Keeping Your Money Safe
Prior to your trip to China, or any other country for that matter, you should always make preparations to have a safe place to keep your cash and valuable belongings. Most travelers equip themselves with a secret wallet or a neck pouch. Some secret wallets are designed to be worn around the waist and can be tucked into your pants or shorts, which makes it quite impossible to pick. A neck pouch is less bulky and also very safe, but when getting one, make sure it has a very durable string or strap such that it will not snap too easily when given a forceful tug. It can be worn inside your shirt, preferably with a collar to hide the string.
In China, cash is still the primary form of money and can be used in all sorts of transactions from small to large purchases, accommodation and transportation. It is particularly important to have some cash with you when you are going beyond the big cities into the less affluent areas, since credit cards are not commonplace there.
The Chinese have a very curious eye for foreigners, especially Caucasians who will stand out like a sore thumb anywhere in China. In the more remote areas, every action or gesture you make will be keenly noted and discussed among the locals. It is advisable to dress down as much as you can and refrain from flaunting your wealth in public. Try to wear as little jewelry as possible, and never flash your wads of cash in front of too many people. It may be a good idea to split up your money, keeping a small amount of spending money readily-available in a wallet or pocket, while keeping most of your cash in a secret stash. Assuming a humble and ordinary identity not only reduces your chances of getting robbed, it will also be a great starting point for bargaining.
There is a misconception that China is a lawless country full of crooks and pickpockets, but in fact, it has the lowest capital crime rate in the world. Most parts of China are safe for travel, and foreigners can walk the streets into the wee hours of the morning, without the risk of being hassled. However, crime is more rampant in the major cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou, where there is a great influx of migrants who left their hometowns in search of better opportunities, and many of them end up unemployed, resorting to crime to make ends meet. There is a sizable community of pickpockets and con artists who prowl the streets to prey on unsuspecting victims.
When you travel in the big cities, always avoid going into the back alleys or the seedier sides of town. Make sure your bags are zipped when walking in crowded areas and if you are carrying a backpack, it will be safer to wear it in front of you, even if it does look a little weird. The Chinese are very deft in the skills of pick-pocketing, and they can leave a victim short without arousing the slightest suspicion, usually with the use of shave blades or just by way of plain stealthy hands. However, if you take the necessary theft-proof precautions, it will be absolutely quite impossible to steal anything from you.
Street criminals in China are not confined to pickpockets alone. There are con artists who ply their trade in the cities, looking for innocent and sympathetic victims to prey on. When in China, do not get yourself involved in the affairs of the locals unless truly necessary. For instance, if you noticed a man or woman dropping a wallet, just ignore it and walk on. If you pick it up in the good faith of trying to return it, you will probably find a few people coming from behind, accusing you of being a pickpocket. They will make such a scene with their shoving and acts of intimidation that you will be just pleased to get out of that situation, even if it means you have to part with a certain 'compensation fee', as they are likely to call it. There are various other ways con artists are known to operate, from touting to hypnotism, but the one sure way to keep them at bay is to mind your own affairs, especially in the larger cities.
When you are back in the hotel, try to find yourself a hiding place to keep your money. The safest thing to do is to keep it somewhere around you when you are asleep, either under the pillow or the mattress. Rooms in trendier hotels come with safes that can be activated with your own pin number while many hotels also offer safekeeping services where you can arrange to keep your money with them at the lobby counter. Always check through the peephole on your door before opening it to a visitor, and make sure the door is properly locked at all times.
Other than a few bad eggs, the Chinese people are generally a warm and curious lot of people who welcome foreigners with genuine open-heartedness. The government of China has taken drastic measures to deter criminals from committing crime against the tourists and this has done well to make China one of the safest countries for travel. With due precautions on your part to ensure the safekeeping of your money and valuables, you can be confident that your trip to China will be an enjoyable and memorable experience.