“When to go” largely depends on your vacation time, personal taste and tourist seasons in Beijing. Beijing and Australia have opposite seasons due to their different locations of the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere. If you want to escape the scorching summer in Australia, come to Beijing for skiing!

Beijing summer is brutally hot and winter harsh, but Beijing can be visited any time of the year. Beijing’s tourist peak season falls on April, May, September and October when the weather is most pleasant. July and August are hot and humid with lots of domestic tourists due to the summer vacation.

Millions of Chinese are on the move during the three long holidays – Chinese New Year /Spring Festival (late Jan – early Feb); Labor Day (1-3 May) and National Day (1-7 October). These are the least desirable time to visit Beijing.

Winter is long and cold. Make sure to take some warm clothes with you. You can buy a heavy coat from the shops in Beijing. Winter Beijing has short days, dark 5:00pm. Most attractions are closed after 4.30pm. The sights stay open all year round. The advantage going in winter is that there are fewer tourists around, you can have Great Wall photos.

Visit Beijing Climate for detailed information.

Winter, Beijing is cold and dry, sometime coupled by strong winds. Your lips will feel very dry and uncomfortable. You can eaily buy a hat and warm clothes here in Beijing at a good bargain. Take a lipstick to moisten your lips. Beijing has heating system, which is a compulsory measure from the Beijing local government. So it’s quite warm and comfortable in your hotel or any indoor places during your trip.

Summer is the rain season in Beijing. Bring a very small umbrella and light rain coat or jacket that can be rolled tight for toting in your day pack while touring. The summer in Beijing is very hot! Don’t forget to get your sunglasses.

In autumn, be mindful of the fairly big difference in temperature between early morning and afternoon. Wear a jacket, or a warm coat in the morning, long-sleeve shirts or short T-shirts in the afternoon.

In spring, wind and dust can be possible in the March and take wind clothes on hand if you travel in springtime.

All Australia passport holders require a visa before travel to Beijing China, but don’t require a visa to enter Hong Kong for stays of 90 days. There is no visa-on-arrival provision except in extraordinary cases. You should apply to the Chinese embassy or consulate to your home. Or you may turn to your local travel agency or visa agency for a Chinese visa. Your passport must be valid for six months from your proposed date of entry and contain two blank visa pages when you hand in the visa application. Aquiring the standard one-month tourist visa is not difficult.

Chinese visa application fees:
For single entry: A$60
For double entries: A$90
For six months multiple entries: A$120
For one year multiple entries: A$180

Places to apply for a visa
The Chinese Embassy processes applications from Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and Northern Territory.
Consular Section Office Hours
Monday to Friday 9am -12:00noon (Except public holiday)
Phone Inquiry: 02-6273 4783, 62737443

Applications from New South Wales are advised to be forwarded to the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Sydney;
http://www.visaforchina.com.au/SYD_EN/
TEL:02-9475 8800

Applications from Victoria and Tasmania are advised to be forwarded to Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Melbourne;
http://www.visaforchina.com.au/MEL_EN/
TEL:03-9937 2308

Applications from Queensland are advised to be forwarded to Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Brisbane;
http://www.visaforchina.com.au/BNE_EN/
TEL:07-3031 6300

Applications from Western Australia are advised to be forwarded to the Chinese Consulate-General in Perth.
http://perth.chineseconsulate.org/eng/lszj/
TEL:08-92220333(Voice recording instructions);
08-92220321(2:30pm – 4:00pm every weekday)

It is quite useful and practical to learn some useful Chinese phrases if you have the chance to visit Beijing China. Chinese is a difficult language for most foreigners. But with some efforts foreign people still can master some useful and daily life sentences to be used in their trips to Beijing China.

Beijing Capital International Airport is located in northeast of Beijing, which is the only airport that serves international flights in Beijing.
Airport Enquiry: (86)10 64541100
PSB: (86)10 64597459
Airport E-mail: [email protected]
Airport Website: http://en.bcia.com.cn/
Time Zone: GMT + 8
Address: Beijing Capital International Airport, Airport Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100621, China
Location: The airport is located 30km northeast of Beijing city center.
Airport code: PEK; Country Code: 86
Number of Terminal: Now Beijing Capital International Airport has three terminals ( T1, T2 and T3 ) in operation.
For airport buses, taxis and express trains, please visit Beijing Transportation.

