When I was planning my first trip to Hong Kong, mainland China wasn't part of my itinerary, so I didn't get a Chinese visa beforehand. However, a flight attendant working the trip from Chicago to Hong Kong gave me the low-down on shopping in Schenzhen - a border town on mainland China. Her husband was actually sitting in first class with us; his sole purpose in going on the trip was to shop in Schenzhen. He explained that every conceivable knock-off could be found among the hundreds of tiny shops housed in a five-story mall-like building. The building is next to the train station in Schenzhen and it's an extremely poluted area with thick smog and quite a bit of crime, so one has to watch his or her back. Among the knock-offs are: Prada, Gucci, chloe, Burberry, Luis Vuitton, Rolex, Cartier and Tag Heuer. There are different grades of knock-offs; A, B and C. Grade A and B is made out of genuine leather and is identical to the real McCoy. ( I took this photo of the five shopping levels)

Even if faux name brands are not on your shopping list, going to Schenzhen is worth it for other great finds. There's an abundance of silk and cashmere shops - a beautiful silk scarf costs a pittance. In addition, pearls can be found in any size - white or black - for a fraction of the cost at home.



Bargaining at all of the shops is an absolute must - by 50%. I spent a solid three hours in the building. But, I'll give you a fare warning, it does become exhausting to play the bargain game. The employees of the tiny cubicle-like shops beg each and every Westerner to check out their merchandise. They'll touch your arm and not let go. After awhile, it becomes aggravating. All of the shops virtually sell the same thing, so it comes down to choosing a few select shops that are to your liking. The flight attendant and a few others told me that they only deal with three or four shops where they regularly return. By doing so, it alleviates the hassle of bargaining with too many people.

Before I went to Schenzhen, I got the visa. Of course, the easiest and least expensive way, is to get it in the states, before you leave. My only option was to get it in HK. There are three ways in getting a visa. A) Through your hotel B) Through the travel agency C) At the Chinese Consulate. I chose the consulate. I arrived first thing in the morning with the mandatory photo, filled out the paperwork and it was ready by 1:30 pm on the same day. The visa was only for one entry to the mainland. If you arrive later in the morning, the visa is ready after 3 pm. The same policy with the travel agency, if you arrive upon it's opening at 9am, they will have it ready by 1:30 on the same day, but they charge a fee. Hotels obtain visas through the same travel agency, but it takes longer, usually a couple of days and they charge a fee. If you don't want to waste time doing it yourself, the hotel is the perfect solution.

The consulate is very near the ferry to Macau. So, if you're planning to spend a day in Macau, combine it with going to the consulate first, hand in the paperwork. Upon returning, pick-up the visa.

A visa is not required for Macau. In 1999, the Portuguese gave back Macau to the Chinese.