- Major cities such as Shanghai offer English-language service for emergency calls. Call 110 and say 'English' clearly to be connected to a translator.
- Muggings have been reported in popular nightclub areas in the largest cities, so be alert when bar-hopping.
- Embassies and consulates recommend that their nationals register with them after arrival.
- Taxi scams have been reported against foreigners who arrive on the maglev train from Shanghai's international airport. Once the train arrives at its terminus on the outskirts of town, the onward cab ride to most parts of downtown should cost around US$7 (S$9.65).
Those skipping the train should pay US$15 to US$20 for a cab from the airport to town. From Beijing's airport, the fare to downtown is about US$14.
- Be cautious of people who invite you into bars, teahouses or karaoke parlors on seemingly harmless pretexts. You may be stuck with a huge bill.
- Crowded subways attract pickpockets.
- Lonely Planet's Web site warns that its China guidebooks have been confiscated at entry points along the country's southeastern border, because the books contain maps that don't show Taiwan as part of China. The site recommends hiding the book under a different cover. -- AP