BEIJING

Beijing, the capital of China, lies just south of the rim of the Central Asian Steppes and is separated from the Gobi Desert by a green chain of mountains, over which The Great Wall runs. Modern Beijing lies on the site of countless human settlements that date back half a million years. Homo erectus Pekinensis, better known as Peking man was discovered just outside the city in 1929. It is China's second largest city in terms of population and the largest in administrative territory.

The name Beijing - or Northern Capital - is a modern term by Chinese standards. It first became a capital in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), but it experienced its first phase of grandiose city planning in the Yuan Dynasty under the rule of the Mongol emperor, Kublai Khan, who made the city his winter capital in the late 13th century. Little of it remains in today's Beijing. Most of what the visitor sees today dates from either the Ming or later Qing dynasties. Huge concrete tower blocks have mushroomed and construction sites are everywhere. Bicycles are still the main mode of transportation but taxis, cars, and buses jam the city streets.

PASSPORT/VISA CONDITIONS All visitors to Beijing and the People's Republic of China are required to have a valid passport (one that does not expire for at least 6 months after your arrival date in China). A special tourist or business visa is also required.

CUSTOMS Travelers are allowed to bring into China one bottle of alcoholic beverages and two cartons of cigarettes. There is no limit on the amount of foreign currency (although amounts above US$10,000 must be declared on a customs form).

CLIMATE IN BEIJING

Beijing's climate is defined as "continental monsoon." The four seasons are distinctly recognizable. Spring and autumn is the best time to be in Beijing, particularly in the months of April, May, September and October.

Autumn is considered to be the best time to visit Beijing as the skies are clear and the weather is very comfortable. The four seasons are very clear in Beijing with a temperate spring, rainy summer, clear autumn, and a cold, snowy winter. The average temperature throughout the year is 11.80 C. The coldest month is January with an average temperature of -4.60 C and the hottest month is July at an average temperature of 26.10 C.

ELECTRICITY The electric potential in China is 220V. Converters and adapters are available in all hotels.

MONEY The standard unit of Chinese currency is the renminbi (RMB; “people’s currency”), commonly referred to as yuán, which is the primary unit of Renminbi. RMB is not traded in international markets, so you can only purchase or exchange it in China. In China, you can exchange currency at any of the Bank of China’s 30,000 branches, not to mention the airports, upscale hotels, and tourist stores where Bank of China has set up a shop. State administration controls the exchange rate, so it’s the same no matter where you go on China. Yuan comes in 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 Notes, coins are rare, but will be

distributed. 1 Yuan is divided into: 1 Yuan =10 Jiao = 100 Fen These notes are smaller in size than Yuan notes, but sometimes the colors are similar. Most ATMs accept foreign bankcards connected to the Plus, AmEx, Visa and MasterCard networks. However some local banks charge transaction fees (RMB 25 for Bank of China). Besides your home country bank will probably charge a fee for each withdrawal in Beijing, inform yourself in advance about the applying conditions. Withdrawal is limited to RMB 3,000-5,000 with a per session limit.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE The currency exchange rate between the Dollar and CNY usually goes for about 1 US$=6.1 RMB. Most major currencies can be exchanged at banks, top-end hotels and some large department stores. In all these places the rate offered is usually the official rate. The most convenient way for guests is change the money at the front desk of your hotel. When you exchange money, keep the receipt as you’ll need it if you want to change back any spare RMB you have left at the end of your trip.

ATMs are also a convenient way to get money, but the cost effectiveness will depend on your bank back home. Most large branches of Bank of China now have ATMs compatible with foreign cards, other banks do not. Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus, Maestro, Amex and Plus can all be used in Bank of China ATMs.

All the state banks in China, like Bank of China, Agriculture Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and China Construction bank, offer the money exchange service. At present, 14 foreign currencies can be exchanged at any outlets of Bank of China, including Euro, British Pound, US Dollar, Swiss Franc, Singapore Dollar, Swedish Krona, Danish Krone, Norwegian Krone, Japanese Yen, Canadian Dollar, Australian Dollar, Philippine Peso, Thailand Baht and South Korean Won (only available in particular Chinese cities) as well as the HK Dollar, New Taiwan Dollar and Macau Pataca. Please note that branches of other banks may only accept certain kinds of foreign currencies, and sometimes they will not offer such a service if they are not the provincial-branches. * Most of bank opening hours is 9am to 5pm

When exchanging foreign currency, a valid passport is required. The receipt must be retained to show when the RMB is changed back to your original currency before leaving China.

TIME The whole of China is on Beijing time: GMT +8 hours; +13 hours from Chicago

WATER Tap water in China is not drinkable; bottled water will be available in your hotel room

CELL PHONE Most AT&T cell phones and blackberry units will work in China on the China mobile network. Please call your carrier prior to departure to ensure the international feature is active.

GREETING PEOPLE Shaking hands is commonplace and certainly considered the norm with foreign visitors. The usual Chinese greeting is “Ni hao”, which means “How are you?” to which you reply “Ni hao”.