Accommodation
Instruction to visa application
If you need an official invitation letter for visa application, please send your information (title, name, address, passport number, and role to attend PAS 2015) to Dr. Xiaoyu Chen. Then an electronic scanned version of the invitation letter will be sent to you via e-mail and if necessary the hard copy will also be sent to you by mail.
Seminar venue & Reception
Because of the 63rd anniversary of foundation of Beihang University, Vision Hotel has been occupied for reception of alumni. We have to change the seminar venue and make the following arrangements.
The seminar will take place at Beijing Conference Center (No.9 building, room 8) on October 22 and 23, 2015. We have reserved some rooms at Beijing Conference Center Hotel for participants of PAS 2015 during the seminar, i.e., for October 22 and 23 nights (standard room rate with breakfast is about 480 CNY per night). As some participants will arrive before the openning of the seminar, we have also reserved some rooms at Jingyi Hotel that is not far from Beihang University. Standard room rate of Jingyi Hotel (5 stars) is about 538 CNY per night (with breakfast). A reception desk of PAS 2015 will be set in the lobby of Jingyi hotel on October 21, 2015. Some local organizers may help you check in. If you arrive before October 21, you can check in by showing your name to the reception desk of Jingyi hotel and mention that your room is booked through Beihang University.
On October 22, we will gather in the lobby of Jingyi Hotel at 8:00 am and take a bus together to the seminar venue, Beijing Conference Center. Once you have confirmed your travel schedule, please send your arrival time to Dan Song or Xiaoyu Chen so that we can do some arrangements first.
Notes and Tips
Currency Exchange
The currency exchange rate of USD and CNY is about 1:6.4. Foreign currency is not acceptable in most cases. You can do currency exchange at the airport, the Hotel, and nearby banks.
Travel
Beijing Capital International Airport is about 30 kilometers away from Jingyi Hotel. You may take either taxi or subway there to the hotel. The taxi fares in Beijing are quite affordable and you pay exactly the amount shown on the taximeter. It costs about 100 CNY from the airport to the hotel. You are advised to keep the receipt, which could help you find the driver when necessary. You may print the following notes and show it to taxi drivers.
If you take an international flight, please arrive at the airport two hours before the time of departure. You may take a taxi at the Hotel and it takes about 50 minutes to arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport. If necessary, you may print the following note and show it to the taxi driver.
Restaurants
Beijing has a large variety of moderately priced Chinese restaurants, but the waiters in most of these restaurants do not speak foreign languages. If you like adventure and unexpected experience, you may just go there and try. Otherwise, you may find MacDonald and KFC in various places where you know how much you pay (less than what you usually do) and what you get, or go to restaurants in star-ranked hotels where the waiters can speak English.
Cash
Most hotels and big shopping malls may accept international credit cards. Except those specialized for international guests, most grocery stores and restaurants only accept Chinese currency in cash.
Weather
The climate of late October in Beijing is usually comfortable. The mean temperature is about 15°centigrade or 59°Fahrenheit and the highest temperature may reach 20°centigrade or 68°Fahrenheit. Occasional winds and rains are possible.
Safety
In general, Beijing is a quite safe city. We remind you to watch out both automobiles and bikes when you cross streets. Some pedestrians and bikers in Beijing ignore all kinds of traffic lights, signs, and barriers. Please do not follow them to cross streets.
You may ask the reception desk for Internet connection and other information about your stay at the hotel and in Beijing.