Saturday, December 6, 2008

Paper Currency


Once you accept the difference in texture of Chinese paper bills, the next thing to overcome is the denomination, namely the 100 RMB currency (upper left).
The 100 is the only thing which ATMs spit out, and they're used as widely as the US 20. Still, it is hard to get accustomed to carrying dozens of bills with the number "100" in your pocket. 100s are also counterfeited, so you need to watch out for fakes.
You also find 20s, 10s, and 5s, each of which has Chairman Mao pictured on the front. Different illustrations are featured on the back, including the fierce cats pictured on the other side of the 1o. The 1s come in a variety of looks, and the Wu Jiao 5 spot is actually like 50 cents. Taxi drivers do not think it's funny when you mistake the RMB 5 with the Wu Jiao 5. Not at all.

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