Content
| When to go | What to bring for China trip |
| How to get a Chinese tourist visa | Learn a bit Chinese |
| How to get to China | Tips on China hotel booking |
| What to see in China |
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"When to go" largely depends on your vacation time, personal interest and tourist seasons in China. Both China and Canada have distinctive four seasons. However the climate and intensity of these seasons varies across Canada with longer winter.
China in Spring
Spring in China is a season of recovery, commonly warm with a little rain. Spring can also be delightful with the average temperatures roughly the same as in autumn, at about 10° C - 22° C.
China in Summer
Summer in China can be extremely hot with temperatures well above 22° C. You can go to summer resorts in some northern cities of China. Summer is also the rainy season, so travelers should not forget umbrellas, light raincoats and rubber shoes.
China in Autumn
Autumn is a season which is suitable to visit any city of China. Normally, the most comfortable season of the year in China is early autumn (September to early October). During that period, temperatures are reasonable throughout China at about 10° C - 22° C with a limited amount of rain. Autumn is a harvest season. The sky is bright and clear. Your eyes are filled with the most beautiful view of the natural world.
China in Winter
Winter can be incredibly cold especially in the north but off-season travel can also offer its rewards. For example, the Harbin Winter Ice Lantern Festival is a charming event. The southern China in winter is not that cold.
Tips:
Whenever you decide to travel to China try to avoid 1-3 May (Labor holidays) or 1-7 October (National Day) when hard-working Chinese get a one week holiday; University Holidays: Summer holiday (June-September) and Winter holiday (January-February). It is extremely crowded everywhere, especially in some hot destinations in China.
You should take some time preparing for your pack for your China trip since China is possibly a big difference from your resident country. Beside the normal pack list for a trip, you are advised to focused on the following China pack tips:
Tip 1: Take a Chinese Phrasebook
There is such a wide varity of Mandarin phrasebooks on the market. You may choose a useful Chinese phrasebook for Chinese travelers. If you meet any difficulty on your trip without any English speaking people around, you can turn to your Chinese phrasebook for help.
Tip 2: Bring some cash on hand
Cash is widely used in China though credit cards have become more and more popular. Some restaurants and stores don’t accept credit cards. If you travel to some remote area, you will find paying cash is the only way of local payment.
Tip 3: Take Hand Sanitizer & Wet Wiper
It is very useful to have hand sanitizers and wet wipers on hand to clean your hands after dining, going to toilet or traveling in some crowded public places. It is advisable to carry alcohol pads to clean the ones in the restaurants.
Tip 4: Prepare for a Electrical Converter and Adapter Plugs
China uses generally 220V, 50HZ, AC (Hong Kong is 200V; Taiwan is 110V). A standard socket in China has two pins on the upper part and earthed three pins on the lower part. You may buy a portable plug adaptor at your home country or here in China. Some of your hotels in China offer free use of plug adaptors.
Tip 5: Do not Drink the Tap Water in China
Some hotels provide bottled water for free, use that even for brushing your teeth. Buy bottled water, or boil your own using the electric water heater found in every hotel room.
Tip 6: Bring Toilet Paper
Always bring tolet paper with you since most of the restrooms in China don’t offer toilet paper except hotels.
Tip 7: Prepare for A photocopy of China Tourist Visa
Always prepare for a photocopy of your China tourist visa in case you lose your passport.
Tip 8: Always Carry one of the Hotel’s Business Cards
Most hotels in China provide business cards (contact cards on the front desk). Please always take it for an easy return to the hotel.
Tip 9: Don’t Forget to Ask for a Local Tourist Map from your Hotel Most hotels in China provide free tourist maps. These maps are basically more informative than the maps in your China guidebook. But usually your hotel doesn’t put them on the hotel front, you have to ask for it! All foreign passport holders require a visa before travel to Beijing China. 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.
Places to apply for a visa
Residents in Canada can apply for Chinese visa, passport, document notarization and authentication at the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa and the Chinese Consulates-General in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.
For residents in Ottawa and in the provinces of Quebec, New Foundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia , Prince Edward Island, please submit applications to the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa.
For residents in the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba, please submit applications to the Chinese Consulate-General in Toronto.
For residents in the territory of Yukon and the province of British Columbia, please submit applications to the Chinese Consulate-General in Vancouver.
For residents in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, the Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, please submit applications to the Chinese Consulate-General in Calgary.
