Follow Team Shanghaiist on Twitter
Extra! Extra! Swine flu shots, press corps history and the almighty yuan
This week in Shanghaiist
So while some of us are struggling with our visas, fearful that the 60th anniversary might screw up our chances of staying in this country somehow, a newspaper has informed us that maybe there was a way for us to enter Shanghai without that coveted, gov't-stamped document.
According to The West Australian, European (and American and Canadian ... 21 nations total) travelers on a trip to China can enter Hainan without a visa. That policy's been in place since around 2002 - what's interesting is what they say next:
Travellers may then fly on to Beijing or Shanghai without a visa stamp in their passports, according to Hainan’s tourist representation, which attended the ITB tourism trade fair in Berlin. By entering China via Hainan, travellers can save the $US45 ($A64) visa fee, according to Hainan’s tourism representative Norbert Pfefferlein.
What?! So all we had to do to sidestep all our visa troubles was to go through Hainan Island? It sounded fishy to us, and after a little more investigation, it seems like the West Australian may have mistranslated something or the Hainan reps simply misspoke.
You can still enter Hainan without a visa, but only for 15 days and only as part of a tour group. Anywhere else you want to go in China requires you to apply for a visa after all. At least that's what it says according to the most recent article we could find - from March of last year.
While regulations could have changed over the year, we doubt it would've gotten looser.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
post to facebook
When I saw the title of this post, I thought this was Shanghaiist's April Fools joke...Still laughing at Smart Shanghai's AFJ.
AmCham Shanghai invites members to a joint event with the Pudong New Area Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment for a discussion on new exit-entry resolutions announced by Shanghai’s Exit-Entry Administration Bureau. Shanghai’s Exit-Entry Administration Bureau policy changes include updated exit-entry policies for 2009 and exit-entry management plans to be implemented for the 2010 World Expo. Ms. Lou Pengying from Shanghai’s Exit-Entry Administration Bureau will share her insights on how the new policies will affect expatriates and foreign invested companies in Shanghai. The event will be held on Friday, April 10 at the Pudong Citizen Center,
Venue: Citizen Center, 1/F Conference Room
No.2 Hehuan Road (cnr. Dingxiang Road)
浦东新区市民中心一楼会议室
合欢路2号（近丁香路）
Time: 15:00 to 16:30
Price: Members (RMB): 0
So: new policies?
An interesting find. It is odd too because most Tibetans don't look that dissimilar to ethnic Chinese. If a Tibetan put on cheap clothing from any Chinese market, who would know the difference?
http://www.mirckeyfi.net