As of 22 April 2009 this website is 'frozen' in time — see the current IFLA websites
This old website and all of its content will stay on as archive – http://archive.ifla.org
Practical Information
62nd IFLA General Conference
Beijing, CHINA
August 25-31, 1996
All participants are required to come with visas. We recommend they
consult the Chinese consulates in their home countries. To those
participants from the countries without diplomatic relations with
China, please indicate to the China Organizing Committee countries
and cities at least 10 working days in advance before they commence
to make application.
An official letter of invitation to facilitate entrance visa
application will be sent by China Organizing Committee upon
request. It is understood that such an invitation does not exempt
the recipient from paying all registration fees and other costs. It
is not a commitment on the part of the conference to provide any
financial support.
Chinese currency is the yuan (RMB). The current exchange rate as at October 1995 is about
8.44 yuan to one US dollar. There are 20 kinds of currencies which
can be exchanged in the banks, some main hotels and the Convention
Center, including: British, Canadian, Dutch, German, Swiss,
Belgian, French, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Austrian,
Japanese, Singapore, Australian, Finish, Malaysian, U.S. Hongkong
and Macao.
The currencies of U.S., Britain, Japan, Hongkong,
Germany, France can be exchanged in almost all hotels as well as
the banks and Convention Center.
The world wide-accepted credit cards, e.g. Visa, Master Card, American Express and JCB
can be used in the main hotels
and Convention Center, while the traveller's cheques issued by
American, Japanese, European and Hongkong banks are accepted. The
cheque from the Bank of China is the most convenience when you are
in China.
Late August in Beijing is fairy hot, dry and clear. The average
temperature is about 28-300C (84-88F) at the maximium and 18-200C
(66-70F) at minimum. Usually shirts or at most a jacket will do
very well. A raincoat or umbrella is advised.
The Convention Center and most places for the conference activities
as well as the hotels are air-conditioned.
220V, 50Hz.
From the Airport:
24km in distance from the airport to the Convention Center.
Participants, leaving for the Convention Center, can come by
airport limousine to the destination of Zhongguang Chun (schedule:
every 60 minutes) and get off at the stop of the Convention Center.
Approximate fare: 12.00 RMB (1995 price).
by taxi:
Approximate fare: 60.00-90.00 RMB (1995 price) including baggages.
From the Convention Center to other areas of the city:
Buses: 328, 380, 386, 387, 406, 407, 408 and trolley-bus 108. The
rush hours are 7:00-9:00 and 16:30-18:30. In addition to the public
buses a sharp increase of the number of taxis and minibuses can be
seen in the city. However due to the increasingly heavy traffic,
especially during the rush hours, participants are strongly advised
to stay in the hotels as near to the Center as possible to avoid
the delay caused by the traffic. Those who plan to arrange the
hotel accommodation themselves should take into account the traffic
situation. You are recommended to take taxi or minibuses. The fares
for taxi is about 1.00-2.00 RMB per km (1995 price).
Beijing is a city with a number of historical relics, imperial
palaces, royal gardens, temples and a variety of beautiful parks.
All delegates and accompanying persons will be invited to visit one
group of the following 7 excursion tours at his or her choice:
I
(a) the Palace Museum (the Forbidden City)
served the emperor as both living quarters and headquarters
for the administration of the empire.
(b) Tiananmen Square
located in the heart of Beijing, where important celebrations
are usually held.
(c) the Temple of Heaven
the unique features of the complex of buildings in the park
representing the greatest achievements of the Ming and Qing
architecture for the needs of offering sacrifice to Heaven and
praying for good harvests.
II
(a) Summer Palace
an immense park occupying 290 hectares, three quarts of which
is a lake. The park's natural beauty was set off by a
multitude of highly decorative halls, towers, galleries,
pavilions and bridges.
(b) the Ruins of Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace)
had a glorious and humiliating past, described as a "park of
parks". A witness to foreign invaders' destruction which
turned it into a park of ruins.
III
(a) the Great Wall (Badaling)
situated 80 kilometers north of Beijing, built in Ming Dynasty.
(b) Changping County Library
a county library in the suburb of Beijing.
IV
(a) the Great Wall (Mutianyu)
another section of the Great Wall open to tourists, located at northwest of Beijing.
(b) Huairou County Library
a county library in the suburb of Beijing.
V
(a) Clouds Dwelling Temple (Yunjusi)
known as mini-Dunhuang. Unique for its collection with a large number of stone plates inscribed with Buddhist sutras.
(b) The Grotto of Cave Flowers (Shihuadong)
located at the southwest of Beijing. The unique karst caves in North China.
Before or after the conference participants are encouraged to tour
the country. The following tour packages are recommended to see the
natural beauty of the country and to have an increasing
understanding of the daily lives of the Chinese people:
Details about the tours will be given in the second issue of IFLA
Express due to appear in May or June 1996.
- East China Tour (5 days):
Beijing-Nanjing-Wuxi-Suzhou-Shanghai-
Hangzhou-Guangzhou-Hongkong.
Price: US$ 698 per person (including
hotel rooms, meals, guide service, transportation from Guangzhou to
Hongkong, excluding local airport taxes).
- Taishan Mountain Tour (5 days):
Beijing-Jinan-Taishan-Qufu
(Confucius Temple)-Beijing.
Price: US$ 485 per person (including
local transportation, hotel rooms, meals, guide services).
- Three Gorges and Huangshan Mountain Tour (9 days):
Beijing-
Chongqing-Three Gorges-Wuhan-Huangshan-Guangzhou.
Price: US$ 1585
per person (including ferry fare, local transportation, hotel room,
meals, guide service, excluding local airport taxes).
- Major Cities Tours (7 days):
Beijing-Xian-Shanghai-Guilin-
Guangzhou-Hongkong.
Price: US$ 952 per person (including hotel
room, meals, local airfares, guide service, excluding local airport
taxes).
- Silk Road Tour (10 days):
Beijing-Urumqi-Turfan-Dunhuang-
Lanzhou-Xian.
Price: US$ 1548 per person (including meals, hotel
rooms, local transportation, guide service, excluding local airport
taxes).
- Southwest China Tours (9 days):
Beijing-Xian-Chengdu-Lhasa-
Chengdu-Hongkong.
Price: US$ 1586 per person including meals, hotel
rooms, local transportation, guide service, excluding local airport
taxes).