Travelling to rural areas - PSB registration?

[joshuawbb]

Hello everyone again,

I should first say what I often say at the beginning of topics, that I'm sorry for being almost totally away from the forum for a long time. I guess it's the way I am lately, getting absorbed in study to the point where I use the internet very little. I have some topics unreplied to and I will get to them, really.

I have a quick question or two, sorry to be a nuisance with so many PSB-related things. A friend of mine invited me to visit her rural hometown this Spring Festival, for a friendly visit and to show me around a bit of rural China. By rural, I mean rural rural - a very poor community on the top of a mountain, several hours from large supermarkets and other communities. I thought this would be an opportunity I wouldn't get again to visit somewhere I would otherwise never find, and to see real rural areas with my own eyes after being in cities most of the time. I will be staying just for a few days, currently deciding on the dates.

My question is about the police registration - given the situation, should I go and register with them upon arrival? My point with this is that it is a rather remote area, and though this matter is very simple with normal travel, i.e. going to Hainan on holiday like I did in summer, I can't imagine this being an easy task given the area and the fact that it may trouble the people in the hometown to go through this process. Added to that, I have no idea if there will even be a police station in the town, if anything it might be a one or two man station.

I have my resident permit (the passport one) and live in an apartment in Xiamen, studying at Xiamen University. I have been since summer 09. Do I honestly need to re-register myself on every visit or move I make around China? Given the potential hassle, can I just visit there and leave out the registration?

Secondly and lastly, I'd like to clarify something. When getting my latest resident permit (passport) back in September last year, I handed in my temporary registration certificate (the paper one with your address and details) like anyone does. However I did not get it back when I received my passport resident permit. Now I've been through this process before and thought I got it back last time. Being careful, I went in and asked about it, and the PSB officer said that it was totally normal, that the PSB will retain the certificate, and that it was nothing to worry about. I asked my girlfriend to go in too and ask the same, and she came out with the same answer.

So my last question is - is this okay to not have the temporary residence registration slip? When I go travelling, should this be okay, or should I go and get a replacement just in case?

I know I've been away for a long time so it's not awfully polite of me to come back with a question, but thanks to everyone for reading.

[roddy]

Do I honestly need to re-register myself on every visit or move I make around China? Given the potential hassle, can I just visit there and leave out the registration?

Technically yes, probably yes, respectively. In this case I'd probably mention to your friend that there is this 手续 that should be taken care of, but if it's too much hassle you can ignore it - let her decide. I'd imagine in rural areas the local police are more likely to pop round to say hello to the new foreigner than worry too much about registration. Assuming there aren't any other foreigners on their patch, it's entirely possible they don't even know about the rules.

As for the PSB keeping the slip - haven't heard of it happening, but who knows. The only time you're likely to be asked for it is a) if the local police are checking up on foreigners, in which case tell them the PSB kept it, or B) if you're renewing a visa in which case tell them they've got it. I suspect the local police station will print off a new one if asked.

We forgive your absence, but look forward to your travelogue report on your Chinese New Year trip. With photos.

[imron]

I have stayed in rural rural areas before (funnily enough, also a poor village at the top of a mountain, of which I'm sure there are plenty in China). Never bothered with the registration and I would guess that it's extremely unlikely you'll be hassled about it either. If you are pro-active however, there is a very real chance that the police will decide it's too rural rural for a foreigner and they will say you can't stay - and then you're in a bit of a pickle. So, given that it's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission, I'd not bother and then deal with the problem if it turns up.

A friend of mine invited me to visit her rural hometown this Spring Festival,

Being careful, I went in and asked about it, and the PSB officer said that it was totally normal, that the PSB will retain the certificate, and that it was nothing to worry about. I asked my girlfriend to go in too and ask the same, and she came out with the same answer.

On a slightly separate note, just wondering if this friend and your girlfriend are one and the same person? If not, have you considered the cultural implications of visiting the home of a female friend, especially during spring festival, and especially in rural areas (where people are typically far more traditional/conservative than cities)?

[anonymoose]

If it's that traditional and remote a place, then bringing a foreign boy home is like bringing a talking dog or something - a great source of amusement, but since it doesn't consistute a real human, anything else probably wouldn't even enter their heads.

