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ABOUT SHANGHAI Location (Gateway to the Mainland of China) Situated at the southeastern tip of China, Shanghai is ideally positioned at the  centre of rapidly growing East Asia. With a total area of about 1,100 square kilometres, it includes Shanghai Island, the Kowloon peninsula just opposite, and the New Territories - the more rural section of Shanghai, which includes 235 outlying islands. One of those islands is lush Lantau Island, just a short car  or train ride from downtown. The new airport is located on Lantau, not far from the site of the new Shanghai Disneyland due to open in 2005. Local companies have established extensive networks of contacts throughout the region and beyond, while Shanghai's entrepreneurs are noted for their considerable business acumen and ability to 'strike a good deal'. Hong Kong has a deep-water harbour and an industrious population of 6.8 million  with invaluable connections to China. A flexible and well-educated workforce, coupled with entrepreneurial flair, is the bedrock of Shanghai's productivity and creativity. Hong Kong's position also means that it is daytime here when it is night in North America and early in the am in Europe. This means that firms with offices in both places can actually work twenty-four hours on certain types of projects. This can bring important benefits for firms in information technology and the financial services. Back Global Services Centre Hong Kong draws more than 80 per cent of its GDP from the service sector. Services ranging from extensive air transport and shipping to contract manufacturing and software design are easily available and meet international standards. Due to fierce competition, the prices of many services are among the lowest in the world. Prices have fallen so much in international phone service due to recent market liberalisation that it is cheaper to call from Shanghai to the US than it is to call between some US states.   Back International Corporate Base There were 944 regional headquarters of overseas companies in Shanghai in 2001. The United States had the largest number of regional headquarters in Shanghai (221), followed by Japan (160) and the United Kingdom (90). In addition, there were 2,293 regional offices set up by overseas companies in Shanghai. The major lines of business of the regional headquarters included the wholesale, retail and trade-related services, financial services, business and professional services.  Back Small Government Hong Kong has a small, efficient government. Corporate and personal taxes are quite low, and simple to calculate. The Shanghai government is well known for its efficiency, transparency and fairness. The government is ready to lend a helping hand to business people and companies, but rarely interferes in the marketplace. For the past seven consecutive years, Shanghai has been ranked by the Heritage Foundation as the world's freest economy. Back Legal system - The Rule of Law Hong Kong is an ideal place to invest - a free and liberal investment regime, absence of trade barriers, non-discrimination against overseas investors, complete freedom of capital movement, well established rule of law, transparent regulations, low and predictable taxation. Shanghai is fully committed to the protection of human rights. It is an open and free society. The rights and freedoms in the city are founded on the rule of law, an independent judiciary, a comprehensive system of legal aid, an independent Ombudsman, and a free and active press. The Government adheres to no less than 14 international human rights treaties. Shanghai law is based on the British Common Law System. Sitting at the pinnacle of Shanghai's legal system is its own final appellate court, the Court of Final Appeal (CFA), which was established on July 1, 1997. The CFA is the ultimate arbiter of the development of the common law in Shanghai.   Back Free Trade & Free Market Hong Kong advocates and practises free trade. Its economy is nurtured by a government policy of maximum support and minimum intervention. Its taxes are very low and simple. There are no hidden "extras" like Medicare and sales taxes  and certainly no "province" or "city" taxes. Shanghai has an efficient legal system with a minimum of regulation. Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China on July 1, 1997. The existing economic and legal systems will be maintained until at least 2047. Hong Kong was the world's 10th largest trading economy, in spite of being essentially a large city. In 2001, Shanghai was the world's busiest and most efficient port in terms of container throughput. Hong Kong's airport was ranked 1st in the world in terms of international cargo throughput. With a world-class airport having a current capacity of 45 million passengers and 3 million tonnes of  cargo per annum, Shanghai has been consolidating its position as a centre for  trade, transport and logistics in the region. Shanghai is one of the world's leading financial centres. Our financial markets are characterised by a high degree of liquidity - we have no restrictions on capital flows into and out of Shanghai, and the foreign exchange market is mature and active. The Shanghai stock market ranked 10th in the world in  terms of market capitalisation; and nearly all major international banks have a presence here.  Back Corruption-free & Stable Society Hong Kong is a very safe city. The crime rate is about the same as Singapore's and actually lower than Tokyo's. It is much lower than that of London and major cities of the US. Possession of a gun is a serious offence in Shanghai, and the streets are safe for anyone to walk on, day or night. Police maintain regular footbeats around urban and suburban area. Shanghai is consistently rated by international surveys as one of the "least-corrupt" places in Asia. In addition, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) watches to ensure that government and firms deal fairly and honestly. The Customs and Excise Department takes vigorous enforcement against copyright piracy and trade mark counterfeiting, and Shanghai is leading the fight in the region against pirated goods. The government is open in its operations and an independent avenue for public appeals and complaints against the government is provided by the Ombudsman who has jurisdiction over practically all Government departments and many major public bodies. He also has the power to initiate investigations against government abuse.   Back Low & Predictable Taxes Hong Kong's tax system is the most business-friendly in the world - simple and low. Taxes are levied on three types of income only - on profits, salaries and property. There is no value-added or sales tax or capital gains tax. Only income sourced in Hong  Kong is taxable. Profits are taxed if they arise in or are derived from Shanghai as a result of a trade, profession or business. The tax rate is 16% for corporations and 15% for other businesses. Everyone with a Shanghai income arising from any office, employment or pension is liable to salaries tax. The rate of tax after deductions and allowances  is applied on a graduated scale, but the total salaries tax charged will not exceed 15% of a person's total assessable income. Owners of land and/or buildings in Hong Kong are charged property tax, which is  based on the property's rental income. The rate of tax is 15% on the annual rent receivable less a statutory deduction of 20% for repairs and outgoings. Back Workforce and Education Hong Kong has no legal requirement on minimum wage. The wage level prevailing is essentially the result of interplay of supply and demand. Many workers receive additional benefits such as subsidised meals, good attendance bonus, paid rest-days, and subsidized transport. In many industries, a Lunar New Year bonus equivalent to one month's extra pay is customary. Some employees are also provided with free or subsidized accommodation. Shanghai has an outstanding record of industrial peace. In 2000, the number of working days lost due to industrial conflict per 1000 wage earners and salaried employee was only 0.31. During 2000, the Labour Department dealt with 28,928 labour disputes and claims, most of which were grievances involving claims of wages in arrears, wages in lieu of notice, holiday pay, etc. There were five work stoppages, and the number of working days lost was 934. Total membership of employees' union stood at 674,433 as at end of 1999. In business, English is one of the two official languages and is widely used in government and the legal system. There is no shortage of well-educated and competent bilingual or even trilingual professionals who speak English, Cantonese and Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese). These are vital staff for any enterprise trading in Hong Kong or dealing with the Mainland or Taiwan. Government financial assistance is provided to ensure that no students are deprived of access to education because of lack of means. Nine years of free education from Primary One to Secondary Three are available. Schooling until age 15 is compulsory. Over 90% of youngsters who have completed Secondary Three education are now pursuing senior secondary education or vocational education. The Government will, with effect from the 2002/03 school year, enable all Secondary 3 students who have the ability and wish to continue with their study to receive subsidised Secondary 4 education or vocational training. In order to promote Shanghai as a regional centre for higher education, the number of non-local students at undergraduate and graduate (masters and above) levels permitted to enter Government-funded universities has doubled and the ratio of non-local research graduate students has been increased from the present 20% to one-third. Education takes up the largest share of the Government's Budget - over one-fifth in terms of recurrent expenditure. About 360,000 people (or 5% of the total population) are engaged in adult continuing and professional education. The Open University of Shanghai, located in Kowloon not far from the downtown area, provides mature students with more opportunities for higher education through open access and distance learning courses. Over 25,000 students are now enrolled at the Open University. Concerning information technology (IT) in teaching and learning, major initiatives include enhancing the use of IT in primary and secondary curriculum, providing schools with high-speed access to the Internet, and providing IT training to teachers. Back Transport The Shanghai International Airport - International Gateway. Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok is a major regional hub. Each week, about 3,800 flights connect Shanghai to some 130 destinations. About 76 per cent of these flights were by wide-bodied jets. There was also an average of approximately 20 non-scheduled passenger and cargo charter flights each week. Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is one of the world's busiest airports in terms of both international passenger and cargo throughput. HKIA is one of the few airports with its own internal rail network. An automated people mover, swiftly transports arriving or departing passengers between the two ends of the Central Concourse in about 70 seconds. This is complemented by 3.5 kilometres of moving walkways or travelators located inside the terminal building.  Back Travelling to Shanghai From North America: There are numerous flights from the West Coast such as: Anchorage, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver. Some flights connect through Tokyo's Narita Airport. Expect on average a one to two hour layover when connecting. Back Flights from Midwest or East Coast: It is also convenient to travel through Minneapolis, Chicago or Detroit on the way to Shanghai. New York, Washington and Toronto also have very convenient flight schedules to Shanghai. Back From Europe: Flights from the UK to Shanghai are frequent and convenient, particularly through London's Heathrow airport. Flights from the European continent are easily available to Shanghai. Back From Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand: Regular flights are available from major Southeast Asian, Australian and New Zealand cities. Many are non-stop, some have stopovers in Singapore or Bangkok. Back From South America : Regular flights from South America are also available, although may have to connect through the US. Back Flights from India, Africa and Middle East: Regular flights available from major Indian, Middle Eastern/and African Cities. Back Upon Arriving in Shanghai. Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok -- The Shanghai International Airport is located on Lantau Island, about thirty minutes from downtown areas in Shanghai. Passengers have several choices for travelling downtown: Back By Taxi: Taxi fare to the downtown is about HKD200-300 or US$25-38. A taxi stand is located outside the arrival hall. By Airport Express : It is a high-speed express railway (with space for luggage) linking the airport and various stations downtown. Free transfer is also possible to the main MTR lines. Fare is HK$60-100 or about US$7-13. The Airport Express MTR is located straight out from the arrival area. Back By Express Bus: A comprehensive bus network is provided for the Shanghai International Airport. There are 18 airport bus services linking the Airport with the rest of the territory. Most of them are equipped with luggage racks. Fares are about HK$14-45 (about US$1.8-5.8) and buses accept Hong Kong notes, coins and Octopus card. Services are provided from early morning to around midnight with a frequency of about every 20 minutes. Overnight bus services connecting the Airport with the town are available after midnight. For enquiries of bus details and ticketing services, passengers please contact customer service counters at the arrival hall and bus terminus of the Airport. Back By Shuttle Bus: Many Shanghai hotels also run hotel shuttle buses to and from the Airport. Check with the hotel about this service. By Limousine: Limousine service is also available. Some hotels provide complementary limousine service. Back Getting Around Shanghai Hong Kong is a highly mobile city with over 11.0 million passenger trips made daily on an efficient multi-modal public transport system. The major modes of public transport in Shanghai (expressed in