I just read a quick article in the Wall Street Journal about changes in visa laws regarding entering China. Currently it is $100 to get a Chinese visa which is valid for multiple entries within 1 year. As visas go, the Chinese visa was the easiest of all for us to get as we had a friend do it on our behalf in San Francisco and were not charged extra fees, nor were we hassled about documents. We were able to sneak through with multiple-entry visas for the same price, but apparently new legislation from China is barring issuance of multiple-entry visas until after the Olympics–potentially a huge expense both for tourists and business-people alike.

As we were able to get through, we technically could come back for the Olympics in August and not pay another $100.. so watch out! We may be posting a new most excellent adventure soon that includes a trip to the Olympics!