NoisebridgeChinaTrip8

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NOISEBRIDGE HACKER TRIP TO CHINA #8
-- Start Date: 3-November-2018, in Beijing
-- End Date: 23-November-2018, in Shenzhen

Trip #4 Welcome to China!, Beijing
Trip #3 Kung Fu Hacking: Hackers In Residence Kickoff event at Tsinghua University, Beijing
Trip #2 Visit to Petrochemical Univeristy, Beijing
Trip #1 Jingshan Park, Beijing
Trip #5 Visit to Seeed Studio's factory, Shenzhen
Trip #5 Presentations at Zhengzhou High School #2, Zhengzhou



      The start and end dates and cities for this year's Hacker Trip To China are now set!
            Start: 3-November-2018, in Beijing
            End: 23-November-2018, in Shenzhen

If you want to be part of this years Hacker Trip To China,
                                                                            it is time to purchase your plane tickets!

It is also time to book your hotel in Beijing!
Please email Mitch for details:
       mitch *AT* CornfieldElectronics *DOT* com

Previous Hacker Trips To China

This will be the 8th Noisebridge Hacker Trip To China.
(Though the start and end dates are now set, and the start and end cities are now set, the rest of the itinerary is only an outline and open to change.)


In previous years' Hacker Trips To China, we've visited cities that currently have a hackerspace, visited my manufacturer, Seeed Studio, and other manufacturers. We also visited Tsinghua University, considered the most prestigious university in China, and other schools -- all of which have now started hackerspaces. China continues to explode with hackerspaces! We also went to the International Exhibition of Inventions Kunshan (IEIK 2014), near Shanghai. We've also gone to Maker Faires and similar events in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. And everywhere we went, we were shown around by local geeks, to see what they thought was interesting where they live.
Wherever we went, those of us interested gave talks, presentations, workshops, and demos. In 2017 we gave presentations at: Maker Bay and Dim Sum Labs in Hong Kong; at HAX, x.Factory, and Lab0x0 in Shenzhen; at Niba Makerspace and for the mayor of Xi'an in Xi'an; at Tsinghua University's iCenter and Beijing LUG in Beijing, and at DFRobot (an open hardware company in Shanghai), Mushroom Cloud, and XinCheJian hackerspcae in Shanghai.
You can see info from the previous Trips:
Hacker Trip To China 2009
Hacker Trip To China 2011
Hacker Trip To China 2013
Hacker Trip To China 2014
Hacker Trip To China 2015
Hacker Trip To China 2016
Hacker Trip To China 2017
-- Mitch.

This year's Hacker Trip To China

When: 3-Nov in Beijing
                  through
            23-Nov in Shenzhen.

Flight, transportation, and hotel Info: It is up to each person to book your own air fare to meet in our starting city, Beijing, on 3-November (which probably means leaving your home on 2-November), and to fly home from our ending city, Shenzhen, on 23-November. (Of course, you can decide to come before or after our start date, and leave before or after our end date -- you are free to come and go as you please -- some of us will spend a few days in Hong Kong after Shenzhen.)

I'll organized the itinerary and the hotels and other transport. I'll pay in advance for some of this, and you can pay me back when we're in China.


Where: In each of the cities we will go to, we'll visit some of their local hackerspace(s), and will be shown around by local geeks to see what interests them where they live. We'll also have plenty of time to do "normal" (and spectacular) tourist things too!

NOTE THAT THE INFO BELOW IS ONLY A BRIEF POSSIBLE OUTLINE:
Here's some possible places we might visit, leaving plenty of room for the serendipity that makes our Hacker Trip To China truly unique and memorable:

