I will certainly report back with the, hopefully successful, story. Stay tuned...
I will certainly report back with the, hopefully successful, story. Stay tuned...
You can get a Chinese tourist visa in Hong Kong, even if you are not resident. The notice on the Visa office website has not been updated for several years, and I believe it is kept there so that if visas suddenly stopped being issued, the officials can say that there has been no change of policy.
As an American you will pay HK$1100, even if you just get a 30 day single entry. You might be able to get a 6 month multi entry- at least you might as well try to get one - the price will be the same.
Thanks so much for the helpful encouragement. I went to the Visa Office in Wanchai yesterday and not only was the process incredibly smooth, but I was issued a 6 month double entry visa, the maximum that I could request. The question of my being on a tourist visa was never an issue nor was it even mentioned. The rate was exactly as Drumbrake quoted, as is reported on the Ministry's website. The best surprise was that I was fully expecting to pay for expedited service so to ensure that I could receive the visa by Monday, and with standard service the visa will be done precisely then. Overall, a great success.
Thanks to all for the helpful comments!