China Travel Guide

General Information

• Oanda - Currency Converter - Amazing site...has wallet size conversion chart that can be printed out so you don't have to bumble about with a calculator during your trip.

• Passport Info - A helpful "how to" site for American citizens interested in applying for a passport.

• Visa Assistance - A helpful service to assist with obtaining visas and visa extensions when visiting China.

Hotels & Restaurants

• China Hotels and Resorts Travel Guide - Online reservation service with general travel tips, weather reports, visa information, hotel transfer availability, and currency exchange.

• Hostel World - Listing of hostels around the world.

• Oriental Travel - An online hotel reservation service that also provides lots of information about tourist sites/local attractions.

• World Hotels Yellow Pages - A comprehensive listing of hotels around the world, searchable by country or hotel chain.

• China Hotels - Book China hotels on China Travel: find hotel booking info features budget hotels, luxury hotels, boutique hotels & resorts and cheap china hotel deals

News & Culture

• The China Daily - China’s online English newspaper.

• Art Scene China - A website featuring contemporary Chinese art including a link section.

• The China Post - English language newspaper.

Staff Picks

• Beijing Chinese School: Meet the School - Get to know more about the school by meeting its staff.

• Learn Chinese in Shanghai, China – Video - Watch this video about the Chinese language school in Shanghai.

• Shanghai Chinese School: Meet the School - Meet school staff and learn the school's philosophy

• Learn Chinese in Beijing China Video - Watch a video of our Chinese school in Beijing China

• AmeriSpan Beijing Budget-Friendly School (video) - A short video about learning Chinese in Beijing, China.

Travel & Tourism

• China Odyssey Tours - One of the largest China travel agencies in China, offering private tours, custom designed itineraries, and good prices for families, couples, friends, and business travelers.

• China Travel - China travel agency offers private China tours, small groups, China tour packages with Beijing, Xian, Tibet, Yangtze cruise...and lowest price. 24/7 toll free service.

• China Tour - China Tour Operator offers private China tour packages, small group itineraries, with China travel information of Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Shanghai, and Yangtze Cruise.

• Lonely Planet- Destination China - Includes basic travel information, history, culture, attractions, and more for the independent traveler.

• China Planner - A really helpful information site including FAQ’s about traveling to China, accommodations, customs issues, transportation, and a very informative section on Chinese cuisine.

• Beijing Chinese School: Meet the School (AmeriSpan Staff Commentary) - Hear from AmeriSpan's Beijing partner school's staff.

• Shanghai Chinese School: Meet the School (AmeriSpan Staff Commentary) - Meet school staff and learn the school's philosophy

• Beijing China Budget-Friendly Chinese School Movie (Articles/Travelogues) - Watch a movie of Al Roker learning Chinese at our Budget-Friendly school in Beijing, China!

• Beijing China Chinese School Movie (Articles/Travelogues) - Watch a video of our Chinese school in Beijing, China

• Chinese: Mandarin or Cantonese? (Learning A language) - What's the difference between mandarin and Cantonese Chinese? Which one should I learn?

• New 'must learn' language likely to be Mandarin (Learning A language) -

• America's ignorance of the world is now a national liability (Learning A language) - Washington Post article discussing the relationship between national security and study abroad.

• Bridging the Achievement Gap (Learning A language) - Marlo Goldstein, Director of Academic Programs at AmeriSpan, recently attended two conferences focusing Latino issues in North Carolina, the state facing the highest percentage of growth in the latino community. She left the conferences informed and inspired.

• The Obnoxious Tourist - Are You One? (Articles/Travelogues) - Helpful hints to avoid this being labeled as obnoxious.

• Spanish...The NEW Language of Commerce (Learning A language) - Spanish has become the NEW Language of Commerce and I’ll show you how and why in this article.

• Before You Go, You Need To Know (Learning A language) - Before traveling to a Spanish-speaking country, Ricardo González, Founder and CEO of Bilingual America offers a list of what you need to know.

• The Fruit and the Root (Learning A language) - Is the life of a tree in the fruit or in the root? What does this have to do with learning Spanish? A LOT! If you want to understand "the root" of the issue, this article is a must read.

• The Power of Patterns (Learning A language) - Forget about "tenses" and "conjugations!" - Ricardo González, Founder and CEO of Bilingual America tells us about a better way.

• The Four Secrets to Long Term Retention... (Learning A language) - What you learn here has the potential to completely change your life! I have specifically applied these four secrets to the development of all Bilingual America Learning Courses. and have found over and over that students who follow these "Four Secrets To Long Term Retention" achieve outstanding results.

• Are Language Skills Enough? (Learning A language) - Article on the importance of cross-cultural communication

• Tips for Traveling Inexpensively (AmeriSpan Staff Commentary) - These days, from the weak dollar to the outrageous airfares, traveling abroad may seem out of the question. We beg to differ! There are many ways you can travel that are budget-friendly. We’ve gathered together some of our favorite cheap travel tips to help you make your trip a reality!

• Save Money by Volunteering Abroad (Learning A language) - Volunteer abroad to save money over traditional language programs and get an incredible immersion experience.

• Get an Edge in the Job Market (AmeriSpan Staff Commentary) - AmeriSpan's Business and Professional language programs can give you an edge in the job market and make your resume stand out.

• Learning a Language? Add Some Fun! (AmeriSpan Staff Commentary) - Discover AmeriSpan's 'Language and Fun' programs

• La Manzanilla Junior Immersion Homestay Movie (Articles/Travelogues) - Watch a movie of a teen participant in La Manzanilla with his homestay family.

• Don't Forget about Departure Tax when Studying Abroad! (Articles/Travelogues) - When your study abroad trip is over, be prepared to pay a departure tax at the airport in certain countries.

• Study Abroad Money: How Much Cash to Carry (Articles/Travelogues) - Our expert tips on how much cash to carry with you on your study abroad trip.

• Don't Forget Passports When Studying Abroad (Articles/Travelogues) - Locating your birth certificate and getting your passport in order is a very important step in preparing to study abroad.

• Money Matters for Teenager Study Abroad (Articles/Travelogues) - AmeriSpan's tips on what type of money your child should bring on their teenager study abroad trip.

• Language Travel Magazine Star Awards (Press Releases) - For the 2nd year in a row, AmeriSpan Study Abroad was voted BEST AGENCY in NORTH AMERICA by language schools throughout the world.

• AmeriSpan Study Abroad Named LTM's 2011 Best Agency in North America (Press Releases) - AmeriSpan awarded LTM's Best Agency in North America for the third year in a row.