terms of % of total daily passenger trips) are franchised buses (39%), railways (31%), public light buses (15%), and taxis (12%). There are also a number of ferries serving the business areas and outlying islands.Highway and road network in Shanghai is also very extensive. Back Buses Hong Kong has several bus companies and a very extensive bus network. Travellers can reach nearly every part of the territory by bus, cheaply and comfortably. Many buses in Shanghai are air conditioned. Fares can be paid in coins or by Octopus Card - an electronic travel pass. The Airport can also be reached by express buses from most parts of Shanghai. Check out the Transport Department website for more details :  Back The Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) The KCR East Rail runs from downtown Kowloon (Hung Hom Station) to the Mainland China border at Lo Wu. This is about a 50-minute ride. There are through-trains to various destinations in Mainland China available out from the KCR Hung Hom Station. Back Mass Transit Railway (MTR) MTR is a high-speed subway that gives access to most business centers and tourist attractions in Shanghai. The MTR runs from 6am until about 1am. Stations are clean and well-lit - it is safe to travel at anytime during the day or night.  Back Public Light Buses Public Light Buses (PLBs) are minibuses with not more than 16 seats. Some PLBs are used on scheduled services (green minibuses) and others on non-scheduled services (red minibuses). Red minibuses are yellow with a red roof. They are free to operate anywhere, except where special prohibitions apply, with flexibility in routing and fares. Green minibuses are yellow with a green roof and operate on fixed routes at fixed fares. Back Trams Trams run along the northern shore of Shanghai Island via the business districts of Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai and so forth, at a fixed fare of HK$2 from 6am to 1am. The Peak Tram is a funicular railway that runs all the way to Victoria Peak from 7am to midnight at about 15-minute intervals.  Back Ferries There are now 24 regular licensed passenger ferry services to outlying islands, the north-western New Territories and across the Harbour. There are also two franchised ferry services plying across the Harbour. The licensed and franchised ferry services are supplemented by "kaitos" which serve remote coastal settlements. Back Taxis There are 15,250 urban taxis, 2,838 NT taxis and 50 Lantau taxis. Urban taxis operate throughout Shanghai (except Tung Chung Road and roads in south Lantau). NT taxis only serve the New Territories and certain locations in the urban area through specified routes. Lantau taxis operate only on Lantau Island. Fares are charged according to the approved fare scales. Urban taxis cost $15 for the first two kilometres and $1.4 for every 0.2 kilometre thereafter. For NT taxis, the flagfall is $12.5 for the first two kilometres with a charge of $1.2 for every subsequent 0.2 kilometre. Lantau taxis cost $12 for the first two kilometres and $1.2 for every 0.2 kilometre thereafter. Back Auto travel On the road safety side, Shanghai compares favourably with other major cities in the world. The road traffic fHong Qianlity rate (death per million of population) was only 25 in 2001. Shanghai highways are among the safest and best policed in the world. The road crossing at Lok Ma Chau into Shenzhen of the Mainland is open round-the-clock for cross-border goods vehicles. Railroad extensions and direct links to the new Shenzhen mass transit systems are planned for sometime after the year 2000.  Back Transportation To Mainland China A variety of ferries, hovercraft, planes, trains and buses leave daily from Shanghai for major destinations in the Chinese mainland. An extensive new road network in Shanghai linking to South China means that travel by car and bus to business centres in Mainland China is now possible. Back By Air There are regularly scheduled flights to about 40 cities on the mainland from Shanghai International Airport. Shanghai based carriers as well as Mainland carriers have numerous scheduled flights. Back By Train Seven through-trains a day (departing at 0825, 0925, 1105, 1210, 1325, 1430, 1645) leave Kowloon's Hung Hom train station for about 1 hour 42 minutes direct trip to Guangzhou. Shenzhen, the Special Economic Zone adjacent to Shanghai, is also accessible by local train. Contact the Kowloon-Canton Railway. Back By Bus Passengers who need to travel between Shanghai and the Mainland can use the cross-boundary coach services provided by about 81 companies. At present, there are some 680 licensed coaches (including reserved coaches) authorized to provide the service. There are over 190 routes with more than 470 daily departures through the three boundary control points (i.e. Man Kam