how to pay tuition?

[qwedsazxc]

I will be attending BNU starting this fall, and will have to pay the tuition when I get there. Should I bring cash or traveler's checks? Do I open a bank account there and then deposit a personal check? What's the best way to handle this? And if anyone knows for sure what payment methods BNU accepts, please let me know. http://www.bnulxsh.com/news/05fallxuzhi-en.htm seems to suggest they only take cash.

Thanks.

[zhwj]

BNU accepts US Dollars or Chinese RMB. Traveler's cheques can be exchanged at nearby banks; opening an account is not a problem, and with an account you can get international wire transfers that can be withdrawn in RMB (there is a fee for making Dollar withdrawals though).

If you bring cash, make sure it's nice and crisp. And if you have traveler's cheques, make sure the signature matches your passport exactly.

[sui.generis]

I use my visa check card at the Bank of China's ATM. I can't imagine a simpler solution. I hate carrying large amounts of cash.

For the record, I'm pretty sure Bank of China is the only mainland bank that American Visa/Mastercard cards work at. I've heard that there's also a Chinese Visa that doesn't work on the same system, and so even if another bank's ATM shows the symbol, it doesn't mean your foreign card will work.