Living in Beijing

[Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao]: I have said before, China’s economy is the most difficult before. Difficulties in the international and domestic unpredictable factors, therefore the decision-making difficulties.
 
Rates acid morning and discussed the issue, I will according to their own ideas to her lectures on the current situation and stresses may be the trend of prices, look at their own unreasonable 1,10. To consider buy a house, started a good time to properly consider it.
I just guess, huh. Assessment of the economy good or bad or in the troika as a standard place, investment, consumption, foreign trade. If an economic downturn, then investment and consumption should decline.
Because of the appreciation of the renminbi formidable, and the new labor law came into effect, the PRD has a large number of labor-intensive enterprises capital. There is the release of a number of product categories trade restrictions on the technology content of the export of products with less done some restrictions, foreign trade has been shrinking is inevitable.
So, right now should be on economic performance in investment and consumption. CPI rising price level Gao Pan, will be the people’s desire to inhibit consumption, consumption will be in the doldrums. Consumer direct role in the downturn and corporate profits decline, to be used for investment to expand production funds it less.
Coupled with the bank interest rate increase has been restricted the money supply through interest rate increase, raising the deposit reserve ratio, as well as issuing central bank bills, and other means to curb market currency in circulation. Can be used for investment in the funds less. Direct role in the real estate industry is the availability of fewer loans, the funds comparatively narrow enterprises, will be at the bottom.
Suites with the second mortgage raising the threshold, speculation on prices for a number of restrictions, the real estate market, the enterprise funds because of tension, there will be selling of existing homes cash-on-hand. And to buy a house, it does not acknowledge it. Chibi wait-and-see in the majority, a conflict between supply and demand, there is more availability can not be sold, developers should be selling prices, the prices down.
when the 2008 Olympic Games end, not a gimmick price speculation, the real estate market to further worse.

Our wide range of Beijing accommodation allows you to enjoy all the city has to offer: from the Forbidden City and the Great Wall to Tian’an men Square; from the Peking Man Site to the many palaces and numerous temples; from the 120 museums, to the 100 public gardens. We have great rates on Beijing hotels throughout the city to suit every traveller.

Our Beijing hotels are a great base for exploring China’s major tourist attractions including, Tian’an men Square, the Great Wall, the Summer Palace and the Beijing Zoo. While you are staying in our Beijing accommodation, visit the largest royal palatial complex in existence in China, Forbidden City, which is also known as the Former Imperial Palace or the Palace Museum. Forbidden City was built in the beginning of the 13th century and was the imperial residence of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and today boasts an immense collection of cultural artefacts of various dynasties. While you are in the area, tour the hutongs which surround the palace. A hutong is an ancient city alley or lane, typical in Beijing, which tells the story of life in Beijing in days gone by. Also nearby is Beihai Park, which is an example of a typical imperial garden dating back more than 800 years. Or see the best preserved imperial garden in the country at the Summer Palace, also known as Yiheyyan, which boasts a fine collection of cultural artefacts. Also visit the Yonghegong Lamasery, which boasts fine examples of Han, Manchurian, Mongolian and Tibetan architecture and 26m statue of Maitreya (the Smiling Buddha), which is carved out of a single sandalwood trunk.

Stay in our Dong Cheng accommodation for easy access to such tourist attractions as Tiananmen Square and the National Museum of China. Or stay in our Ching Wen hotels to visit China’s largest temple, the Temple of Heaven, built in 1420, where Ming and Qing monarchs prayed for good harvests. Soak in some Chinese culture, while staying in our Beijing accommodation, by attending a performance of the famous Beijing Opera, also known as the Peking Opera, where bright costumes, singing, dialogue and acrobatic combat combine to make a fascinating show. If you are travelling to Beijing for business, stay in our Chao Yang hotels in the heart of the diplomatic and business district, and an easy walk to some of the city’s nightlife, or stay in our Guanganmen accommodation at the centre of the commercial and government area.

RMB know-how – The currency in common use in Beijing is RMB. Prior to your visit, don’t forget to have a basic knowledge of RMB. RMB has 13 surface values altogether, including 100 yuan, 50 yuan, 20 yuan, 10 yuan, 5 yuan, 2 yuan, 1 yuan, 5 jiao, 2 jiao, 1 jiao, 5 fen, 2 fen and 1 fen.

Exchange rate know-how – In Beijing, you can exchange your national currency to RMB at the Bank of China. The exchange rate often varies according to the market conditions. The following exchange rates are just for your reference.

