September 7, 2006
So, can you buy a Lonely Planet China in Shanghai or what?
Earlier this week, we stated that "you can't buy Lonely Planet China in China." A Flickr user in Beijing showed this to be untrue and asked: "Can we start talking about *real* problems now?" OK, here's our real problem: Where in Shanghai can we buy a Lonely Planet China? We have seen Lonely Planet Shanghai on sale here, but never the big one. A couple months ago a friend was embarking on a long trip through the Mainland and he searched all of Shanghai for Lonely Planet's China guidebook. No dice. Was he just unlucky? Was every store in town out of stock? Or are there stores we don't know about?
Some call China's rumored ban on Lonely Planet China (and Beijing and Tibet) an "urban myth." Others have been told of the ban directly from the mouths of employees at Shanghai bookstores. So, what is the real deal? AsiaPundit thinks much of this has to do with Lonely Planet's China map, which depicts Taiwan as a separate country. But wouldn't a Shanghai book include the same map? We don't have one, so we're not sure.
Meanwhile, people are still talking about Lonely Planets being confiscated when they enter the Mainland, but it doesn't seem to be widespread. We highly doubt this would happen at any major port of entry like Shanghai.
Have you seen Lonely Planet China on sale in Shanghai recently? If so, tell us where in a comment.
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I have only seen a cockroach in my kitchen today.
But deriously, maybe you can find them in a dvd-store. That's where you get the... illegal stuff, you know?
well, Amazon would be the easiest way...
but anyway, i'm wodnering are you guys simply eager for the book or just trying to find it exactly in Shanghai?
Top floor in the foreign language book store on Fuzhou Lu. I think I saw it last week.
Even with Amazon, some books are forbiden to be send in China. It's not a solution.
Lonely Planet should have respect the right map and things should have been easier. Why mixing politics and tourism?
Even better, Lonely Planet should include a fold-out booklet of 12 or 13 maps, respecting the geo-political aspirations of any area you might chance to visit.
Joyo.com, Amazon's Chinese partner, doesn't stock it. Even if their English selection pretty much sucks, to me that's a little suspicious.
Oh, really??? will they check the packages from Amazon???
I have purchased many records from Amazon UK, but I have not yet tried to get any presswork.
I've never had any trouble with Amazon -- and have had a few 'banned' books shipped from the US. Customs didn't even open these for inspection. LP is probably under a general ban related to the Taiwan issue -- though enforcement doesn't seem very rigorous. I've had much more sensitive reading matterial on my person at Beijing and Shanghai airports and this has never raised an eyebrow.
Can LP China be found in Shanghai? I saw it being sold from a cart on Changsu Lu once (either pirated or used) but I haven't seen it at any bookstores. I imagine it could probably be found at travel gear shops, which would have different channels for sourcing.
inspecting packages of print material that come into china would be a long and exhaustive process, so with so many middle aged people with nothing to do, pay them 100 RMB per day to walk around to bookstores looking for Lonely Planets and other books that aren't towing the line.
I applaud LP for standing up for what's right, hopefully they change the color of Tibet as well.
I have been in and out of china lots of times with LP china guidebook. Never hassled. Its not banned. Lp produces guides in Chinese now!
Of course you can get it in Shanghai, i've seen it in a bunch of different places, mostly DVD stores, but its going to cost you. Just walk around Wu Jiang lu and you should be able to find it.
Funny how so many foreigners say they can't find it or that they've had it confiscated then a few come out and say "there is no problem, there is no banned material, everything is fine, please put your head back in the sand".
I can provide LP China (Brand New, 9th Edition). Please email me if you need it.
Email: travelfun123@yahoo.com
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I have heard directly from a traveler that had it confiscated in Beijing...
Most likely, like most border crossings, the "law" comes down to how the officials are feeling on that particular day. I have seen a lot of inconsistencies over laws at borders before. Many times it simply depends on the impression you make or even how you are dressed.