Regional Information
Beijing & Xi’An
At a Glance
Currency: Chinese Yuan (¥ / CNY) – pronounced ‘wan’; also called Renminbi
Population: Approx. 14 million (Beijing)
Language: Mandarin, English
Local Time: Irish and UK time +8 hours
Voltage: 220V – international adaptors purchased in Ireland and UK can be used .
Flight duration: Approx. 12 hours
Airport: The airport is located 28km (18 miles) northeast of Beijing. Journey time to the city centre takes about 40-60 minutes.
Climate: Beijing’s spring is mostly dry. In July and August the weather turns hot and humid. Autumn is the nicest time of the year with many warm, clear days and usually little wind.
Overview
Beijing City is an independently administered municipal district situated in the north-eastern corner of China. It is one of four great ancient capitals of China, a centre of culture and art, renowned for its lavish palaces, temples, art treasures and universities. Its city limits extend some 80km (50mi), including the urban and suburban areas and the nine counties under its administration. King Wu was the first to declare Beijing the capital city in 1057 BC. Subsequently, the city has gone by the names of Ji, Zhongdu, Dadu, and finally Beijing when the Ming Dynasty Emperor Cheng Zu chose the name in 1421. Beijing was also known as Peking by the Western world before 1949.
Xi’an is the capital of Shaanxi province, located in the southern part of the Guanzhong Plain. With the Qinling Mountains to the south and the Weihe River to the north, it is in a favorable geographical location surrounded by water and hills. It has a semi-moist monsoon climate. Xi’an is one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilisation in the Yellow River Basin area ; during its 3,100 year development, 13 dynasties such as Western Zhou, Qin, Western Han and Tang placed their capitals here. Xi’an is the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and known as the site of the Terracotta Army. Since the 1990s, the city has re-emerged as an important cultural, industrial and educational centre of the central-northwest region.
Highlights
Forbidden City - Off-limits to most of the world for 500 years, it is the best preserved cluster of ancient buildings in China. The old world of beautiful concubines and emperors, eunuchs and conspicuous wealth still hovers around the lush gardens, courtyards, pavilions and the great halls of the palace.
Summer Palace - Featuring extensive gardens, this was the palace of choice for vacationing emperors and dowager empresses. It was badly damaged by Anglo-French troops during the Second Opium War (1860) and its restoration became a project of Empress Dowager Cixi, the last of the Qing dynasty rulers. Money earmarked for a modern navy was used for the project but, ironically, the only thing completed was the restoration of a marble boat. The boat now sits at the edge of the lake. The palace's full restoration was hampered by the disintegration of the Qing dynasty and the Boxer Rebellion.
Temple of Heaven Park - The Temple of Heaven is set in a 267-hectare (660-acre) park. It originally functioned as a vast stage for solemn rites and rituals. All of the buildings in the park, including the Round Altar, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, are tangible conversations between the gods and mortals. The buildings are carefully thought out paeans to ancient gods and beliefs; feng shui, numerology, cosmology and religion all played a part in their original construction, and the result is an awesome architectural juxtaposition of God and the devil.
Tiananmen Square - Forever sullied following the events of 1989, Tiananmen Square lies at the heart of Beijing, and is a vast impressive desert of pavestones where people wander and fly kites. Though it was a gathering place in the imperial days, Tiananmen Square was Chairman Mao's creation. Major rallies took place here during the Cultural Revolution, when Mao reviewed parades of up to a million people.
The Great Wall of China - The Wall has gone through a continuous building and restoration process in its time. Originally a series of smaller walls protecting various separate Chinese states, it was connected more than 2000 years ago by the Emperor Qin to defend the newly set up first unified kingdom of China. The wall became a sturdy 'No Trespassing' sign directed at neighbouring kingdoms. Subsequent extensions and restorations performed by the later Chinese dynasties turned the wall into a world-famous magnificent engineering project and witness to the rises and falls of Chinese history.
