Conference and Workshops Venue

Worldhotel Grand Dushulake

Transportation

Visa

Accessibility

Banquet Venue

Worldhotel Grand Dushulake

Hotel Websit
No. 299, QiYue Street,
Wuzhong District
Suzhou City
Jiangsu Province
China
Tel: (0512)6956 8888
Google Maps

The Worldhotel Grand Dushulake Suzhou is a luxury Suzhou hotel located within the thriving new commercial, residential and entertainment center, the Suzhou Industrial Park. It takes less than 30 minutes by car (16 km) to reach most historical Suzhou gardens from the hotel.

The hotel offers a huge array of meeting and conferencing facilities, including banquet halls and exhibition spaces. Every room is equipped with high standard audio/visual devices and has free wi-fi access.

Transportation

Suzhou is a busy transportation hub, connected to most major cities by multiple airports train stations.

Airports

You could reach Suzhou via three airports: Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA, one-hour to conference venue by car), Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG, two-hour to conference venue by car), and Sunan Shuofang International Airport (WUX, 50 minutes to conference venue by car). Detailed transportation information will be provided in below sections. An overview of the different transportation method rates can be seen here:

Taxi rates:

The easiest way to get to the conference site is via taxi. It takes about 200 RMB to get to the conference site from Hongqiao Airport, 500 RMB from Pudong Airport, and about 150 RMB from Shuofang Airport. You can also download Didi App (Chinese version of Uber) to pre-book a car.

Bus:

Transport buses run frequently from both Hongqiao (every half an hour, 50RMB) and Pudong Airport (every one hour, 80RMB) to the Suzhou Industrial Park.

Railway:

There are two railway stations in Suzhou: Suzhou Railway Station and Suzhou North Railway Station. It takes only 25 minutes to reach the Shanghai Railway Station on the fastest G-series trains and less than 2 hours to Nanjing. From Hongqiao Airport, it only takes 15 mins of walk to reach the Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station. Trains run every 5 mins from Hongqiao Railway Station to Suzhou.

Within the city:

Taxis, buses and shared bikes (Mobike, Ofo, Hellobike apps, 0.15 USD/ km) are easy to commute within the city.

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport-Worldhotel Grand Dushulake Suzhou

Solution I:

1. Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport-Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station
Walking: 2 km, about 10 minutes
Metro: take one stop on Metro Line 10 (Line 2) for about 10 minutes

2. Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station-Suzhou Railway Station
By taking G-series high-speed train, it is recommended to buy tickets in advance.

3. Suzhou Railway Station-Worldhotel Grand Dushulake Suzhou
Bus: Metro Line 2 about 23 km, estimated time: 60 minutes
Taxi: 19 km, cost: 56 yuan, estimated time: 32 minutes

Solution II:

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport-Worldhotel Grand Dushulake Suzhou Taxi: Take a taxi at the designated airport location (or download Didi Dache), with whole journey of 67.5km, cost of 200 yuan (the specific cost can be negotiated with the driver) and estimated time of 1 hour and 6 minutes

Shanghai Pudong International Airport-Worldhotel Grand Dushulake Suzhou

Solution I:

1. Shanghai Pudong International Airport-Shanghai Railway Station
Metro: Transfer from Line 2 to Line 4, about 45km, cost: 7 yuan, estimated time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Taxi: 50km, cost: 180 yuan, estimated time: 1 hour

2. Shanghai Railway Station-Suzhou Railway Station
By taking G-series high-speed train, it is recommended to buy tickets in advance

3. Suzhou Railway Station-Worldhotel Grand Dushulake Suzhou
Bus: Metro Line 2 about 23 km, estimated time: 60 minutes
Taxi: 19 km, cost: 56 yuan, estimated time: 32 minutes

Solution II:

Shanghai Pudong International Airport-Worldhotel Grand Dushulake Suzhou
Taxi: Take a taxi at the designated airport location (or download Didi Dache), with whole journey of 136km, cost of 400 yuan (the specific cost can be negotiated with the driver) and estimated time of 1 hour and 53 minutes

Visa

China has visa waiver agreements with only a few countries. No visa is required for ordinary passport holders from Singapore, Brunei and Japan to visit China for up to 15 days for business, sightseeing, visiting relatives and friends or transit. For travelers from most other countries, a visa is required for entering China. A visa can be obtained from a local Consulate of China without difficulty of document preparation and long waiting.

To avoid uncertainty, participants will be advised to apply for a visa as early as possible. It is recommended that they apply for a Chinese visa one month in advance. While the Chinese visa application requires personal appearance and hand-in of passport during application, various travel agencies can help apply for the Chinese visa.

Should you need an invitation letter, please email icmi2019@ecvinternational.com after registration, and provide your date of birth, nationality and passport number along with your registration number.

Accessibility

ICMI 2019 is committed to providing an inclusive environment and we will do our best to accommodate requests for special assistance. Please contact our Local organization chair, Mengyue Wu (mengyuewu@sjtu.edu.cn), as soon as possible if you require special arrangements.


Common accessibility requests include:

  • Special dietary needs
  • Accessibility by wheelchair or scooter
  • Accommodations for family/baby care
  • Accommodations for a guide dog/service animal
  • Sign language interpretation

How do I communicate accessibility needs to organizers?

