Research Chinese banks. While in the States, smaller banks may seem attractive due to intimate customer service, but it's best to stay with larger banks in China for two reasons: one, larger banks often have international reputations, and two, larger banks provide a higher likelihood representatives speak English. One of the biggest Chinese banks is the Bank of China---an institution with branches all over the country.
Collect all of your documents and head to the branch office early in the morning. Be prepared to be patient. Opening an account for a foreign national may be time consuming. Be courteous and have copies of all of your pertinent documents---you do not want to surrender any critical document (passport, visa) for an extended period. If possible, bring a Chinese speaker with you to help with communication.
Be prepared to only be qualified for a passbook savings account. These are the most common among foreigners. If possible, bring your cash deposit in a locked envelope. For specific deposit requirements, contact the bank prior to your visit.
Give the banking representative all of your personal information. This includes your name, social security number (some international banks may have access to your data from US systems) and your Chinese address. You must provide a valid address. In some cases if you're working for a Chinese agency, you may provide the address of the company or organization---especially if your income will be coming from this address.
Remember to ask for an ATM card. Chinese society is cash-heavy. You do not want to be saddled with a huge amount of cash at all times---a banking representative should be able to give you a temporary ATM card until your embossed card arrives.