There are plentiful flights between Beijing and major cities in Australia such as Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Townsville. Some are direct flights and some are indirect flights via Singapore, Hong Kong, Guangzhoum and Shanghai.

The following airlines provide frequent flights to Beijing:

China Southern Airlines	Air China	China Eastern Airlines
Korean Air	Singapore Airlines	Malaysia Airlines
Cathay Pacific	Qantas	Air New Zealand

Beijing’s public transportation system has improved a great deal with new highways, new subway lines, and an expanded airport.

Five Suggested Steps to Finalise Your Hotel booking in Beijing
1. Choose the area where you want to stay
2. Compare the hotels and prices in the same area
3. Use google to map the exact address of the hotel
4. Use google and hotel review websites (e.g., tripadvisor) to assess the hotel
5. Book your hotel directly or use the hotel booking engines (e.g., expedia)

Being the capital of the country, Beijing has foods from all over China as well as from all parts of the world. There are quite a few types of foods which are unique to Beijing, and while you are here you should try to sample as much of the local cuisine as you can.

Beijing is a city for all seasons. You can always find something for you no matter what time you are in Beijing and and whatever your interests are. There are actually hundreds of tourist scenic spots and historical sites in Beijing. Some are walkable. Some are a little far from the city center.

Shopping in Beijing is becoming more and more convenient. Every year new shopping centers, plazas and malls are sprouting up all over the capital. Just 20 years ago there were only a few department stores and small bazaars, but now there are many superstores, mega-malls and markets and boutiques where you can buy just about anything you need.

Beijing nightlife is very colourful. Beijing nightlife has more to offer! If you travel with your kids, then enjoying Kung Fu show in the evening is a must. If you are young and energetic, you may go to disco or live jazz. If you like to know more about old Beijing and enjoy Chinese tea, you can go to teahouses.

Foreign visitors are allowed to bring all personal effects, such as cameras, video recorders, laptop computers etc., into China without problem. The duty free allowance permits three bottles of alcoholic beverages, and two cartoons of cigarettes. Foreign currency exceeding the equivalent of US$5000 is supposed to be decleared. Avoid carrying any books on sensitive political subjects as well as pornography.

Upon departure, note that Chinese law stipulates that antiques dating from 1795 to 1949 be accompanied by an official certificate stating their provenance and that antiques dating prior to 1795 may not be legally exported.

Embassy of Australia
Chancery：No. 21, Dong Zhi Men Wai Da Jie, San Li Tun, Beijing
Tel：51404111（Embassy） 85328686（Commerce）
51404424（Visa）
Fax：51404450（Military Attaches） 51404486（Politics & Economy）
51404230（Culture） 51404337（Education）
65324606（Commerce） 51404199（Development & Cooperation）
51404204（Consulate & Executive） 51404164（Visa)
Website: http://www.china.embassy.gov.au
China Travel Advice from Australian government: see China Travel Advice

Chinese people have two kinds of of holidays: official and traditional. As China is a huge country with 56 ethnic minority groups. So in addition, minority nationalities in China have their own unique holidays. Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao also have their own official and traditional festivals.

Beijing is eight hours ahead of Greenwich (GMT + 8). Australia (EST) are 2 hours ahead of Beijing. Noon in Beijing is 2:00pm in Melbourne.

China’s legal tender is Renminbi ( Abbreviation: RMB), literally meaning “People’s Money”, issured by the People”s Bank of China. Short official name: CNY (China Yuan), but the short name RMB is also often used. Its symbol: ￥; Monetary unit: Yuan
(元) and Fractional units: Jiao (角) and Fen (分).

For RMB (CNY) and AUD exchange rate, please visit The Currency Converter.

