Shopping in Beijing

For the traveller who loves to shop, there are few cities in the world where the consumer can experience such a diverse shopping experience as that which is on offer in Beijing. In the capital of China there is a healthy mix between traditional Chinese shops and those which fall into other categories such as western or high tech.

When you think of shopping culture in Beijing and China in general, one of the things which pops to mind straight away is the markets. These have played a huge part in Chinese culture for thousands of years and are still a big part of life in this part of the world, both in the cities and towns. Some of the best areas for markets in Beijing are Hongqiao Pearl Market, the Xiushui Silk Market and Sanlitun Yashou Market. Many of the markets in Beijing have evolved into indoor, multi-storey affairs which will keep you entertained for hours.

One of the most popular streets for shopping in Beijing is Wangfujing Street. Here you can find a number of malls and shops on and around the street and you will be certain to find whatever it is you are looking for. With Beijing being a city centre the prices on the more fashionable streets are not cheap, so if its bargains you are looking for you are better to stick to some of the afore mentioned markets or other silk markets in the city. Another great feature of Wangfujing Street is that there are so many places to eat and drink, and once again, there is a choice of traditional Chinese cuisine and popular western brands.

Have products you want to sell to the Chinese market. You might be interested in our previous blog on marketing to China and how to send freight to China, for selling products there. A very quick shamless plug for our friends who have just started the Rio travel and business portal and which will soon also have a business section, where they will discuss trade opportunities in Brazil.

Buying a Property in China

Moving to a new country can be an exciting experience which can help us to grow and expand our life experiences. One of the more worrying aspects, however, is the need to find a secure property which is homely, convenient and affordable. Below are some tips on how to buy a property in China:

Apply for permission to buy a property - All foreigners in China who wish to purchase a property in China must first apply to the Chinese government, who will assess a number of different criteria to establish whether you are suitable to own a property in the country. If you do not follow this procedure there will be serious consequences.

Be sure to factor in purchase taxes - There are a number of taxes which you are required to pay upon purchasing a property in China. These taxes can add significantly to the price of the house, so be careful not to overspend on your property and end up short of cash. The taxes will be approximately 7%.

Cost of Ownership in China - If you are not confident that you will retain your right to live in China it may be an idea to rent a property as opposed to buying. This is because you can quite easily have your home re-possessed should you lose your right of citizenship.

Legal aspects - There are a number of legal aspects to take into account when purchasing a home in China. These laws can be reasonably complex and you may wish to seek legal advice to ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of the laws before committing yourself to them.

Moving Livestock from China. Tips and advice

It is essential that livestock can be transported efficiently and in a manner which is not damaging to the animal or the quality of the subsequent food products. Below are some tips and advice to achieve this:

Be patient and consistent when moving cattle - If you make an effort to remain calmer when moving cattle you will notice that you can get closer to that animal than when it is stressed. This makes it easier to dictate the movement of the animal.

Talk to the animals - Animals can hear and often have good memories. If the animal recognises your voice it will calm down and become easier to manage.

Do not approach the cattle from behind - Many animals have a blind spot directly behind them, meaning that if you approach from this angle you will surprise them and cause panic.

Give the animal space - If you notice that an animal is becoming agitated move away from it and allow it to calm down instead of trying to force it to move.

Lead from the front - It is important not to try and lead the herd from the back as this may cause panic and disillusion the pack. Instead, concentrate on moving the animals nearer the front of the herd and the rest will follow. In Summary, remember that the fastest way to move a herd is to move them slowly.

Moving cattle slowly without panicking them and allowing them a degree of freedom in their own movement is much more efficient than to rush them as this causes stress and the animal to become disillusioned.

The Chinese and Table Tennis

Whatever the tournament, wherever the venue, there is one thing for certain, whenever there is a table tennis tournament the Chinese are sure to be in the running.

When I was younger I used to go to boarding school and, at the weekend, there would be various activities to keep us entertained. My personal favourite was the weekly table tennis tournament as I generally fared well. This was as a result of countless evenings honing my skills to a standard which, I believed, were to a good standard. Whilst working in China recently I decided to revive my skills and test them out against the locals.

