucasians in the towns will get an experience of being an ethnic minority and feel on show, this can be great (you can feel like a film star!) or it can get REALLY irritating.

Would you like to volunteer?

Go on – get out of your comfort zone!

Anyone can volunteer no matter what your skills, you just need to be able to ‘go with the flow’ and above all, come with a heart to serve.

Just contact Lyn or Alan and we will advise on how to apply and what opportunities are available.

General Information

• Knowledge of Chinese is helpful but not essential. If there is no-one around who can speak Mandarin an interpreter is available for you by phone at all times. Bring a travellers pocket Mandarin Chinese book, The Rough Guide and other travel information publishers do really useful ones!
  
  
• A Visa is required for China. Please apply for a “Tourist visa” from the Chinese embassy in your country.
  
  
• You will need medical insurance while you are here, just like when travelling for a holiday. This is very important as medical care in central China here is not good and if you are seriously ill, you may need to be taken out of the country. Make sure your medical insurance covers medical evacuation, the nearest Western medical facility (usually Beijing or Hong Kong).
  
  
• Distributing religious literature is against the law in this country. Meetings with local people for religious purposes are forbidden. Any breech of this will jeopardise the safety of the work, the foreigners and locals here.
  
  
• The Chinese people will want to know where you are from and all about your family so its good to bring photographs, they also like to get to know your business so don’t be surprised when shopping they want to look and discuss the price’s you paid.
  
  
• There are plenty of bargains that you can barter for, with clothes, shoes, bags and other trinkets on offer, this is fun and you can take home some real experience
  
  

Interested in volunteering for China Kidz? Please download the information leaflet or fill in the contact form on the support page.