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Before You Leave Home
Passport

We cannot assist you in obtaining your passport. If you are a U.S. citizen, the passport fee is $45 for a renewal and $100 for an original. New passports are usually valid for 10 years. Also, we suggest that you register your passport with the U.S. Embassy immediately upon your arrival in China. This will make it easier to have a new passport issued in the event that yours is lost or stolen. Please visit http://travel.state.gov/passport for more information.

IMPORTANT: We must have your passport number no later than April 1 for the summer. This is absolutely necessary for the processing of your visa forms.

Chinese Visa

You will be responsible for obtaining your visa. As LFL summer program students, you can apply for an X2 (student) visa at the Chinese consulate in your country. X2 is issued to students who go to China for study for less than 6 months. Unlike X1 visa, the holder of X2 visa do not need to register at the local public security bureau within 30 days of arrival.

 

Process of Chinese Visa Application

Step 1: Student

 

Step 2: XISU

With the above documents, XISU will file for your preliminary visa papers (JW202 Form and XISU Admission Letter), then send those papers via mail. It usually takes 3-4 weeks for preparing papers and shipping.

 

Step 3: Student

Once you have received the papers (JW202 Form and XISU Admission Letter) and prepared the following documents, you may go to a Chinese consulate or embassy to obtain your Chinese visa. You also can use an agency if you are not near the consulate or embassy. Check it here for visa fee.

  • Completed Visa Application Form

  • Passport

  • Photo: 1 recent passport type photo

  • Proof of legal stay or residence status (applicable to non-U.S. citizens)

  • Photocopy of previous Chinese Passport or visa (Applicable to who used to be a Chinese citizen.)

 

**For all applicants from the U.S., please go to Embassy of China in the USA for more details.

Travel Plans

As a summer program student, it is your responsibility to arrange for your arrival to and departure from China. You should plan to arrive at Xi’an on July 9, 2016(Saturday) between 7:00am and 8:00pm, when our staff are available to pick you up at the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY) and take you to your dormitory or host family. All students must notify LFL of their travel plans at least two weeks before departure. Complete itineraries - including airline flight number, departing city, time and date of departure and arrival - must be e-mailed to LFL.

 

Students wishing to come early in July are responsible for arranging their own hotel and transportation to XISU. Early arriving students should contact LFL at least 96 hours prior to requesting to arrive to make arrangements for accommodation in the dormitory. The cost of any advanced accommodations in the dorm will be the student’s responsibility (rooms subject to availability).  Fees generally is RMB 200 per night. For more information about hotels or temporary housing, please check the accommodation part.

Medical Insurance & Local hospital

Keep students’ health and safety is our first priority. We provide up-to-date information about local clinics and hospitals, and in cases of emergencies, LFL will accompanies an injured or ill student through all phases of care.

LFL strongly recommends that students purchase proper medical insurance coverage for their stay in Xi’an before leaving home. Students who have purchased medical insurance should submit a proof of insurance to LFL. You also should bring a copy of your immunization record with you as well as an adequate supply of any prescription or non-prescription medications (Pepto-Bismol, cough syrup, various pain relievers, etc.) that you might require.

 

Students should be prepared to pay by cash or use a credit card for medical services at the time of service in China. XISU has its own clinic on campus running on weekdays, and the costs of common illnesses (e.g. allergies, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc) are quiet inexpensive. For students who have their medical insurance, here is one recommended hospital:

 

    Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital

    No. 256 West Youyi Road

    Xi’an, Shaanxi, China 710068

    Telephone: 86-29-85251331

 

What to pack?

Technically, there is no place in the world can easily find “Made in China” products with better prices other than China. Plus, there are several international groceries/supermarkets in Xi’an (i.e. Metro, Walmart) where you can find your home flavors. But everyone has their own preferences, here is a list of suggested items to pack:

 

  • Clothing: T-shirts, shorts, top coats or jumpers, and comfortable shoes for outdoor activities. Summer in Xi’an is from June to August and has an average temperature of around 25°C-35°C (77°F - 95°F). 

  • Sunglasses, Sunscreen

  • Contact lens solution

  • Deodorant

  • Tampons

  • Hand sanitizer

  • Dental floss

  • Vitamins, cold medicine, decongestants, Aspirin/pain-reliever, anti-diarrheal/laxative

  • Insect repellent/Benadryl for mosquito bites

  • Laptop, USB storage device, earphones

  • Voltage converter: The electric current in China is 220 volts, 50 cycles. Therefore, if you bring appliances from the U.S., you will need a voltage converter to convert U.S. equipment from 110 volts Electrical outlets in China are also much different from outlets in the U.S., so you may need adapters for your various appliances. These are widely available in China, but you may also find them at Radio Shack and most stores that specialize in electrical appliances.

