Hello there,
Just want to ask for everyone's opinion here. I'm doing a visa extension starting tomorrow and am planning to visit Dali over the weekend. Preferably, I'd take the overnight train, but that would have to be without my passport. I'd have a receipt of the PSB, a Chinese driver's license and a Dutch identity card to show them. I can buy the train tickets tomorrow before my passport will be at the PSB for a week. What do you reckon, will I be able to board the train? Cheers

You can travel anywhere within mainland China with the receipt provided by the PSB. Having the driver's license as a backup wouldn't be a bad idea.

I do it almost every year, Have never had trouble with the train.

Also if you go by bus, they do not even ask to see a passport.

I have even taken flights with a PSB receipt.

Yes, but to ensure you have no trouble you must get a white receipt with your photo on and tell them the province you intend to travel to.
I think the other receipt is yellow and you may have no problem, but they suggest if you intend to travel, take the white one with a photo. Just ask them for this and they will issue it instead of the yellow one. You'll then be free to take flights, trains, change money in the bank, stay in hotels etc. This will act as your passport would while your visa is being processed. I can confirm all this personally.

In the past I have heard of people travelling to Hong Kong and Macau on a receipt but I believe this is no longer possible.

Thanks for the advice! In that case I'm going to leave my passport at the PSB until I leave the country 3 weeks later!

Regardless of where your passport is, you should always carry a copy of your passport on your person.

Yes, I made a few copies already.

With the YELLOW paper and your photo on it, it's no problem at all to travel anywhere. I was just in September on a 3 week trip with various flights. I was even a few years ago at Karakul Lake which is special zone, requires an additional permit to cross the checkpoint. All no problem at all.

The only morons who give me trouble each time is the Bank of China. They ALWAYS claim it's not possible to use the yellow paper as passport replacement, but in fact it is. So if you need to go to the bank, just insist and refuse to leave until it's resolved. They may need to call Beijing or else to double check, but you can do all your money affairs on the bank with that paper too. Just don't let those plonkers at the bank tell you otherwise.