Packing

Summers in Beijing are very hot and humid, and afternoon thunderstorms are fairly common.

The temperature averages around 86 °F, but can get as hot as 100 °F. You will need an umbrella as protection from rain AND sun.  If you suffer from asthma or have sensitivity to dust and pollution, we recommend wearing a face mask as a shield. There is quite a lot of air pollution.

As a note for packing clothing: there is no air-conditioning in the CUC classrooms.

Packing Essentials

• Prescription medications to last you for your stay—be sure to pack them in your carry-on luggage.
• Over-the-counter medications and antibiotics including: cold remedies, pain reliever, antibiotics, anti-fungal, anti-histamines, stomach upset remedies, diarrhea medicine, ibuprofen, bandages, Neosporin, etc.
• Sunblock; Beijing skies seem to have no clouds, and the sun is quite strong.
• Toiletries; bring your favorite shampoos, deodorants, face washes, toothpaste, etc.
• Hand sanitizer
• Travel packets of tissue; you should carry a pack with you at all times! Public toilet facilities do not have toilet paper.
• Light and comfortable clothing for hot, humid, weather that can be easily washed and dried
• One dressy, lightweight outfit for special events
• A light jacket, as sometimes temps drop by 10 to 15 degrees at night
• A couple of pairs of comfortable walking shoes. Note: if you have large feet, you may have a hard time buying shoes in Beijing.
• A money belt or passport holder that can store your valuables when traveling
• A small, strong, folding travel umbrella
• A  small backpack or daypack (for carrying your camera, literature, etc. when exploring the town)
• Original software disks for your computer
• A battery–operated alarm clock with extra batteries
• A memory stick or flash drive for your computer
• An Ethernet cable

Other Recommendations

• Use a computer translation program to make flashcards (small enough to fit in a wallet) in both English and Mandarin. Find English/Mandarin translations for tourist sights, restaurant dishes, public transport, residence/hotel address you can show to a taxi driver, etc.
• A pocket-sized Chinese/Mandarin dictionary, although you may find better ones once you arrive in Beijing
• A few small gifts for the CUC student you partner with;  a few "Emerson College" items would be a kind gesture
• A calculator or calculator app may be useful for shopping
• A map of Beijing
• A digital camera with a large memory (500 GB+)

• If you have asthma-related breathing problems, note that air pollution in Beijing is consistently listed among the worst in the world by international organizations such as the United Nations. The American Embassy in Beijing has a twitter feed giving air quality levels.