Welcome to this summer’s Qigong Journey to China. If you’re getting this e-mail it means the time has come to begin the logistics that will take you from where you are now to the adventure that is ahead. So let’s get right down to it!
1.) Passport: You will need your passport with at least 6 months of validity remaining on it. If you need a passport you can get one at your local post office. You will need to bring them two passport-sized photos, which you can make at home at
epassportphoto.com, or pay a fee to have it done at the post office. It will generally take 4-6 weeks for your passport to arrive, but you can pay a fee to have it expedited if you need.
2.) Visa: You will want to get a Chinese tourist visa (also called an ”L visa”).
You have two options here:
i) If you live near a Chinese embassy or consulate you can get your visa directly by dropping it off and picking it up there (Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles). Be aware there may be lines, and some of you may not live near one of these services.
ii) Your other option is to use a visa service that specializes in getting visas. In this case you would fill out their application form and send your passport to them, and they will get you your visa and send you back your passport. This option costs a little more but is very convenient as you wouldn’t have to leave home. They also have rush service available if you need it.
If you choose option 2…click
here to get started with the visa service:
You will need this address to put on your Visa Application Form:
Sunrise Hostel (TianAnMen)
#2 Ciqiku Hutong Nanheyan Street, DongCheng District, Beijing, China
You can ask to talk to one of the friendly staff at Visa Rite:
3.) Flight: The trip cost includes the transportation within China starting in Beijing and ending in Hong Kong.
You will need to arrange your flight so you arrive in Beijing by 5pm on August 5th.
http://www.kayak.com and
http://www.vayama.com are two popular search engines to use if you’d like to purchase your flights online.
Note: The trip begins and ends in different cities. We begin in Beijing on 8/5, and end in Hong Kong on 8/25, so you will need to use the “multi-city” booking option if you book online, or just make sure your travel agent is aware of this if you book through them.
4.) Packing List: Click here to read the packing list:
Remember you can borrow a backpack or buy used gear. The most important things are that you have some quick-dry clothing with layers. If you have no ankle issues then we are recommending light weight hikers or trail running shoes that are water proof.
These will serve as your daily shoe as well as hiking shoe. Again, remember that your shoes should be:
- Light
- Water-proof
- Ankle support if you need it
5.) Travel Insurance: We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance so you can have peace of mind in case you lose your luggage, passport or money. Here is a link you can check out:
You can check the plans that you’re interested in and compare them. Although we don’t anticipate needing to use them, it’s nice to know that China has some good hospitals, and medical care is very affordable – especially compared to the USA. The insurance is mostly to help cover you should your bags get lost, flights get cancelled or belongings get stolen.
Don’t hesitate to call us or e-mail us if you have questions or want to talk. We will be contacting you again shortly to find out about your intentions for the trip so we can make sure you get what you’re looking for during this experience.
In the Qi of Adventure,
The JTC Team
