Global Forum on Trade › Practical information
Practical information
A. Access from Airports
B. Meeting location
C. Accreditation
D. Practical information
E. Visas
F. Hotels
G. Social events
H. Weather Forecast
Located in the west of Sichuan Basin and in the center of Chengdu Plain, Chengdu covers a total area of 12.3 thousand square kilometres (4,749 square miles) with a population of over 11 million.
Chengdu has one airport, the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU), in the southwest of Chengdu City. It is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the center of Chengdu City.
The MOFCOM and Sichuan goverment will arrange airport pick-up for foreign participants. Foreign participants should send an email with their exact travel details to gft@oecd.org so that we can facilitate the process.
The Global Forum on Trade 2010 will take place in the hotel "Shangri La". Situated in the city centre of Chengdu, the hotel "Shangri La" is 15 minutes from the city's premier shopping, tourist and business destinations.
Download the information card.
For security reasons, all participants must be accredited and be in possession of their identification badge at all times.
Participants will receive their badges at the registration desk upon arrival at the Conference.
Please note that the access to the meeting room will be restricted to those wearing their identification badges.
| Currency |
Yuan or Kuai (RMB) |
| Language |
Mandarin Chinese |
| Electricity |
220 V, 50 Hz |
| Time Zone |
GMT+7 in the summer; GMT+8 in the winter |
| Telephone Area Code |
+86 (national), (0) 28 + eight-figure number (Chengdu). |
| Website of Chengdu government |
http://www.chengdu.gov.cn/echengdu/index/indexnew.jsp |
| Cultural visits and social life |
Chengdu Government Tourism website or http://english.cdta.gov.cn/english_web/ |
Visas are required for all international travellers entering mainland China. Travellers carrying passports from Brunei, Japan, or Singapore can enjoy visa-free access to China for up to 15 days.
Visas are readily available from Chinese embassies and consulates in most Western and many other countries. A standard 30-day, single-entry visa from most Chinese embassies abroad can be issued in three to five working days. Visa applications generally require at least one photo.
A 30-day visa is activated on the date you enter China, and must be used within three months of the date of issue. Standard tourist visas, valid for 30-day visits, are generally easy to acquire, while visas valid for more than 30 days are often more difficult to obtain.
Please consult with your travel agent, China International Travel Service, China Travel Service, or any Chinese Embassy or Consulate for further details.
Visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China for more detailed information.
Please first fill in this form as soon as possible and send it back to Chinese authorities before September 24. This procedure will replace the need for an invitation letter and ease the process to obtain a business visa at the consulate afterwards. After this date, visas are still possible but not guaranteed.
The conference will take place in the Shangri-La hotel. You can indicate when you book your room that you're part of the conference. The rooms are deluxe king rooms and include breakfast and service charges for 1180 RMB. Please follow this link to access the Shangri-La online booking service and put the group code "SIC131010".
You may also prefer to stay in different hotels located in Chengdu and close to the conference place.
YouPai Hotel: Economic hotel, 1.2 km from Shangri-La hotel. The price is below 200 RMB per night including breakfast and free internet.
Four Season Homeland Hotel: 4-star hotel and deluxe room is below 400 RMB per night, including breakfast and free internet. The distance is about 1 km from Shangri-La.
Hejiangting hanwen hotel: 4-star hotel, the price is around 500 RMB (458 without breakfast and 518 with breakfast), both including internet. The distance is 700 metres from Shangri-La hotel.
Please note also that this list does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the OECD of the services of these particular hotels.
The OECD has made no verification and makes no express or implied representation as to the quality or availability of the hotel services or as to the continued validity of the rates and prices. We suggest that you verify the nature of the services, the applicable rates and any other relevant information directly with the hotels.
All participants are kindly requested to pay their accommodation costs directly to the hotel of their choice. The OECD will not pre-pay any accommodation costs.
An evening reception is planned on the 14 October starting 18:00.
On the morning of 16 October, the organizers plan to set either visits to enterprises and economic development zone or a visit to an earthquake-stricken area near Chengdu. Two years ago, a major quake hit Sichuan and almost 80 000 people were killed. However, with the help from the rest of the world and a never say die spirit, the people living in those areas made great post-quake reconstruction achievements. The Chinese authorities will be honoured to show that to the GFT participants. The natural scenery is also amazing.
Lunch will be provided by organizers, trip will be over by 2:30 pm for the one to the economic development zone and around 3:30 pm for the one to the earthquake-stricken area. Please take this into account when you book your return flights. Read more about the saturday itinerary.