The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) was established during the Chinese Civil War. It issued the first RMB notes in December 1948, about a year before the Chinese Communist Party defeated the Kuomintang government. The modern-day Chinese yuan uses the abbreviation CNY to distinguish between the mainland currency and other uses of the word. Josh is the founder of TravelChinaCheaper.com who has been living in China with his family since 2006. Over that period of time he has traveled by plane, train, car, motorcycle and even camel to explore almost every corner of the country.
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If someone insists on you paying the small change, you can just give them one yuan and tell them to keep the change instead. The People’s Bank of China has exclusive authority to issue currency. The reverse side of most coins, which range in denominations from 1 fen to 1 renminbi, contains images of historic buildings and the country’s diverse landscape. This initiative aligns with China’s broader economic strategy, including the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to enhance economic cooperation and trade between China and other countries in the region. After familiarizing yourself with the exchange rate with your home currency, it’s pretty easy to tell how much each note is worth. Where things can get tricky are with the mao/jiao notes and coins.
Yuan vs. Renminbi: An Overview
The GlobalBanks editorial team comprises a group of subject-matter experts from across the banking world, including former bankers, analysts, investors, and entrepreneurs. All have in-depth knowledge and experience in various aspects of international banking. In particular, they have expertise in banking for foreigners, non-residents, and both foreign and offshore companies. Below are a few of the most common questions we receive from people looking into what the currency of China is. If you have further questions you would like to ask our team, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
The People’s Bank of China has implemented several security features to help identify genuine notes. In the rare event you do find yourself worried your money is fake, here is how to determine whether or not this is true. By following these tips, you’re pretty well guaranteed to avoid any counterfeit currency finding its way into your wallet. Exchanging money for renminb if actually requires quite a bit of strategy if you want to get the most bang for your buck. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) is responsible for issuing the renminbi and managing the country’s monetary policy. The China Guide is a Beijing-based travel agency that customizes private tours, educational student tours, and incentive trips across China.
The traditional character for yuan is also used in the currencies of other Chinese-speaking regions in the 2020s, including the New Taiwan dollar and the Hong Kong dollar.
The currency is expected to be launched in the near future and is seen as a major step towards creating a more modern and efficient financial system in China.
If you are looking to exchange Iranian rial into Chinese renminbi, it is important to note that Iran does hold the cheapest currency in the world.
It wasn’t until 2005 that the Chinese government began to allow the yuan to float on the foreign exchange market, albeit with strict controls.
In its early years, the yuan was pegged to the US dollar at a fixed exchange rate set by the PBOC.
Technically, though, RMB is the name of the Chinese currency (like US Dollar), while CNY is a unit of that currency (like "bucks" or "dollars").
Exchange Rates API
There’s a lot to cover here, but I promise you it’s not as intimidating as it sounds. I’ve been exchanging US dollars into China’s yuan for over a decade now and it’s always been a positive experience. Travelers to China are often confused by how to refer to Chinese money. In English, some people call it the Chinese "dollar." In Chinese, there are three common names and two symbols in regular use.
We have more than ten years of experience crafting tours for tens of thousands of travelers from the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and beyond. We promise all our tours have no hidden fees, no shopping stops, no touristy restaurants, just memorable experiences! Learn more about forex trading sessions us or contact us to start planning your perfect China trip. Hong Kong's currency is the Hong Kong Dollar and Macau's currency is called the Pataca. Over the past week, the closing price fluctuated between 7.12 and 7.13 yuáns. If you ask an economist, however, they will tell you that these terms are actually somewhat different.
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As of April 2025, the Chinese yuan has fallen to its lowest level vs. the U.S. dollar since 2007 amid an escalating U.S.-China trade war. The character yuan is used for round or circular things in Mandarin Chinese. This word was also used for the silver Spanish dollars introduced by European merchants in the 17th and 18th centuries. You can use both Alipay and WeChat Pay to pay for things you buy at practically any hole-in-the-wall restaurant, taxi cab, movie theater and even cover other expenses like utilities or rent with the apps.
There are 10 jiao in a yuan, like dimes in a dollar, and 10 fen in a jiao. In the event you do receive counterfeit money, I’d take it directly to the nearest police station without starting a fuss with whoever gives it to you. They can easily manage the situation from there, especially if you received the bills from a black market currency dealer outside a bank. When traveling internationally, there’s always the risk of receiving fake currency as you are targeted as an “unbeknownst traveler.” Luckily in China, the risk of getting your hands on fake RMB is really low. Officially, the renminbi (RMB) is the official currency of China, which translates as “the People’s Currency”.
