| • |
Visa
A visa is mandatory for all
foreigners travelling to China. In order to apply
for a visa at your local embassy/consulate, a
letter of invitation will be provided to you by
the conference organiser CITS. Please fill in
the "Personal Information Request Form"
enclosed in this programme and send it back to
the conference organiser duly filled in together
with your Convention
registration form. On the basis of the information
given on this form, CITS will send you a document,
which you will have to submit to the Chinese embassy/consulate
of your country.
Please note that visa applications can take up
to several weeks. Visa applications through
CITS must be made before 25 April 2006
because of the Chinese public holidays from 1
to 7 May 2006.
|
| • |
Luggage
When travelling by plane, please
make sure that you keep your boarding pass stub
and luggage tags. You may be asked to show them
before retrieving your luggage and leaving the airport. |
| • |
Climate
Beijing's climate is defined as "continental
monsoon". Spring and autumn is the best time
to be in Beijing. The average temperature in May
will be 22°C/71.6 F. It is wise to bring a warm
sweater/jacket and an umbrella/rain cap. |
| • |
Time difference
All of China has one official time: UTC/GMT + 8
hours. |
| • |
Currency
The currency in China is called Renminbi (RMB) and
the currency unit Yuan. Most local shops and restaurants
do not accept foreign currency. It must be exchanged
against RMB, which can be done in banks or hotels.
However, we advise you not to change too much cash
at a time and always keep the foreign exchange bill.
The exchange of any unspent RMB into the respective
foreign currency will only be possible at a bank,
for an amount up to 50% of the total foreign currency
exchanged.
In international hotels or restaurants, all major
credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, AMEX) are accepted. |
| • |
Electricity
All rooms at the China World Hotel
are equipped with 220 Volt, 50 Hz outlets. Adaptor
plugs and transformers can be borrowed from the
hotel. |
| • |
Mobile phones
Before leaving your country, please
check whether your mobile phone is equipped to operate
in China. Mobile phones can be rented at Beijing
airport and at most international hotels. |