100 USD = 717.63RMB

100 EUR = 1050.36RMB

100 GBP = 1412.94RMB

100 HKD = 92.000 RMB

100 AUD = 640RMB

100 JPY = 6.649RMB

100 KRW = 0.8RMB

100 Swiss Francs = 630RMB

100 SGD = 500RMB

100 CAD = 685RMB

100 NZD = 570RMB

100 MOP = 96RMB

100 THB = 22RMB

Credit card service — The swiping services are available at most of the consumption places like the large shopping malls or dining halls of Beijing. However, cash shall be carried along during your visit to the small stores or restaurants. In the course of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Paralympics, as the payment card provider to provide the Olympic services, Visa starts the Visa Service Center (VSC) to provide the multi-linguistic emergency services and everyday assistance for the card holders. Within the Olympic venues and non-competition venues, including the International Press Center, the International Broadcast Center and the Olympic Village, the ATM network and POS machines are installed to facilitate the RMB withdrawal by domestic and foreign spectators.

Medical first aid: 120

Police-reporting service center of Beijing Bureau of Public Security: 110

Fire alarm: 119

Query of telephone numbers: 114

You needn’t worry about personal unfamiliarity with Beijing since we’ll be constantly at your side and always at your service!

Please continue to pay attention to the column of “Inspector Service” or write your comments or suggestions on the “Inspector Message Board”.

Transport tips — In addition to the buses, subways and city light rails, the taxis are also available in Beijing. Taking a taxi has a common name of “Da Di” in Beijing. The cheapest price for a taxi ride is 10 yuan and the price following the 3-km taxi ride is 2 yuan/km. Don’t forget to keep your invoice. In case you leave any articles aboard, the invoice can help you find the taxi drivers.

Obstacle-free service — For the sake of welcoming the Olympic Games, all the departments of the Beijing Municipal Government are sparing no efforts to reconstruct the obstacle-free facilities in Beijing, including the obstacle-free buses, bus stops, slopes, bathrooms and blind roads across the whole city. If you or your family members traveling along are the spectators with special demands, including the old, the young, the sick, the disabled and the pregnant, you may leave the marks on the reservation sheets for Olympic tickets, and then you’ll receive one free copy of the Guide to the Obstacle-free Information Service of the Olympic and the Paralympic Games. You’re reassured to watch the Olympic and the Paralympic Games in Beijing.

If you wish to make international and domestic long-distance calls, you’re advised to buy an IP phone card. 17908 can save you a considerable amount off your phone bill. The surface value of phone card mainly includes 30RMB, 50 RMB and 100RMB, and you can enter the card number and the password to make the call wherever telephones are available (local calling fees are charged as well). The public telephones of Beijing consist of IC card phones and public phones with on-duty personnel, and are available at most major streets, newspaper and magazine stands and groceries across the city proper and suburbs. The surface value of IC phone cards usually consists of 10 RMB, 20 RMB, 30 RMB, 50 RMB and 100RMB. You’ll enjoy the convenience of the insert-to-use function. The public phones with on-duty personnel claim such advantages as preferential billing, accurate charging and convenient use. IP cards and IC cards as stated above are available at China Netcom, newspaper and magazine stands and supermarkets. You can get easy access to the card discounts.

(1) If foreign spectators wish to directly use the phone numbers assigned by their domestic telecommunication operators, they should initialize international roaming service with their local provider before their entry to China.

Foreign spectators shall initialize international roaming services of their mobile phone numbers with their domestic mobile telecommunication operators. Additionally, your domestic mobile telecommunication operator shall sign the agreement on international roaming services with China Mobile. Your international roaming service charges will be collected according to the applicable charging rates as specified by your domestic mobile telecommunication operator.

(2) If foreign spectators enter China with their domestic mobile phones, they can buy SIM phone cards and pre-paid phone cards in Beijing to enjoy all the businesses and services provided by China Mobile.

If your domestic operator and China Mobile haven’t signed the roaming agreement, the international roaming service will be unavailable through your domestic phone number. If you wish to use your own phone from home, make sure to bring a compatible GSM/GPRS 900/1800 dual-frequency mobile phone (the operator’s customized mobile phone on the unlocked network). You may purchase the pre-paid “Easy-Own” SIM phone cards and recharge cards provided by China Mobile to enjoy convenient mobile telecommunication services provided by China Mobile.

(3) If foreign spectators buy (or rent) mobile phone terminals and buy SIM phone cards and pre-paid phone cards in China, they can enjoy all the businesses and services provided by China Mobile.

