Customs
Incoming passengers are allowed to bring with them, under temporary admission, one of each of the items listed below:
Camera, portable tape-recorder, portable cinecamera, portable video-camera, and portable computer.
Passengers carrying personal items over this limit should declare accurately to the Customs and fulfill all necessary customs formalities.
Foreign Exchange
On entering, no restrictions are imposed on the amount of foreign currency, travelers checks, credit cards. However , non-residents carrying more than 5,000 US dollars in cash should declare to the Customs the Customs shall permit foreign exchange to be carried out based on the declarations or on relevant regulations issude by the National Administration of Exchange Control.
Climate and Clothing
Beijing has a cold, dry and long winter from early November to the next March. The nearly five months' winter is very cold although sunny days prevail. The average temperature in December, January and February would be lower than 0 
C (32 
F). Be sure to bring winter clothes, including wool sweaters and thick down coats. A winter journey to Beijing may be a shock to visitors from tropical countries.
Communicating
Spoken communication has been a problem in China for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Different people from defferent regions separated by rivers and mountains tend to speak differently from each other. There are hundreds of different dialects in China , and many of them are like totally different languages, though they are all lumped together into the category "Chinese."
The official language of China is Mandarin Chinese, actually a northern dialect, and this is what the people of Beijing speak. Often when Chinese people from the countryside or farflung regions of the country come to Beijing, they have a hard time communicating. So if you are having difficulty making yourself understood, you are not alone!
Money
The official currency in China is the Renminbi (RBM)or "people's currency." The basic unit is the yuan (also known as "kuai"), which equals 10 jiao (or "mao"), which is then divided into 10 fen.
Paper currency comes in 1.2,5,10,50 and 100 yuan notes. Paper jiao come in denominations of 1,2, and 5. There are also 1 and 2 fen notes, but these are rarely used as their purchasing power is exactly zero. As for coins, there are 1 youan ,1 and 5 jiao,and 1,2, and 5 fen(ahain, the fen are basically useless).
Changing Money
You can exchange traveler's chechs or cash at most banks, and hotels always have a money exchange counter. You can also get a cash advance on your American Express card, but for this you need to go to the Bank of China headquarters at Fuchengmen or Bank of China Beijing Branch at Chaoyangmen or the one at your nearest branch of Bank of China.
To change money, you have to have your passport at hand. If you want to change money in a hotel, you usually have to be a guest there. Sometimes if you are not a guest in a hotel but need to change money there, you can just say a random room number, but this doesn't always work.
At present ,the RMB is not exchangeable on the internaitional market, so it is only usable within the country. So when you are changing money, don't change too much, because it is difficult to change back into other currencies. To change RMB back into your home currency, you must retain the exchange slips that are given to you at the bank or money exchange counter. Then when you want to go home, you have to bring the slips with you to prove that you are merely changing back money you haven't spent instead of taking out needed foreign exchange. if you lose the slips, you can change on the black market (locations vary , ask a Chinese friend for details), but the exchange rate is not so good and of course it is illegal.
Credit Cards
Major credit cards such as Master Card , Visa, JCB and American Express can be used to purchase goods in large department stores. Credit cards cannot be used in small restaurants or small convenience stores.
They are mostly useful for paying for really expensive things. They can be used to pay for hotel rooms and for meals in some of the fancier restaurants. You can also buy plane tickets with them. As mentioned above. AmEx can be used to get a cash advanec in the main offices of the Bank of China. It is also possible to cash a check against the AmEx card ,but again , only in the main offices.
Electricity and China Electrical Outlets
Most luxury hotels have builtin converters in bathrooms for shavers, hair dryers, etc. Otherwise, come equipped, because an amazing variety of plug types are in use. The voltage is 220 volts.
China uses 220 volt power supply for standard domestic and business purposes. Hotels generally provide wall sockets in every bathroom for razors and hair dryers, accommodating both ”°straight two-pin plugs,”± and ”°triangular 3-pins plugs.”±
A variety of electrical outlets can be found in China, so a good all-around adaptor plug set is recommended. Keep in mind that no matter what type of plug an outlet might accept, voltage in China is 220V 50 Hz.
Water
Potable water is available only at a few of the best hotels, so tourists should always ask to make sure. Flasks of hot and cold boiled water in rooms are telltale signs of nonpotable tap water.
Bottled mineral water is widely available in all stores and street kiosks and sometimes provided free by the hotel. Made in-China mineral water is usually sold at around 3 yuan per bottle.
Beijing Transportation
- How to recognize a legal taxi in Beijing? Any advice on illegal tour bus?
1) The taxi plaque number starts with the number "B"
2) The taxi should be equippped with the light on the top and meter measuring.
3) It's better to take a taxi on the road instead of a taxi waiting somewhere. The empty taxi must show a red light in the front window.
Cheap Flights to Beijing
If you are flying to Beijing and want to get the best value for your money, before you travel search and compare prices on cheap flights to China and get the latest flight deals from all major airlines and travel agents at Cheapflights.co.uk
Useful Links
Beijing Capital Airport
Beijing Metro Information
Beijing Public Transpotation Information
