The Gospel of Chinese Visas and Permits
By:Raoul F, Duke
Date: 12 October 2011

Another way to get your Residence Permit is less common (although apparently being seen more often with time), and has a bit more risk for you. However, it generally works fine and is not cause for undue worry. In this scenario, you will get an L (Tourist) Visa, and bring it and the documents your school asks you to bring with you to your destination in China. They will then send you (usually) to Hong Kong to get the Z Visa. From this point on, it's exactly like the first method- your passport will be sent off to finalize your permits and returned to you. You can get a Tourist Visa through any local travel agent in your home country, and that process is quick, easy and cheap compared to a Z Visa. In Hong Kong, there will be visa agencies (China Travel Service was always my personal choice) to help you get the Visa, or you can get it yourself if you really want to spend a day or two in lines in the Chinese Consulate in HK. If your school takes you on this route, they should cover your travel and hotel costs and at least a chunk of your expenses...you're doing all this for them, after all. BEFORE you accept a job like this, get a written agreement that the Permits will be gotten for you on arrival, and that they will cover your costs on the visa trip. If you can't get these assurances up front and in writing, DON'T TAKE THE JOB. But with these things cleared up, you should be fine. The risk I mentioned before takes the form of possibly not having a job when you arrive in China- even if you have a contract. This risk is very real...but also very unlikely to happen to you. The vast 99+% majority of Chinese employers will be happier than you know to have you there.

Taken from: http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/review/index.pl?read=40552

With this, the Middlekingdom stuff I have posted, and my own stuff, it MUST BE END OF STORY!