General Information

About ITMI 2010

In the past few years, the "International Triticeae Mapping Initiative" has evolved from developing recombination maps for wheat, barley and rye to genomics and its related study areas including for the past year the application of Next Gene Sequencing technologies to the Triticeae genomes. The 20^th ITMI & 2^nd WGC Workshop will present recent advances in these areas during five sessions including structural and functional genomics, molecular breeding, mapping and cloning, genomic diversity and evolution, and bioinformatics and new technology for cereal crops.

The workshop will take place in Beijing. The Organizing Committee is pleased to invite you to attend the "20^th ITMI & 2^nd WGC Workshop" and is looking forward to seeing you in Beijing.

20^th ITMI & 2^nd WGC are organized by Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and co-organized by Institute of Genetics & Developmental Biology, CAS, China Agricultural University, Nanjing Agricultural University, and BGI.

Venue

The venue for the 20^th ITMI and the 2^nd WGC is Jinyi Hotel. Please see the Accommodation page for information.

Passport and Visa

A valid passport and visa for visiting China are required for all participants, except those from Japan and Singapore if they stay for less than 15 days. Upon receiving your registration information, the secretariat will send you an official invitation letter by email or by mail with which you can apply for an entry visa at the Chinese Embassy or the nearest consulate general. On the other hand, you can ask your travel agent to arrange a tourist visa for you.

Invitation Letter

An official letter of invitation will be sent to the participants upon request by the Organizing Committee. The receipt of such a letter does not exempt the recipient from paying all registration fees and other fees.

Weather

The average high temperature in early September is 22º Celsius. The average low temperature is about 14º C. The precipitation in the month is about 64 mm.

Electricity

The electric current used in China is 220V 50Hz. The hotels can provide 220V and 110V (shavers only) power outlets. Please note that plug adapters may be necessary.

Currency and Banking

RMB (Chinese yuan) is the only currency used in China. Money exchanges by cash or traveler's checks can be made at banks at the airport, hotels and tourist stores.

Banks usually open at 9:00 a.m. and close at 5:00 p.m. everyday of the week (including Saturdays and Sundays). Currency exchange services are available for the following foreign currencies: US Dollar, British Pound Sterling, Euro, Japanese Yen, Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Hong Kong Dollar, Swiss Franc, Danish Krone, Norwegian Krone, Swedish Krone, Singapore Dollar, Malaysian Ringgit, and Macao Pataca. Smaller money exchange outlets may not accept all of these currencies.

Credit cards such as American Express, Diners Club, JCB, Master Card and Visa may be used for payments at hotels and tourist stores.

When visitors leave China, they can change the remaining amount of RMB back into foreign cash at the airport prior to their departure from China. But if they wish to do so, they have to show foreign currency conversion receipts. The exchange rate in early 2010 is USD 1 = CNY 6.8.

ATM Machine

Beijing is a very ATM friendly city. There are many banks with many ATMs. Only about 50% of these accept foreign cards. The main foreign friendly ATMs are controlled by the Bank of China. Bank of China ATMs work in both Chinese and English (depending on your card), use the latest equipment, and are pretty easy to find. Also, the connection to the overseas banking network tends to have a high down time.

Insurance

The organizers do not accept any liability for personal accidents or loss or damage to the private property of any participants during the workshop or indirectly arising from attending the workshop. It is advisable that participants should take adequate travel and health insurances before leaving their own countries.

Arrival in Beijing

All flights arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport, which is 30 kilometers from town, and is served by major international airline companies. Airport bus shuttles connect the airport to different parts of downtown Beijing.

Safety and Security

Security is difficult to judge as the reporting of crime is not as extensive as you would find in many other countries. The general impression you get though, is that the streets are very safe. Without a doubt the biggest danger you face when visiting Beijing is being involved in some kind of traffic accident. Crossing the road is an often frightening experience, and so is riding in a taxi for most foreign tourists. There are many unwritten rules and customs about traffic but the average tourist is completely unaware of these and just knows fear and confusion.

The next is pickpockets. Although none of us here has experienced this, and its nowhere near as big as a problem as in mainland Europe, Beijing people consider this one of their biggest crime problems. Pickpockets usually operate on crowded buses but do not tend to be as organized as in other countries. Be asure that you have one copy of first page and visa page for your passport and seperately kept.

As anywhere, leaving your bag or coat unattended or out of your direct line of sight is not recommended. We hear that places like Starbucks and KFC are famous for people having their bag taken from beside their seats.

Tipping

Tipping is discouraged by authorities and is not required in China - even at upscale restaurants and hotels. It is also not expected that you tip the taxi drivers. However, in hotels and during group travels, tipping is practiced for porters and tour guides.

Transportation

Airport

The main airport in Beijing is the Beijing Capital Airport where all national and international flights arrive at. It is about a 40-minute drive from the airport to the city. At the exit of the airport, taxi station is available. Please show the Chinese hotel address, which can be found in the General Information, to the driver when you get into a car.

Bus

Buses are the main means of transport in Beijing. Please prepare small bills in case of no-change bus lines. It would be very crowded in rush hours at 0700h-0900h and 1600h-1800h.

Subway

The subway system in Beijing has eight lines. The fare is 2 yuan per entry with free transfer from one line to aonther. Trains run from 5:30 in the morning until 23:00 in the late evening. A ticket can be bought at the ticket office at each station or at an automatic ticketing machine. Subway stops are announced over the train's speaker system in Chinese and English.

Taxi

Taxis in Beijing have several colors. All of them show a taximeter inside. You can easily find them in every part of Beijing. All Taxis will charge 2 yuan per kilometer with a base of RMB10 yuan.