  • We will start our trip by meeting in Beijing where we may visit Beijing Makerspace, and other hackerspaces. We'll also visit Tsinghua University, where they built the "world's largest hackerspace" in 2015 (called the "iCenter"), and where I've been hacker in residence. Beijing has lots and lots of way amazing stuff to visit and be a part of!
  • We will probably next go to Xi'an, where we will be shown some of the extensive activity to encourage "innovation" there. We can give presentations at Niba Makerspace, where lots of way cool and interesting things are happening. Our hosts will also show us lots of local arts and cultural activities, as well as give us a tour of the 10,000 Terracotta Warriors.
  • We may go to Chengdu from there, home of the panda bears, as well as another new Chinese "innovation" hub.
  • We may then visit Shanghai. In Shanghai we will visit my manufacturer (Etonnet) that I have used for TV-B-Gone remote controls and NeuroDreamer sleep masks, where we will all get to see how products are made, from start to finish, learning how manufacturing works. We will also visit XinCheJian hackerspace in Shanghai, the coolest hackerspace in all of China. We can also visit companies started by hardware hacker geeks, such as DFRobot. We can also visit the Shanghai electronics mall (a smaller version of the famous electronics mall we will later visit in Shenzhen).
  • We'll finish our Trip in Shenzhen, where we can visit Chaihuo Makerspace, SZDIY hackerspace, and a few other hackerspaces, some of which are real, and hundreds of which are new over-the-top bizarre government-started places where they want to create "the next Apple" (we won't visit them all!). We can visit x.factory while we are in town, an interesting mix of hackerspace and incubator, where we can organize a Bring-A-Hack event, where anyone of us (for those who want to), along with the general public, can show off our projects. We will also visit Seeed Studio - the open source hardware company - to meet the cool folks there and to see their manufacturing facilities. We may meet with the founders of Dangerous Prototypes - another open source hardware company. We'll also visit other manufacturers, to see where all the things we use in our daily lives come from (such as springs, cables, PCBs, packaging, etc., etc.). We can also visit Dorabot, a Chinese robotics company comprised of people in the Shenzhen hackerspace scene. We may also visit HAX, the first and biggest hardware accelerator (and where I'm a mentor) -- those who wanted to gave presentations at HAX last year. Of course, we'll also visit the famous (and totally awesome!) Huaqiangbei electronics market in Shenzhen (where, we may again be shown around by famous hackers who really know the place well). If the timing works out, we will go to the Shenzhen Maker Faire.

For most of us, our trip will end at the end of three weeks, as many people on our trip will fly home from our last city, Shenzhen, on 23-November. But, since Hong Kong is just over the border from mainland China, some of us will go there to fly home (since it is cheaper, and since Hong Kong is a way cool city).

Of course, everyone is free to arrive and leave whenever you like for the Hacker Trip To China.


Cost: For the Hacker Trip To China 2017, I paid $2,656 total (for 4 weeks, since I stayed longer than the Trip), including air fare from SF, food, lodging, transportation, a new smart phone, a bunch of new clothing, and everything.
As in past years, part of this year's trip may be paid for by Tsinghua University, our hosts in Xi'an, and other hosts that invite us to give presentations.


#hashtag: #httc2018      (Hacker Trip To China 2018)



Itinerary outline for Hacker Trip to China 8

The start and end dates are set, the start and end cities are set, but the rest of the itinerary is open to serendipity:

