I dont recall VIP Backpacker card program when I was traveling in China last time. Usually what you will get from airport (in China) is a Hotel Membership card. Those cards are useful for information on where to stay. They will contain a list of "recommended hotels"
My suggestion will be to
- plan your route before hand since you already know where you want to visit.
- find out which hotels are available in that region and print out those their address in small sheets of papers in case you need them (cab, asking direction around).
- try to get a Chinese friend whom you know to bring you around because its really hard not to know, understand, speak Chinese when moving around in China *even in Shanghai*.
- to move around, there are cab and trains and bus/coaches (eg Shanghai to Zhouzhuang) depending where you want to go.
Avoid taking private transport by all means. Find out the train station, public bus/coach locations.
- for food, always check out the menus before stepping into the shop. And
DO NOT follow people on the street who are soliciting for customers. Those are confirmed "choppers" :bsmilie: I have heard and known too many cases of people being pulled from street into a drinking place and when the bill comes, the jaws drop to the center of the earth.
- check out information on the Net before going to any place.
For budget hotel, try
http://www.motel168.com/english/index.htm (
http://www.motel168.com/ - more informative). Its not too expensive (around 250-300+ rmb?) and in some cities (like Shanghai) even provide you with internet broadband access connectivity.
Last but not least, bring a portable storage device (or lots of CF/SD cards), because there are tons of people, things, places to shoot everywhere in China. :angel:
