I flew from Sydney to Changsha airport on July 3rd 2018. Upon landing, the Immigration officers wanted to know the phone number of the tour company I had booked for the Great Wall of China tour. I looked in my Lonely Planet book for the number, and gave the number to the Immigration officer. As the Immigration officer was talking on the phone, another one came by and started browsing my Lonely Planet book. He stopped at the page where it has a map of China, with little pointers in different areas of China showing the features of that particular area/city, and it had the surrounding countries. The Immigration officer said that the book is Illegal in China as it contains Taiwan as a seperate country, and not part of China. He then told me not to take the book out of China. He did give me the book back. The following day I went to the Australian embassy and handed the book in. Just a word of caution, as this took me off guard!
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There was no need for you to do anything other than keep using the book...
There have been many reports in the past of the China Lonely Planet being confiscated at certain land borders, but stories from airports seem quite rare. "Illegal" is a very vague term in China. The immigration officer was trying to score a political point with you. The worst thing he would have done would have been to take the book away, but as he didn't, you should have just noted it as an anecdote from crazy, authoritarian China, and got on with your business of traveling in the country.
China guidebooks are on display at many hostels in China, and certainly used to be for sale in a few bookshops.
Thanks Giora. Yes, it did seem a little excessive to me. However as a new visitor to the country, and with surrounded with a couple of immigration officers, it was a bit intimidating. I was a bit frightened, so I disposed of it.
I find it strange that you were questioned about your itinerary by the immigration officer. Especially as you were landing in Changsha, and the officer asked you about the Great Wall. I wonder, how did they know you were going to the Great Wall? There is no space to write an itinerary on the arrival card - there is one small line to add your 'address in China' - usually the address of the first hotel you have booked.
I believe that the is LP China edition is sold in China, so I don't think you can say it is illegal.
You can always find a over-zealous public servant anywhere in the world. I never had an immigration officer say a single word to me over the last 10 years +.
There is an Australian embassy in Changsha?
As said you should have just kept the book. Lots of things are frowned upon by the powers up on high, but they still go on in China. It is the way of things.
I have also been questioned much more vigorously when entering China at lesser international airports. At Qingdao's airport everyone also got their luggage fully dissected and inspected. Beijing/Shanghai/Guangzhou might not be your destination of choice, but at least the largest problems with the airports are 'crowded', 'slow', and 'prone to delay'
I was issued the wrong visa to get into China (I was issued a family visa, rather than the tourist visa I had applied for), so therefore the Immigration officer had to check I was a genuine tourist. He asked my itinerary, and I mentioned to him a booked Great Wall tour in Beijing (which was my final destination). He wanted the number of the tour group. I said it's in my lonely planet book, which I took out and gave him the number. It was during the call that another officer was flicking through the book and noticed the map of China and surrounding countries. He then mentioned the book was illegal as it had Taiwan listed as a seperate country. After confirming I was a genuine tourist, they let me go, handed me my book back, and told me not to exit China with the book. It does seem to be an issue in China, in respects to Taiwan being considered part of China, and there have been instances of companies (such as Qantas) being targeted for listing Taiwan on their websites as a seperate country. https://www.afr.com/news/world/asia/chinas-big-brother-targets-foreign-companies-like-qantas-20180627-h11y0w
I would have had the visa status changed as soon as I noticed it was the wrong one. Pays also to check what date they have put for last day of stay permitted.
I get the impression that this OP is ethnic Chinese, perhaps even originally born in China (or Taiwan). This would account for the family visa as well as the special questioning at Entry Immigration.
Here's a complaint about this from 11 years ago:
Chinese officials taking exception to maps not produced by China is nothing new.
It could also be noted that Lonely Planet now publishes Chinese-language guides in China, with their maps officially produced by whatever Chinese government agency is responsible for such things. If you can read Chinese OP, the Chinese-language Lonely Planets (most of them focusing on a single province or region) have far more detailed information than the English-language guide to the country.
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