National Tourist Offices
China's travel industry, though ostensibly controlled by a central authority, generally is so mired in misinformation and obfuscation that it is often difficult for visitors to get truly reliable and accurate information either inside or outside the country. The all-controlling China National Tourism Administration has branches in foreign countries known as China National Tourist Offices (CNTO); their purpose is ostensibly to provide tourist information and services. Traditionally, however, CNTO has usually funneled visitors to the agency handling all travel within China, China International Travel Service (CITS or guoji luxingshe). There are a few more tour operators inside China now, but don't expect the information CNTO provides to always be accurate or up-to-date. CNTO office addresses are listed below; the website is www.cnto.org.
In the United States: 350 Fifth Ave., Suite 6413, New York, NY 10118 (tel. 212/760-8218; fax 212/760-8809; ny@cnta.gov.cn); 600 W. Broadway, Suite 320, Glendale, CA 91204 (tel. 818/545-7505; fax 818/545-7506; la@cnta.gov.cn).
In the U.K.: 71 Warwick Rd., London SW5 9HB4 (tel. 020/7373-0888; fax 020/7370-9989; london@cnta.gov.cn).
In Australia: 44 Market St., Level 19, Sydney NSW 2000 (tel. 02/9299-4057; fax 02/9290-1958; sydney@cnta.gov.cn).
In Canada: 480 University Ave., Suite 806, Toronto, ONT M5G 1V2 (tel. 416/599-6636; fax 416/599-6382; www.tourismchina-ca.com).
Shanghai Online
The best way to receive fairly up-to-date information on Shanghai before departure is to use the Internet, though it's best to surf a variety of websites so you can compare information. Treat with some skepticism "official sources" of information, including the official city website (www.shanghai.gov.cn), which isn't always current. Also beware unofficial Chinese-run sites, especially those that also sell travel services -- they are a dime a dozen on the Web and there is no guarantee of reliability.
Shanghai's English-language newspaper, Shanghai Daily (www.shanghaidaily.com), offers both Shanghai and China news, albeit of the highly filtered and uncontroversial variety.
Of the online editions of the English-language magazines, the best of the lot are the weekly 8 Days (www.8days.sh), which offers news and features, along with its restaurant, bar, and arts reviews and listings; and that's Shanghai (www.thatssh.com), which has listings for just about everything the visitor or even expat can want to look up. "Smart Shanghai" (www.smartshanghai.com) is an urban webzine on local nightlife, dining, and culture, while "Shanghaiist" (www.shanghaiist.com) is one of the best sources on the latest happenings in Shanghai.
The Oriental-List offers an ad- and spam-free discussion of issues relating to travel in China, and is a good place to ask questions that may not be addressed in this book. To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to subscribe-oriental-list@list.datasinica.com.