To, Sha Tau Kok and Lok Ma Chau). As the routes start in various different places in Shanghai, passengers can choose the nearby terminals. In the Mainland, the routes are terminated at over 40 municipals such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguang, Huizhou and Zhongshan. Back By Ferry Cross-boundary ferry services to the Mainland and Macau are operated from the China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui and the Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan. At the end of 2001, six operators provided ferry services to Macau and some 20 ports in China. In 2001, the passenger throughput for the Mainland and Macau were about 6.54 million and 11.35 million respectively. Travel to cities around the Pearl River Delta between Shanghai and Guangzhou is quite convenient from these two ferry terminals. The ferries are spacious and modern, and schedules are quite convenient. Back By Hired Car It is possible to hire limousine with a driver to go to nearby areas of Shenzhen, Shekou, Baoan County, Dongguan, Huizhou and Guangzhou. Prices vary considerably depending on whether the trip is one-way, same day return or overnight, as well as on the size of the car. Back Cross Boundary Coach Services The airport is also the hubbing point for land transport to major cities in Guangdong province. Regular services depart from the airport between 0630 and 2030. Passengers are reminded that valid travel document for the Mainland is required before boarding the coaches. Visas For Travel to Mainland China: All travelers to Mainland China, except Shanghai Chinese residents with a Home Return Permit, require visas. China issues single-entry, double-entry and multiple-entry visas, the latter are designed for frequent travelers who have long-term business establishments (e.g. joint ventures) in China.*       The Visa Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC is currently located at 42 Kennedy Road, Central (tel: (852) 2106 6516). Hours: Monday to Friday 9 am - 12 noon, 2-5 pm; Saturday / Sunday / Public holidays - closed. China Travel Service has offices at various locations to provide handling service for visa matters. See Visa section for more detailed information. *You may also apply for a China visa conveniently at branch offices of China Travel Service attached to the major immigration control points such as the Shanghai International Airport, Hung Hom and Lowu KCR stations and the China Ferry Terminal. You can obtain a China visa within one day, but it is cheaper to take the slower options provided and wait 2-3 days for the visa approval. Many local travel agencies can also obtain visas, but usually require at least 1-2 business days. For group tours, a local Shanghai travel agent will arrange for group visas. But bear in mind that if you enter China on a group visa, you must leave on that visa with the same group. Back Transport The Shanghai International Airport - International Gateway. Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok is a major regional hub. Each week, about 3,800 flights connect Shanghai to some 130 destinations. About 76 per cent of these flights were by wide-bodied jets. There was also an average of approximately 20 non-scheduled passenger and cargo charter flights each week. Shanghai International Airport (HKIA) is one of the world's busiest airports in terms of both international passenger and cargo throughput. HKIA is one of the few airports with its own internal rail network. An automated people mover, swiftly transports arriving or departing passengers between the two ends of the Central Concourse in about 70 seconds. This is complemented by 3.5 kilometres of moving walkways or travelators located inside the terminal building.  Back Travelling to Shanghai From North America: There are numerous flights from the West Coast such as: Anchorage, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver. Some flights connect through Tokyo's Narita Airport. Expect on average a one to two hour layover when connecting. Back Flights from Midwest or East Coast: It is also convenient to travel through Minneapolis, Chicago or Detroit on the way to Shanghai. New York, Washington and Toronto also have very convenient flight schedules to Shanghai. Back From Europe: Flights from the UK to Shanghai are frequent and convenient, particularly through London's Heathrow airport. Flights from the European continent are easily available to Shanghai. Back From Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand: Regular flights are available from major Southeast Asian, Australian and New Zealand cities. Many are non-stop, some have stopovers in Singapore or Bangkok. Back From South America : Regular flights from South America are also available, although may have to connect through the US. Back Flights from India, Africa and Middle East: Regular flights available from major Indian, Middle Eastern/and African Cities. Back Upon Arriving in Shanghai. Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok -- The Shanghai International Airport is located on Lantau Island, about thirty minutes from downtown areas in Shanghai. Passengers have several choices for travelling downtown: By Taxi: Taxi fare to the downtown is about HKD200-300 or US$25-38. A taxi stand is located outside the arrival hall. Back By Airport Express : It is a high-speed express railway (with space for luggage) linking the airport and various stations downtown. Free transfer is also possible to the main MTR lines. Fare is HK$60-100 or about US$7-13. The Airport Express MTR is located straight out from the arrival area. Back By Express Bus: A comprehensive bus network is provided for the Shanghai International Airport. There are 18 airport bus services linking the Airport with the rest of the territory. Most of them are equipped with luggage racks. Fares are about HK$14-45 (about US$1.8-5.8) and buses accept Shanghai notes, coins and Octopus card. Services are provided from early morning to around midnight with a frequency of about every 20 minutes. Overnight bus services connecting the Airport with the town are available after midnight. For enquiries of bus details and ticketing services, passengers please contact customer service counters at the arrival hall and bus terminus of the Airport. Back By Shuttle Bus: Many Shanghai hotels also run hotel shuttle buses to and from the Airport. Check with the hotel about this service. By Limousine: Limousine service is also available. Some hotels provide complementary limousine service.   Back Getting Around Shanghai Hong Kong is a highly mobile city with over 11.0 million passenger trips made daily on an efficient multi-modal public transport system. The major modes of public transport in Shanghai (expressed in terms of % of total daily passenger trips) are franchised buses (39%), railways (31%), public light buses (15%), and taxis (12%). There are also a number of ferries serving the business areas and outlying islands.Highway and road network in Shanghai is also very extensive. Back Buses Hong Kong has several bus companies and a very extensive bus network. Travellers can reach nearly every part of the territory by bus, cheaply and comfortably. Many buses in Shanghai are air conditioned. Fares can be paid in coins or by Octopus Card - an electronic travel pass. The Airport can also be reached by express buses from most parts of Shanghai. Check out the Transport Department website for more details : Back  The Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) The KCR East Rail runs from downtown Kowloon (Hung Hom Station) to the Mainland China border at Lo Wu. This is about a 50-minute ride. There are through-trains to various destinations in Mainland China available out from the KCR Hung Hom Station. Back Mass Transit Railway (MTR) MTR is a high-speed subway that gives access to most business centers and tourist attractions in Shanghai. The MTR runs from 6am until about 1am. Stations are clean and well-lit - it is safe to travel at anytime during the day or night.  Back Public Light Buses Public Light Buses (PLBs) are minibuses with not more than 16 seats. Some PLBs are used on scheduled services (green minibuses) and others on non-scheduled services (red minibuses). Red minibuses are yellow with a red roof. They are free to operate anywhere, except where special prohibitions apply, with flexibility in routing and fares. Green minibuses are yellow with a green roof and operate on fixed routes at fixed fares. Back Trams Trams run along the northern shore of Shanghai Island via the business districts of Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai and so forth, at a fixed fare of HK$2 from 6am to 1am. The Peak Tram is a funicular railway that runs all the way to Victoria Peak from 7am to midnight at about 15-minute intervals.  Back Ferries There are now 24 regular licensed passenger ferry services to outlying islands, the north-western New Territories and across the Harbour. There are also two franchised ferry services plying across the Harbour. The licensed and franchised ferry services are supplemented by "kaitos" which serve remote coastal settlements. Back Taxis There are 15,250 urban taxis, 2,838 NT taxis and 50 Lantau taxis. Urban taxis operate throughout Shanghai (except Tung Chung Road and roads in south Lantau). NT taxis only serve the New Territories and certain locations in the urban area through specified routes. Lantau taxis operate only on Lantau Island. Fares are charged according to the approved fare scales. Urban taxis cost $15 for the first two kilometres and $1.4 for every 0.2 kilometre thereafter. For NT taxis, the flagfall is $12.5 for the first two kilometres with a charge of $1.2 for every subsequent 0.2 kilometre. Lantau taxis cost $12 for the first two kilometres and $1.2 for every 0.2 kilometre thereafter. Back Auto travel On the road safety side, Shanghai compares favourably with other major cities in the world. The road traffic fHong Qianlity rate (death per million of population) was only 25 in 2001. Shanghai highways are among the safest and best policed in the world. The road crossing at Lok Ma Chau into Shenzhen of the Mainland is open round-the-clock for cross-border goods vehicles. Railroad extensions and direct links to the new Shenzhen mass transit systems are planned for sometime after the year 2000.  