CLIMATE and WEATHER

Here in Beijing, you have four clear seasons. Spring and autumn are short while winter and summer are long. Beijing is usually very hot and rainy in summer and cold in winter. In June, generally what you need to take with are one shirt and one coat. However, the fans and umbrella are essential in summer for it rains much and will be a little hotter than other cities--more or less 30℃, so take more clothes for changing with you.  If you come in autumn, you can visit the Great Wall and some other places, and you can enjoy the red autumnal leaves in the Fragrant Hill.

PASSPORT and VISA

You need both a current passport (at least six months of remaining validity) and a visa to visit mainland China, unless you are a Chinese citizen or have permanent residence status in China.

You may apply for a visa at the Chinese Embassy or at the nearest consulates general. Alternatively, many travel agencies will assist you with the application and some can submit it on your behalf. For detailed information, please contact your local embassy, consulate, or travel agency.

INSURANCE

To protect yourself and your personal belongings while you are traveling in China, please be sure that your insurance coverage is adequate for your journey. You may wish to contact your current insurer and purchase additional medical and travel insurance. As a side benefit, many credit cards also provide some built-in insurance coverage (please check terms and conditions before booking your trip).

ELECTRCITY

Electricity supplies at 220V, 50Hz in China. Dual-voltage electronics can be used without a problem. However, if you have 120V electronics, please be sure to bring a voltage converter or use the 120V outlet in your hotel room (if available). In addition, the electrical outlet configuration will be different from many other countries - please be sure to bring an international plug adapter. Your hotel may have some available at the front desk, if you forget.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE

Before your trip, we recommend that you inform your bank and credit card companies that you will be traveling overseas (listing each country and duration) and verify that you have a working PIN for each card. In China, RMB is the only accepted currency. To receive the most favorable exchange rate, we recommend that you obtain any needed cash from an airport ATM upon arrival, and at any ATM located in a major bank in Beijing.

Alternatively, exchange centers can be found at airports, most hotels, and in large shopping centers. The exchange rate is about US$ 1 = RMB 7.05 (updated to Oct 31, 2019). When exchanging money, please keep your receipt by which you can change any remaining RMB back to foreign currency when leaving China. Visa and Master Card are accepted in many department stores and hotels.

The Bank of China and most hotels will cash traveler’s checks issued by any major foreign bank or financial institution (for which you must show a passport and pay a 0.75 percent commission). Traveler’s checks signed over to a third party cannot be cashed in China, but can be presented for collection through the Bank of China.

The above-mentioned credit cards can pay all on-site conference payments, however, traveler's checks are not acceptable.

RECONFIRMATION OF AIR TICKET

Departure airline ticket (international) needs to be reconfirmed 72 hours prior to departure. You can do this by calling the airline offices. Please note that these offices are not typically open on weekends.

USEFUL NUMBERS

Phone Dialing Code: 010

Emergency Call

Fire: 119

Police: 110

Ambulance: 120

Weather Forecast: 121

Consumers' Complaint: 12315

Comprehensive Information: 12580