Viking China (Part 2)

[Peregrina651]

As to the fake market, he didn't buy any of the illegal stuff there--others do that we know of but I have read the booklet that the customs puts out (which is what prompted my question as there was no mention of jade) and don't want to get stopped (and maybe fined) for buying a fake Gucci or something--it's not worth it! I'll stick with the waving Mao watch :)

 

Sorry. I didn't mean to imply that he did. I was just taking advantage of your mention of the fakes market to talk about it. I have heard people talking about their plans to buy fakes and just wanted to give a general heads up that if one is planning on buying such things that one should check the restrictions before leaving home. Some people don't know that there are restrictions on such goods.

 

 

[Peregrina651]

Thanks! I'm looking forward to that forced shopping stop--not the others so much but it will all be an experience I guess. :)

 

 

Some of the places, if you aren't shopping, you just have to treat like another museum or educational stop. I could have cleaned out my bank account at the embroidery store in Shanghai the work was so good but I didn't buy a thing. Same goes for the silk rug factory. I loved watching the ladies work even though I knew I wasn't buying anything.

 

When it comes to shopping, it is so hard to strike a happy medium. There will always be those who say there is too much shopping and those who complain about not enough.

Edited February 6, 2013 by Peregrina651

[caribill]

The jade store is the lunch stop after the Great Wall.

 

An exhibit at the jade store

 

 

 

For sale at the jade store

 

[Peregrina651]

An exhibit at the jade store

 

 

 

 

aka Jade Family Ball that we were talking about back on page 70. That is a great picture. You can really see how the balls nest one within another. I would have loved to have watched it being carved.

[caribill]

aka Jade Family Ball that we were talking about back on page 70. That is a great picture. You can really see how the balls nest one within another. I would have loved to have watched it being carved.

 

Your wish is my command. This was taken at the workshop part of that stop.

 

[GoInOnaCruz]

Thanks for the pictures Peregrina and Caribill. They are gorgeous and have whetted my appetite to see it--I doubt I'm going to buy much and certainly not stuff that are works of art like that but it is nice to see the pieces and the action of creating them! As to your warning Peregrina about buying fakes I understood that you weren't pinpointing me in that post but I also took the opportunity to mention the customs booklet that is available online for U.S. passengers. I should post the link so here is a link for everyone to read. It is pretty comprehensive. http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/kbyg_regulations.ctt/kbyg_regulations.pdf is the link. Read before you try to bring back those "Gucci" handbags or "Rolex" watches :)

[Peregrina651]

I should post the link so here is a link for everyone to read. It is pretty comprehensive. http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/kbyg_regulations.ctt/kbyg_regulations.pdf is the link. Read before you try to bring back those "Gucci" handbags or "Rolex" watches :)

 

Thank you for following up on my laziness! I just did not want to go searching for the link. I guess our job is done here. ;)

 

Your wish is my command. This was taken at the workshop part of that stop.

 

Wow, caribil, you were lucky! I took a similar shot but it is completely out of focus. Watching the artists--any of the artists--at work was fascinating.

Edited February 6, 2013 by Peregrina651

[H2Otstr]

:D

[Peregrina651]

:D

 

 

Another great shot! I'm jealous (of your camera, that is).

 

 

Okay, but carving the outside is easy. I want to know how they do the concentric spheres. That's the action I want to see.

[CTGirl]

Any idea how much a Jade Ball is? I like to make at least one very nice purchase from a local craftsperson during my travels. The Jade Ball looks like something that would fit the bill.

