Safety in Wuhan, China What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?
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Ministry Summary
Ministry Summary in Wuhan, China Breakthroughs? Suggestions? Concerns? On a scale of 1-4 (1 being not at all, 4 being absolutely) how strongly would you recommend another World Race team go to this ministry location & why?
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We didn’t have a host in Wuhan so we were free styling it a lot. This looked like taking note of anywhere we saw crowds of people (usually from the bus), then we’d go back to that area. Basketball courts were an excellent way to meet people. From what I gather, there is a pretty standard “regular crowd” at each location so when new people show up, they’re welcomed. It also helped that my partner was a 6’8 power house that could dunk (always drew a crowd). Nighttime dancing groups are also an easy way to get involved in a community.
We didn’t have a host in Wuhan so we were free styling it a lot. This looked like taking note of anywhere we saw crowds of people (usually from the bus), then we’d go back to that area. Basketball courts were an excellent way to meet people. From what I gather, there is a pretty standard “regular crowd” at each location so when new people show up, they’re welcomed. It also helped that my partner was a 6’8 power house that could dunk (always drew a crowd). Nighttime dancing groups are also an easy way to get involved in a community.
I agree that Wuhan University was a great spot. The campus is beautiful so it’s easy to spend a lot of time there, but the foot traffic is abundant. A lot of tourists go to see the university so there’s a very high likelihood of meeting English speakers there. The crowd was early to mid 20s for the most part so finding common ground was pretty easy. My team met probably 10 people here one day and has been able to keep conversations open with four of them – one of which we gave a bible to and has started reading it. The community is pretty scholastic so you can take a study approach to the Bible but the most common feedback we got was that we were so enthusiastic and joyful (just from interacting with people and having them hang out with us. I recommend future racers go back to the university.
Wuhan University is a great place to make connections. There is a heavy military presence at the gate and when they asked to see our student I.ds we said we were visiting a friend (which we were) and they let us walk right in. There are lots of cool restaurants and courtyards were you can hang out and meet people. Even outside by Donghu Lake (listed as a must see on various tour sites) here is a spot where students love to sit out on the pier and hang out. There is so much going on and the university is an international English speaking school so you meet people from all over the world who you can speak with. We went in May during cherry blossom season and there was a fair going on that we got to walk around and participate in.
Lodging
Lodging in Wuhan, China Where did you stay? What were the accommodations (sleeping arrangements, toilets, showers, etc.)? Cost (per person per night in USD), Contact info.
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If you stay at Goodstay Hostel in Wuhan, you will not regret it! This hostel was perfect! Clean, bright rooms and huge. Potentially a good spot for debrief with a lounge area to give announcements in. There are tons of beautiful parks nearby to meet in and walk to, quaint and cheap restaurants to eat in. There is no kitchen, just a hot water boiler for us to use. The best part is that it’s in budget!!
Food / Meals
Food / Meals in Wuhan, China What did you eat? Where did you get the food? Cost (per person per day in USD)? Contact info (if applicable).
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The blue dot indicates a street market. The food was amazing and you could eat a days worth of food for about 10-15 yuan. We lived a mile down the road but didn’t notice it until the end of our time in Wuhan. As soon as we found it, the whole team started saving meal money to use at the market. I spent 31 yuan and got 6 meals that lasted two days. Far more sustainable than Grocery shopping and it was excellent food.
Transportation
Transportation in Wuhan, China What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.
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Maps.me is excellent, but does not have public transit developed yet for Wuhan. We were able to use Google Maps and that had the transit information we needed, but it was only accessible with a VPN, an unlocked phone with a local SIM, and a lot of patience.
The metro is easily accessible and navigate.
Medical
Medical in Wuhan, China Information on local hospitals / doctors / pharmacies. Where would someone go in a medical emergency? (addresses and contact info).
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Communication
Communication in Wuhan, China Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?
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WeChat is a wonderful app. It’s an entire social platform like how we use Facebook. We used it for any local contacts we made. We shared pictures, posted about what we were doing and used it to invite people and coordinate time together. You need to have WeChat downloaded BEFORE you get to China. You need a confirmation code sent to a phone with service but you can’t register more than one account per phone number. I recommend downloading WeChat stateside since it works anywhere.
Financial
Financial in Wuhan, China Location of banks or ATMs, notes about transaction fees, best places to exchange money, and other money related advice.
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Translators
Translators in Wuhan, China List any local translators – name and contact information, languages spoken
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Wuhan is the international student capital of China. Not making that up, it’s what we were told. There are a lot of universities and colleges in the area so find your way to campus and you can find any number of people that can serve as translators.WeChat also has a translation function but if you don’t have service, you’ll need WiFi. I spoke to most people we messaged in Chinese and they would speak back in English.
Off Days / Fun Activities
Off Days / Fun Activities in Wuhan, China What activities did your team experience? Recommendations? List locations/contact info. Any locations to be avoided? Any extra safety tips for off days?
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Yellow Crane Tower is a beautiful historical site. It’s expensive and misrepresented on the number of websites we used for research. The entry fee is 70 yuan just for access to the park and tower. You can pay up to 140 yuan for various packages and experiences. Once inside, everything costs extra, but they have shows, lots of food, shops, activities (like ringing a small apartment sized bell with a log as a hammer; calligraphy lessons). My wife and I went as our date day so we spent some money and had a great time, but it was definitely expensive.
The Han Show is a MUST!! http://dragone.com/en/shows/the-han-show Tickets were around $30 max, they were very reasonable and this was a cirque du soleil level show. Dancing, high diving, jet skis, culture, it was a beautiful look into the Han dynasty through the talent and skills of the Chinese people.
Other Important Contacts
Other Important Contacts in Wuhan, China Additional ministry opportunities, local pastors, etc. Relationship & follow up suggestions
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Tips
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Additional Info
Additional Info in Wuhan, China Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?
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We got invited to a local church in Wuhan. It’s government regulated so while the message they share is true, they can’t share all of the truth. The wonderful part of this church is that they have an English worship service as 11:30 on Sunday that is facilitated by international students that attend school in the area. The music was great and the spirit was definitely present. I recommend two or three people maximum attend at a time. We went the first time as a team, but when my wife and I went to the English service, we were able to have a lot of conversations that would be difficult/suspicious with more Americans around. If anyone would like to talk more specifically about this church, please email me. John.wuinata@gmail.com