  • Unlocked cellphone: If you plan to use your own cell phone instead of buying a new/used cellphone in China, you must first “unlock” the SIM card code that keeps you from using other carriers. Most cell phone companies use SIM cards (except for Verizon), so you can just take out your old SIM card and use a Chinese SIM card. Before the new SIM card will function, however, you must “unlock” your phone by inputting a special code that will allow you to use another phone company’s SIM card. To do this, call your phone company’s customer service line and tell them you are going abroad and wish to use the same phone. They should give you the code free of charge. Record this code and bring it with you to China where the employees in a cell phone store will input the code after inserting the new SIM card. In China, the phone price ranges from 300-6000CNY.

     

Life in Xi'an
Banks & Money

How much money do you need for personal spending in China? Please check out Fees & Expenses part on the Admissions & Enrollment page.

 

Below are two advices for carrying money to China:

  • Exchange adequate money before departure to avoid requiring emergency funds being sent from your home country.

  • Bring extra money in the form of traveler’s checks, or bring a Visa, MasterCard, or American Express along with personal checks.

 

MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted throughout China. Be sure to contact your bank and notify them that you will be in China and ask about any fees for using ATMs overseas in order to avoid complications. Also, make sure you have your pin number and ATM daily limit memorized before you go.

 

Most Chinese bank cards have 6 digit pin. It usually don’t have a problem if you use a 4 digit pin. But if a particular machine does not accept your 4 digit pin (rarely happens), put two zeros before or after your pin, or try another bank’s ATM. If you can find an HSBC, Citibank, etc., then those should always work with a foreign card (though may levy fees). 

 

There are several ATMs located near XISU, some of them may only for local networks, even though their ATMs display VISA logo. So we recommend that you use your international MasterCard or Visa cards at the following banks:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Western Union (Xī Lián Huì Kuǎn)

Western Union is an alternative to transferring money to China. It usually takes 3-4 weeks for international money orders. Once the sender notifies you that the money has been sent, you should be able to pick it up at the following China Post Office or China Everbright Bank six subway stops (20mins) from the school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before going to collect money, be sure you: 

  • Bring your passport

  • Record the tracking number(MTCN)

  • Remind the sender to write your name exactly as it appears on your passport

  • Know exactly how the sender has written out his/her names

For more information about sending money or receive money, please visit Western Union website.

Bank of China

 

No.437 South Chang'an Rd.

Xi’an, Shaanxi, China 710061

Tel: 86-29-85309431/85309700

China Construction Bank

 

No.437 South Chang'an Rd.

Xi’an, Shaanxi, China 710061

Tel: 86-29-85309431/85309700

China Everbright Bank

 

No.113 South Street

Xi’an, Shaanxi, China

Tel: 86-29-87283473

Business hours: 9:00am - 4:30pm

  (Mon - Sun)      2:00pm - 5:00pm

China Post Office (Bell Tower Branch)

 

No.619 East Street

Xi’an, Shaanxi, China

Tel: 86-29-87275463

Business hours: 9:00am - 12:00pm

  (Mon - Sun)      2:00pm - 5:00pm

Post Office

To send letters, postcards, packages and luggage, just drop by the post office near the campus. All international post offices provide boxes/packaging services for a small fee. Because all the contents of your package must be screened by a post office official before it can be sent, they prefer that you use their packaging services.

 

For receiving postcards or packages from your family and friends, give them this address:

 

    School Of Chinese Studies, P.O. Box 613

    Xi’an International Studies University

    No.437 South Chang'an Rd.

    Xi’an, Shaanxi, China 710061

    Tel: 86-29-85309431/8530970

Local Transportation

The public transportation is very convenient for most of the people living in Xi’an. There is a transportation card also can give you a discount when you use it.

  • Buses and mini-buses are the most common modes of public transportation in Xi’an, and there are bus stops near the gates of XISU. 

  • Subway is the most efficient way to reach many places in Xi’an, and there is a station near the XISU.

  • Taxi: A taxi is allowed to take at most four adult passengers.  It charges RMB 10 for 2 or 3 kilometers and RMB 2-2.4 yuan for each additional kilometer. It is usually a little hard to flag a cab during the rush hour and when the drivers change shifts. The alternative option is calling Uber or Didi with your smart phone.

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