SIM cards part one.....

China has two main telecom providers,  China Telecom and Unicom.

To have any chance of doing anything in China, you need a SIM card (phone card).  Why? well without a telephone number you can't, to name but a few:

1. get post delivered*
2. order online
3. pay for many things
4. book taxis
5. book tickets

...and to get a sim card, must be simple, "Yes?"..."No".  As a Chinese national you go to the phone shop, there are usually five shops per hundred meters.  Bring your ID, get your photo taken and matched to a national database, set up a payment plan. That is what the guideleines say should be the case for foreigners too!  It is not.  I turned up with:

1. My passport
2. My Work permit
3. My medical card
4. My Visa
5. My Residence Permit
6. My Chinese bank card

was that enough? No.  All of these cards and permits have been nationally validated, all of them have my picture on them, but as a foreigner, that is not enough.  It appears that I need the ID cards of two Chinese friends.  Why?  They don't know.  Why this only happens here and not in most other cities?  No one knows.  They look at me as if I am mad just because I ask!
"Don't you have enough identification with all the documents I've given you?"
" You need to come back with the ID of two Chinese friends"
Super, another wasted day trip to the city, which became even more embarrassing because as a return of favour I had invited a friend to lunch, and was unable to pay as they did not accept cash, or card, only WeChat or AliPay, both of which require....yes you've guessed it..a SIM card!

*I've not quite worked this one out yet, but in China you put your telephone number on your mail and postal deliverer rings you when your mail is available so you will be in when it arrives.  Something like that!