2-November-2018 -- Leave home for Beijing (arrive in Beijing on 3-November)
3-November to 9-November (Sat - Fri) -- Beijing
We all meet in Beijing on 3-November -- hotel:  various -- in an around Hyde Courtyard Hotel
3-November, 8pm:  Group dinner
5-November, 11am:  Lunch, and Bring A Hack at Moonshot Acadamy at The Affiliated High School of Peking University
5-November, 5pm:  visit and presentations at GAEA (gaming company)
?-November, morning:  visit iCenter at Tsinghua University
6-November, 4pm-6pm:  tea tasting with Bella, a core member of Tsinghua Tea Culture Association
?-November, afternoon:  lunch at Speakeasy, and vist/tour of Caochangdi and 798 arts district
9-November, 2:00pm - 6:20pm -- G87 train Beijing West to Xi'an North
9-November to 13-November (Fri - Tues) -- Xi'an
hotel:  chosen by our Xi'an hosts
13-November, 2:40pm - 6:25pm -- G1975 train Xi'an North to Chengdu East
13-November to 15-November (Tues - Thurs) -- Chengdu
hotel:  various -- in an around MoreLove Theme Apartment Hotel
14-November, ?:  cultural and food tour
14-November, ?:  event at school with Arduino workshop, presentations and demos
15-November, 10:57am - 10:25pm -- G1976 train Chengdu East to Shanghai Hongqiao
15-November to 18-November (Thurs - Sun) -- Shanghai
hotel:  Le Tour Traveler's Rest Youth Hostel
16-November, morning:  visit Etonnet/Yagr (Mitch's manufacturer)
18-November, 2:10pm - 10:06pm -- G99 train Shanghai Hongqiao to Shenzhen North
18-November to 23-November (Sun - Fri) -- Shenzhen 
hotel:  Jinjiang Inn Style
?-November, morning - evening:  Seeed Studio and factory tours
?-November, evening:  Bring-a-Hack at x.factory
?-November, morning:  Huaqiangbei electronics market tours
?-November, evening:  presentations at HAX
?-November, ?:  Product Life Cycle class at Innovate Shenzhen
21-November, morning-afternoon:  Tech Mixer and visit to Troublemakers hackerspace (startup discussions)
?-November, ?: visit Makeblock (open hardware robotics parts and modules company)
?-November, ?: visit Dorabot (open hardware robot making company)
23-November -- fly home (arrive NA or EU on same day)

After Shenzhen some people may go to Hong Kong for a few days 

Very Useful Guide about Internet, Phones, Translation, and Navigation

Here is a very useful guide about internet in China, phones in China, translating Chinese, and navigation in China! This was written in 2017, and should all still be relevant for this year.

Hong Kong Guide

Hong Kong Guide






Photos from Hacker Trip To China 2017

Mitch's photos from Hong Kong, Oct-2017
Mitch's photos from Shenzhen, Oct-2017
Mitch's photos from Xi'an, Oct-2017
Mitch's photos from Beijing, Oct-2017
Mitch's photos from Shanghai, Oct-2017
Mitch's photos from Beijing Set 2, Oct-2017

Mitch's photos for HTTC 2017 all in one place






Photos from Hacker Trip To China 2016

Mitch's photos from Shanghai, Oct-2016
Mitch's photos from Zhengzhou, Oct-2016
Mitch's photos from Shenzhen, Oct-2016
Mitch's photos from Beijing, Oct-2016
Mitch's photos from Hangzhou, Oct-2016
Mitch's photos from Beijing Set 2, Oct-2016

Mitch's photos for HTTC 2016 all in one place





Photos from Hacker Trip to China 2015

Mitch's photos from Hong Kong, Oct-2015
Mitch's photos from Shenzhen, Oct-2015
Mitch's photos from Shanghai, Oct-2015
Mitch's photos from Beijing, Oct-2015
Mitch's photos from YiWu & Hangzhou, Oct-2015
Mitch's photos from Beijing Set 2, Oct-2015
Mitch's photos from Shanghai & Suzhou, Oct-2015

Mitch's photos for HTTC 2015 all in one place


Dave's photos


Blake's photos:


Torrey's photos from Hong Kong
Torrey's photos from Shenzhen
Torrey's photos from Beijing
Torrey's photos from Shanghai





Photos from Hacker Trip to China 2014

Mitch's photos from Beijing, Nov-2014
Mitch's photos from Shanghai, Nov-2014
Mitch's photos from Shenzhen, Nov-2014
Mitch's photos from Kunshan, Nov-2014
Mitch's photos from Shanghai (2), Nov-2014
Mitch's photos from Beijing (2), Nov-2014
Mitch's photos from Tianjin, Nov-2014
Mitch's photos from Beijing (3), Nov-2014
Mitch's photos from Singapore, Dec-2014

Mitch's photos for HTTC 2014 all in one place





You will Need a Chinese Visa!!

To go to China, you needed to get a visa!

Everyone should get a multiple-entry Tourist L visa (if you only get a single-entry visa, you'll be fine, but you won't have as many options, such as going in and out of Shenzhen to Hong Kong).