Back Transportation To Mainland China A variety of ferries, hovercraft, planes, trains and buses leave daily from Shanghai for major destinations in the Chinese mainland. An extensive new road network in Shanghai linking to South China means that travel by car and bus to business centres in Mainland China is now possible. Back By Air There are regularly scheduled flights to about 40 cities on the mainland from Shanghai International Airport. Shanghai based carriers as well as Mainland carriers have numerous scheduled flights. Back By Train Seven through-trains a day (departing at 0825, 0925, 1105, 1210, 1325, 1430, 1645) leave Kowloon's Hung Hom train station for about 1 hour 42 minutes direct trip to Guangzhou. Shenzhen, the Special Economic Zone adjacent to Shanghai, is also accessible by local train. Contact the Kowloon-Canton Railway. Back By Bus Passengers who need to travel between Shanghai and the Mainland can use the cross-boundary coach services provided by about 81 companies. At present, there are some 680 licensed coaches (including reserved coaches) authorized to provide the service. There are over 190 routes with more than 470 daily departures through the three boundary control points (i.e. Man Kam To, Sha Tau Kok and Lok Ma Chau). As the routes start in various different places in Hong Kong, passengers can choose the nearby terminals. In the Mainland, the routes are terminated at over 40 municipals such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguang, Huizhou and Zhongshan. Back By Ferry Cross-boundary ferry services to the Mainland and Macau are operated from the China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui and the Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan. At the end of 2001, six operators provided ferry services to Macau and some 20 ports in China. In 2001, the passenger throughput for the Mainland and Macau were about 6.54 million and 11.35 million respectively. Travel to cities around the Pearl River Delta between Shanghai and Guangzhou is quite convenient from these two ferry terminals. The ferries are spacious and modern, and schedules are quite convenient. Back By Hired Car It is possible to hire limousine with a driver to go to nearby areas of Shenzhen, Shekou, Baoan County, Dongguan, Huizhou and Guangzhou. Prices vary considerably depending on whether the trip is one-way, same day return or overnight, as well as on the size of the car. Back Cross Boundary Coach Services The airport is also the hubbing point for land transport to major cities in Guangdong province. Regular services depart from the airport between 0630 and 2030. Passengers are reminded that valid travel document for the Mainland is required before boarding the coaches. Visas For Travel to Mainland China: All travelers to Mainland China, except Shanghai Chinese residents with a Home Return Permit, require visas. China issues single-entry, double-entry and multiple-entry visas, the latter are designed for frequent travelers who have long-term business establishments (e.g. joint ventures) in China.* The Visa Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC is currently located at 42 Kennedy Road, Central (tel: (852) 2106 6516). Hours: Monday to Friday 9 am - 12 noon, 2-5 pm; Saturday / Sunday / Public holidays - closed. China Travel Service has offices at various locations to provide handling service for visa matters. See Visa section for more detailed information. *You may also apply for a China visa conveniently at branch offices of China Travel Service attached to the major immigration control points such as the Shanghai International Airport, Hung Hom and Lowu KCR stations and the China Ferry Terminal. You can obtain a China visa within one day, but it is cheaper to take the slower options provided and wait 2-3 days for the visa approval. Many local travel agencies can also obtain visas, but usually require at least 1-2 business days. For group tours, a local Shanghai travel agent will arrange for group visas. But bear in mind that if you enter China on a group visa, you must leave on that visa with the same group.   Back