The City
Taiyuan (太原 Tàiyuán) is the capital of Shanxi Province It is an important central city in the central region of the province and a common stopover between Wu Tai Shan and Pingyao.
Situated next to the Fenhe River and surrounded by mountains. Taiyuan has a history of over 2,500 years. Now, Taiyuan is important as home to heavy industry and mining. It has 3 notable sights that can be seen within half a day: the Shanxi Museum, the carvings at Chongshan Temple and The Twin Pagodas.

Passport and Visa
Foreigners traveling to the People’s Republic of China are required to possess passports that are valid for at least six months beyond the period of their intended stay in China. Based on the regulations on foreign affairs, foreigners MUST obtain a visa before entry into China, and exemption of visa is given to citizens of Brunei, Japan or Singapore holding an ordinary passport if they enter China through ports open to foreigners and stay in China for no longer than 15 days. Attendees are advised to consult the nearest Chinese diplomatic mission for more details regarding visa application. Usually, a single entry visa is valid for three months from the date of issue, and can be extended for an additional month at the Foreigners Section of the Local Public Security Bureau if necessary. Visa application should be made preferably at least one month before the intended departure for China.
Attendees may apply for either a business visa (category “F”) or a tourist visa (category “L”) at the local Chinese embassy/consulate.
“F” visa: an invitation letter produced by the local congress organizer (The China International Conference Center for Science and Technology) will be provided to facilitate your visa application. In order to receive the Invitation Letter, you need to complete your online registration (with registration fee paid). In addition, you are required to provide us with all the information/documents required for processing the visa invitation letter through the online registration system. Upon receiving these, a letter will be produced, and an electronic copy of this letter will be sent to the e-mail address that you used for registration.
“L” visa: An invitation letter is NOT required to get an “L” visa. For more details regarding the tourist visa, please consult your local Chinese embassy/consulate.

Climate
Taiyuan has a warm temperate continental monsoon climate.
Taiyuan has four distinct seasons and a comfortable climate. Clothes can be added or subtracted depending on the season. And it's a bit dry in winter.

Insurance
The conference organizers do not accept any liability for personal accidents or loss or damage to the private property of any participants during the conference or indirectly arising from attending the conference. It is advisable that participants should purchase adequate travel and health insurances before leaving their own countries.

Electricity
The electricity supply in China is 220V, 50Hz. Two types of sockets are used: three-pin socket (a grounding pin and two flat prongs forming a V-shape) and two-pin socket (two flat parallel prongs without grounding). 

Currency Exchange
The renminbi (literally "people's currency") is the legal tender in the mainland of the People's Republic of China. The official abbreviation is CNY, although also commonly abbreviated as "RMB". Money exchange centers can be found at the airport, most hotels and large shopping centers. The exchange rate at present (2013) is roughly US $1 = 6.10 Chinese RMB. When exchanging money, please keep your exchange memo so that you can convert any remaining Chinese currency back to foreign currency upon leaving China. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club and JCB are accepted in many department stores and hotels. It may be difficult to withdraw cash with credit cards.
Banks and most hotels can cash travelers' checks issued by many foreign banks or financial institutions. Participants will need to show their passport and pay a 0.75 percent commission fee. Travelers' checks signed over to a third party cannot be cashed in China, but can be presented for collection through the Bank of China.

Get in
By plane
1 Taiyuan Wusu International Airport (太原武宿国际机场, TYN IATA). There are flights to Beijing, Guangzhou and Xi'an daily and commonly services Chinese tourists wanting to visit Wu Tai Shan and Pingyao. Taiyuan Wusu International Airport (Q2361055) on Wikidata Taiyuan Wusu International Airport on Wikipedia OSM directions edit
By train
2 Taiyuan Railway Station. Taiyuan railway station (Q988020) on Wikidata Taiyuan railway station (Shanxi) on Wikipedia OSM directions edit
3 Taiyuan South Railway Station. All high speed trains leave from this station. Taiyuan South railway station (Q10941043) on Wikidata Taiyuan South railway station on Wikipedia OSM directions edit
By bus
The bus station is located at the south side of Yingze Dajie, between train station and Bingzhou Lu.

Beijing - takes about 6 hours
Datong - takes about 5 hours
Shijiazhuang - takes about 4 hours
Wutaishan - takes 4-5 hours (take travel sickness medication an hour before this trip if you are prone, consider suggesting parents give their children some as well as vomiting is common on this journey)
Yan'an - takes about 9 hours
Yulin - takes about 8 hours
Minibuses leave the train station parking lot for Datong, Pingyao, Shijiazhuang and Wutaishan National Park.