Museum of Qin Terra Cotta Warriors & Horses – This UNESCO World Heritage site contains the world-famous collection of life size terracotta figures of warriors and horses, arranged in battle formations. The figures were discovered in 1974 by farmers digging for a well near The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. A significant archaeological excavation was begun and it was established that these artifacts were associated with the Qin Dynasty (211-206 BC). The State Council authorised the building of a museum on site in 1975. Altogether over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and weapons have been unearthed from the pits and the work on site continues.
Xi’an City Wall - The city is surrounded by an ancient wall which was re-constructed in the 14th century during the early Ming Dynasty and was based on the inner imperial palace of Tang Dynasty. Around the City Wall there are jutting ramparts, sentry towers, corner towers, gate towers, battlements and a series of defensive fortifications. The outer city is 13.7 km. in circumference and it occupies an area of 11.5 square km.
Wild Goose Pagoda - Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. It is located in the southern suburb of Xian City. Standing in the Da Ci'en Temple complex, it attracts numerous visitors also to a new square which features waterscape fountains, a cultural square, gardens and tourist paths.
Getting Around
The subway or Underground Dragon is one of the best ways of travelling quickly within Beijing. Taxis are plentiful, metered and cheap. They wait near major department stores, hotels and train stations and can be hailed on the street. Taxis in Beijing are small, red hatchbacks or saloons (‘Xiali’). Usually, the older and smaller the car is, the cheaper the fare. Rickshaws are notorious for overcharging and should be avoided. In Xi’an, buses run frequently to most attractions. If using taxis it is advised that you check the meter is running, to avoid high ‘fixed rates’, and have your destination written in Chinese.
Health/Security
Beijing and Xi’an are essentially safe cities, however, as in any large urban areas, pick-pocketing and scamming is not uncommon – especially in major tourist sites, markets, airports and international bar and shopping areas. It is recommended to be cautious about purchasing goods to be shipped home at a later date and to take care when using and handling credit cards. Generally, tourists should take the precautions they would in any major city. Avoid carrying large sums of cash, having cameras or video cameras loose, and make sure to keep belongings firmly with you at all times in public places.
Unlike most western countries, the Chinese tap water is not suitable for drinking, even in the finest of hotels. Hotel rooms often feature a water dispenser, water heater or a thermos or otherwise supply high-quality mineral water for free or for a minimal charge. Ordinary bottled mineral water and various beverages are commonly sold in many street shops, supermarkets, restaurants and hotel stores.
There are no vaccination requirements for entry purposes to China.
Passport/Visa
Irish / UK citizens are required to obtain a visa before travelling to China. Visas cannot be obtained on arrival. Passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the duration of the intended stay. A new visa or double entry visa is needed if visiting Hong Kong from mainland China in order to return to China. It is extremely important to take care of your passport while in China. If your passport is lost or stolen, you will not be able to leave China without first obtaining an emergency passport (issued by the Embassy or Consulate and which is of limited validity only) and a replacement visa (issued by the Chinese authorities) as well as a police report. This can take more than a week. During your stay you should carry your passport at all times as the Police are entitled to carry out random checks. A photocopy of your passport, Chinese visa, and flight ticket should be kept separately from the originals when travelling.
Useful Contacts
Irish Embassy:
3 Ri Tan Dong lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100600
Tel: + 86 10 6532 2691 / + 86 10 6532 2914, Fax: + 86 10 6532 6857
Email: beijingembassy@dfa.ie
www.embassyofireland.cn
British Embassy:
11 Guang Hua Lu, Jian Guo Men Wai, Beijing 100600
Tel: + 86 10 5192 4000 / + 86 10 8529 6600, Fax: + 86 10 6532 1938 / 9
Email: consular.beijing@fco.gov.uk, beijingvisamail@fco.gov.uk
www.ukinchina.fco.gov.uk/en
Local Emergency Services: Ambulance 999 or 120 / Fire 119 / Police 110
Calling Beijing from Irl/UK:
00 + 86 + 10 + the number
Calling Ireland from China:
00 + 353 + area code (omit 1st ‘0’) + the number
Calling the UK from Beijing:
00 + 44 + area code (omit 1st ‘0’) + the number
Tourist Information, Beijing:
Tourism Service Quality Supervision and Control Office (24 hours)
Tel: + 86 10 6513 0828, Fax: + 86 10 6515 8251
Tourist Information Xi’an:
Xian Tourist Office, Xian Tourism Administration
Tel: + 86 29 7295632. Fax : + 86 029 7295607
Useful Websites:
www.beijingpage.com
www.travelchinaguide.com
www.cnto.org
Shanghai
At a Glance
Currency: Yuan
Population: 13.4 million
Language: Mandarin, English
Local Time: Irish and UK time + 8 hours
Voltage: 220V - international adaptors purchased in Ireland / UK can be used.