The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Canada (Ottawa)
515 St. Patrick Street, Ottawa, Ont. K1N 5H3
Tel: (613)-7899608 Fax: (613)-7891414
Office hours: 9:00AM –1:00PM (Monday to Friday, closed on holidays)
Consular Service District: Ottawa Region, Quebec, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
http://ca.china-embassy.org/eng/
The Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Toronto
240 St. George Street Toronto, Ont. M5R 2P4
Tel: (416) 9647260 Fax: (416)324-9010
24-hour service of automatic telephone information: (416)-9648861
Office hours: 9:00AM –12:00AM 1:30PM-3:30PM (Monday to Friday, closed on holidays)
Consular Service District: Ontario and Manitoba
The Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Vancouver:
3380 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3K3
Tel: (604) 7365188 Fax: (604)737-0154
24-hour service of automatic telephone information: (604)-7340704/7363955
Office hours: 9:00AM –1:00PM (Monday to Friday, closed on holidays)
Consular Service District: British Columbia and Yukon
The Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Calgary
Suite 100, 1011-6th Ave. S. W. Calgary, Alberta T2P 0W1
Tel: (403) 264-3322 Fax: (403)264-6656
Office hours: 9:00AM –12:00AM (Monday to Friday, closed on holidays)
Consular Service District: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. It is quite useful and practical to learn some useful Chinese phrases if you have the chance to visit China. Chinese is a difficult language for most foreigners. But with some efforts foreign people still can master some useful and daily life sentneces to be used in their trips to Beijing China.
There are plentiful flights between the major cities in Canada and China. Some are direct flights and some are indirect flights via USA, Japan, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
The following airlines provide frequent flights to China:
For the past 20 years, the Chinese government has gradually established an fairly effective hotel star rating system which has classified all qualified hotels in China into five categories - Five Star, Four Star, Three Star, Two Star and One Star ( or youth hostels). The higher level of a hotel's star rating system, the better service and high rates you will expect. But The number of stars of a hotel may not necessarily match its service level.
5 Star Hotel
the 5 star hotels in China will offer you a good night stay with full range of moden room facilities. But the hotel rates are also very expensive usually ranging from USD100 to USD500 per room per night.
4 Star Hotel
You will feel very comfortable for most of the 4-star hotels in China. but some 4 star hotels are far below your expectation and you would like to stay in a clean and cozy three star hotel.
3 Star Hotel
There is a big difference between the quality among the three star hotels in China. The three star hotel rating is decided by the local governments with strong local protectionism. Some of the three star hotels are clean and comfortable; some are just rundown and shabby. Most of the three star hotels have no websites which make it quite difficult to book online.
2 Star Hotel
Strangely enough, 2 star hotels have comfortable facilities comparable to some 3-stars. But the problem for many 2 star hotels is that very few staffers can speak English. So if you are able to manage it, you may get some good rates.
One Star or Youth Hostel
Youth hostes are getting very popular in China. Low rates with simple and basic facilities. The rooms are clean and safe too. The staffers are always helpful and resourceful. Most of the staffers at youth hostels can speak English. China is a vast and extraordinary country extending thousands of miles from the deserts and plateau in the west to the ocean on the east. China has a history of over 5,000 years with one of the most rich and textured histories of all civilizations. If it is your first time to visit China, the China Top 10 below will be very useful in planning your maiden trip to China by its highlights.
| Canada in Four Seasons Summer: June 22 - September 21 Autum: September 22 - Decemberr 21 Winter: December 22 -March 21 Spring: March 22 - June 21 |
China in Four Seasons Winter: November - February Spring: March - May Summer: June - August Autumn: September - October |
China in Spring
Spring in China is a season of recovery, commonly warm with a little rain. Spring can also be delightful with the average temperatures roughly the same as in autumn, at about 10° C - 22° C.
China in Summer
Summer in China can be extremely hot with temperatures well above 22° C. You can go to summer resorts in some northern cities of China. Summer is also the rainy season, so travelers should not forget umbrellas, light raincoats and rubber shoes.
China in Autumn
Autumn is a season which is suitable to visit any city of China. Normally, the most comfortable season of the year in China is early autumn (September to early October). During that period, temperatures are reasonable throughout China at about 10° C - 22° C with a limited amount of rain. Autumn is a harvest season. The sky is bright and clear. Your eyes are filled with the most beautiful view of the natural world.
China in Winter
Winter can be incredibly cold especially in the north but off-season travel can also offer its rewards. For example, the Harbin Winter Ice Lantern Festival is a charming event. The southern China in winter is not that cold.
Tips:
Whenever you decide to travel to China try to avoid 1-3 May (Labor holidays) or 1-7 October (National Day) when hard-working Chinese get a one week holiday; University Holidays: Summer holiday (June-September) and Winter holiday (January-February). It is extremely crowded everywhere, especially in some hot destinations in China.
You should take some time preparing for your pack for your China trip since China is possibly a big difference from your resident country. Beside the normal pack list for a trip, you are advised to focused on the following China pack tips:
Tip 1: Take a Chinese Phrasebook
There is such a wide varity of Mandarin phrasebooks on the market. You may choose a useful Chinese phrasebook for Chinese travelers. If you meet any difficulty on your trip without any English speaking people around, you can turn to your Chinese phrasebook for help.
