Keys to the City

Facts & Fundamentals

Money Matters: The Chinese currency is 'yuan,' nicknamed 'kwai.' It is also called 'renminbi' and written 'RMB' or 'CNY.' With the strong economy, the yuan is stable. At the time of press, $1 = 6.8 CNY; € 1 = 9.4 CNY). ATMs are readily available and accept all major credit cards, although not many foreign debit cards. Travelers' checks and cash can be changed at banks, hotels and, very often, shopping malls. Hotels often offer better rates of exchange than banks. There is a small black market for foreign currencies, especially dollars. However, the percentage difference is not worth the risk of getting fleeced.

City Orientation

Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City lie at the center of the city with the historical area of Qianmen and the Temple of Heaven just to the south. The trendy Wangfujing shopping area and Chaoyang nightlife zone are to the east, as is Dongcheng district. Xicheng and the lakes are due west to northwest. Beijing has three main ring roads, known as the Second, the Third and the Fourth. Most main streets are denoted by their situation: bei (north), nan (south), xi (west) and dong (east). The word 'street' is 'jie,' 'dajie' or 'lu'; and 'men' means 'gate.' Therefore, 'Qianmen Xi Daije' is 'Qian Gate Street (west).'

Weather

The best time to visit Beijing in either in the fall or in early springtime. September and October are the most pleasant months with temperatures generally around 68 - 80 degrees F (20 - 26 degrees C). A dry dust from the Mongolian steppes descends upon the capital in spring, but an ongoing forestation project west of the city has helped to weather the storm in recent years. Summers can be uncomfortably hot for many visitors, and July is especially humid (32 degrees C; 90 degrees F). Winters are icy cold and rainy. Unfortunately, air pollution is very high in Beijing.

Holidays & Business Hours

Offices and government agencies are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm with one hour for lunch at midday. Stores and restaurants vary, but generally open seven days a week from 9 am to 7 pm and do not close for lunch. Nowadays, most Beijingers enjoy a two-day weekend.
No holy days are celebrated in China. The main holiday to be aware of is Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival, a two-week festival usually falling at the end of January and beginning of February. Although banks and offices will close on Labor Day (May 1) and National Day (October 1), tourist sites and transportation are seldom affected.

Coming & Going

No vaccinations are required for travel to China. All foreign visitors must obtain a one-month tourist visa from a Chinese embassy before arrival. Visas can be extended at the Public Security Bureau, visa section, Andingmen Dongdajie, Beijing, for a small fee. You must submit an entry card, health declaration and customs declaration on arrival. These forms should be given out on the flight before you land. Beijing Capital Airport is 30 km (18 miles) northeast of the city center. Taxis from the airport cost up to 140 CNY but there are also a cheaper shuttle bus service and train to the center. Keep receipts for any expensive purchases, and note that antiques require a special customs sticker. Ask your hotel to confirm your flight out up to 72 hours before departure. Airport tax is 90 CNY on departure.

Making Your Way

First and foremost, keep a card with you with the name of your hotel written in Chinese – you will inevitably experience communication problems. Taxis are either cherry red or have a yellow stripe. Fares are relatively cheap and most rides within the city cost no more than 20 CNY. Ensure the driver uses the meter unless you are fixing a price for the day. The subway is excellent with stations linking most of the tourist sites. Fares are only 2 CNY per journey, or you can buy a voucher of tickets. Bicycles are a great way of getting around and a real Beijing experience. All main roads have bicycle lanes and you can leave your bike at a bicycle park for less than 1 CNY.

News & Views

The state-run news agency 'Xinhua' is the mouthpiece of the Communist government and its English-language 'China Daily' is widely available in Beijing. A more lively option is 'Beijing Today,' which can be found at most subway stations. There's an excellent selection of monthly magazines in English that cater to the expat community. Almost all mid-range hotels will have cable TV with international news channels such as BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera and China's own CCTV, which has 24-hour local and international news in English and a thorough business news programme.
For local news online, try http://bjtoday.ynet.com/
For a 'What's On' guide, try the trendy www.thebeijinger.com

Quirks & Curiosities

Public toilets are plentiful in Beijing and are usually Western-style in hotels and tourist sites. However, you will surely come across very basic squat toilets if you venture down the backstreets. In fact, you might want to carry your own toilet paper at all times. The Chinese character for 'women' is 'Nu,' said to resemble a lady with crossed legs. 'Nan' is the character for 'men' and has a stocky build and a big head!
You will also find that Beijingers like to rather elaborately spit and blow their noses in public. This is mostly done for health reasons and should not be looked down upon as rude.

Common Courtesies

Asians normally find Beijing quite easy to adapt to, but for non-Asians – Westerners in particular – it is easy to offend, be impolite or cause a Chinese to 'lose face.' A few rules of thumb: show respect for elderly people; do not show anger or shout (you won't get your way); beckon a person with your palm down – an open palm is a sign of aggression; don't stick your feet in the air; don't flash your body; when receiving a gift, use both hands. A few courtesies are rather quaint: if you are applauded, reciprocate; when you indicate yourself, point to your nose! And beware – if you issue an invitation to someone, 'yes' may mean 'maybe,' and 'maybe' will mean 'no thanks.'

Need to Know – Safety

In 2007, a hotline opened for all non-emergency aspects of public services, including transportation and public utilities: Telephone 12345.
Other useful numbers:
Police: 110
Ambulance: 120
Directory Assistance: 114
Airport Inquiry: 64563604