Advise on Interview trip to Guangzhou itinerary

[march]

Hi, Is there anyone who could give me some advice on how to plan the trip to Guangzhou for the interview?

How many days should be enough?

How many days earlier before interview should i arrive there?

How did you spend each day there?

Thanks

 

march

[ameriken]

Hi, Is there anyone who could give me some advice on how to plan the trip to Guangzhou for the interview?

How many days should be enough?

How many days earlier before interview should i arrive there?

How did you spend each day there?

Thanks

 

march

217080[/snapback]

I will tell you our basic itinerary, her interview was Feb 7.

 

Feb 4, I flew to Shanghai (her city), arrived Feb 5.

Feb 6, flew to GZ, Air China, arrived evening. Went to hotel.

Feb 7 Woke 6 am, went to consulate at 7. She interviewed and passed.

Feb 9 Picked up visa

Feb 9 Back to Shanghai

Feb 12 Flew to Denver together

 

It was a tight schedule, perhaps too tight for most people, however, for us it worked. For hotel, used the room many CFL'rs have used (posted in the links on CFL), which is right around the corner from the consulate, a two minute walk. We were otherwise well prepared for the interview in advance, and had fully practiced the interview questions, we felt no need to be there earlier. Her medical was done a month prior. If your SO is NOT in or near a city that has a hospital that does a medical exam (in P4 instructions), then plan an extra 3 or 4 days in GZ to use one of their hospitals.

 

Also, if you use another hotel other than the one on this site, then you may also want to arrive 1 or 2 days before the interview just to acclimated to GZ and find where the consulate is, and how much time it will take for you to get there from your hotel.

 

Plan an extra 2 days after the interview.....assuming she passes, she can order delivery of the visa to the nearby GZ post office so you can pick it up. I understand your SO can buy clothes really cheap somewhere in GZ, and you may want to plan for that to fill time. Perhaps someone can post some info on that, we did not shop when we were there. We otherwise didnt care for GZ.

 

Anyhow, if your medical is completed ahead of time, and everything else is in order, I dont think you will need more than an 1 extra day prior to the interview, just to get acclimated, and 2 days after to pick up the visa.

 

Thats our story, good luck !

Edited May 22, 2006 by ameriken (see edit history)

[LeeFisher3]

The day of your interview will dictate when you need to arrive in GZ. You need to have the results from the medical exam the day before the interview. I believe the hospitals are closed on Saturday and Sunday for exams. You can call the places in Guangzhou to discover what works best for you. Medical Exams

 

If you have the opportunity to get the medical exam completed at one of the closer locations before you go to GZ you could arrive the day before the interview. We will be doing this for our Son next month in Beijing.

 

After the interview the visa is ready for pickup 2 days later at the China Post near the consulate. The exception is that Friday interviews are not available until Monday.

 

If you take a look in the GZ Info forum you will find 2 Hometels that are located in the same building as the consulate and the people at both places are extremely helpful with the visa process and trustworthy.

 

Now for our trip, my wife's interview was on a Thursday and we both arrived over the weekend. On Monday she went for her medical exam and picked up the results on Wednesday afternoon. The night before the interview we took one of the dinner cruises on the river and relaxed. After the interview my wife had her immunizations done at the hospital and we rested most of Friday. Saturday morning we went to pickup her visa at the post, it is a good idea to get to the post early. The doors open at 8am and you can get a ticket number for your place in line to collect your visa when the window opens at 9am.

 

I hope this has been helpful.

 

Good luck.

[march]

The day of your interview will dictate when you need to arrive in GZ. You need to have the results from the medical exam the day before the interview. I believe the hospitals are closed on Saturday and Sunday for exams. You can call the places in Guangzhou to discover what works best for you. Medical Exams

 

If you have the opportunity to get the medical exam completed at one of the closer locations before you go to GZ you could arrive the day before the interview. We will be doing this for our Son next month in Beijing.

 

After the interview the visa is ready for pickup 2 days later at the China Post near the consulate. The exception is that Friday interviews are not available until Monday.