Basically there are two main standards for voltage and frequency in the world. One is the standard of 120 volts at a frequency of 60 Hz, and the other is the standard of 220–240 volts at 50 Hz. China uses generally 220V, 50HZ, AC (Hong Kong is 200V; Taiwan is 110V).

Electricity in Australia is 240 Volts, alternating at 50 cycles per second. Chinese plugs and sockets are similar to those in Australia. A Chinese plug may fit loosely in an Australian socket, but thick pins of an Australian plug may not fit easily in a Chinese socket. In China, the sockets are installed upside-down compared to Austrlian ones.

Internet: Most hotel rooms will offer an internet connection for your laptop. Beijing airport, Starbucks, SPR and a number of other coffee restaurants provide free wi-fi. If you don’t have a laptop, inexpensive internet bars are scattered around the city.

Post Offices: Airmail letters to Australia should take between four days and a week to reach their destinations. Mark envelopes “air mai.par avion”. Stamps are sold at the post office counters: there are no machines.

Telephone: China’s country code is 86 and Beijing code is 010.

Call a fixed phone
If you are going to call a fixed phone in a particular city in China, please dial the exit number of your home country + 0086 (China’s country code) + city code ( Beijing’s code) + phone number. Take dialing tour-beijing.com: 0086 – 10 – 67160201.

Call a cell phone
If you are going to call a mobile phone in a particular city in China, please dial the exit number of your home country + 0086 (Chinese country code) + cell phone number. Take dialing tour-beijing.com emergency cell phone 0086 – 13520598855

Although a traditional measurement system exists, China now uses the metric system.

1 kilometers = 0.62 mile
1 meter = 1.09 yards
1 centimeter = 0.39 inch
1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds
1 gram = 0.035 ounce
1 liter = 0.76 pint
0C = 32 F

Beggars: Begging is not banned in Beijing though it is not encouraged. Beggars in Beijing are commonly found in public places such as street corners, underpasses, malls, popular tourist spots, where they request money using cups, boxes or hats to collect the donations.

Face: The concept of saving face(mianzi) is often a stumbling block for foreigners. Although it exists in the West, it is more important in Beijing China. Causing someone to lose face is to be avoided. It is advisable to remain respective, making any complaints with decorum, peppered with firmness.

Lines: The Chinese, particularly the Beijingers have been learning the patient art of standing line. But don’t be alarmed if someone jumps in. In this case, politely let them know that you are in fact waiting in line and they will back up.

Smoking: Smoking is ubiquitous in China and Beijing is no exception. Beijing authority has started to impose ban on smoking in certain public places like hospitals, schools, airport, restaurants etc. But things are still quite serious.

Spitting: Fines are sporadically levied on offenders, but spitting is quite common here, even in crowded buses, trains and sometime even in restaurants. Do not take offense, it is acceptable behavior.

Staring: Getting stared at by the locals is still a common phenomenon. No thing threatening, but sometime it can be annoying. You have to learn to ignore it.

Crossing the roads: The traffic regulation in China stipulates that when passing a zebra crossing, vehicles must slow down or stop to avoid the pedestrians. But in reality, pedestrians have to stop or slow down to avoid the vehicles! Many foreigners are not accustomed to this phenomenon. So even if you’re on a zebra. you’d better look both ways, wait then cross when clear and as quick as possible.

The Chinese government regulates that Chinese people work 8 hours a day with five working days a week and a maximum 44 working hours a week. In China, business hours are generally set between 9:00am and 6:00pm. But typical business hours vary by different working units and regions.

You are required to have your passport with you at all times while travelling around. Keep a copy of your passort to prevent losing it. If you lose your passport, you should report it to the foreign section of the Beijing Public Security Bureau and your embassy in Beijing. If you like to extend your stay in China, please go to to the foreign section of the Beijing Public Security Bureau for visa extension. Thirty-day touist visa (type L) are usually issured.

