Want to have a 3-D tour to the Forbidden City in Beijing? Click here to watch.

In 2008, when you are at the grand occasion of the Olympic Games with the theme slogan of “One World, One Dream”, you will also find yourselves experiencing the oriental ancient civilization of Beijing.

Beijing was the capital city of the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties of China. The largest palace of the world, the Forbidden City, is located on the central axis of Beijing city. Together with the Summer Palace - a royal park, the Great Wall, Beijing Royal Quadrangle Courtyard etc, Beijing has 7300 cultural relics and historical sites, as well as more than 200 scenic spots.

Beijing, the Capital City, is the political, cultural and diplomatic centre of China. It has become a modern international cosmopolitan city with more than 11 million people. The Capital International Airport, 23.5 km from the city centre, is China’s largest and most advanced airport. There are close to 40 five-star hotels in Beijing and the international direct distance dialing can reach 240 countries and regions.

August and September are the end of summer and the beginning of autumn in Beijing, with the highest temperature around 30°C and the lowest temperature around 18°C. This is the best season of the year in Beijing when the sky is blue and clear. The city feels especially spacious and airy when the distant lofty Yanshan Ridge could be seen from the height of the Forbidden City. Beijing can be said to have the charm of antiquity as well as the spirit of modernity indeed.

Transport service

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 municipal authorities of 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.

Consumption tips

RMB know-how — The currency in common use of Beijing is RMB. Prior to your visit, don’t forget to have a basic knowledge of RMB. RMB has ten surface values altogether, including 100 yuan, 50 yuan, 20 yuan, 10 yuan, 5 yuan, 2 yuan, 1 yuan, 5 jiao, 2 jiao and 1 jiao (with the attached pictures).

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.

100USD=770RMB

100 EUR =1040RMB

100GBP=1500RMB

100HKD=98 RMB

100 AUD=640RMB

100 JPY=6.5RMB

100 KRW=0.8RMB

100 Swiss Francs=630RMB

100 SGD =500RMB

100 CAD=685RMB

100 NZD =570RMB

100MOP=96RMB

100THB=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.

______________________________________________________________________

ChineseHour is a right chocie for you to learn Chinese and get ready to travle to Bejing!