  • And to get a visa, you need to have a passport that is valid at least 12 months after you planned to fly away from China (so, e.g., if you are leaving China on 23-November-2018, then your passport needs to be valid through 22-November-2019). Your passport must also have at least one entirely blank page.
  • You also need:
    • a printout of a filled-out Visa Application Form V. 2013 of the People's Republic of China. (If you like, please email me, and I can reply with my filled out visa form from 2015, so you have an example to follow).
    • a copy of the information pages of your passport.
    • a copy of your most recent Chinese visa (if you have been to China before).
    • one 2"x2" recent color photo (not a printout).
    • a screenshot or printout of hotel reservation confirmation (I'll email this to you when I have this).
    • a copy of your airline tickets (both to and from China).
  • For US citizens, the visa cost $140 (but it is much cheaper for other nationalities). Starting in 2015, US citizens can get a multiple-entry visa, good for 10 years (even though there is no option for this on the visa form). We should all apply for a Tourist L visa.

You can pay the fee by Visa, MasterCard, Money Order, Cashier's Check or Company Check. Cash or Personal checks are not acceptable.

To get a visa, you can go to your local Chinese consulate. No appointment is required. You go in one day, and it will be ready for pick up 4 business days later. My experience is that it takes about an hour the first day, and takes only a few minutes to pick up the visa a few days later. (2 to 3 business-day and 1 business day/same-day express service is available for $20 or $30.)

NOTE: The Chinese consulates are all closed for Chinese holidays! Please check the dates! For 2018 these dates are: 1-January, 15-January, 15-16 February, 28-May, 19-June, 4-July, 3-September, 1-October, 8-October, 12-November, 22-23 November, and 24-25-December:
2018 San Francisco Chinese Consulate Holiday Schedule

(Citizens of US and Europe do not need a separate visa for Hong Kong.)

Previous Noisebridge China Trips

If you're curious about the previous Noisebridge China Trips, they have their own wiki pages:
Hacker Trip To China 2009
          That first Noisebridge China Trip was inspired by Bunny Huang's "geek tour".
Hacker Trip To China 2009
Hacker Trip To China 2011
Hacker Trip to China 2013
Hacker Trip to China 2014
Hacker Trip to China 2015
Hacker Trip to China 2016
Hacker Trip to China 2017


-- Mitch.

People interested in going on the Hacker Trip to China #8, 2018:

Below is a list of people interested in going on next year's Hacker Trip To China.
       If you are interested in joining this year's Trip, please enter your name in the table.
PLEASE EMAIL ME after you enter your name in the table.
       mitch *AT* CornfieldElectronics *DOT* com

You do not need to be a member of Noisebridge to go on this trip!

Please email me if you have any questions, or if you would like to meet up with us on the trip:
       mitch *AT* CornfieldElectronics *DOT* com

The trip is limited to 20 people total (including Mitch)
       -- the first 19 people (after Mitch) who are either there already, or who bought tickets to meet in Beijing (our Trip's starting city)
           on or before 3-November-2018, are the people who are in this Trip.
           (This probably means flying away from your home airport on or before 2-November-2018.)

Note: Many people have gotten good deals on their plane fares (including me) with the help of my friend Vlad at:
       Flystein
Feel free to email me, and I'll send your email to Vlad, who will be happy to help you with your flights.


Name Purchased flight? Flight info
1 Mitch Altman (Noisebridge, San Francisco, USA) YES Arrive: 27-Oct, 2:20pm, UA888 SFO-PEK
2 Paul Hamilton [1](SW Makers, Australia) YES Arrive: 25th Oct, 2:40pm
3 Diane Hamilton [2](SW Makers, Australia) YES Arrive: 25th Oct, 2:40pm
4 Marlus Araujo [3](Rio de Janeiro, Brasil) YES Arrive: 3rd Nov, 11:40am
5 Pawel Ngei (Global Innovation Gathering, Poland) YES Arrive: 27th Oct, 11:55am
6 Star (Global Innovation Gathering, Poland / Kenya) YES Arrive: 27th Oct, 11:55am
7 Leandra Tejedor YES Arrive: 2-Nov, 7:25pm (leaves Nov 15)
8 Pan (Limassol Hackerspace, Cyprus) YES Arrive: 29-Oct
9 Noah O'Donoghue YES Arrive: 2018-10-27 11:35PM MU2570
10 Michal Stefanow[4] (email@genesis.re, UK, Poland) YES Arrive: 3rd Nov 9:50am, SU 0204 from SVO. Rented room with 2 beds in Courtyard Hotel 3-9th Nov, happy to split the cost (same price for 1 or 2 people)
11 Jonathan Hefter YES Arrive: 29-Oct, 2:35pm, HU7148 CTU-PEK
12 Yana - Foreign Eye YES Arrive: November 3rd
13 Felix (Germany) YES Arrive: November 3rd
14 Max (Germany)