[GoInOnaCruz]

Thank you for following up on my laziness! I just did not want to go searching for the link. I guess our job is done here. ;)

Like the Lone Ranger and Tonto ;)

[ruthlynn]

@CTGIRL Even a small happiness ball was around $300 and we toured two jade stores in Beijing. Beautiful things...I bought the jade zodiac signs (paperweights) for our family for about $20 each, bought a small jade pendant for a daughter with 3 Chinese characters on it for about $500....nothing is cheap in these jade stores and there is very little bargaining. We bought pearls for our granddaughters in Beijing and paid around $400 per strand...you can buy them cheaper in the USA but these were beautiful and had high luster. We bought a beautifully carved jade bracelet for $600 for our daughter in Aberdeen (Hong Kong)...a forced shopping stop at a family wholesale jewelry store...beautiful jewelry made there in their store....my favorite was the embroidery gallery in Shanghai...another forced stop...we purchased a large picture of a Chinese girl dressed in the Meiou province costume....got them down to 30 percent off of listed price....it was shipped by the gallery..frame, glass included to our home...arrived about a week after we returned home....it was an expensive purchase but this is becoming a lost art in China...the young girls do not want to learn how to do this from their mother, grandmother, or aunts. I am so glad I bought this. We bought fans (beautiful fans which we framed), chess sets, dolls, and kites for our grandchildren in Shanghai....in the area where they took us to see the gardens. We bought silk scarves and ties at the silk market in Beijing (about $20 each) and more silk scarves at a department store in Hong Kong ($25 each). Lots of junk offered by local vendors which we steered clear of.....lots of shopping opportunities but didn't have room to bring back all that we would have liked to purchase. Happy shopping!!!

[CTGirl]

Thanks Ruthlynn. Shopping is a wonderful part of the experience. Thanks for the tips.

[Homerun6320]

Thanks Homerun!!!! I am also a diehard fabric shopper and not bring home silk from China is just not an option. The internet is a great resource but it would just be nice to have someone who has experienced a great fabric shopping expereince.......

 

rahrah50,

 

You might wish to add this link to your fabric shopping references: www.meiguoxing.com/Shopping/Silk_Qipao_Clothing.html

It has a number of Qipao tailors but silk fabric sellers in Beijing as well. We plan to visit the Temple of Heaven on our free day in Bejing. One of the fabric stores (Yuanlong Silk Corp) is close to the Temple's North Gate so we will probably check it out.

 

Homerun

[rahrah50]

Thanks again Homerun. I am printing out the list and adding to my China travel folder. I will be waiting anxiously for informatiion when you return. Have a wonderful trip!!!!

[GoInOnaCruz]

@CTGIRL ... We bought fans (beautiful fans which we framed), chess sets, dolls, and kites for our grandchildren in Shanghai....in the area where they took us to see the gardens. We bought silk scarves and ties at the silk market in Beijing (about $20 each) and more silk scarves at a department store in Hong Kong ($25 each). Lots of junk offered by local vendors which we steered clear of.....lots of shopping opportunities but didn't have room to bring back all that we would have liked to purchase. Happy shopping!!!

Thanks for all of the great shopping information! I'm adding it to my list. Why I'm not sure but I never thought of scarves.

[bettybc]

We're booked on the April 20th 'top of the world' trip. I've had a few anxious moments regarding the visa application. it's much easier as Canadians to deal with the local visa agencies as if you've made any omissions, they straighten them out right away. There were a couple of minor issues that were immediately rectified and the visas were approved in 2 days. Should have the passports back next week.

So count down now begins!!! YAHOO!!

[bettybc]

Hi there We live in BC and used a Vancouver service (we're actually closer to Calgary but were told we 'were out their zone'. Just google visaforchina.org and then click on Vancouver. I found them very helpful and efficient. I'd made a couple of oops on the application that we were able to straighten out over the phone and two days later, received notification that our Visas are approved.

Also, we can get a 6 month multiple entry in Canada (not available in the US). We should have our passports back next week in plenty of time to send the info on to Operations at Viking - hope this is helpful.

[CTGirl]

Hi there We live in BC and used a Vancouver service (we're actually closer to Calgary but were told we 'were out their zone'. Just google visaforchina.org and then click on Vancouver. I found them very helpful and efficient. I'd made a couple of oops on the application that we were able to straighten out over the phone and two days later, received notification that our Visas are approved.

Also, we can get a 6 month multiple entry in Canada (not available in the US). We should have our passports back next week in plenty of time to send the info on to Operations at Viking - hope this is helpful.

I didn't realize that we had to send any information to Operations at Viking. What do we have to do? Does it make a difference that we are US citizens?

[Peregrina651]

We should have our passports back next week in plenty of time to send the info on to Operations at Viking - hope this is helpful.