 

If you take a look in the GZ Info forum you will find 2 Hometels that are located in the same building as the consulate and the people at both places are extremely helpful with the visa process and trustworthy.

 

Now for our trip, my wife's interview was on a Thursday and we both arrived over the weekend. On Monday she went for her medical exam and picked up the results on Wednesday afternoon. The night before the interview we took one of the dinner cruises on the river and relaxed. After the interview my wife had her immunizations done at the hospital and we rested most of Friday. Saturday morning we went to pickup her visa at the post, it is a good idea to get to the post early. The doors open at 8am and you can get a ticket number for your place in line to collect your visa when the window opens at 9am.

 

I hope this has been helpful.

 

Good luck.

217099[/snapback]

thank LeeFisher3 and ameriken(is that japanese way to say american? ) for the helpful information. since i live in dalian, i am afraid i have to get there at leaset 2 days earlier to take the medical exam.

By the way what does SO mean? does it mean wives?

Since my husband cannot make it to go to Guangzhou with me, i am kind of worried about the security there. is it as terrible as what people say about that?

 

Thanks

[ameriken]

The day of your interview will dictate when you need to arrive in GZ. You need to have the results from the medical exam the day before the interview. I believe the hospitals are closed on Saturday and Sunday for exams. You can call the places in Guangzhou to discover what works best for you. Medical Exams

 

If you have the opportunity to get the medical exam completed at one of the closer locations before you go to GZ you could arrive the day before the interview. We will be doing this for our Son next month in Beijing.

 

After the interview the visa is ready for pickup 2 days later at the China Post near the consulate. The exception is that Friday interviews are not available until Monday.

 

If you take a look in the GZ Info forum you will find 2 Hometels that are located in the same building as the consulate and the people at both places are extremely helpful with the visa process and trustworthy.

 

Now for our trip, my wife's interview was on a Thursday and we both arrived over the weekend. On Monday she went for her medical exam and picked up the results on Wednesday afternoon. The night before the interview we took one of the dinner cruises on the river and relaxed. After the interview my wife had her immunizations done at the hospital and we rested most of Friday. Saturday morning we went to pickup her visa at the post, it is a good idea to get to the post early. The doors open at 8am and you can get a ticket number for your place in line to collect your visa when the window opens at 9am.

 

I hope this has been helpful.

 

Good luck.

217099[/snapback]

thank LeeFisher3 and ameriken(is that japanese way to say american? ) for the helpful information. since i live in dalian, i am afraid i have to get there at leaset 2 days earlier to take the medical exam.

By the way what does SO mean? does it mean wives?

Since my husband cannot make it to go to Guangzhou with me, i am kind of worried about the security there. is it as terrible as what people say about that?

 

Thanks

217131[/snapback]

SO stands for "Significant other"

 

Guangzhou can be a bit rough in places, but otherwise its really an ok and safe place, and you should be fine near and around the consulate.

[march]

The day of your interview will dictate when you need to arrive in GZ. You need to have the results from the medical exam the day before the interview. I believe the hospitals are closed on Saturday and Sunday for exams. You can call the places in Guangzhou to discover what works best for you. Medical Exams

 

If you have the opportunity to get the medical exam completed at one of the closer locations before you go to GZ you could arrive the day before the interview. We will be doing this for our Son next month in Beijing.

 

After the interview the visa is ready for pickup 2 days later at the China Post near the consulate. The exception is that Friday interviews are not available until Monday.

 

If you take a look in the GZ Info forum you will find 2 Hometels that are located in the same building as the consulate and the people at both places are extremely helpful with the visa process and trustworthy.

 

Now for our trip, my wife's interview was on a Thursday and we both arrived over the weekend. On Monday she went for her medical exam and picked up the results on Wednesday afternoon. The night before the interview we took one of the dinner cruises on the river and relaxed. After the interview my wife had her immunizations done at the hospital and we rested most of Friday. Saturday morning we went to pickup her visa at the post, it is a good idea to get to the post early. The doors open at 8am and you can get a ticket number for your place in line to collect your visa when the window opens at 9am.

