TIPS FOR PLANNING FOR TRAVEL TO CHINA
(by Raymond Cheng, UO Architecture Alum)

It is an exciting opportunity to go to Shanghai and learn about architectural practice in China.  There are a few things you would need to plan for your trip.

Tourist Visa
You will need to apply for a tourist visa prior you visit China.  Here is the website for the visa application:
http://www.visaexpress.net/china/chinatouristvisa.htm

You should send your passport (which must have at least 12 months validity remaining) soon as it will take 1-2 weeks for the visa application to process.  You need to apply for the tourist visa, not the work visa.

Airline Ticket
You can purchase your ticket online through these websites:
http://www.bt-store.com/
http://www.statravel.com/
http://www.studentuniverse.com/

Or you can contact this travel agent in Portland.  They are much cheaper than purchasing tickets through the airlines directly:
Lynna Lee
New World Travel
4522 N.E 82nd Ave.
Portland, OR 97220
Tel: 503-255-3118
Fax: 503-255-2383
E-mail: lynnatlee@hotmail.com

Phone Card
You should purchase a phone card for calling home from China.  A $20 phone card will give you 118 minute of calling time, so you need to figure out how many phone cards you need to purchase before your trip. Do not use your cellphone to call US since the rate is about $2 a minute.
http://www.ecallchina.com/phone-card.asp?cardID=53

Lodging
You will be staying in a local hotel provided by Xian Dai.  If you want to go to Shanghai before the start of the internship, you will need to provide your own lodging.  This website is worth checking out:
http://english.ctrip.com/

Gifts
It is a good idea to bring at least three small gifts with you.  The Chinese like to exchange gifts, and you will find it helpful at the end of your trip.  Books on Oregon tend to be nice gifts as you can share with people about Oregon.