Quote Originally Posted by euphonius View Post
Having been licensed through the normal legal channels in both Beijing and Shanghai, I have a hard time understanding why anyone would think it necessary to sneak down to Haikou and pay an agent 8800 RMB. While this might be quasi legal, that probably means it's also quasi illegal. What's more, that price of 8800 sure looks like a "dupe the gullible foreigner" price.

A big part of the price of living in China -- and the inherent satisfaction -- is learning how to get things done. Paying bribes to open back channels does not count. As Lao Jia Huo has said, read through this thread and figure it out. Everyone's experience will differ, as the system is not highly standardized across China, and is being implemented by low-rung bureaucrat saps who have little incentive to see you through to success. But, with persistence and bit of good humor and ingenuity, it can be done.

euphonius
This info was given to me by a tour guide company
I'm sharing what I know etc
All comments welcome of course