National week - too busy/expensive?
#61
Ambassador: China
Join Date: Oct 2005
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[QUOTE=moondog;19447871]Greetings, all. I've spent the entire holiday week here in Shanghai, which is actually kind of peaceful, though Lujiazui and Nanjing Rd. East are notable exceptions. The following pictures were downloaded from weibo, and sent to me via email.
QUOTE]
I wondered why the wall is so long, has to be >5000 miles long to
handle 1.3 billion for national week.
QUOTE]
I wondered why the wall is so long, has to be >5000 miles long to
handle 1.3 billion for national week.
#62
Bracing not really needed. There will be a lot of mainland Chinese returning after holidays, so check-in for your flight should be busy and perhaps exit immigration (assuming you stayed in HK not just transiting HKIA), but they will normally have their own lines at PRC arrival Immigration. And once in town, it officially is a normal workday. Chinese domestic tourists visiting Shanghai should be mostly gone back home by then. You might want to start looking for some decent hotel rates--October after the holiday is often busy in Shanghai with both business and foreign tourist travelers.
#63
[QUOTE=anacapamalibu;19448928]
Tired of crowds in China anytime of the year? Take the stairs...
Greetings, all. I've spent the entire holiday week here in Shanghai, which is actually kind of peaceful, though Lujiazui and Nanjing Rd. East are notable exceptions. The following pictures were downloaded from weibo, and sent to me via email.
QUOTE]
I wondered why the wall is so long, has to be >5000 miles long to
handle 1.3 billion for national week.
QUOTE]
I wondered why the wall is so long, has to be >5000 miles long to
handle 1.3 billion for national week.
#65
Ambassador: China
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#66
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Ok this is off topic, but the whole mooncake thing is bugging me
When I see Starbucks and Haagen Dags selling mooncakes it's really not a traditional thing for me. Everyone is trying to make money and all I can see is mooncakes. And all the good ones cost 250 rmb a box. I bought a 15 rmb egg one at the bakery nearby and it was bad.
China. Please keep your tradition and stop making cheap crappy mooncakes to make a few extra RMB
When I see Starbucks and Haagen Dags selling mooncakes it's really not a traditional thing for me. Everyone is trying to make money and all I can see is mooncakes. And all the good ones cost 250 rmb a box. I bought a 15 rmb egg one at the bakery nearby and it was bad.
China. Please keep your tradition and stop making cheap crappy mooncakes to make a few extra RMB
Best ones are in HK.
$175/box for Maxim mooncakes and I negotiated better after agreeing to buy a few hundred boxes.
And forced DCC so I paid cash.
#67
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 509
Gasp! Mooncakes consumed in a flash.. had a comparison between San Francisco bakery brand (AA) and a Hong Kong brand-- the HK was the better tasting. both had double duck yolk. Yep, good for another year. == Two years ago relatives from Macau had 3 boxes grabbed by the Customs for "prohibited" egg products. Still on the banned list AND peanuts are on the list.
#68
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Gasp! Mooncakes consumed in a flash.. had a comparison between San Francisco bakery brand (AA) and a Hong Kong brand-- the HK was the better tasting. both had double duck yolk. Yep, good for another year. == Two years ago relatives from Macau had 3 boxes grabbed by the Customs for "prohibited" egg products. Still on the banned list AND peanuts are on the list.
Also no problems with American groceries.
#69
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 509
I am taking the relatives' word of their experience with US customs at SFO. Fewer goodies being brought in. Another no-no especially for California is the dried orange peel/citrus peels...agricultural concerns. --Canada has many foodstuffs allowable into their country from China/foreign trade partners. California is very protective of its agricultural business, but in comparison to Australia or NZ, their beagles are topnotch guardians of their countries borders against food contraband in conjunction with their human border patrol. ..backed by stiff fines!
#70
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#71
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#72
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Osaka, Shenzhen, NYC
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I had to throw out a few boxes of super expensive mooncakes that were given to me as gifts because they contained egg yolk. Totally forgot about the issue and honestly I probably could have gotten away with it if I didn't declare it. The customs agent at O'Hare was sort of sympathetic and told me that nothing prevents me from eating them before going through customs.... I offered to split it with him but he declined.
#73
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I had to throw out a few boxes of super expensive mooncakes that were given to me as gifts because they contained egg yolk. Totally forgot about the issue and honestly I probably could have gotten away with it if I didn't declare it. The customs agent at O'Hare was sort of sympathetic and told me that nothing prevents me from eating them before going through customs.... I offered to split it with him but he declined.
The funny thing is that I had bought it in the US as well.