Vaccinations: There are no vaccination requirements for entry purposes.
Water: Tap water is not suitable for drinking.
Airport: The airport is located 30km (19 miles) from central Shanghai. Journey time to city centre: 25-40 minutes.
Overview
Shanghai lies in central-eastern China, exposed to the East China Sea. Broadly central, Shanghai is divided into two areas: Pudong (east of the Huangpu River) and Puxi (west of the Huangpu River).
Shanghai has a colonial past more intense than that of any other city in China, except Hong Kong, and this legacy gives it a dramatic character, visible in the very facades of its buildings. But the city is not only a museum of East meeting West on Chinese soil. Overnight, Shanghai has become one of the world's great modern capitals, the one city that best shows where China is headed at the dawn of the 21st century.
Shanghai was not always much of a delight to tour, but that has changed. After the building boom of the 1990s tore the city apart, new roads, highways, tunnels, and bridges, not to mention new hotels, restaurants, and sights now make Shanghai a city that a visitor can once again comfortably enjoy and explore.
Highlights
Shanghai Museum - Frequently cited as the best museum in China, guiding you through the craft of millennia, the museum simultaneously draws you through the pages of Chinese history.
The Bund - Formerly a muddy towpath for boats along the river, the Bund (which means the embankment) remains the city's most impressive mile. It is a grand strip of hotels, shopping streets and nightclubs, and it remains an intrinsic part of Shanghai’s character.
Yunnan Road Night Market - Along Nanjing Lu less than a kilometer west of the Bund, the Night Market offers a wide variety of food at rock-bottom prices. Always lively, it is a fair spectacle and sure to give you an authentic taste of Shanghai.
Huzhou Pagoda -This is the leaning tower of China, built in 1079 AD. It has an inclination now exceeding the tower at Pisa by 1.5 degrees - at last count. The 19m (62ft) tower started tilting about 200 years ago. It is situated, 20km (12mi) southwest of Shanghai.
Getting Around
The public transport system, especially buses and minibuses, is not usually attempted by foreign visitors, unless they have a good understanding of Mandarin Chinese. Travel by metro or taxi is without a doubt the easier option.
Health/Security
Shanghai is essentially a safe city and the consequence for crime against foreigners is steep in China. Nevertheless, there is some pick pocketing etc. Tourists should take the precautions they would in any major city. Avoid carrying large sums of cash, having cameras or video cameras loose, or leaving belongings unattended.
Passport/Visa
The Chinese government requires that your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the expiry date of your visa. All visitors to China require a Tourist Visa. You have two options in relation to securing a visa - apply by post via The Travel Department or apply in person at the Chinese Embassy. It is each individual’s own responsibility to secure a Tourist Visa and to make sure that when you receive it, all details are correct.
Useful Contacts
Irish Embassy:
Consulate General of Ireland Shanghai, Suite 700A, Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Rd West, 200040, Shanghai.
Tel: 0086 21 6279 8729. Fax: 0086 21 6279 8739.
British Embassy:
Suite 301, Shanghai Centre,1376 Nanjing Xi Lu Shanghai 200040
Tel: 0086 21 6279 7650 , Fax: 0086 21 6279 7651
Local Emergency Services:
Ambulance 999 / Fire 119 / Police 110
Calling Shanghai from Irl/ UK : 00 + 86 + 21 + the number
Calling Ireland from Shanghai: 00 + 353 + area code + the number
Calling the UK from Shanghai: 00 + 44 + area code + the number
Local Tourist Office:
Shanghai Tourist Information and Service Centre
303 Moling Lu (South Exit of Shanghai Railway Station)
Tel: (21) 5123 4490