What to bring

Summer (June to September)

Winter (December to March)

Spring (April and May) and Autumn (October and November)

What to bring

> A guide book (Lonely Planet, Rough Guide...) a good guide book will give you ideas, addresses, information and advice about your stay in Beijing. They include city maps with the main tourist sites, as well as map of the metro.

> As a result of the Olympic Games, Beijing is in the middle of a big push to encourage English learning. Everyone from police offices to taxi drivers are taking basic English courses. In spite of this, the general stand of English is low, and conversation is often difficult. It is a good idea to bring a Mandarin phrase book, and learn a few essential words (numbers, greetings etc). Only the best hotels and restaurants will have staff able to speak English.

Money

You are allowed to bring up to US$5000 cash into China. The Chinese monetary unit is the Renminbi (RMB), which is also called the Yuan (Y), or colloquially, kuai. There are ten Jiao (or colloquially mao) in a Yuan, and ten Fen in a Jiao. Notes come in denominations of Y100, Y50, Y20, Y10, Y5, Y2, Y1, 5 Jiao, 2 Jiao, 1 Jiao, and coins in denominations of Y1, 5 Jiao, 2 Jiao, 1 Jiao, 5 fen, 2 fen and 1 fen. Cash machines only dispense Y100 notes, and you will very rarely use fen. It's a good idea to keep a pile of Y10 and Y20 notes handy to pay for taxis and purchases from small shops. In Beijing, notes are used more than coins.

Approximate exchange rate (October 2007): 10 RMB = 1 euro = £0.65 = US$1.30 = CAN$1.30 = AUD$1.45

The exchange rate is fixed by the Peoples Bank of China. It is possible to buy Chinese RMB outside China, but it is easier to change money in China. You can change money at the airport, in hotels and in most banks. You can use international credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, JCB, Diners Club and American Express) in large store and hotels, though generally not in smaller stores. It is often easier to pay in cash..

Entry Requirements

To obtain a tourist visa, you need a passport with at least six months validity left, a passport photo and a completed visa form. For a business visa, you also need a letter of invitation. Depending on the type of visa you are applying for, visas can take as little as a few hours, to over a week to be processed. Generally the faster the service, the more you pay. Tourist visas are valid for three months from the date of entry, but only for the duration specified. For example, if you have you visa issued on the 1st March, you will have to leave China (or get an extension) by 30th May, even if you only arrived 25th May on a 1 month visa. If you enter on the 1St March, you must leave by the 1St April if you only have a 1 month visa.

There are no vaccinations or medical tests required unless you plan to stay for over 6 months.

If you travel from mainland China to either Hong Kong or Macau and then return to mainland China, you will need to apply for a double or multiple entry visa before your trip. Alternately, you can apply for a new visa in Hong Kong or Macau.

Once in China, you can easily extend your tourist visa for extra month at the Foreign Affairs Department of the PSB (Public Security Bureau). Further extensions to a tourist visa are unlikely to be approved.