QINGDAO GUIDE

A guide for new

expatriates in SEPCO III

QINGDAO GUIDE

A guide for new expatriates in SEPCO III

Welcome to SEPCO III

About SEPCO III

China, the country

Living in Qingdao

Welcome to SEPCO III

It is a pleasure to welcome you as one of the

new employees in our company.

This handbook includes general information

that we hope you will find helpful for your

relocation in Qingdao and for the first period

of time you settle into the surroundings at

SEPCO III.

The staff at the International Human Resources

Department is here to help you if you have any

questions about professional or practical matters.

Please, feel free to contact us if you have any

issues.

We hope you will enjoy your stay at SEPCO III and

your experience in Qingdao and China.

Wishing you all the best and waiting for you

arrival.

The staff of the International Human Resources

Department.

About SEPCO III

We would like to give a sneak preview of our company culture and values, describing its logo.

The Globe and the Dove are the two main design elements. Their combination represents the

brand identity of SEPCOIII “Shandong Electric Power Construction Corporation”.

The Globe signifies the global outreach of the Company, as it moves into every corner of the

world. The image also conveys the Company’s vision of becoming one of the leading power

construction companies in the world.

The Dove, in the shape of the letter S, stands for the English name of SEPCOIII. The curved

wings and the body represent the number “3”, which represents SEPCOIII Electric Power

Construction Corporation. The number 3 also implies good fortune in Chinese tradition. As the

saying goes, “good fortune comes in three”, means that a good beginning leads to a

prosperous future.

The dove spanning the globe symbolizes the Company’s ambition of enlarging its business

worldwide. Finally, the dove, internationally recognized as an icon of peace and love,

represents the Company’s intention of bringing Chinese friendship to other parts of the world

in the course of the Company’s contribution to power construction around the world.

For further information about the company you can visit our website:

http://www.sepco3.com/

Contact person

International Human Resources Manager

Iván J. Bejerano Luján +86-18660210993 i.bejerano@sepco3.com

Relocation Human Resources Assistant Taylor

+86 13969605989

CHINA

Here there are some facts about China. Since you are coming, you will have the chance to learn

much more about this amazing country.

It borders 14 nations

Is the fastest growing major economy

The world’s largest exporter and the second largest importer of goods.

The world’s second largest GDP after U.S

One in every five people in the world is Chinese. China’s population is estimated to reach a

whopping 1,338,612,968 by July 2009. China’s population is four times that of the United

States.

Chinese is spoken by 92% of China’s population. There are at least seven major families of the

Chinese language, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Wu, Hakka, Gan, Xiang, and Min.

China has been the source of many inventions, including the four following great inventions:

papermaking, the compass, gunpowder and printing.

Chinese say that they invented ice cream,

and Marco Polo is rumored to have taken the

recipe (along with the recipe for noodles) back

with him to Europe.

The country

The Chinese invented ice cream by packing a

milk mixture and rice into snow.

The name of China’s capital has changed over the centuries. At one time or another it has

been known as Yanjing, Dadu, and Beiping. Peking or “Beijing means “Northern Capital.”

Beijing is the officially sanctioned pinyin spelling based on the Mandarin dialect. Beijing is the

second largest city after Shanghai.

The red in the flag symbolizes revolution. The large star symbolizes communism and the little

stars represent the Chinese people. The position of the stars represents the unity of the

Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party.

TRAVEL BY PLANE

There are plenty of domestic flights going

around China from Qingdao’s LiuTing Airport.

However, traveling internationally can only

take you as far as Japan, Singapore and Korea.

If you are going anywhere else, you have to go

through Shanghai and Beijing (1 hour flight).

We recommend sky-canner as a flight searcher

and trip advisor to get sightseeing advice.

TRAVEL BY TRAIN

For short distance, inter-city travel, we

recommend the train. There are hard seats,

soft seats, hard and soft sleepers (prices go up

in this order). There are fast trains to Beijing

and Shanghai (5h aprox.)

CH

INA

, the c

ou

ntry

Domestic flights International flights (+ Singapore, new added)

In China when dining out with

friends, the one who invites

everyone should pay for the

meal. And the host or co-host

asks for the dishes that

everyone is going to share

during the dinner. They are all

placed in the middle of the

table. They both lead the

drinking rhythm during the

meal. We recommend you to

research a little bit about the

rules before you have your

first dinner.

China has about 100,000

traffic deaths a year, more

than twice the number in

United States even though

the US has more than four

times as many cars Do not

assume that Chinese drivers

will follow any rule you

know.

The beauty standards are

different. Chinese do not

like getting tanned so they

were umbrellas to cover

their skin form the sun.

Chinese do not people

usually op fts in the en gi

presence of giver so do the

not suggest opening it. The

Chinese w o express ant t

that is mor portant the e im

fact of brin something ging

rather than ift itself. the g

Spitting: Not one of the

most beautiful elements

of Chinese culture but

definitely a predominant

one.

Crowds

We might as well address the

one thing you HAVE to get

used to. People. Lots of

them.

If you choose to travel or go

out you will be exposed to

crowds especially on public

holidays.

There is very little sense of

personal space.

In China is common to be asked personal questions.

Like your age, why you are not married or you do

not have any children or even your salary.