[roddy]

Unless she's specifically told people she's bringing her boyfriend home, in which case it could be wedding photos we see. Although if I remember correctly, our Joshua's girlfriend is from the city.

[imron]

a great source of amusement, but since it doesn't consistute a real human, anything else probably wouldn't even enter their heads.

It's not just their heads he has to worry about though, there's also that of his girlfriend (who may or may not be the friend he is visiting - the original post was a little unclear on the matter).

Anyway, it might not be an issue at all, I'm just saying it's worth being mindful of the perception the Chinese people involved in the situation will have, and that it might be very different from the perception he might have of the situation.

[Brandon263]

If it's that traditional and remote a place, then bringing a foreign boy home is like bringing a talking dog or something - a great source of amusement, but since it doesn't consistute a real human, anything else probably wouldn't even enter their heads

呵呵，anonymoose 你太坏了：-）You're probably right, though. I visited a Taoist monastery when I was hiking around 虎跳峡 with a friend and the monks started touching my hair and skin and generally being 目瞪口呆 that I could say ”你好“. I really did feel like how I imagine animals in a petting zoo must feel like.

Like anonymoose says, though, they were probably too dumbstruck (or embarrassed to ask a foreigner who had shown respect for Chinese culture by learning Chinese and touring around)to ask what I was doing hiking around China with a Chinese (well Chinese-American but she passes for Chinese) girl.

[imron]

Touring around China is one thing, visiting the home and parents of someone of the opposite sex who is single is something else entirely. In some parts of China (at the least more northern parts where I spent most of my time), this would more or less only happen when a couple are in a relationship and have basically decided (either explicitly or implicitly) that they'll be getting married. This is doubly true if bringing someone home during Spring Festival, which is all about families coming together.

Now it could well be that the friend in question is not single, or it could be that she is his girlfriend and he doesn't mind if this is the impression they get, or there could be some other circumstances that we're not aware of. All I'm saying is he should be mindful of the impression he might be giving off. Otherwise he might find himself spending an awkward Spring Festival with the more tactful of the girl's relatives talking about how beautiful and intelligent 混血儿 children are, and the more direct ones asking if they've set a date yet - and then there's the even more awkwards situation of trying to explain everything to the actual girlfriend upon return.

[Brandon263]

He might find himself spending an awkward Spring Festival with the more tactful of the girl's relatives talking about how beautiful and intelligent 混血儿 children are, and the more direct ones asking if they've set a date yet

LOL. Great point; I'm sure joshuawbb and his Chinese friend must be aware of the cultural sensitivities that they must take into account on such a visit, though.

And what people think about two people of the opposite sex visiting each other's 家乡 probably depends on where you go and who you deal with, so you can't really assume everyone will think they're in a serious relationship -- speaking from personal experience again, though a slightly different situation, the librarian at our university won't allow my friend and I to book private study space because she's a woman, but the 阿姨 who is in charge of my dorm allows her to visit my room.

My point is, as you (imron) suggest, we aren't aware of the full circumstances surrounding the visit, so joshuawbb is probably in a better position to consider (and probably has considered, having lived in China since 09 and having a Chinese girlfriend) what precautions he should take on the trip.

[Yang Rui]

joshuawbb is probably in a better position to consider ... what precautions he should take on the trip

If I was joshua and I didn't want to upset my girlfriend, I would avoid "taking precautions" with me on the trip.

[jbradfor]

@joshuawbb, just don't do anything we wouldn't do, OK?

[joshuawbb]

Wow, thanks everyone for so many responses! I certainly know everything I need to now. Thanks everyone again.

I should say first that I missed out a rather important detail in my first post, since I wrote it somewhat in haste. My Chinese girlfriend and I were together since before I came to China, but for reasons relating to the future (finances, marriage, etc), not to do with any falling out, we broke up late last year. We're still very close friends. And naturally, if we were still in a relationship, it would be far too unusual for me to go off with a friend to her hometown - I'd never do that. Going to this place was an opportunity really - certainly not any sort of post-breakup statement, and thinking that it would be a good opportunity to visit somewhere I'd never be able to otherwise, I accepted the invitation. The friend I'm going with is indeed a friend though, and I was invited by both her and some of her family as a kind gesture.

