IEEE ICMA 2012
General Information

Chengdu

Chengdu is located on the edge of the fertile plains of the Red Basin in Sichuan Province, China. Due to its agricultural wealth, Chengdu is sometimes called the Land of Milk and Honey. Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. Chengdu is one of the most important economic center, transportation center and communication center in Western China. According to the 2007 Public Appraisal for Best Chinese Cities for Investment, Chengdu was chosen as one of the top ten cities to invest out of a total of 280 urban centers in China. It was recently named China’s 4th-most livable city by China Daily. The fertile Chengdu Plain, on which Chengdu is located, is also known as the Country of Heaven. The discovery of the Jinsha Site suggests the area of Chengdu had become the center of the Bronze Age Sanxingdui culture around the time of the establishment of the state of Shu, prior to its annexation by Qin in 316 BC.

Chengdu is China’s National Role Model City of Environmental Protection. The city is 500 meters above sea level on average and belongs to the subtropical humid monsoon climate zone with an average annual temperature of 17.5 degree Celsius. Forestation rate of the city is 36.15% and its downtown area saw 315 days of fine air quality in 2009.

Chengdu the birthplace of one of China’s 4 leading cuisines in China—Sichuan Cuisine, Chengdu is widely recognized as the Land of Abundance and Capital of Great Food and is the first Asian city crowned the UNESCO City of Gastronomy of the World in 2010.

Chengdu is nominated a gateway tourism city in Western China by the World Tourism Organization. And it is the best tourism city in China, with myriad tourism attractions located in and around it, including the World Cultural Heritage Site – Jiuzhai Valley named after the Nine Tibetan Villages in valley and Huanglong, and the habitat of giant pandas.

The greater city area is divided into five districts and 12 counties, holding more than 14 million people. Chengdu has the reputation as a laid-back city that emphasizes culture and relaxation. As a result of this and having much green space, Chengdu ranks among the most livable mega-cities in China. It is credited to a good nightlife scene and many new western style buildings in the large city center.

The basic layout of Chengdu can date back to the Qing Dynasty. Most rivers, bridges, streets and alleys were preserved well until 1949, when the new construction started.

Hotel Information

lWangjiang Hotel Chengdu

IEEE ICMA 2012 will be held in the city of Chengdu, at Wangjiang Hotel Chengdu, which serves as both the official conference hotel and the venue for the technical program. Wangjiang Hotel Chengdu is the only urban forest five-star hotel in Chengdu, combining South Asian charming landscape and Western Sichuan folk culture. Located in the east part of Chengdu, close to the eastern financial center and the East Train Station and national AAAA scenic spot – Sansheng Flower Town, our hotel has a convenient position, 4 km to the Downtown Tianfu Square, 9 km to the Train Station and 16 km to the Airport.

Attractions

lWolong National Natural Reserve (Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries)

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is located in Futou Hill, the northern suburb of Chengdu, 10 km (6 miles) from downtown. Eighty five percent of the world's wild pandas reside in Sichuan. As the guardians of this cherished gift from nature, Chengdu has devoted great resources towards learning about pandas and helping to preserve them in the wild. Local Chinese and foreigners alike both enjoy the beauty of the giant panda. Giant pandas are slowly fading from the wild due to habitat loss and poaching. It is this worldwide concern that has led to the establishment of the Chengdu Research Base. A number of pandas live there in large naturalistic habitats, helping visitors to understand how these animals live in the wild. With their future uncertain, the research base is a great place to find out what's being done to protect the pandas, and to learn what the average person can do to help.

The Chengdu Panda Base was founded in 1987. It started with 6 giant pandas that were rescued from the wild. Through 2007, it has had 110 panda births, and its panda population has grown to 62. It is a huge, beautifully landscaped park. Although bamboo is growing everywhere around the base, none of it is fed to the pandas. The pandas' bamboo all comes from the mountains. Special misting sheds keep bamboo fresh even in Chengdu's heat. The human-made structures have been designed to blend well with the natural scenery. The giant panda program is not the only successful one there. Red pandas and black-necked cranes also are being studied and have had successful reproduction programs at the base.