The PSB Office in Beijing
Tel: 010-84020101
Add: No.02, Andingmen Dong Dajie, Beijing
Subway: next to the subway station of Yonghegong (Lama Temple)

China’s reputation for horrible public bathrooms is quite known. But things are changing to the better now in some big cities like Beijing. The local government in Beijig is doing a lot to improve the state of the toilet facilities. Now you will often find public toilets rated with stars.

To tip or not to tip in China is a question which has confused many foreign visitors. Those against tipping in China argue that China has no tradition of tipping; those for tipping in China think that China is changing and tipping has become more and more popular as a kind of etiquette as well as bonuses for service providers like those in the west.

Local people are kind and patient with disabled travelers. You will find many hotels, airports and some public areas are specially designed and equipped with more accessible facilities. If you have difficulty moving around due to your physical disability or have visual or hearing problem, you still can have a sound and exciting travel experience with careful planning, sound arrangements and detailed preparation.

In general, foreign women are unlikely to suffer serious sexual harassment in Beijing. Police tend to investigate crimes against foreigners more closely, and more severe penalties are often imposed.

Beijing is a should-see student travel spot. Beijing is a city full of vitality. She is waiting for young students like you to feel and touch. Make travel plans before you go.

Beijing is a city suitable for adults travelling with their kids. In Beijing there are over 100 museums, 3 large recreation centers and over 100 institutions of high learning. You might need to explore the city on your own while you still want to keep you kids well looked after.

Western style medical facilities with international staff are available in Beijing. The information below is an information resource only. Hospitals and clinics with English speaking staff.

Bayley & Jackson Beijing Medical Center
7 Ritan Dong Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020
Tel: (8610) 8562-9998
Website: http://www.bjhealthcare.com/

Beijing United Family Hospital and Clinics
2 Jiang Tai Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100016
Emergency: (8610) 59277120
Tel: (8610) 59277000
Website: http://www.unitedfamilyhospitals.com/

Beijing United Family Clinic in Shunyi District, Beijing
Pinnacle Plaza #818, Tian Zhu
Shunyi District, Beijing 101312
Tel: (8610) 8046-1102

GlobalDoctor, Ltd.
Clinics staffed by English-speaking doctors within the VIP wards of government-run hospitals in Chengdu, Nanjing, and Beijing.
24 Hour rescue hotline: (8610) 58151188
Fax: (8610) 58151128

International SOS
Operates modern medical and dental clinics; provides medical evacuation and medical escort services in Beijing, Nanjing, Tianjin and Shekou, with multilingual coordinators and doctors on duty.
24hr Alarm Centers in Beijing and Shanghai
Tel: (8610) 64629100
Website: www.internationalsos.com/en/asia-pacific_china.htm

Peking Union Medical Hospital
1 Shui Fu Yuan, Dong Cheng Distict, Beijing 100730
24 Hour Emergency: (8610) 6529-5284
Registration: (8610) 6529-6114
Information: (8610) 6529-7292

Vista Clinic
B29 Beijing Kerry Center, No.1 Guanghua Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing 100020
Tel: 010-85296618
Fax: 010-85296615
Website http://www.vista-china.net/

China-Japan Friendship Hospital
Tel: 84205566
Add: Yinghuayuan Dong Jie, Chaoyang District, Beijing

Beijing United Family Hospital and Clinics:
Tel: 59277000
Add: B1, St. Regis Hotel, 21, Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District, Beijing

Ambulance: 120 or 999

Most foreigners feel very safe when traveling in Beijing. But that doesn’t mean foreigners don’t have any safety problems. While you are expecting your trip to Beijing, please note the top 10 tourist traps which may happen.

Newspaper and Magazines: English paper includes the China Daily, Beijing Today, Beijing Time Out etc. You can buy international newspaper and magazines at leading hotels.

Television and Radio: Medium and high-end hotels all offer a number of satellite stations such as CNN, BBC, HBO, Star TV and other international channels. CCTV9 broadcasts in English. China Radio International (CRI) broadcasts in English.

Police: 110
Fire: 119
Traffic Accident: 122
Weather: 12121
Tourism Hotline: 12301
Beijing Taxi: 96106
Airport Hotline: 962580