To my surprise, I found that table tennis tables were much more common in China than they are back home. Had I put any thought into it perhaps with China’s prominence in the sport it shouldn’t be such a surprise. Whilst having a drink in a local bar I spotted a table and challenged one of the English speaking locals to a game. Needless to say, I lost, as I did on every other occasion during that trip. It turned out that my skills were not as strong as I had thought.

One of the key factors in my demise is the fact that table tennis is a favourite sport amongst the youth of China, whereas at home it is hardly touched. This obviously leads to better overall skills due to exposure to better players on a regular basis. However, I am not one to shirk a challenge and I will certainly not give up on my quest to beat a Chinese player.

Need to send freight to China including sports equipment?

Investing in China

Anthony Bolton's comments this week have been interesting and the drop by around 8% this week of Bolton's China Special Situations Funds (FCSS) are a stark reminder of the fact that one should always maintain at least an element of awareness of the fact that China is by no means a guaranteed certainty for growth int he coming years.

Having said that though, in reality, the consumer spending and desire of the Chinese people certainly suggests that even if there is a slow down in the Chinese economy over the next year. What Bolton has said is that China will probably slow down BUT it could very well still generate around 8% growth.

If you balance a potential 8% average growth against other possible returns i.e. from UK banks then China still seems a very good bet for the next 12 months.

Quick Thank you: Cheers to James Burrows of Rome apartments co for his piece on Chinese Investment.

Chinese Cooking and a Garlic Love Affair

After a few weeks in Beijing last week and staying with some good friends who are native Chinese (they speak English also though) I became fascinated with the deep passion so many Chinese people seem to have with cooking - and also how much they seem to adore GARLIC! I was teaching quite a few English lessons there and the smell of garlic also drifted around the room.

I thought this time that I would quickly just mention from what I picked up, some Tips on How to cook Garlic:

Garlic is a highly flavourful ingredient that is good for blood circulation as well and although many people use it in their cooking, very few know how to cook it properly so as to get all the benefits of the garlic. The process of cooking garlic starts with the selection of the right garlic and goes on to encompass a whole array of factors including peeling and cooking. This article provides some important tips on how to cook garlic.

The first tip to successfully cooking garlic is to select the best garlic. When choosing garlic, care must be taken to ensure that the bulb of garlic is not shrivelled, soft to the touch or spongy. Instead, the garlic bulb must be fat, big and firm and the skin must be completely intact and covering the garlic tightly. Before cooking garlic, check to see if there are any green sprouts in the center, they must be removed to avoid the dish tasting bitter.

If you are planning to cook a lot of garlic, blanche them for a few seconds and then plunge them into a container with cold water for easy peeling. When looking to cook rise or pasta and flavour it lightly with garlic, throw whole pods, either peeled or unpeeled into the water while the dish is cooking.

For sauces and dips where you would like to have a strong garlic flavour, you will have to mince the garlic finely and add to the sauce. Remember that the longer garlic is cooked, the less flavour you will have. Do not add the garlic too early or too late into the cooking pot as you can burn out the flavour or end up with raw tasting garlic in your dish.

I am in Barcelona right now. Some great Catalan Food also here and also lots of garlic :)

Travel Writing Competition - write about China!

I am not sure about you, but in addition to loving to travel, I also quite enjoy writing about it and also taking travel photos. If you have a love of travel writing the same as I do then you might be interested in the new Barcelona Travel 2010 Travel Writing competition.

The good news is that you can write about China and your travel experiences. You can incorporate your travel experiences in China with one of 4 titles to write about:

• The Perfect Weekend for Couples in (place)
• The Perfect Weekend for Families in (place)
• Why I would return to (place)
• Best Food Shopping in (place)

The good news is that Holiday Velvet are offering 2 nights Barcelona accommodation rental in Barcelona and some other benefits. You can learn more about the competition online and also about Holiday Velvet's Holiday Rome apartments.