1. Money
The money used in Beijing is the Chinese Renminbi, or RMB for short. and is issued by the national bank — the People's Bank of China. The Chinese call it Yuan or Kuai (in Beijing).  The units of Renminbi are Yuan, Jiao and Fen. Jiao and Fen is the fractional currency. The paper money comes in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 50 and 100 Yuan. The Jiao's denomination can be 1, 2, 5; similarly with the Fen. Ten Fen is one Jiao and Ten Jiao is one Yuan. There is also coinage for One Yuan, Five Jiao as well as One, Two and Five Fen. But Fen is not commonly used in the coin form in daily life. The abbreviation of Renminbi is RMB or CNY with its symbol of ï¿¥. Colloquially, Chinese, people often say Kuai and Mao instead of Yuan and Jiao.There are approximately 6.7 RMB to the one US dollar
The main thing to remember when dealing with Chinese currency is the 5 Jiao note is not 5 RMB.  We've seen foreign tourists at the subway station confused as to why the 3 RMB ticket is not covered by their 5 Jiao (0.5 RMB) note.  The next thing is to watch out for fake currency.  There are many fake yellow-style 50's and less new-style (red) 100's.  We will cover how to spot a fake note in a future tip.The other interesting thing is that the 100 RMB note is currently the largest denomination note available.  This means when you go to buy some high-ticket item like an airfare, mobile phone or your next six months rent in cash, you have to bring a small suitcase of 100 RMB notes.

Foreign Currency Exchange
Foreign currency and traveler's cheques are not to circulate in China, so you have to exchange them for Chinese Yuan only at Bank of China or the banks' cash centers at major airports and hotels.

Foreign credit cards available in China
Master Card
Visa Card
American Express Card
JCB Card
Diners Card

Actually China is still a cash-dominated country. But there are places like star-rated hotels, chain international shopping malls, etc, which do accept credit cards/ traveler's cheques. But most other places might have difficulty handling credit card/TC payment. ATM of Bank of China is so extensive that you can easily go and draw RMB with your credit cards whenever you need.

Banks

All Chinese Banks including BC (Bank of China), CCB (China Construction Bank), ICBC (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China) and ABC (Agricultural Bank of China) and their branches, plus some other banks will transact financial affairs for foreigners.

It is quite easy to open a Chinese RMB account with Bank of China that opens 7 days per week. You only need to show your passport (ID attached) with valid visa. You will get issued with a passbook and card on the spot for a small fee of about CNY10 then you can use any of the ATM to withdraw cash.

When you withdraw your $US currency over the counter, you can then easily exchange it into Chinese RMB before you leave the bank. It is safe to carry cash but of course you need to be discreet about it.

The following are some of the banks in Beijing.

The currency in circulation is as follows:

100 RMB two types although only one in common circulation.  The maximum denomination note.  Equivalent to about $13 US.  The older style is blue (picture coming soon) and is pretty much gone but is still valid currency.

50 RMB two types, both in common usage, newer type to the left.  The older, yellow type is larger and proved a big target with currency forgers but this style is dying out slowly.

20 RMB one type circulating

10 RMB two types circulating.  The older one to the right (picture coming soon).

5 RMB two types circulating.  This style is the newer, harder to fake version.  It is slightly smaller than old one.

2. Weather
Located in the north temperate zone with a continental monsoon climate, Beijing enjoys an annual mean temperature of 11.8 C and an annual mean precipitation of 630 mm which concentrates mainly in the summer. January is the coldest month with the monthly mean temperature of -4.7 C while July the hottest month with a mean temperature of 26.1 degrees. Beijing spring is relatively short, and people used to say that when the last day of the winter is gone, the summer is about to set in. Summer is usually hot with abundant rainfall. Autumn days are cool with clear sky and gentle breeze, making it the best season to travel. As winter is severe, outing naturally require heavy clothing. Climatically, Beijing four seasons cater to different interests of tourists.

If you are a mad Englishman, come in July, August when you can get baked to a lobster shade of purple by the harsh summer sun.  However, you can choose to spend your time relaxing under the beer garden umbrellas of Wangfujing and Sanlitun.  You can enjoy outdoor eating till the late evening and can also see all the Chinese ladies walking around protecting  their delicate pale faces with umbrellas.  The temperature in summer usually ranges from 28 - 39 degrees centigrade.  Highest temperature ever recorded was 42 degrees centigrade.

If you like rain or uncertainty, come in June, July where you can guarantee a few thunderous downpours.  If you like ominous, yellow, dust-laden skies and wind to blow you off your feet come in March to June.  Ok .. during this period, there is not a dust storm every day, but you can guarantee one or two at the very least.  During this period sand is picked up from the Gobi desert and dumped onto the cars, people and buildings of Beijing.
If you like ice skating, on ordinary streets and lakes, then by all means come between November and February when the temperature rarely gets above freezing.  It also snows about twice a year in Beijing, usually somewhere in December or January and no more than 5 inches for sure.  The temperature in winter usually ranges from -18 to 5 degrees centigrade, so be sure to pack your ski jacket or you'll have to resort to picking up a fake North Face jacket at the Xiu Shui market.  Lowest temperature ever recorded was -27 degrees centigrade
Bilingual weather information can be obtained by dialing 121 when in Beijing.
The average precipitation in a year is 644 mm. The frost-free period is 180-days.

Detailed information about the Average, Maximun and Minimum Temperatures and the rainfall in Beijing.

Best season to visit Beijing: Summer (June to August) is considered peak season, when hotels typically raise their rates and the Great Wall nearly collapses under the weight of marching tourists. The autumn months between September and November have the best weather and fewer tourists. Spring is less pleasant - not many tourists but lots of wind and dust. In winter, you'll have Beijing to yourself and many hotels offer substantial discounts - just remember it's an ice box outside. Everything is chock-a-block during the Chinese New Year (usually in January or February).
Clothes for traveling: In autumn, jeans and a sweater are usually enough. In the warmer months, T-shirts and light pants or shorts are the best bet. In the colder months, it is wise to dress in layers: long underwear and jeans, shirt, sweater and down jacket. If you want to go local, you can buy a thick cotton army coat (jun da yi) for less than 100 yuan (12 bucks). Rain gear is necessary, especially during the summer months.
Avoid Peak Holidays : It is not a good idea to travel in China during Chinese holidays when it is the time Chinese people are traveling around. The most hottest three national holidays in China are Chinese Spring Festival (usu. in late Jan or early Feb.), International Labor Day (May1 to 7)and National Day(Oct 1 - 7). Spring Festival is an especially Crowded time to travel. The advantage of being in China at this time is that you will get the opportunity to experience "first hand" the significance of these celebrations in Chinese culture.

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