China., Culture shock to the EXTREME. Options

[KayleighKins]

So I'm going to China in 6 days and I was wondering if anyone had ever been to China, or was from there. I'd like to have some tips, or whatever, to make my whole trip a little smoother.

Is there anything I should pack that I might desperately need? Is there anything I might need to remember, culturally wise (taboos to thank yous)? Is there a phrase I should learn quickly?

You know where I'm going with this.

I'm going to/on:
. SHANGHAI
. YICHANG
. THREE GORGES DAM SITE
. SHENNONG STREAM or DANING RIVER
. WANXIAN / SHIBAOZHAI / FENGDU
. XI'AN
. BEIJING

I dunno if that helps with the tip giving, but it won't hurt :D

....Oh, and any items of clothing I should have? I'm from Florida, so cold to me is 70s. I already went to a bunch of travel sites and whatever, but I trust you guys with your insider views :D

[datass]

you should be going to hong kong >:O

lets see.
avoid numbers: 4
good numbers: 6 and 8

bring little packs of tissue for toilets, they're always nasty. even if theres tissue, you might want to use your own, to wipe cover your nose?

its sandy over there, sometimes there are sand storms.

keep your belongings close to you, never leave your bags aside, seriously, thieves are everywhere.

sometimes after a chinese meal, they'll bring out a plate of fruits (usually already cut), DONT eat them. they most likely have left it out for a long time, exposed to all kinds of germs.