The base's current goal is to increase the captive population of giant pandas while the ultimate goal is to begin successfully reintroducing giant pandas to the wild. It is hoped that the efforts of the researchers and scientists there will help ensure the survival of giant pandas and increase the chances for them to coexist with humankind.

lMount Emei

Rising 3,099 meters (10,167 ft.) above sea level about 170 kilometers (105 miles) from Chengdu, Mount Emei is the highest one of China's four holy Buddhist Mountains. The name "Emei" literally means "delicate eyebrow". This name is derived from two of the mountain's peaks, Wanfo (Ten Thousand Buddha) Summit and Golden Summit, which face each other and resemble the delicate eyebrows of a Chinese beauty. Situated in the southwest area of Sichuan Basin, Emei Mountain flourishes in its temperate climate. Abundant rainfall gives rise to luxuriant green all year round and provides a perfect environment for hundreds of species of rare animals and plants. From the foot of the mountain to its summit, the Peak of Ten Thousand Buddha, there is a trail totaling some 60 kilometers (37 miles) in length. It is endowed with unique changeable weather and marvelous natural beauty.

Ever since Buddhism arrived in China, Mount Emei has been an important center of refuge and retreat for pilgrims. After the spread of Buddhism during the Tang and Song dynasties, many Buddhist temples were built here. There used to be more than 100 temples and shrines on the mountain, but only about 30 of them still stand today.

A legend claims that the mountain was the place where Samantabhadra gave lectures on Buddhism and most temples housed a statue of him. Mount Emei is home to a number of scenic and religious spots including: Baoguo Temple, Wannian Temple, Fohu Temple, Qingyin Pavilion, Heilongjiang Tunnel, Hongchun Platform, Xianfeng Temple (Jiulao Cave), Xixiang Pond, and Golden Summit.

lJinli Ancient Street

Located in the east of Wuhou Memorial Temple, Jinli Ancient Street (Jinli Old Street) is modern commercial pedestrian streets that embed into Chengdu ancient buildings which originally built during Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Over 350 m (383 yds) in length, Jinli Ancient Street is the concentration of Chengdu nightlife, snacks and folk culture. There are many cafes and bars here - including Starbucks. They blend modern elements with the old buildings harmoniously. It is enjoyable to sit on a wooden or bamboo chair with a cup of delicious coffee. When night falls, the whole street is decorated with beautiful red lanterns on each eave of the ancient buildings. These cafes or bars are the perfect place to take a break, rest, and soak up the local culture. As well as the bars, Jinli Ancient Street is also the paradise for gourmand. It contains large amount of Sichuan restaurants which provide famous Sichuan dishes and snacks - Mapo Tofu, Fu Qi Fei Pian and so on. Very few people who visit this part of China leave without becoming hooked.

Strolling down the narrow street, you will find yourself surrounded by old-world stores selling lacquer products, folk handicrafts, Shu Embroidery and calligraphies. You can browse leisurely or purchase some souvenirs for your friends. Most of the special local products can be found here. You can find folk artisans putting on funny shows such as a puppet show. Some traditional arts such as paper-cut and clay figurines made by the skilled craftsmen are sold here. From these artworks you will get a taste of the true life of the local people and find some reminders of China's past in the modern city.

Jinli Ancient Street's reputation is spreading all over the world since it opened to public in 2004. Reflecting both the diversity and integration of Sichuan custom and folklore, Jinli Ancient Street is a must-see location in not only Chengdu, but also in China as a whole.

Weather

The weather in the mountainous region can be icy cold, but clear, like Tibet, which contrasts almost diametrically with the neighboring mild, humid – and often overcast or outright foggy – weather of the Chengdu Plain to the east that characterizes the city of Chengdu, sometimes likened to the city of London as regards the fog and the drizzly weather.

A summary of the weather of Chengdu might read “an early spring, a hot summer, a cool autumn and a warm (relative to surrounding areas) winter”. The best periods to visit Chengdu are from March to June, and September to November. There is substantial rainy during the rainy season (July and August).

The best time for traveling is in summer and autumn.

Transportation

All the registrants should make their own local transportation in the city. Travel by taxi is the most convenient and fastest option for the journey. Chengdu is not only famous for charming natural scenery but also for large numbers of taxis and the cheapest taxis cost: RMB2.00 per km with base price RMB9.00! Please prepare some changes in advance for taxi fee or city bus cost in the staying in Chengdu.

It takes about 40 minutes by taxi from the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport to Wangjiang Hotel Chengdu, the taxi fare is about RMB 50 (approx. US$8), and tollgate fee is RMB10. Whenever you arrive at the airport, there are always many taxis waiting at the airport to pick up passengers. We suggest you wait for taxi at the airport designated taxi station. Please ask for a receipt with the taxi.