Visiting a Person's House

If invited to a Chinese person's

house, always take a gift of fruit or

flowers. A pre-made basket of fruit

costs about 30RMB. A bag of

oranges or a bunch of flowers only

costs a couple of Chinese RMB.

Red flowers are good to take.

White flowers are only used at

funerals.

Bowing or nodding is the

common greeting; however,

you may be offered a

handshake.

Wait for the Chinese to offer

their hand first.

Eye Contact

In Western countries one expects

to maintain eye contact when we

talk with people. This is a norm

we consider basic and essential.

This is not the case among the

Chinese. On the contrary, eye

contact is sometimes viewed as a

gesture of challenge or defiance.

Living in Qingdao

Qingdao is a famous open harbor city with an

expansive ocean research program, foreign

trade, and tourist industry. Is the home of the

famous Qingdao beer company, (Tsingdao) the

most popular brand of beer in China. The

factory was established in 1908 when Qingdao

was occupied by Germany.

Qingdao's tourism is a rapidly growing

industry with a coast line in the south of the

Shandong province. Shandong whose name

means "East Mountains" is also the home town

of Confucius, about a three hour drive from

Qingdao you can visit the historical town of

Qufu where Confucius was born and lived in

500 bc. Shandong is also home to some of the

top Chinese temples like mount Tai in Taian

city and several beautiful temples in the local

Qingdao area of Laoshan. Qingdao has the

largest industrial base in Shandong province

which ranks as the second largest provincial

economy in China.

Qingdao is located in the East

of China, between Beijing and

Shanghai.

The city is mainly known for its

sailing culture. Qingdao was

proud host of 2008 Olympic

Games.

WEATHER

Qingdao has a temperate, four-season,

monsoon-influenced climate that lies in the

transition between the humid subtropical and

humid continental regimes. Winter is cold and

windy, but generally dry, with a January

average of −0.5 °C (31.1 °F). We recommend

bringing good winter clothes since it can get

very cold during this season.

Summer is generally hot and humid, but very

hot days are rare, with an August average of

25.3 °C (77.5 °F). Due to its proximity to the

coast and being on a peninsula, it experiences

a one-month delayed spring compared to

most inland areas of China.

Here you can see the average temperatures for

Qingdao city during the year.

TRANSPORTATION

BUSES

The bus is the most common way for the locals

to get around. It costs 1 RMB usually, but fare

in an air-conditioned bus is 2 RMB. There are

lots of buses, pretty much everywhere there

probably will be a bus stop nearby. At rush

hour, they can get pretty crowded so maybe

there are no sits available so you have to

stand.

In Google maps you can check which bus you

can take if you introduce the initial address

and the destination and you press the option

“public transportation”.

Liv

ing

in Q

ing

dao

TAXIS

There are two kinds of taxis: cheap and

plentiful. The fare starts at RMB 9 (for the

cheap ones) and at RMB 12 for the largest

ones. If you want to take a taxi inside the

company’s district (Laoshan) would cost

around 9-10 RMB. Going from Laoshan to

the center would be around 20-25 RMB. It

is pretty common for foreigners to use it,

especially if you live in the outskirts of the

city because they are very cheap compared

to taxi’ prices in other countries. There are

always taxis going around but if you don’t

find any because it is rush hour or it is late

we recommend you to go to the main and

bigger streets and wait for one. You must

know where you want to go and have it

written in case they do not understand

you, which is very possible.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

These days are for guidance, but could undergo small changes by the company.

FESTIVAL DATES

New Year's Day Jan. 1

Spring Festival Subject to

lunation (February)

Qingming Apr. 4 or 5

May Day May 1

Dragon Boat 5th of 5th

lunar month

Mid-Autumn Day Aug. 15 of

lunar calendar

National Day Oct. 1

LAOSHAN DISTRICT

This is the map of the company district: Laoshan. You can see the main services that are offered

around it.

Liv

ing

in

Qin

gd

ao

LAUNDRY SERVICES 洗衣

In this link you can also see where other laundry services are placed in other districts:

http://www.qingdaochinaguide.com/listings/service/fornet-laundry-service.html

INTERESTING LINKS

QINGDAO INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CENTER

http://qingdaocommunitycentre.com

My REDSTAR MAGAZINE

The main pages for events in Qingdao. They edit

the Qingdao magazine with updated information

about leisure activities, food, sightseeing,

transportation, hotels…

http://www.myredstar.com/

QUINGDAO EXPAT GROUP

Is a community for expats, by expats. It continues to grow with each

passing year and is currently represented by members, accompanying

spouses and children from 56 countries! They work to create a mutual

understanding of Chinese and Western cultures and also hope to help

new Expats arriving in Qingdao to settle in more comfortably by

frequently organizing events such as balls and dances, dinners, family

oriented Easter and Christmas parties, barbeques and many more events.

http://www.qingdaoexpat.com/

QINGDAO GUIDE

Qingdao China Guide focuses on the attractions, events, festivals, and entertainment that make

Qingdao a great place to work, live, and play. They provide a very exhaustive list of all the different

services you could need in a city: doctors, restaurants, legal services, shops and anything you need.

http://www.qingdaochinaguide.com/