Tip 2: Bring some cash on hand
Cash is widely used in China though credit cards have become more and more popular. Some restaurants and stores don’t accept credit cards. If you travel to some remote area, you will find paying cash is the only way of local payment.
Tip 3: Take Hand Sanitizer & Wet Wiper
It is very useful to have hand sanitizers and wet wipers on hand to clean your hands after dining, going to toilet or traveling in some crowded public places. It is advisable to carry alcohol pads to clean the ones in the restaurants.
Tip 4: Prepare for a Electrical Converter and Adapter Plugs
China uses generally 220V, 50HZ, AC (Hong Kong is 200V; Taiwan is 110V). A standard socket in China has two pins on the upper part and earthed three pins on the lower part. You may buy a portable plug adaptor at your home country or here in China. Some of your hotels in China offer free use of plug adaptors.
Tip 5: Do not Drink the Tap Water in China
Some hotels provide bottled water for free, use that even for brushing your teeth. Buy bottled water, or boil your own using the electric water heater found in every hotel room.
Tip 6: Bring Toilet Paper
Always bring tolet paper with you since most of the restrooms in China don’t offer toilet paper except hotels.
Tip 7: Prepare for A photocopy of China Tourist Visa
Always prepare for a photocopy of your China tourist visa in case you lose your passport.
Tip 8: Always Carry one of the Hotel’s Business Cards
Most hotels in China provide business cards (contact cards on the front desk). Please always take it for an easy return to the hotel.
Tip 9: Don’t Forget to Ask for a Local Tourist Map from your Hotel Most hotels in China provide free tourist maps. These maps are basically more informative than the maps in your China guidebook. But usually your hotel doesn’t put them on the hotel front, you have to ask for it! All foreign passport holders require a visa before travel to Beijing China. 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.
Places to apply for a visa
Residents in Canada can apply for Chinese visa, passport, document notarization and authentication at the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa and the Chinese Consulates-General in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.
For residents in Ottawa and in the provinces of Quebec, New Foundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia , Prince Edward Island, please submit applications to the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa.
For residents in the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba, please submit applications to the Chinese Consulate-General in Toronto.
For residents in the territory of Yukon and the province of British Columbia, please submit applications to the Chinese Consulate-General in Vancouver.
For residents in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, the Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, please submit applications to the Chinese Consulate-General in Calgary.
The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Canada (Ottawa)
515 St. Patrick Street, Ottawa, Ont. K1N 5H3
Tel: (613)-7899608 Fax: (613)-7891414
Office hours: 9:00AM –1:00PM (Monday to Friday, closed on holidays)
Consular Service District: Ottawa Region, Quebec, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
http://ca.china-embassy.org/eng/
The Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Toronto
240 St. George Street Toronto, Ont. M5R 2P4
Tel: (416) 9647260 Fax: (416)324-9010
24-hour service of automatic telephone information: (416)-9648861
Office hours: 9:00AM –12:00AM 1:30PM-3:30PM (Monday to Friday, closed on holidays)
Consular Service District: Ontario and Manitoba
The Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Vancouver:
3380 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3K3
Tel: (604) 7365188 Fax: (604)737-0154
24-hour service of automatic telephone information: (604)-7340704/7363955
Office hours: 9:00AM –1:00PM (Monday to Friday, closed on holidays)
Consular Service District: British Columbia and Yukon
The Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Calgary
Suite 100, 1011-6th Ave. S. W. Calgary, Alberta T2P 0W1
Tel: (403) 264-3322 Fax: (403)264-6656
Office hours: 9:00AM –12:00AM (Monday to Friday, closed on holidays)
Consular Service District: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. It is quite useful and practical to learn some useful Chinese phrases if you have the chance to visit China. Chinese is a difficult language for most foreigners. But with some efforts foreign people still can master some useful and daily life sentneces to be used in their trips to Beijing China.
There are plentiful flights between the major cities in Canada and China. Some are direct flights and some are indirect flights via USA, Japan, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
The following airlines provide frequent flights to China:
For the past 20 years, the Chinese government has gradually established an fairly effective hotel star rating system which has classified all qualified hotels in China into five categories - Five Star, Four Star, Three Star, Two Star and One Star ( or youth hostels). The higher level of a hotel's star rating system, the better service and high rates you will expect. But The number of stars of a hotel may not necessarily match its service level.
5 Star Hotel
the 5 star hotels in China will offer you a good night stay with full range of moden room facilities. But the hotel rates are also very expensive usually ranging from USD100 to USD500 per room per night.
4 Star Hotel
You will feel very comfortable for most of the 4-star hotels in China. but some 4 star hotels are far below your expectation and you would like to stay in a clean and cozy three star hotel.
