Passport
All visitors to the People's Republic of China should have a valid passport. Except for citizens from countries that have visa-free agreements with China, other visitors must apply for a Chinese visa which allows its holder to stay generally for no more than one month. For more information about visa-free countries and the period of stay, please contact Chinese embassies and consulates abroad.
Time difference
Beijing is eight hours ahead of UCT.
Currency
China's currency is renminbi (RMB). Banknotes come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 yuan. A 100 RMB is equivalent to approximately USD 15 (as of March 2023). Most banks offer currency exchange services (working hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). A traveler's daily budget is expected to be at least $200 to cover hotel rooms, meals in mid-range restaurants and public transportation.
Useful numbers in China
Country code: +86
Area code: 010
Emergency: 120
Fire alarm: 119
Police: 110
Beijing travel information
""""Beijing Tourism"""" is a website established and operated by Promotional Centre of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism (Beijing Tourism Operations Monitoring Centre), providing tourists with travel-related information, and serving tourists. The website comprehensively introduces Beijing's rich tourism resources, displays its rich history and profound culture from multiple angles, and strives to provide tourists at home and abroad with the latest and most accurate official information on travel in Beijing.
Recommended attractions
Tian’anmen Square, the largest city center square in the world, is situated in the downtown of Beijing. It’s 880 meters long and 500 meters wide, covering an area of 440,000 square meters, big enough to hold half a million people at the same time. Tian’anmen Square is neatly symmetrical, majestic and magnificent, and is a major scenic spot in Beijing.
The Palace Museum in Beijing, formerly known as the Forbidden City, is located in the center of Beijing's Central Axis. It is the royal palace of 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties of China, the essence of ancient Chinese Han court architecture, and unparalleled architectural masterpiece.
The Summer Palace, the imperial garden of the Qing Dynasty in China, draws on the design techniques of Jiangnan gardens to build a large landscape garden. The best preserved imperial garden, known as the """"Royal Garden Museum"""", is also a key tourist attraction in China.
The Badaling Great Wall is an important part of the Great Wall, a majestic ancient Chinese defense project built in the Ming Dynasty. The Badaling Great Wall is an important outpost of Juyongguan, known for its strategic position.
Beijing cuisine
Beijing's flavored snacks are renowned for their long history, wide variety, exquisite ingredients and fine production. Representatives of Beijing-style snacks include bean juice, sour plum soup, tea soup, Xiaowotou, preserved fruit compote, aiwowo, etc.