Sorry again for leaving out that detail and confusing things, I mentioned girlfriend in my previous post as I was writing in haste, and without realising the confusion it would cause, I thought it overcomplicate the post to include the above. Oh, and one more detail I missed - for clarification, the place I'll be going to is in a mountainous area several hours outside Wuhan.

I think I'll let her know about the formality as suggested, and only do it if it seems really easy to do. If not, I'll probably leave it - and as Imron said, I also heard a story or two about the PSB deciding that an area wasn't safe enough for a foreigner to stay - was it written here? I can't remember. I'll only be there for a few days, so hopefully it won't be a hassle. As for the temporary registration slip being retained by the PSB, I thought it was strange too but to be honest, I don't think much is strange anymore with PSB formalities. I can go down my police station and ask them for another one if they don't mind.

The two of us are level-headed on the purpose of the trip, as well as the cultural implications of a female bringing back a male at Spring Festival in particular - I know that very well, especially from my own experience back in 2009. But we're quite clear that the trip is a friendly visit, especially because in my friend's hometown there will be hundreds of people celebrating and we'll be visiting several people instead of going directly to her home. However I do understand the impressions I might give, especially travelling with her, so I'll be careful.

Many thanks again everyone, I really appreciate your help.

[thenimblethief]

May I politely ask that one of you kind people act as a chaperone to my son in the event that he gets into any embarassing situation. Someone who is quite used to leaving strange remote villages in the dead of night without being caught by whoever is chasing him.......ha ha!

[anonymoose]

I'm so glad my parents don't use the internet

[Yang Rui]

Someone who is quite used to leaving strange remote villages in the dead of night without being caught by whoever is chasing him

One thing to remember is to pull your pants up before you start running.

[abcdefg]

May I politely ask that one of you kind people act as a chaperone to my son in the event that he gets into any embarassing situation.

PSB formalities should be the least of his concerns. He is going to wind up with some rural Hubei in-laws.

[joshuawbb]

Here in an internet cafe again, with a little time to spare. Thanks again to everyone for helping me out in the other thread regarding studying a BA in China.

To sum things up fairly simply regarding the PSB before I post a full account of my trip to Hubei, I decided not to go and register. It sounded like taking a slight risk, but I didn't feel it would lead to problems and thought that in such a remote area, I can't imagine PSB officers wanting to come contact me. Futhermore, as mentioned by others in this threaad, there was the risk that should I try to register at the PSB, they may decide that the area I plan to stay in is not "suitable", with it being so rural and poor.

My now girlfriend's hometown (I doubt this comes as a surprise to you here that later in the trip we became together) is in a highly mountainous, rural area of Luotian, several hours outside Huanggang City (黄冈), one of the most famous areas in China for education. The village is atop a mountain, and since there is neither a police station nor hospital within 2 to 3 hours of the village by bus, I decided it honestly wasn't worth going all the way to Luotian County to find them. And indeed, I met no problems at all during my stay.

My girlfriend's hometown is pleasant taking into account the scenery and general looks of the area, but is very poor and development of the area for traffic and basic house facilities only began properly in 2009. To put it very lightly, those living there live very hard lives. I wasn't about to make my girlfriend's parents take their housing documentation, Hukou and ID cards all the way to Luotian for a short registration that runs the risk of rejection anyway.

So to sum things up, in the 2 weeks I stayed there, I met no problems regarding this and to be honest, it would have been far more troublesome to try and register. Staying in a hotel once in Wuhan and then Macheng were also trouble-free - being small local hotels they certainly didn't register me, but for staying one night then moving I honestly couldn't imagine this causing any trouble. Back in Xiamen moving apartment this month (and thus re-registering with the police) encouraged no questions of the "where were you during..." sort.

Thanks everyone again, sorry to sound so concretely to-the-point. I'll post a nice and detailed journal of this next time when my internet is sorted out.

[imron]

Glad to hear everything worked out - in more ways than one