3 Star Hotel
There is a big difference between the quality among the three star hotels in China. The three star hotel rating is decided by the local governments with strong local protectionism. Some of the three star hotels are clean and comfortable; some are just rundown and shabby. Most of the three star hotels have no websites which make it quite difficult to book online.
2 Star Hotel
Strangely enough, 2 star hotels have comfortable facilities comparable to some 3-stars. But the problem for many 2 star hotels is that very few staffers can speak English. So if you are able to manage it, you may get some good rates.
One Star or Youth Hostel
Youth hostes are getting very popular in China. Low rates with simple and basic facilities. The rooms are clean and safe too. The staffers are always helpful and resourceful. Most of the staffers at youth hostels can speak English. China is a vast and extraordinary country extending thousands of miles from the deserts and plateau in the west to the ocean on the east. China has a history of over 5,000 years with one of the most rich and textured histories of all civilizations. If it is your first time to visit China, the China Top 10 below will be very useful in planning your maiden trip to China by its highlights.
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| Beijing | Xian | Shanghai | Guilin | Yangtze River |
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| Lhasa Tibet | Jiuzhaigou Sichuan | Lijiang Yunnan | Zhangjiajie Hunan | Silk Road in China |
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.
Address:
Canadian Embassy
19 Dongzhimenwai Dajie
Chao Yang District
Beijing 100600 PRC
Telephone: +86(10) 5139-4000
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.china.gc.ca
China Travel Advice from Canadian government
After Hours Emergency Contact Information (for Canadian Citizens Only)
Call collect: (613) 996-8885 / (613) 944-1310 (TTY) - Emergency Operations Centre of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. An experienced officer is always available to respond to emergency calls from anywhere in the world.
You can also phone the numbers above and follow the recorded instructions to reach the Emergency Operations Centre.
In a number of countries, you can also call the 24/7 Operations Centre toll-free. 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. China only have one time zone - Beijing Time, eight hours ahead of Greenwich (GMT + 8). Canada uses six primary time zones. From east to west they are Newfoundland Time Zone, Atlantic Time Zone, Eastern Time, Central Time Zone, Mountain Time Zone, and the Pacific Time Zone. Canada observes Daylight Saving Time. Clocks in Canada are turned forward by one hour on the second Sunday in March and turned back on the first Sunday of November.
Beijing is 13 hours ahead of Ottawa (Standard Time) and 12 hours ahead of Ottawa (Daylight Saving Time). 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 CAD exchange rate, please visit CoinMill.com - 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).
Canada's electrical supply and electrical outlets (sockets, wall plugs) are the same as those of the United States. The electrical supply is 110 Volts and 60 Hertz (cycles per second). You will need a travel plug adapter in order to plug in. Travel plug adapters simply change the shape of your appliance's plug to match whatever type of socket you need to plug into.
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 Canada 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
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.
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
China is generally a very safe place for tourists. However, while travelling in China, there are several tourist scams that visitors should be aware of. Always be careful with what you do and with who you can trust.
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.
Address:
Canadian Embassy
19 Dongzhimenwai Dajie
Chao Yang District
Beijing 100600 PRC
Telephone: +86(10) 5139-4000
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.china.gc.ca
China Travel Advice from Canadian government
After Hours Emergency Contact Information (for Canadian Citizens Only)
Call collect: (613) 996-8885 / (613) 944-1310 (TTY) - Emergency Operations Centre of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. An experienced officer is always available to respond to emergency calls from anywhere in the world.
You can also phone the numbers above and follow the recorded instructions to reach the Emergency Operations Centre.
In a number of countries, you can also call the 24/7 Operations Centre toll-free. 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. China only have one time zone - Beijing Time, eight hours ahead of Greenwich (GMT + 8). Canada uses six primary time zones. From east to west they are Newfoundland Time Zone, Atlantic Time Zone, Eastern Time, Central Time Zone, Mountain Time Zone, and the Pacific Time Zone. Canada observes Daylight Saving Time. Clocks in Canada are turned forward by one hour on the second Sunday in March and turned back on the first Sunday of November.
Beijing is 13 hours ahead of Ottawa (Standard Time) and 12 hours ahead of Ottawa (Daylight Saving Time). 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 CAD exchange rate, please visit CoinMill.com - 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).
Canada's electrical supply and electrical outlets (sockets, wall plugs) are the same as those of the United States. The electrical supply is 110 Volts and 60 Hertz (cycles per second). You will need a travel plug adapter in order to plug in. Travel plug adapters simply change the shape of your appliance's plug to match whatever type of socket you need to plug into.
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 Canada 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
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.
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
China is generally a very safe place for tourists. However, while travelling in China, there are several tourist scams that visitors should be aware of. Always be careful with what you do and with who you can trust.
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