 

Betty, when you say 'send the info to Operations at Viking,' are you talking about filling out the Passenger Information Forms (PIF)?

[Homerun6320]

GoInOnaCruz,

 

Have been rereading some posts and noticed that you are adding one additional day in Shanghai at the end of your Imperial Jewels cruise next month. We are considering doing the same thing on our China Explorer trip (Mar 29 - Apr 15) so that we can do a one day visit to either Suzhou or Hangzhow.

We are wondering whether you arranged this thru Viking as a "deviation" and if you were able to get their rate for the additional hotel day. We assume it is best to do this before Viking purchases the plane tickets. Cost?

Many thanks for any info you are willing to provide.

Homerun

[GoInOnaCruz]

GoInOnaCruz,

 

Have been rereading some posts and noticed that you are adding one additional day in Shanghai at the end of your Imperial Jewels cruise next month. We are considering doing the same thing on our China Explorer trip (Mar 29 - Apr 15) so that we can do a one day visit to either Suzhou or Hangzhow.

We are wondering whether you arranged this thru Viking as a "deviation" and if you were able to get their rate for the additional hotel day. We assume it is best to do this before Viking purchases the plane tickets. Cost?

Many thanks for any info you are willing to provide.

Homerun

Hi Homerun, If it is that soon (I'm assuming you mean Mar. 29, 2013) I would hurry and call VR (they are open late and on Saturday mornings east coast time) or your TA if you're using one. They book the flights a lot sooner than you might think--unless you haven't already settled that with them. We booked the cruise late (not until 12/29 for 3/5 cruise) and they had our flights set within a week. We are actually meeting up with someone in Shanghai and staying that one additional night at another hotel then heading to Ningbo which is where our friend lives but still using VR for our flight back from Shanhai. I looked at my invoice and they charged us a $200 customization fee to leave China on 3/20 rather than 3/16. It was well worth it to us as we have things to do and we still got a non-stop flight back to the East coast and the Viking flights were $500 per person cheaper than anything our TA could get us. Only thing that worries me about the flights is that they're on American--they're saying the merger isn't going to affect flights--I hope so! Let me know how it works out because I want to do a European river cruise in the not so distant future and I know we're going to HAVE to stay another few days there :) Good luck!

Edited February 8, 2013 by GoInOnaCruz

[Homerun6320]

Thanks GIOC. Viking has already sent me a final itinerary with the flights, dates etc specified. The United web site shows our seat assignments but says the tickets have not yet been purchased (not sure I understand that).

We have asked our TA to get a price for one additional day. We hope we can get Viking's rate for an additional night fro the hotel. Will let you know how this goes.

HR

[caribill]

Thanks GIOC. Viking has already sent me a final itinerary with the flights, dates etc specified. The United web site shows our seat assignments but says the tickets have not yet been purchased (not sure I understand that).

We have asked our TA to get a price for one additional day. We hope we can get Viking's rate for an additional night fro the hotel. Will let you know how this goes.

HR

 

Don't be surprised if the cost of airfare for a new date is enormous.

 

When we received our final itinerary, the departing flight at the end of the tour meant we had to leave the hotel for the airport around 5 AM with no breakfast. We asked about a later flight and were told it would be over $1000 more per person as the seats Viking had contracted for were all sold out.

[SteadyAT]

The United web site shows our seat assignments but says the tickets have not yet been purchased (not sure I understand that).

 

Homerun, the same happened with our tickets. We had the airline booking reference issued for months, and when I decided to call into the airline to move our seats, I was told that this was not possible until the tickets were actually "issued" by Viking.

 

When we typically buy airline tickets online, we don't have the option to "hold" the booking (you commit, or you lose the price they guarantee), but Viking, because they purchase in bulk, has the ability to hold.

 

In order to secure your seats, you need Viking to actually "issue" your tickets, but they will tell you that they usually don't do that until much closer to departure date.

 

The good news is that until you have your tickets officially issued by Viking, it's still worth investigating alternate flights and costing out the price difference. Once your tickets are issued, then the cost is much higher to make any changes.