Beijing Facts

BeijingCity is an independently administered municipal district.. The climate in Beijing is of the continental type, with cold and dry winters and hot summers. January is the coldest month (-4 Celsius), while July the warmest (26 Celsius).

Tian'anmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) was and is considered as the centre of Beijing, not only because of its location but also because it is a symbol of power. Tian'anmen is the front gate of the Forbidden City, the gate leading to the supreme power in imperial times. The tower over the gate was used for grand ceremonies in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, for instance, issuing imperial edicts. In modern China, it is also a symbol of power.

The Forbidden City acts like a bull's-eye, surrounded by a network of roads, including five ring roads which cup the city centre in concentric circles. The First Ring Rd is a mapmaker's fiction and just part of the grid around the Forbidden City. However, the Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth (opened in 2002) are multi-lane freeways.

As China's political and cultural center, Beijing is very influential politically, economically and socially. It is here that the central government, and all ministries, departments and offices of the State Council exert their management power.

Beijing is also one of the Chinese cities that enjoys outstanding geographical advantages in the wave of regional development. The pan-Bohai-Sea economic ring, consisting of the LiaodongPeninsula, the ShandongPeninsula, and Beijing, Tianjin and HebeiProvince, boasts a solid industrial foundation, is rich in natural resources, and has a dense population and huge market potential. It's bound to become the most active and influential area in China's future economic development..

Beijing features a solid industrial foundation and strong overall economic power. Since 1990, the GNP (gross national product) of the city has been steadily increasing at an annual rate of 11 %. In China, its overall economic power is next only to Shanghai. Its agricultural, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery have been growing side by side. With it, the framework of a specialized, industrialized and modern agricultural base is forming. In addition, the city's secondary industry is consolidating, and it is undergoing strategic adjustment, which is orienting toward high and new technologies. In terms of the service industry, the sector now accounts for 47 % of the city's GNP and is getting more international and multi-functional.

Arrival In Beijing, what to bring?

Most things are available in Beijing stores. Bring necessary documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, diplomas and school certificates, bank records, medical and dental records, vaccination certificates, insurance information, and driver's licenses. Also bring your children's school records for at least the past two years of school enrolment. Remember personal items such as medicine, health supplements and vitamins, your favorite books as there is a limited supply here, and cosmetics (especially natural). Ask your doctor for a one-year prescription for medications that you take regularly and arrange with your insurance company for payment for these long-term prescriptions. It's good to bring bed sheets as they are expensive, and those that are relatively cheap are not of a good quality.

Introduction to Chinese Visa

In accordance with their status and the types of passports they hold, different aliens coming to China shall be issued diplomatic, courtesy, service or ordinary visas respectively. Ordinary visa shall be marked with different phonetic letters and issued to different aliens according to their stated purposes of visit to China.

Visa D to aliens who are to reside permanently in China.
Visa Z to aliens who come to China to take up posts or employment and to their accompanying family members.
Visa X to aliens who come to China for study, advanced study or job-training for a period of six months or more.
Visa F to aliens who are invited to China on a visit or study, lecture or business tour, for scientific-technological or cultural exchange, for short-term refresher course or for job-training, for a period of more six months.
Visa L to aliens who come to China for sight-seeing, visiting relatives or other private purposes. A group visa may be issued to a group of nine or more aliens on a sight-seeing trip to China .
Visa J-1 to resident foreign correspondents in China;
Visa J-2 to foreign correspondents who make short trip to China on reporting tasks.

Most People enter China on a single-entry Tourism Visa (L) (valid for three months), which is later converted to a multi-entry Employment Visa upon obtaining a Health Certificate and Work Permit . After the Employment Visa is obtained, you may apply for dependant visas for your spouse and children.

You can apply for a visa at a Chinese Embassy or Consulate, Hong Kong travel agencies, or the Airport. You will need to present following items:
. One completed application form
. One recently taken passport size photo (subject must be bareheaded and facing forward)
. A Valid passport with ample blank pages.