Currently, the “Easy-Own” pre-paid SIM phone cards sold at the China Mobile Service Halls within Beijing have a unit price of 60RMB/card, including a credit of 50RMB. The pre-paid phone cards of China Mobile are available in a variety of price values. Once your pre-paid SIM card run out of credit, you can conveniently recharge credit with a pre-paid recharge card.

For more details, please call the Beijing customer service hotline of China Mobile – (+8610) 10086 or visit the website of China Mobile

During the 2008 Olympic Games, as the sole partner of the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee in terms of mobile communications services, China Mobile, through the GSM/GPRS 900/1800 dual-frequency network and the WLAN network, will provide all mobile communications services for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

What roaming services are included in international mobile telecommunication?

(1) Voice International Roaming Service:

Dialing Procedures:

Tips:

When dialing fixed telephones in China, please add 0 before the regional code. For instance, you shall dial 010 for Beijing, 020 for Guangzhou and 021 for Shanghai. If you dial the telephones of countries or regions other than mainland China, you must use an international prefix such as 00 or the + sign.

International calling charges still apply when voice calling between two mobile phones accessible to the international roaming services within the same country or region. For more information about international roaming charges, please call your national mobile telecommunications operator.

(2) International short-message service (SMS):

After editing the contents of short messages, customers shall enter within the column of sender number: the international prefix (00 or plus sign (+)) + national code + user mobile number, then you can send international short messages.

Tips:

1. If China Mobile and its roaming partner haven’t initialized international short-message service, it’s impossible to exchange international short messages with the customers of aforesaid roaming partners.

2. In some countries and regions, telecommunication operators only provide single-direction international short-message service. In other words, you can send international short messages to the customers of above telecommunication operators, but are unable to receive international short messages from them. For more details, please call the Beijing customer service hotline of China Mobile – (+8610) 10086 or talk to a customer representative in a China Mobile service hall.

(3) GPRS international roaming service:

If China Mobile and its roaming partner have initialized GPRS international roaming service, the customers of aforesaid roaming partner can gain access to the network of China Mobile and use the GPRS international roaming service.

Dressing guide — The daily temperature in Beijing averages around 25 degree celsius during August and September. The mornings and evenings are cool, but the daytimes are dry and hot. If you’ve decided on your Olympic trip, don’t forget to bring the proper clothes along so that you can wear more at the cool moments and take them off at the hot moments. The sun-protection articles and sunglasses are integral as well.

Power system — The power available in Beijing is 220v and the sockets in common use are the two-phase circular holes, two-phase flat holes and three-phase flat holes. Don’t forget to prepare the convertible plugs according to your actual needs.

TV system — TV system available in Beijing is PAL system. If your video cassette recorder adopts NTSC or SECAM system, you needn’t worry about the failed pictures on the TV equipment of Beijing, which may be attributable to the mismatched systems between your video cassette recorder and the TV in Beijing.

Hotel service — The hotels in Beijing usually provide the disposable toiletries, slippers, bath towels and sanitary articles.

How to use internet?

If you want to get access to the internet, there’re many internet bars in Beijing and the internet fee is often three yuan per hour. You only need to show your ID card or passport. Following the required registration, you can surf online as much as you like. Some cafes or bars also provide the wireless networks so that you may take your laptop computer, drinking coffee and surfing online at the same time. Moreover, you access to the internet is also enabled in the hotels. In most cases, the internet-accessing sockets are also available in the rooms of three-star hotels or above. You’re advised to ask the hotel personnel about the internet fees and formalities before your formal use of the internet.

Once you’ve decided on the time for your trip to Beijing, you’d better submit the visa application to the Chinese embassy or consulate in your own country. All the Chinese embassies in the foreign countries will, according to the principle of “warm service, strict control, simple formalities and soon issue”, properly handle your visa application within the specified working days. For more specific measures, please read the updated information of this column.

You may come to watch the Olympic Games or travel across China. In either case, you shall apply for the tourist visa. The visa applications may be submitted by the applicants themselves or handled by their consignees according to the principle of voluntary will. However, there’s an exception to the situations in which the applicants shall be present according to the related regulations or the visa officers demand the personal interviews. The applicants have the obligations to respond to the enquiries from the visa officers.

Necessary materials to apply for Chinese visa:

(1) A passport which has a valid period of no less than six months following the date of submission, and the blank visa page;

(2) One Visa Application Form of the People’s Republic of China, which is filled clearly with true, authentic and complete information and signed by the applicant;

(3) One recent, 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;

(6) Collecting the visa, the applicant shall pay the visa fee and the special rush or rush service charges (if chosen).