Job Discussion Forums

gerard · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 581 Location: Internet Cafe

I know this is trivial and I know I shouldn't smoke but...I am sitting here with 2 packs on the go. One are Ningbo cigs which cost 4Y or 50 cents US a pack. The others are Chunghwas which are 38Y a pack or 5 US bucks. That is a crazy price differential compared to anywhere else. Glad I brought a couple of cartons with me. Anyway I cant tell the difference although the Chungha is a bit easier on the brain. In fact I like them but I dont want to spend 200 US a month or so smoking. I can't quit so I guess my question is are there any middle of the road priced cigs which dont rip your lungs out??? Smoking is pretty cheap in Asia--even Japan--who would have thought in China they would be a real budget issue. My stash is running out fast so I need to make a decision soon. I know I can always get the cheap ones buit I dont want to walk around dizzy all the time... Smokers out there please advise! PS Dont waste your time telling me to quit because I wont.

Seth · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 575 Location: in exile

What part of China are you in? That makes a difference as to the yan selection. North China you can get zhong nan hai, which are 5 y, made in Beijing, although they're lights. South China you can get baisha, made in Changsha, 3y. Camels are everywhere for 7 y.

gerard · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 581 Location: Internet Cafe

Hey---Camels for7Y sounds great but I havent seen a pack of those yet,. Light cigs would be a good call. I am in the Zhejiang (SP) province which borders the Shanghai province to the south. (Although it's pretty damn cold here for all this south talk.)

Seth · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 575 Location: in exile

Gotta be careful with Camels, though, I got a fake pack once in Xi'an.
Zhong nan hai is interesting as they add herbs to the tobacco, come in a light blue and white box. I've never been to that part of China so I don't know if they'd have them there.

whitjohn · Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 124

I searched all over Xian and Kunming for anything menthol with no luck. In Guangzhou I found Salem lights at Y9/pack. I am quitting when I get back to China next week. Always wanted to try the one with the panda on the light green/blue pack...but...

davis · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2003 11:28 am Post subject:

Hilton makes a light that is still stong enough to enjoy. They come in a gold box with blue letters and cost 5 RMB a pack. Hongtashan makes a decent light for about 10 RMB. I think those come in a gold box also.

xiaoyu · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2003 10:34 pm Post subject:

believe it or not you can usually find marlboro lights at some of the shops on the streets (dont' try for them in a regular store or western style hotel as they are ridiculously expensive then) and usually cost 8Y or 10Y..... chunghua and little panda cigs are certainly the best chinese cigs - esp if you can handle smoking the "real" thing (i.e. non lights)..... just be careful that you don't get russian marlboro lights (found often in the north) as they are very very strong!

the weird thing is that i have noticed that marlboros seem to be considered extremely bad for your health by the chinese which can make them cheaper.... if you smoke a lot you can usually ask a shopowner if they can get them for you (whatever brand you like) and buy them thru them.... while it can cost a few Y more it is worth it if you are having a hard time finding light cigs....

also if you don't like charcoal filtered lights be careful with most chinese light cigs as they are usually charcoal filtered....

you could try stone wolf too, it is a reg cig but a bit lighter than most ..... have you tried hong he? at bit strong but cheap ....

btw, if anyone is coming back to the states in the next little bit i would do anything! (almost) to get a carton of chonghua or nan hong tai... if you are interested please pm me! Smile

xiaoyu

senor boogie woogie · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2003 6:29 am Post subject:

Hola!

In Hangzhou, one can buy Marlboro Reds, Marlboro Lights, 555, and Camels. I used to smoke, now I am a drinker/smoker guy.

If you cannot find Western smokes, get a pack of Dahongying in a red box. Taste like a Marlboro to me.

SENOR

MyTurnNow · Joined: 19 Mar 2003 Posts: 860 Location: Outer Shanghai

Hi!
I smoked Marlboro regular 100s in the States.
As many have pointed out, you can indeed get Marlboros here. However, there are two big caveats... 1) they are often fake or inferior foreign versions, and 2) from my experience they more typically run from 12 to 25 RMB per pack.

After eliminating a lot of throat-eating or just plain awful brands, I finally settled on YunYan...the ones in the red box, also known as Hong Yun. Not quite a genuine Cowboy-Killer but not bad, and not as rough as most comparable brands.

Theyre available almost everywhere except parts of Hunan province, which very jealously protects its own domestic tobacco industry. Prices usually run 6.5 to 8 RMB a pack...not the cheapest brand but also not in the Premium price league. As with so many other things here, I have seen bootleg copies of YunYan. I recommend buying smokes in a supermarket or trusted store when possible.

Happy hacking,
MT