That said, it’s important to note that currency exchange will be much easier to facilitate in larger cities.
Then you could say, “This car costs 10 ounces of gold.” In this example, gold is the currency, and ounce is the unit.
The yuan started to be used in international trade, although it remained tightly controlled by the PBOC.
Commonly used bank notes and coins in China
Because the punishment for distributing fake Chinese yuan is extremely high (in some cases, the death penalty). These strict penalties were established by the Chinese Communist Party to maintain the integrity of the national currency. You may need to get a little cash at the airport kiosk when you land to pay for a taxi, but then you’ll want to pull from an ATM or go to a nearby bank to get the rest of your cash.
In fact, mobile payments have become so common that some merchants no longer keep enough small bills on hand to make change. Chinese paper money comes in denominations of one, five, ten, twenty, fifty and one hundred. The currency of China is referred to as either the Chinese yuan (CNY) or renminbi (RMB). China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China, is responsible for issuing these bank notes and coins. When you check online or visit banks to see the exchange rate for Chinese RMB, you may also see it written out as ¥ or 元, both of which are symbols or the “dollar signs” for RMB. This includes a detailed explanation of what Chinese currency is called as well as the available bank notes and coins.
There are currency exchange booths at most major airports in big cities, so you could bring a small amount of your own currency with you and exchange it at the airport when you arrive. Alternatively, you could exchange money in your home country before getting on the plane. The value of the RMB was tightly controlled during the period of the command economy. The PBOC allowed the yuan to trade on international markets as the Chinese economy began opening to the world market, but the floating exchange rate was still tightly controlled.
Approximately 1.376 trillion yuáns (5.5%) of the currency reserves exist in gold reserves. The remainder consists of foreign currencies, special drawing rights in the International Monetary Fund and other reserve positions. As China became one of the world’s preeminent centres of finance and trade in the early 21st century, the renminbi rose as a global currency. In recognition of the renminbi’s elevated status, in November 2015 the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced that the renminbi was to become one of its reserve currencies. Thus, it would join the U.S. dollar, the euro, the British pound sterling, and the Japanese yen as one of the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights currencies used for intergovernmental loans.
一元 is “one yuan.” Why doesn’t my money say 一元?
These names include the official ISO 4217 code CNY and the abbreviated form RMB. To clarify, both CNY and RMB refer to the same currency, the Chinese renminbi. That said, China imposes strict currency controls on the currency domestically, which can result in renminbi trading at a different price inside and outside of the country. For this reason, traders often use the abbreviation CNH in order to refer to the price of renminbi outside of the country. Importantly, if you are attempting to use foreign currency in China, the exchange rate that you will receive directly from vendors will not be in your favor. Instead, you should expect to pay a significant premium on the exchange rate that you would receive from a licensed currency exchange shop.
In its early years, the yuan was pegged to the US dollar at a fixed exchange rate set by the PBOC. This meant that the value of the yuan was directly tied to the value of the US dollar, and it was not allowed to fluctuate freely on the foreign exchange market. This pegging helped stabilize the Chinese economy during a period of significant change and development. The Chinese yuan, also known as the renminbi (RMB), has a rich history that dates back to the early 20th century.
The currency allowed the new administration to unify the Chinese economy, which was then divided among several regional currencies. It also distinguished the new administration from the previous government, whose policies had led to high levels of hyperinflation. Should you receive fake notes in a taxi, ask for your receipt and also take note of the driver’s license plate before going your separate ways. Both pieces of information can help the police deal justice on your behalf. Each mao or jiao (these words are used interchangeably) is worth 1/10th of 1 RMB. How Chinese use mao or jiao in spoken conversation is similar to how you communicate cents in USD.
The midpoint might also be adjusted based on undefined countercyclical factors at times. The renminbi, introduced in 1948, is abbreviated as RMB but it is not an official currency code. Markets located in Hong Kong that trade the Chinese currency at free-floating rates use another unofficial code – CNH. The RMB acts as one of the most-held reserve currencies in the world, while being the eighth most-traded currency globally.
