The 8th China-Japan International Conference of Virology
Announcement

Ladies and gentleman:

The 8th China-Japan International Conference of Virology will be held in Harbin, China between July 4-7, 2010. It is an excellent platform for Chinese and Japanese virologists and worldwide virologiests to communicate with each other on topics on virology, virus infection, immunology, public health, and others. To help you better schedule your time, information will be announced as bellows.

Update information is announced through website: http://www.hrbmu.edu.cn/8th-virology/index.html
Personal communication with participants through E-mail: fengminzhang@yahoo.com.cn or zhonghmu@gmail.com.

Please download the Registration form (Chinese version) and abstract form and send it to the Secretariat by e-mail or mail. After registration, updated information will also be sent through individual E-mail address. Please check the updated information sent through the both methods.

Chairperson of the Conference: Prof. Koich Yamanishi (Japan), Prof. Shao Yi Ming (China)
Honorary Chairmen: Prof. Guanfu Zhu（China）

Chairperson: Prof. Hiroshi Ushijima (Japan), Prof. Shao Yi Ming (China)

Conference Secretariat Office:

Prof. Fengmin Zhang
Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University
No. 194, Xuefu Road, Harbin 150081, CHINA
E-mail:       fengminzhang@yahoo.com.cn    zhonghmu@gmail.com
Tel: +86-451-8666 9576 (Fax), +86-451-8666 5122, +86-139 451 72269 (mobile)

1. Conference Theme

Viral infectious diseases-related virology, immunology, and public health.

2. Date and Place

Date: July 4-7, 2010
Place: Harbin Medical University (HMU), Harbin, China

3. Registration

Please fill the Registration Form and send it to secretariat through E-mail by April 30, 2010. Registration fee needs to be paid at the conference (Please read spending list).

3. Conference Timetable

Timetable is almost fixed but small change is possible.

(Note) : Speakers and titles of Key Note, Workshop and Open Seminar will be announced later.

4. Spending List

** If you have questions, please send E-mail to the secretary office.

5. Conference Topics

Viral infectious diseases-related virology, immunology and public health.

6. Call for abstracts

Abstracts are now being invited as oral sessions. No poster presentation.
Abstracts: One page for one abstract including the title and author information. Abstract should explicitly mention the objectives, methods, results, conclusions, and significance of the work. Please submit the abstracts by E-mail (fengminzhang@yahoo.com.cn or zhonghmu@gmail.com. Authors presenting abstracts for oral presentation will be notified of their acceptance by March 30, 2010. (See Abstract Form)

7. Language

The official language in the conference is English. No translation service will be provided.

8. Contact details

9. Travel and General Information for Conference Attendees

• General Information

Money and finance: Be aware that China is a cash society!
Major credit cards are widely accepted, but may not be so at smaller-sized retailers or even at high-street shops/cafes. ATMs provide instructions in English as well as in Chinese. Banks in airports provide currency exchange service.

Business hours: 8.30-17.00, Mon - Fri. (9.00 - 16.00 for banks and postal services)
Tip: Tipping is not customary in China.
GMT: + 8
Country Code: 86
Voltage & Plugs: 220V AC, 50 Hz in China. Bringing a Chinese plug adapter is advised for your PC and electronic devices.
Weather: The temperature is about 30oC Max. and 20oC Min in Harbin during summer.
Emergency Numbers: Police & Fire : 110; Ambulance: 120.

• Before starting your travel

►Passport and Visa:

Unless you are a Chinese passport holder, you must have a passport, which will remain valid during the period of stay.

To enter to China, visas are also required. Please contact the nearest Chinese Embassy or Consulate in your own country well before you actually travel. Your local travel agent may also help you.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China: www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/default.htm
A list of Chinese Embassies and Consulates overseas: www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjb/zwjg/

►Arrival at Harbin
Harbin International Airport

► Getting to Harbin
There are connecting flights to Harbin International Airport from Beijing, Shanghai, and other major airports in China. There are also direct flights from Japan and South Korea to Harbin.

Harbin International Airport is about 30Km away from the downtown. There are bus and taxi services from Harbin International Airport to the downtown. The bus ticket is about 20 Yuan (3.5 USD). It is about 120 Yuan (20 USD) for taxi from airport to Harbin Medical University campus.  

► About Harbin

Heilong Jiang Province, 1,421km (881 miles) NE of Beijing, 553km (342 miles) NE of Shenyang

Harbin (Ha'erbin), originally a Russian-built railway outpost carved out of the wilderness on the banks of the Songhua Jiang (Sungari River), is the northernmost major city in China and capital of Heilong Jiang Province. Named for the Black Dragon River that separates Dongbei from Siberia, Heilong Jiang represents China's northern limits. It is the country's coldest province, with winter temperatures that hover, on average, around -15°F (-26°C). Like many border regions, it is an amalgamation of clashing extremes, home to one of China's roughest mountain ranges (the Greater Hinggan or Da Xing'an Ling), some of its most fertile soil, its largest oil and coal fields, its most pristine wilderness, and most of its few remaining nomad groups.

Harbin itself suffers from a similar internal antagonism, one that ultimately makes it the most compelling destination in Dongbei. The city was founded in 1897 as a camp for Russian engineers surveying construction of the eastern leg of the Trans-Siberian railroad (called the China Eastern Railroad, or CER). Demand for labor and the city's laissez-faire atmosphere quickly attracted a diverse population of outcasts from Latvia, the Ukraine, and Poland, as well as Manchuria. It was, at its height, one of the most bizarrely cosmopolitan cities in Asia -- cold, dirty, rife with speculation and venereal disease, architecturally vibrant, and a model for ethnic and religious tolerance. The town fell under Japanese control during World War II and was finally recaptured in 1946.
Most original foreign residents fled at the end of World War II. The city has begun to recover some of its former face, however, as trainloads of Russian merchants and prostitutes flood back to take advantage of China's new economic momentum. Harbin attracts visitors year-round, especially in winter, when it hosts the famous Ice and Snow Festival (Bingxue Jie). The summer's mild temperatures allow for leisurely strolls past the truly stunning clusters of Russian buildings, with their lonely cupolas and embellished pediments, that still brighten older parts of town.

The Ice and Snow Festival has successfully turned the city's worst feature - villainous winter cold - into its greatest asset. The winter, despite the frostbite-inducing weather, is the best time to come as it's the town's most festive time of year. The festival now covers most of the city and features some truly outstanding ice and snow sculptures. Past highlights have included translucent reproductions of the Great Wall and Beijing's Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tian'an Men), life-size pagodas, structurally sound multilevel houses, and a massive statue of Elvis -- all equipped with internal lights.

It's easy to underestimate the cold (temperatures often drop below -22°F/-30°C), so bring more warm clothing than you think you'll need. Wearing five layers of sweaters and a down coat might sound ridiculous until you get there. Admission can be expensive, but there are increasing numbers of free displays on Zhongyang Dajie and other major streets. Major venues include Zhaolin Gonyuan on Shangzhi Jie for ice sculpture; Taiyang Dao Gongyuan (Sun Island Park), across the river for snow sculptures; and the Ice and Snow Palace (Bingxue Gong), a collection of buildings constructed entirely of ice and snow on the banks of the Songhua Jiang.