When you register for the conference, there will be a registration question labeled "Please describe any special accessibility or dietary needs here." In your response, please indicate any accessibility needs such as wheelchair access, sign language interpretation, or a guide. The organizers will follow up with you to clarify your needs. You can contact them directly at any time by emailing. Alternatively, you can contact the accessibility chair to share any accessibility needs by emailing mengyuewu@sjtu.edu.cn.

Who do I ask if my question is not answered here?

If there is specific accessibility information you would like to see here, or if you wish to discuss any accessibility requirements, please contact the event organizers and someone will respond to you shortly.

Will sign language interpretation or captioning be available?

The conference can provide a team of sign language interpreters or captioners if requested by any attendees during the registration period. Please make your request as early as possible. Event organizers will follow up with you to discuss your needs in more detail. After the deadline for early registration, a best effort will be made to accommodate requests, but we cannot guarantee that interpreters or captioners will be available.

Can someone assist me during the conference?

If you need assistance at Grandhotel Grand Dushulake, please let the meeting organizers or front desk know. Alternatively, you can share any accessibility needs by emailing mengyuewu@sjtu.edu.cn.

Will the conference be accessible by wheelchair or power scooter?

Yes, conference space at Grandhotel Grand Dushulake is accessible to wheelchair or power scooter users. The main conference room is located on Ground floor, which will be easy to access. There are multiple elevators located in the lobby area.

What are the restroom facilities like?

There is an accessible toilet on Ground Floor.

What are the arrangements for presenters with accessibility needs?

If you are a presenter who uses a wheelchair, please contact the event organizers as soon as possible so that we can make arrangements to have a ramp installed. Poster sessions will have space for a wheelchair to move between the posters.

Can I bring my guide dog?

Guide dogs and other service animals are welcome in the garden, unfortunately the hotel does not allow animals inside. Water can be made available upon request. Please indicate on your registration form if you anticipate bringing a service animal to the conference, we will get a staff/volunteer to guide your way. If accommodations need to be made, you can also contact mengyuewu@sjtu.edu.cn.

Is there a pet relief area?

There are nature spots outside of Grandhotel Grand Dushulake for animals to relieve themselves. It is recommended pets are taken for a short walk around Grandhotel Grand Dushulake. Please make sure all service animals are on leash at all times.

Will the conference be a smoke-free environment?

All indoor conference areas are non-smoking.

Will the conference provide any place for children?

Grandhotel Grand Dushulake has a free playroom where children could stay for as long as they want.

What if I have a medical emergency or health problem during the conference?

In case of emergency call 120 for an ambulance. The nearest hospital SIP Xinghai Hospital, is 5.4 km away. If you have a sudden and serious accident or illness go to an emergency hospital clinic at a hospital. For other questions contact the event organizers or ask any staff member at Grandhotel Grand Dushulake front desk. They will provide you with information about local doctors, specialists, chiropractors, etc. For non-resident attendees, buying travel insurance that covers medical expenses is recommended.

Banquet Venue

Our banquet will take place at the Songhelou Restaurant (Suzhou Industrial Park outlet), No.1 Guanfeng Street (Suzhou Culture & Arts Centre, the "Big Pearl").

Profile of the restaurant

Songhelou Restaurant is the most time-honored and world-renowned restaurant in Suzhou specializing in local cuisine. Its chefs have won numerous gold medals at domestic and international cooking contests, and the restaurant itself has been honored with a series of titles by central departments, such as the "Jinding Award", "Famous Snacks of China" and "Premium Restaurant of China". As Songhelou Restaurant represents Suzhou specialties, it is often seen in films and literary works.

There are a number of ways of cooking Suzhou dishes, such as stewing, simmering, boiling, frying, and braising. Locals attach great importance to the color, flavor, taste, and style of the dishes, particularly the original flavor of ingredients. Yuan Mei, a famous litterateur and gourmet of the Qing Dynasty, wrote in his Cookbook of Suiyuan, a monograph of Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine, that "the flavor has to be strong but not greasy, fresh but not light", and "each dish must highlight one flavor of one ingredient". For instance, the "squirrel-shaped mandarin fish", a main course in Suzhou cuisine, is an innovation from the ancient dish "full toasted fish" and also the signature dish of the restaurant.

Located by the Jinji Lake, the Songhelou Restaurant Suzhou Industrial Park outlet is a beautiful location for its moon-lit pier and appealing scenery.

Banquet shows

Two special oriental shows will be provided for Banquet attendees.

1. Show name: Twelve Girls Band

Introduction to the show: Twelve Girls Band is a Chinese orchestra that plays Chinese music in the manner of popular music, with its performance different from traditional folk music, giving you a sense of freshness and entertainment. Twelve Girls Band insists on creative performance of modern folk music with Chinese folk elements and utilizes traditional Chinese musical instruments to re-interpret the classical Chinese folk music, folk songs, and musical works of different styles of different nations by combining them with the performance and performance forms of modern popular music. With the skillful integration of modern high-tech sound, light, and dance, the hearing and visual is perfectly combined together and the lyrical and artistic melody fully demonstrates the profound Chinese national music.

2. Show name: Face-changing

Introduction to the show: Face-changing is one of the special stunts in the performance of Sichuan Opera, which is used to reveal the change in the thoughts and feelings of characters in the opera. It is to change the invisible and intensive abstract emotions and psychological states into visible and perceptible images – facial makeup. Face-changing is a kind of stunt to portray the characters in art of Sichuan Opera as well as a romantic way to reveal the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters in the play.


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