Useful Information

lLanguage: Official language is Mandarin and most people also use their local dialect. The native language in Chengdu is Sichuanese, otherwise referred as Sichuan dialect. The standard spoken Chinese is Putonghua. English can be understood by many young people and is used in hotels and big restaurants. In all tourist hotels, staff can speak in English, Japanese and other languages. They can also write down addresses or instructions in Chinese for taxi drivers or others. In addition, roads in major cities are signposted in Pinyin, the official Romanization system of the Chinese characters, which makes it quite easy to get around with the help of a map.

lCurrency: Renminbi (RMB) is the only currency to be used in China. RMB is also called Chinese Yuan. The unit of Renminbi is yuan and with smaller denominations called jiao. The conversion among the two is : 1 yuan =10 jiao. Paper notes are issued in denominations Aof 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 yuan. Coins are issued in denominations of 1 yuan; 5 jiao; 1 jiao.

Money exchanges by cash or travel’s cheques can be made at the branches of Bank of China at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, hotels and tourist stores. Please remember to keep the receipt to exchange back to foreign currency when leaving China.

lCredit Cards: Visa, Master Card and American Express are the most commonly used in China. Cards can be used in most middle to top-range hotels, Friendship and department stores, but they cannot be used to finance your transportation costs.

lTime: GMT + 8 hours (the whole of China is set to Beijing time)

lElectricity: Electricity is 220 Volts, 50 AC; plugs can be three-pronged angled, three-pronged round, two flat pins or two narrow round pins.

lWater: Bottled mineral water can easily be bought in all stores and street kiosks for RMB3. And sometimes hotels provide it free of charge. Furthermore, potable water is only available in a few 4 to 5 star hotels, while water in thermos flasks in rooms is usually non-potable tap water.

lMeasurement: In Metric system

lTipping: Tipping is not customary outside of the foreign joint-venture hotels and is officially discouraged. But hotel bellboys usually expect RMB 2-5 per bag.

lAttention: Smoking is prohibited in public places in Chengdu, such as hospitals, office buildings, theatres, cinemas, museums, planes, and trains.

lHotlines: 110 - Police;119 – Fire;120 – Ambulance

Conference Information

Venues

IEEE IEEE ICMA 2012 will be held in the city of Chengdu, at Wangjiang Hotel Chengdu, which serves as both the official conference hotel and the venue for the technical program.

Wangjiang Hotel Chengdu, a 5 star hotel, is located in the east part of Chengdu, combining South Asian charming landscape and Western Sichuan folk culture, with a total square area of 133 333, the hotel features lobby, lobby lounge, tea house, business center, commodity department, cafeteria, bar, Japanese restaurant, Chinese Restaurant, conference rooms, banquet hall, executive floors, underground non-night city, satisfying every need of today's smart business and leisure travelers.

Chinese Address Cards

Conference Registration

A conference registration desk will be set up and opened at the Pre-Function Area of Wufu Hall from August 5 (15:00) to August 6 (10:00). Then, it will be moved to the 4th floor of Wangjiang Club, Wangjiang Hotel Chengdu during the following hour:

August 5, 2012: 15:00 ~ 18:30    (Wufu Hall)

August 6, 2012: 08:00 ~ 18:00    (Wufu Hall & 4th floor of Wangjiang Club)

August 7, 2012: 08:00 ~ 18:00    (4th floor of Wangjiang Club)

August 8, 2012: 08:00 ~ 16:00    (4th floor of Wangjiang Club)

Internet Access

Free internet access will be provided during the conference period, to the IEEE ICMA 2012 participants at the Conference Room on 2^nd and 4^th floors of Wangjiang Club, Wangjiang Hotel Chengdu. Broadband internet access services are also provided at the conference hotel for a fee. For the fee information, please contact the hotel you are staying directly.

Special and Social Events

The social events organized by the IEEE ICMA 2012 include the conference reception, the awards banquet, the conference registration, the farewell party, etc.

Conference Reception

The The Conference Reception will be held from 17:30 to 18:30 on August 5, 2012 in Chiang Mai Room, 2F of Wangjiang Club, Wangjiang Hotel Chengdu. All the conference participants are welcome to join this event.

Awards Banquet

The Awards Banquet will be held from 18:30 to 21:00 on August 7, 2012 in Songtao Restaurant, Wangjiang Hotel Chengdu. All the conference participants are welcome to join this event.

Farewell Party

The Farewell Party will be held from 17:30 to 18:30 on August 8, 2012 in Chiang Mai Room, 2F of Wangjiang Club, Wangjiang Hotel Chengdu. All the conference participants are welcome to join this event.