 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
About Beijing Beijing in Brief The capital city Beijing, the nation's political and cultural center, covers an area of 16,807,8 square kilometers and has a population of about 16 million. The official language is Chinese (Mandarin), and most of the service staff in hotels and big stores can speak basic English. Beijing will play host to the 29th Olympic Games in 2008. Climate and Clothing Beijing's climate is a semi-humid, continental climate with an average temperature of 12 ℃. It's rainy season, which brings most of its nearly 600 millimeters of rain, starts in July and ends in August. Beijing is at its best in late spring and autumn, particularly during the months of May, September, and October when people can enjoy bright sunlight and blue skies. The normal climate of Beijing in October and November is as follows:
In autumn from September to November, Beijing would be in a cold spell. So it is advisable to wear layers of garments, normally, thermal or silk underwear with a light woolen sweater and a jacket or a western suit outside, which are all the best buys in China. Money Matters Chinese currency "Renminbi" (people's money), abbreviated as RMB (￥), is the sole legal tender within the People's Republic of China. The unit is a Yuan. Foreign Currencies can be changed at Bank of China, hotels and international airports. Please note that hotels may only exchange money for their guests. Exchange rate to USD is about 7.0 Yuan per 1 dollar. Please keep your currency exchange receipts because you will need to show them when you change RMB back to your own currency before leaving. There is no limit on the amount of foreign currency and foreign exchange bills that can be brought into China by tourists, but it must be declared to the customs. At present, the following credit cards are accepted in Beijing: Master Card, Federal Card, Visa, American Express, JCB, and Diners Card. Cardholders can withdraw cash from the Bank of China and pay for purchases at exchange centers of the Bank of China, appointed shops, hotels, and restaurants. ATMs that accept foreign cards are few and far between. Do not rely on them as a way of obtaining cash in Mainland China. Electric Power Electric power in China is 220V; 50Hz. Two-pin and three-pin sockets are available.
Time Difference Time used throughout China is Beijing standard time, which is 8 hours ahead of GMT, eg. 13 hours ahead of New York, 7 hours ahead of Germany, 2 hours behind Melbourne. For more information, please visit: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/index.html
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
