Beijing - Useful Information
Inoculations
No inoculations are required when visiting Beijing, but it is advisable to take precautions against dengue fever and malaria, which are transmitted by mosquitoes, if you’re travelling outside the city.
When visiting Beijing, be sure not to drink any tap water, which can cause diarrhoea and varying degrees of sickness. Stick to bottled water and only drink tap water here if it has been boiled.
Useful Numbers
International dialling code: +86
Emergency Numbers
552729 (English speaking emergencies line)
Police: 110
Fire: 119
Ambulance: 120
Tourist Centres
Chaoyang Tourist Information Centre: 27 Sanlitun Beilu, Beijing
Dongcheng Tourist Information Centre: 10 Dengshikou Xijie, Beijing
Fengtai Tourist Information Centre: Zhongyan Hotel Lobby, Guangwai Dajie, Beijing
British Embassy
British Embassy Beijing
11 Guang Hua Lu
Jian Guo Men Wai
Beijing 100600
Telephone: (+86) (10) 5192 4000 General enquiries only
Currency
Renmimbi Yuan (RMB) "Renminbi" is the official name of the currency with "Yuan" the name of a unit of the renminbi currency. Something may cost one yuan or 10 yuan. It would not be correct to say that it cost 10 renminbi. You’ll see prices marked with the Yuan/Yen sign, ¥; or the Chinese character, 元
Units for the Renminbi are the Jiao (角), and Fen (分): 1 Yuan = 10 Jiao = 100 Fen. Banknote denominations range from one yuan to one hundred yuan, and vary both in size and colour.
Climate
Beijing’s climate is defined as "continental monsoon” with cold and dry winters due to the northerly air masses that migrate southwards. There is a good range of temperatures between each of the well-defined seasons, with hot monsoon winds bringing warm wet summers. Spring and autumn is the best time to be in Beijing, particularly in the months of April, May, September and October. Autumn, especially, is a good time to visit, with warm days, long nights, and less rainfall than high summer which, during July and August, has almost half of the city’s annual rainfall. The average temperature throughout the year is 12 degrees Centigrade. The coldest month is January with an average temperature of - 4.60 and the hottest month is July, with averages around an uncomfortable 26 degrees Centigrade.
Timezone
GMT + 8