what to do or get before applying for chinese tourist visa?

Ariannie, before you go to the embassy, you should get the listed documents ready: a passport with at least six months' remaining validity and two blank pages, a photocopy of the passport, a filled-out application form pasted with a recent bare-headed color photo, and roundtrip tickets and hotel reservations. If it's your first vist to China, you should also provid financial standing proofs or work certifcate.