What to Pack?

What is available in China and what should a student bring along with him or her? Here’s a comprehensive list of items that you should remember to take along with you.
 

1) Clothing: This can be purchased in China easily and cheaply but if you are a particularly big size, it might be difficult to get the right clothing. Also remember to bring weather-appropriate clothing, especially if you’re arriving in a particularly cold area during the winter.
 
2) Toiletries: This includes toothbrush, floss, comb, brush, razors, soap and shampoo. These things can be easily purchased in China but it’s a hassle to run to the store as soon as you land so you can brush your teeth.
 
3) Medicine: Most prescription medicines are available in China but it is best to take enough to last the length of your stay. It’s also good to bring diarrhoea and constipation medicine as well as painkillers.
 
4) Valid passport and visa: Always keep these in a safe place. While travelling, it is best to keep your passport on your body while sightseeing.
 
5) Pictures and postcards from home: Many people you’ll come across will be interested to learn more about you so things from back home can be great conversation pieces.
 
6) Money and debit cards: It’s best to take some cash along with you to exchange at first, but the most convenient way of getting money will probably be via debit card.
 
7) Photocopies: Make photocopies of your passport, visa, credit and debit cards and keep them in a safe place. This can help if your documents are lost or stolen.
 
8) Guide book: This is useful for orienting you around your city or town and also for independent travel. Both Lonely Planet and Rough Guides publish useful guide books for China.
 
9) Sunscreen: This is most useful for southern areas, but even northern areas require sunscreen in the summer.
 
10) Cell phone: Contact your provider to find out details for making your cell phone work in China. You’ll most likely have to buy a SIM card upon arrival. If you’ll be in China for at least a few months, you should consider buying a cheap Chinese cell phone so you can send and receive messages using Chinese characters.
 
11) Books: Good books in languages other than Chinese are at best expensive and at worst completely unavailable in China, so bring along a few from home.
 
12) Camera with extra film or memory: It is easy to buy memory for a digital camera but make sure it is high-quality and that you buy from a reputable company, or you risk losing all your pictures!
 
13) Special brands: Virtually any product is available in large Chinese cities nowadays, and even smaller towns stock most types of items. If you absolutely need a particular brand though, it’s best to take it along as there is no guarantee it will be easily available.