August 2008

All roads lead to Beijing

by Felicia Bratu

An old Latin proverb says that all roads lead to Rome... However, it seems that these days all roads lead to China for many reasons, but most recently, to the Olympic Games. Going there for business or for the Games, a few basic things about China and a few words in Chinese might come in handy.

Things to know when visiting China

1. Visas are required for all visitors going to China. If you would like to go to China, you will need to apply for a Visa to a Chinese consulate or embassy.

2. Chinese currency: 1.00 USD = 6.84 CNY ( China Yuan Renminbi) – (source: finance.yahoo.com)

3. China has only one time zone, Beijing time. There is a 12 hour difference between Toronto and Beijing or New York and Beijing (both Toronto and New York are in the Eastern time zone).

4. China ’s electrical system operates at 220 volts. Visitors coming from North America will need converters for their electrical devices.

5. Tips are usually given to tour guides and hotel bell boys and shouldn’t be more than 10 percent (source: wintranslation.com article). For most restaurants the bill usually includes a 10-15% service charge, so a tip isn’t necessary.

6. Useful phone numbers when in China: 110 – Police; 119 – Fire; 120 – Ambulance

7. China uses the metric system for measurements, so the distance will be in km and not in miles, the weight in kg and not in pounds, etc.

8. Temperature: if going to Beijing this summer, be prepared for sunny weather at approximately 33 degrees Celsius. Also be prepared for some rain and storms (Yahoo weather forecast).

9. The language spoken in China is Mandarin. Simplified Chinese is the written language.

Common sentences that might help you better communicate when traveling to China

We have prepared a list with terms you might find useful when traveling to China. Please find bellow the English term.

You can also download and print out only the translation by following this link (PDF, 189 kB): Chinese basic phrases for tourists

Places to visit in Beijing

Going to the Olympics this summer? You might want to make time to visit some of Beijing’s amazing historical sites:

The Great Wall of China – one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Wall is the most impressive defensive fortification ever built. Part of the Great Wall passes through the north of Beijing and can be reached by car or by bus.	The Forbidden City (The Imperial Palaces) – is located in the heart of Beijing, directly north of Tiananmen Square. The complex was built about 600 years ago and it was the home of 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It covers more than 72,000 sq. km, has about 800 buildings and 9,000 rooms.
The temple of Heaven – situated in the southeastern part of Beijing, this was the place where the Ming and Qing Emperors would pray for good harvest. With a surface of 2.75 million sq. meters, this is the largest complex of worship in the world.	The Summer Palace – the largest imperial garden in China is only 12 km away from central Beijing.

Images provided courtesy of http://www.kinabaloo.com/beijing.html

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About wintranslation.com: We are a translation agency based in Canada. Some of our services include:

• Canadian English to French translation
• Chinese translation
• Arabic translation
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