       -- PLEASE EMAIL ME

YES Arrive: November 3rd
15 Nicole Borgaard (Noisebridge, San Francisco) YES Arrive: 3-Nov 3:30pm SFO-PEK (with Michael)
16 Michael Micheletti (Noisebridge, San Francisco) YES Arrive: 3-Nov 3:30pm SFO-PEK (with Nicole)
17 Pushp Bajaj[5] (Bangalore, India) YES Arrive: 3rd Nov Guangzhou- Beijing
18 Luke Iseman[6] (Oakland, CA) YES Arrive: 3-Nov 3:30pm SFO-PEK
19 Susie Kay no Arrive: Will know soon...
20 Jonas S Karlsson yes Arrive: I'll be traveling from HK
21 Kliment yes Arrive: Nov 18. LHR->HKG 16:50
Depart: Nov 23. HKG->LHR 23:55
SZ only
22 Michelle Lai yes Arrive: 2018-11-14 10:10PM China Southern 3595
Shanghai and SZ only
23 Torrey Nommesen (Beijing) NA Arrive: already in china.
Beijing only (maybe)
24 Charles Paul NA Arrive: Live in Hong Kong, but will be in Shenzhen for the Hacker tour.
25 -- -- --
26 T Vishwarath Reddy (Labyrinth Tech, Bangalore) no Arrive: TBD
27 Dimi[7] (Limassol Hackerspace, Cyprus) no Arrive: TBD
28 Keir Winesmith (SFMOMA)

       -- PLEASE EMAIL ME

no Arrive: TBD
29 Jay Mollica (SFMOMA)

       -- PLEASE EMAIL ME

no Arrive: TBD
30 Alex C.

       -- PLEASE EMAIL ME

no Arrive: TBD
31 Dru Nelson (Redwood City) no Arrive: TBD
32 Rita Wu

       -- PLEASE EMAIL ME

no Arrive: TBD
33 Bruno Rafael Aricó

       -- PLEASE EMAIL ME

no Arrive: TBD
34 Eduardo Padilha

       -- PLEASE EMAIL ME

no Arrive: TBD
35 Fernanda Monteiro Lopes

       -- PLEASE EMAIL ME

no Arrive: TBD
36 Gloria Chiang
no Arrive: Already in Beijing
37 Mayank Malik no Arrive: TBD
38 Charles Lehner (Sudo Room) no Arrive: TBD
39 Olivier de Saint-Hubert no Arrive: TBD
40 Martin Bähr

       -- PLEASE EMAIL ME

no Arrive: already in china
41 John Kunnath

       -- PLEASE EMAIL ME

no Arrive: TBD
42 Dan Royer no Arrive: TBD
43 Eitan Rieger no Arrive: TBD
44 Sreejith Mohanan no Arrive: TBD
45 Audrey Lim no Arrive: 15-Nov, 6:35PM, SFO-PVG
Shanghai and SZ (and maybe HK) only
46 Thiago Mendes no Arrive: TBD
47 Adrian Kelly (Noisebridge, San Francisco, USA) YES Arrive: 2-Nov, 11:45pm, MU590 SFO-PVG, MU5186 PVG-PEK
48 Cedric Honnet (Datapaulette hackerspace - Paris, Fr.) not yet Arrive: Hong Kong around Oct 12
Depart: Hong Kong around Oct 30
SZ only
49 your name here no your arrival info here
50 your name here no your arrival info here
51 your name here no your arrival info here
52 your name here no your arrival info here
53 your name here no your arrival info here