Departing China with pets: step by step guidelines

Date: Aug 23, 11 am to midnight

Venue: International Center for Veterinary Services

Price: Free

It's never too early to begin your preparations for overseas travel with pets. Join experts from the ICVS as they share step-by-step instructions on the exit process, microchipping, vaccinations and other requirements to ensure a smooth departure and an easy entry to your destination country. Up to date airline regulations for transporting pets and the 2014 regulations for China, EU countries, North America, South America, Middle East/Africa, Asia and Australia/New Zealand. Advice will be shared about pet transport safety, choosing airlines and minimizing travel-related stress for both humans and animals. New airline regulations for cargo transport and "summer and winter blackout" periods affecting pet travel will also be discussed. This extraordinarily informative discussion will help you take Fluffy home with as little hassle as possible. The ICVS staff is well versed in international quarantine laws and also China's pet vaccination and veterinary systems. If you're planning on leaving sometime this year, this is a must-attend event."

Contact: 8456-1939/1940

Email: ICVS_CHINA@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.ICVSASIA.com

Hike

Hike: Jiankou 'Big West' Great Wall

Date: Aug 16 - 8:30 am

Venue: Lido Hotel Starbucks; Liangmaqiao subway area pickup at 7:30 am

Price: RMB 380

This hike is a shortened version of the Nine-Eyes Tower trail, which has been made easier by skipping the tough climb up to the top. The walk follows hill trails through leafy valleys to get to Jiankou's "Big West Wall", and then heads south towards the Chinese Knot. Some sections are very steep and slippery.

Contact: www.beijinghikers.com/hike-in-beijing/book/508/jiankou-big-west-great-wall-3/

Art

Rome and Baroque art

Date: Runs until Feb 2015

Venue: National Museum of China

Price: RMB 30

In the 17th century, Rome became the center of Italian art, and representatives of realism and classicism, such as Caravaggio, Karachi, Bernini and their followers, paved the foundations for Baroque art, a form that remained influential as late as the end of the 18th century. The exhibition aims to describe the art history of the period through a careful selection of works and artists, and to introduce viewers to the artistic diversity of Baroque art.