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“the Great Wall Is Massive, Steep, Amazing, Incredible, Big And…… Great!”| 6 min read

When it comes to visiting China, checking out the Great Wall is usually top of that list and that’s exactly where we went today.

It can be hard to gauge how much things should cost in China when you go shopping the first few times. We’ve provided a price guide to give you a rough idea of how much things cost.

What’s been happening? – Saturday 6th

Today was the first tour day. First there was an early rise. Everyone piled on the bus, got their breakfast and met their tour guides who then took them to the Ming Tombs where it was snowing quite heavily. At the Ming Tombs there were historical artifacts to see, owner’s shoulders to avoid stepping on (apparently that’s what the doorframes represent) and a big gate to jump through. It was a bit chilly but the snow made for some fantastic views.

After that we made our way to the Great Wall where it continued to snow and that made the climb a little tricky for everyone but a lot of fun. There were snowball fights, photos with Chinese primary schools on their day trips, an improvised slide and a camel on its own by the side of the road.

After leaving the Wall and all of its photo opportunities behind, we made our way out for lunch at a restaurant that had been visited by such esteemed guests as the Greek railroad trade union president and the “various countries police”.

Once everyone was refueled we then made our way to the Bird’s Nest stadium and the Water Cube where the same primary school class at the Great Wall had their photo invaded again. After a little more site seeing there was a spot of shopping over at Yashou market for a little bargaining (5 shirts and 2 ties for 200RMB, yes please!) and then we rounded the day off with some Peking duck.

An intern’s view – By David Boyle

So a brief overview of what’s been going on. Went to the Great Wall on Saturday and had quite an eventful day of wall climbing and Ming Tombing. The weather was typical of the aftermath of a lovely Beijing blizzard, in short cold and the ground was slippery but amazingly enough everyone was in high spirits! There is something about the Great Wall that brings out the best in people. Having seen the Ming Tombs before I knew what was coming, but still find the history of the place fascinating.

duō shao qián? (How much does it cost?) – A rough guide to how much things cost in China

When you are going out to major tourist markets like Silk Street or to something more local like Xidan or Zoo markets, you are probably wondering what are decent prices to pay for various items. If you use the guide below along with our tips on bargaining post you should be able to get a great price.

Bear in mind that the quality may not be up to the standard you get back home so with things like electronics you should be careful. Please note this is only a starting point to get an idea of prices so you may find prices can be higher or lower than what is listed.

Price Guide

Item Item in Mandarin Approx. cost at tourist markets like Silk St, Yashou etc Approx. cost at local markets like Xidan and Zoo Market
T-shirt T xù 40-80MB 30-80RMB
Cardigan wài tào 30-60RMB 20-40RMB
Polo Shirt lǐng zi de T xù 40-60RMB 30-50RMB
Scarf wéi jīn 20-40RMB 20-25RMB
Jeans niú zǎi kù 80-150RMB 50-100RMB
Basic Gloves shǒu tào 20-40RMB 10-30RMB
Beanie mào zi 20-40RMB 10-25RMB
Winter jacket dōng jì jiá kè 200-600RMB 200-500RMB
Silk dressing gown sī chóu chèn yī 50-100RMB 30-70RMB
Tailored Suit xī fú 400-800RMB Not available
Tailored shirt chèn shān 80-100RMB Not available
Cotton underwear nèi yī 10-30RMB 10-20RMB
Dress Shoes lǐ fú xié 70-200RMB 50-100RMB
High heels gāo gēn xié 50-100RMB 30-80RMB
Sneakers yùn dòng xié 70-150RMB 60-110RMB
Handbags shǒu dài 40-100RMB 25-90RMB
Backpack bèi bāo 50-100RMB 40-80RMB
Hairclips, headbands, Nail polish, eye shadow fǎ jiā, tóu dài, zhǐ jiǎ yóu, yǎn yǐng 10-30RMB 5-20RMB
Sunglasses mò jìng 10-70RMB 10-40RMB
Watches shǒu biǎo 30-300RMB 20-80RMB
Wallet qián bāo 40-100RMB 20-80RMB
Ear rings ěr huán 10-40RMB 5-30RMB
Necklace xiàng liàn 20-100RMB 10-60RMB
1 GB mp3 player yī jī de MP sān 100-300RMB 80-150RMB
250GB external HD Not recommended 400-700RMB
DVDs yǐng dié 5-10RMB per disc 5-10RMB per disc
Fake iPhone gāo fǎn píng guǒ shǒu jī 200-400RMB 200-350RMB
Tea set chá jù 30-60RMB 20-50RMB
Chopsticks kuài zi 10-20RMB 5-20RMB
Zippo lighter Zippo huǒ jī 50-100RMB 40-70RMB

Rachel Yoon

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