 

I hope this has been helpful.

 

Good luck.

217099[/snapback]

thank LeeFisher3 and ameriken(is that japanese way to say american? ) for the helpful information. since i live in dalian, i am afraid i have to get there at leaset 2 days earlier to take the medical exam.

By the way what does SO mean? does it mean wives?

Since my husband cannot make it to go to Guangzhou with me, i am kind of worried about the security there. is it as terrible as what people say about that?

 

Thanks

217131[/snapback]

SO stands for "Significant other"

 

Guangzhou can be a bit rough in places, but otherwise its really an ok and safe place, and you should be fine near and around the consulate.

217132[/snapback]

thanks for your explanation. i like this SO too

[LeeFisher3]

I was only concerned with the pick pockets, but like Ken said the area near the consulate seemed OK.

 

The homtels near I mentioned are TianYu Garden and Rooms in the GZ Consulate Building. Call Mr Yang or Mr Xie for a place to stay near the consulate, they have helped many people from here and 001.

[march]

I was only concerned with the pick pockets, but like Ken said the area near the consulate seemed OK.

 

The homtels near I mentioned are TianYu Garden and Rooms in the GZ Consulate Building. Call Mr Yang or Mr Xie for a place to stay near the consulate, they have helped many people from here and 001.

217146[/snapback]

Thanks a lot for being helpful. Hope the others who is going to the interview will also benefit from your information.

[LeeFisher3]

I was only concerned with the pick pockets, but like Ken said the area near the consulate seemed OK.

 

The homtels near I mentioned are TianYu Garden and Rooms in the GZ Consulate Building. Call Mr Yang or Mr Xie for a place to stay near the consulate, they have helped many people from here and 001.

217146[/snapback]

Thanks a lot for being helpful. Hope the others who is going to the interview will also benefit from your information.

217156[/snapback]

Always happy to help a neighbor from Liaoning.

 

My wife leaves tomorrow for Fushun and I will join her in 3 weeks when we will take her son to GZ for his interview and come back to the US together. I've been getting everything ready for our second interview.

[march]

I was only concerned with the pick pockets, but like Ken said the area near the consulate seemed OK.

 

The homtels near I mentioned are TianYu Garden and Rooms in the GZ Consulate Building. Call Mr Yang or Mr Xie for a place to stay near the consulate, they have helped many people from here and 001.

217146[/snapback]

Thanks a lot for being helpful. Hope the others who is going to the interview will also benefit from your information.

217156[/snapback]

Thanks neighbor, and good luck!!

[mercator]

GZ isn't New York or Philly, but it does have a little crime. You do need to watch her purse and your wallet. I wore cargo pants and kept my passport and cash in them. I had a 'fake' wallet as well, with 1 jiao in it Never was touched.

 

I like the Ka Yin hotel on Huanshi Dong Lu (around 320RMB and its a high-end 3 star (better than the 4 star San Mao and holiday inn down the road and cheaper)), buti it is a trip to the consulate. There are links in the GZ info forum about spots to stay that are right there above the consulate.

 

As for things to do, i've done many of them in my trips to GZ. I like looking at old stuff, so my trips are biased towards that... There is the tomb of the nan yue king, which is a 3000 year old tomb complex, with many artifacts... There is the boats on the pearl river, there is Shamian Island, with its international flavor and history, a museum to Hong Xiuquan and the Taiping Rebellion, the six banyan trees pagoda, Chen family shrine, the memorial to Sun Yat Sen, and we went to ALOT of parks. GZ has some great ones. Great for strolling with your SO. Yuexiu is HUGE. It has museums and old buildings in it, the famous five rams/goats statue, lakes and a variety of other things to look at and try. Another great one is Yuntai garden, which is very large and diverse, and meticulously well kempt. The gift shop inside the park (not the one by the gate, but on the side of the hill by the round sculpture) has about the best prices for interesting items that I have seen in a touristy area.

