BEIJING

An internship in Beijing is a wonderful experience and will boost your career.

Proud capital and seat of power, Beijing wields an amazing amount of influence over this vast nation. All provinces live by Beijing; they set their clocks by Beijing time and speak Beijing’s Mandarin dialect in their schools, businesses, and local government. This city is the heart and soul of the nation, and the presence of central government is strongly felt here. In fact, politics is one of the main reasons why many foreigners come to Beijing, from diplomatic positions at one of the many embassies to journalists who keep the world informed of what this mighty giant is up to.

During your internship program in Beijing will get many opportunities to meet others students and discover the city, the Great wall, temples, parks...

Compared to Hong Kong and Shanghai, Beijing is much more “Chinese” than its cosmopolitan cousins. Though its immense skyline is decorated with copious glassy skyscrapers, this city still feels old, due in part to the gloriously stubborn existence of hutongs, the labyrinthine neighborhoods dating back hundreds of years. It’s also the center of the Chinese performing arts, celebrating the rich culture of this ancient nation’s unique culture with its Chinese operas, acrobat shows, and traditional orchestras.

For Beijing Olympics 2008, every corner and facet of this great capital was under scrutiny for how it will look and function when the world descends on its doorsteps. Vast improvements to infrastructure and industries supporting the tourist market are quickly turning this city into a world-class destination.

Seasons
The four seasons in Beijing are demarcated with a long hot summer, long chilly winter, and shorter spring and autumn. The hottest month is July and the coldest is January. Considering the frequent sandstorms in spring, September and October with their pleasant weather are considered the best visiting times.

To visit Beijing in spring or autumn, bring lightweight clothing such as long-sleeved shirts or T-shirts, plus one or two jackets and sweaters. The temperature in summer ranges between 30 and 39 centigrade, calling for summer clothes.

A winter journey to Beijing may be a shock to visitors from tropical countries. Enjoying the snow scene on West Hill, skating in Beihai Park, followed by a steaming hotpot with mutton slices will drive out the chills. Be sure to bring winter clothes, including wool sweaters and down coats.

Unfortunately Beijing is often weighed down by thick gray smog. Harsh winters and occasional dust storms blowing in from Mongolian deserts add to the challenges of Beijing residents.

Spring is rainy season in Beijing, with some rain in summer and between summer and autumn. Rainstorms may happen without warning in the afternoon of sunny days. Sometimes even weather forecasters can predict a shower only one or two hours ahead. Heavy rain may block traffic; inconveniencing everyone. Remember to pack a raincoat or umbrella.

Beautiful Beijing presents different features for its clear distinction of four seasons. To have a better understanding about the characteristics of different seasons will bring tourists different fresh feeling by enjoying the special tour of four seasons.

Beijing stages both international and domestic folk activities.The most remarkable ones are the Temple Fairs during Chinese Lunar New Year when people perform traditional national art forms such as the dragon dance, lion dance, acrobatics and martial art.

Life cost
Eating Chinese food is relatively cheap. Three Chinese dishes, with rice (enough for two people) at an average restaurant will cost about 40-50 RMB. Of course you can eat food off the street that will cost about half of this for a meal, but it may be a bit difficult for a western stomach to handle at first.

Getting around in Beijing is fairly convenient. There is a small subway system that can be convenient when close to a station, which is not always the case. Tickets are 2 RMB. Taking a bus is only 1 RMB but can be confusing at first, especially if you can read Chinese characters. The easiest way to get around is by taxi. Fares range from 10 RMB for any ride within a few miles or about five minutes to 70 RMB for 45 minute rides across the city. The average taxi fare for getting around the city in a convenient way is about 15 RMB per ride.

Getting from city to city in China is also relatively convenient. Flights from Beijing to Shanghai start at about 500 RMB if bought in advance to 1200 RMB if bought at the last second. A train to Shanghai would cost about 350 RMB for an overnight sleeper train. A bus could be less than 200 RMB.

An average three-star hotel in most cities in China will cost about 300-500 RMB per night. A very nice 4-5 star hotel will cost 800-1200 RMB per night. Most big Chinese cities also have a number of hostels. These will cost about 40-60 RMB per night for a dorm-style room with shared bathroom and 250-300 RMB per night for a double room with private bathroom.

Beijing is slightly cheaper than Shanghai, and Guangzhou is slightly cheaper than Beijing. Hong Kong, on the other hand, is comparable to the U.S.