Two types of support:
The difference between a Chinese guide and Russians, Kazakhs, Armenians and other nationalities working in China
A Chinese guide who speaks English.
Support in “your region”. That is, Chinese guides provide support to groups in specific cities. Then the group follows the route and the guides change.
When choosing a Chinese guide, it is worth paying attention to the fact that Russian is not their native language, so they cannot always express themselves beautifully. They can tell you general information about China, tell you about the features of the area and advise where to buy something. But you should not expect from them a deep excursion into the history of China and long historical lectures - these guides are linguists, not historians. Russian is a very difficult language to learn and Chinese guides do not have a sufficient vocabulary, in addition, it is worth considering the fact that China was closed for 4 years due to the coronavirus pandemic and due to the lack of language practice, many people's level of knowledge of the Russian language has dropped significantly. Guides are restoring their knowledge, but they need time for this.
Chinese guides do not require expenses for housing and transfers, they are cheaper and, as a rule, quite random. There are many Chinese guides, we have especially favorite ones, but they are in great demand. Another unpleasant fact is that there are few Chinese guides who speak Russian, especially in the outback. They have a lot of work. There is no need to try, since they have no competition, a tourist will come and order a guide anyway. Because of this, the work of a Chinese guide leaves much to be desired.
It is worth considering that we and the Chinese are very different in behavior and worldview. The Chinese can easily walk in groups of 30-40 people behind a guide with a flag and enjoy it. Our tourists do not like it that way. Chinese guides will not be able to unite Russian groups, our tourists will simply scatter and run like Brownian motion. The Chinese do not understand what to do with this and why adults behave this way.
Guides are not Chinese, speaking conversational Chinese.
As a rule, constant accompaniment of the group. Tour leader guide. Can tell about the history of China, will definitely tell about the places visited and about the features, will help to solve some everyday problems. Since China is not the guide's native country, he cannot always recommend a good restaurant or a souvenir shop in all the cities on the route. Since the guide has extensive experience living in China, he can advise what dishes to order in a restaurant and what is better not to take. Also, the English-speaking guide and tourists have the same "mentality", so there will be no misunderstandings due to cultural differences. However, since the guide is also a foreigner, unexpected problems may arise when paying by card or app, as well as visiting some places. For example, there are tea houses where you can buy tea through a special app that only a citizen of the PRC can install, or when visiting the Gugong, a Chinese guide with a license is required.
There are few historian guides, you need to book in advance, they are more expensive. Historians may not always be “quick”, they are more thorough, as a rule.
Organizer guides can solve 500 things at once, are more observant, sociable, feel the group and establish excellent contact with all participants.
Also, there are guides who are proficient in the art of the tea ceremony and know how to distinguish good teas, there are excellent calligraphers, Chinese language teachers ... When choosing a guide to accompany you, try to understand what kind of guide is needed.
I understand, you want the best universal option. But, we are all different and it is impossible to find a super guide who has all the skills at the same time.
The main responsibilities of the guide are to accompany the group, try to resolve any issues that arise, help with check-in, ordering food, buying tickets, telling stories about places to visit.
Additional functions - Lectures on the history of China, training in any skill, help with returning tickets, calling a taxi, finding lost things, etc.
We have our own team of guides who can brighten up your trip to China.
Thanks to all partners who trusted us with their groups. Thanks to all participants of tours to China and the time spent together in this amazing country. You are the best!