 

Of course there is a lot of shopping and good food too. Malls and that kind of stuff. Beijing Lu is pretty cool because it is pedestrian only, and they have excavated the old streets of the city and you can view them through plexiglas. These excavations go back more than 1000 years. GZ is an old city with alot of history of rebellion, and international port for 400 years, and cantonese culture.

 

GZ is growing like crazy, and I hope they don't forget all that history. It's pretty interesting stuff, and off the tourist radar from what I saw. GZ is more of a business city these days, or a hub for travel elsewhere, because New Baiyun is a big modern airport.

 

Bottom line, have fun when you are waiting for the interview and not doing all those prerequisites. Have fun after, celebrating your red slip while waiting for your visa!

 

Good luck on your interview and I look forward to seeing your after interview summary!

[march]

GZ isn't New York or Philly, but it does have a little crime.  You do need to watch her purse and your wallet.  I wore cargo pants and kept my passport and cash in them.  I had a 'fake' wallet as well, with 1 jiao in it   Never was touched.

 

I like the Ka Yin hotel on Huanshi Dong Lu (around 320RMB and its a high-end 3 star (better than the 4 star San Mao and holiday inn down the road and cheaper)), buti it is a trip to the consulate.  There are links in the GZ info forum about spots to stay that are right there above the consulate.

 

As for things to do, i've done many of them in my trips to GZ.  I like looking at old stuff, so my trips are biased towards that...  There is the tomb of the nan yue king, which is a 3000 year old tomb complex, with many artifacts...  There is the boats on the pearl river, there is Shamian Island, with its international flavor and history, a museum to Hong Xiuquan and the Taiping Rebellion,  the six banyan trees pagoda, Chen family shrine, the memorial to Sun Yat Sen, and we went to ALOT of parks.  GZ has some great ones.  Great for strolling with your SO.  Yuexiu is HUGE.  It has museums and old buildings in it, the famous five rams/goats statue, lakes and a variety of other things to look at and try.  Another great one is  Yuntai garden, which is very large and diverse, and meticulously well kempt.  The gift shop inside the park (not the one by the gate, but on the side of the hill by the round sculpture) has about the best prices for interesting items that I have seen in a touristy area.

 

Of course there is a lot of shopping and good food too.  Malls and that kind of stuff.  Beijing Lu is pretty cool because it is pedestrian only, and they have excavated the old streets of the city and you can view them through plexiglas.  These excavations go back more than 1000 years.  GZ is an old city with alot of history of rebellion, and international port for 400 years, and cantonese culture.

 

GZ is growing like crazy, and I hope they don't forget all that history.  It's pretty interesting stuff, and off the tourist radar from what I saw.  GZ is more of a business city these days, or a hub for travel elsewhere, because New Baiyun is a big modern airport.

 

Bottom line, have fun when you are waiting for the interview and not doing all those prerequisites.  Have fun after, celebrating your red slip while waiting for your visa!

 

Good luck on your interview and I look forward to seeing your after interview summary!

218155[/snapback]

thanks for your recommendation which will make my trip to guangzhou easier. Thinking about the trip, i am half excited and half scared. but i tell my huband i will be ok by myself. anyways thanks for sharing your experience with me.

[A Mafan]

When will you be there?

If at the same time we are, we should meet for lunch or dinner.

[march]

When will you be there?

If at the same time we are, we should meet for lunch or dinner.

218610[/snapback]

that sounds good, but it seems to take forever to get the interview notice. anyways , good luck!

[johnxiaoying]

Hopefully you are flying to Guangzhou rather than taking the train. I have read of several reports of women having their suitcases & purses stolen at the train station containing all of their paperwork for the interview.

 

We arrived in Guangzhou at the train station one time and it had more scum bags per square kilometer than anyplace I've seen before.

 

A good friend of my wife had her purse snatched by two guys on a motorbike on Shamian Island.

 

Hopefully you can meet another SO to hang out with while you're in Guangzhou.