Passports, valid for at least 3 months from the entry into China, and entry visas are required to visit China. Participants are advised to consult the nearest Chinese diplomatic mission for details. The Chinese visa authorities may issue a diplomatic, courtesy, service or ordinary visa to a foreigner according to his identity, purpose of visit to China and passport type.
Once in China, the participants are advised to carry their passports on them at all times because the passports may be needed to check into hotels, book airline tickets, and change money. Participants from Japan, Singapore within 15 days do not need to apply visa to entry China.
To apply for visas, participants should first fill out the On-line Registration with the appropriate registration fee. The Conference Secretariat will then send a formal visa application form via airmail or fax with which the participants can apply for a visa at the Chinese diplomatic mission indicated in the invitation.
NECESSARY MATERIALS TO APPLY FOR CHINESE VISA
(1). A passport which is valid for at least six months following the date of submission, with an entire blank page available for the visa;
(2). One Visa Application Form of the Peoples Republic of China, which is filled clearly with true, authentic and complete information and signed by the applicant;
(3). One recent, 2 inch full-faced and bareheaded passport photo (the daily life photo, photo copy or digital photo printed on the ordinary paper shall not be accepted);
(4). Other related application materials according to different purposes for your trip to China;
(5). Other materials related to the visa application, deemed as necessary by the visa officer;
* For more information, please contact the local Chinese Embassy in your country.
Alternatively, participants may ask their travel agents to arrange their travel to China and obtain a tourist visa irrespective of whether or not they have registered with the Conference Secretariat. If participants have any difficulties in obtaining their visa, they should contact the Conference Secretariat.
TRANSPORTATION
The transportation from the airport to the hotel or conference venue is fairly convenient. It is advisable to have paper with all destinations written in both English and Chinese. It's very often that you have to wait in line for quite some time to catch a taxi. There is no big difference between the various taxi companies in Beijing. When arriving at the airport, keep away from drivers who approach you in the terminal or outside the terminal as they will ask for much more than the actual price. There is a taxi line just outside the terminal. Drivers should use their meter - make sure that the driver puts down the flag. Taking a taxi from the airport to the conference venue or the conference hotels, it may costs no more than RMB120. Please keep the receipt that prints out from the meter. The conference venue is not on the subway line, so the taxi will be a convenient way to get to the hotel. If you travel with heavy luggage, the worry-free private airport limo service can be arranged at the price a little bit more than taxi.
LANGUAGE
The official language of the Congress is English.
SPEAKER'S REDAY ROOM
All oral presenter and all Invited speakers are required to submit their presentations to the Speaker's Ready Room well in advance of their presentation, and up to 1 hour before the beginning of the session. All presenters will be required to complete a disclosure slide shown at the start of their presentation in order to present their work. The speaker ready room staff will assist you to complete this. Please check the onsite signage for the Speakers' Ready Room opening hours.
CLIMATE AND WEATHER
Beijing enjoys a typical continental, yet affable monsoon climate. It has distinctive four seasons, the brief blooming spring, the long hot summer, the golden fruitful autumn and the brisk harsh winter. September in Beijing is sunny and cool. The average daily temperature is about 26°C (79°F), with the high at around 28°C (82°F) and low at 18°C (64°F)
INSURANCE
The registration fee does not include insurance. The conference organizers do not accept any liability for personal accidents or loss or damage to the private property of any participants during the conference or indirectly arising from attending the conference. It is advisable that participants should take adequate travel and health insurances before their trip.
CURRENCY EXCHANGE
In China, only RMB is used. However, exchange centers can be found at airports, most hotels and large shopping centers. The exchange rate is due to the official rate (Bank of China). When exchanging money, please keep your receipt by which you can change any remaining RMB back to foreign currency when leaving China. Visa, Master, American Express, Diners Club and JCB are accepted in many department stores and hotels. ATM could help you for changing RMB from your credit card. Visa, Master, American Express, Diners Club and JCB are accepted in many department stores and hotels. It may be difficult to draw cash with credit cards.
FIRST AID AND MEDICAL SERVICE
The telephone number for the first aid is 120 or 999. Several hospitals in Beijing are staffed with English speaking doctors. 1.5km away from BICC is the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, where participants may receive first-aid medical treatment if necessary.
ELECTRICITY
The electric current in China is 220V, 50hz. Most hotels have built-in converters in bathrooms for shavers and hair dryers. Please note that a variety of plug types are used in China, and adaptors may be necessary. Two types of sockets are used in China: three-pin socket (a grounding pin and two flat prongs forming a V-shape) and two-pin socket (two flat parallel prongs without grounding).
