One of the most commonly discussed topics about Beijing Language and Culture University is how to reserve or book a dorm room from the Housing Center. This may be one of the most crucial steps in enrolling yourself to BLCU university simply because if you ran out of accommodation, you will have to look for other places to stay, and you can only do this, once you get there. It's a lot better to know beforehand that you have a room to stay in Beijing once you arrive. It can also help you calculate the total cost of your dormitory stay ahead of time. The steps you are about to read are for Dorms under the Housing center: Dorm 4, Dorm 6, Dorm 7 and Dorm 8. This does not include Dorm 17 and Conference center.
Dorm Reservation Fee
This is the initial amount you need to pay in order for a dorm room to be reserved to you. You can email zhusu@blcu.edu.cn to inquire about the dorm reservation fee. They don't reply immediately, so in the mean time here is a word file that the school sent me about the dorm reservation fees. It can serve as a guide for you.
Dorm 4 room reservation rates for the September semester of 2011 are 4800 RMB for a BIG single room, 3600 RMB for SMALL single room and 2400 RMB for a double room.
There are 2 possible ways to reserve a dorm room in BLCU:
# 1 - Call a Friend
If you have a friend who is studying in BLCU a semester earlier than you, then I would definitely suggest that you ask the favor of dorm reservation. This doesn't only lessen the hassle on your part, but it also reduces cost (from expensive long distance phone calls to the dormitory office). You just have to email your passport and acceptance letter to your friend and then coordinate the best way to send the money. You can send your payment through his/her bank account or atm. When he/she gets home, ask a copy of the receipt and bring it with you on the date of your travel. # 2 - Reserve the room yourself
This was the only option my friend and I had. Although we had another friend in BLCU who was willing to reserve a room for us, we were unable to send our documents to her on time because of our visa interview.
Okay, so the first step here is to call the dormitory and ask if there are still available single/double rooms in your dorm of choice. Contact the Housing center at this number: +86-10-8230-3300. Just for your information, most of them don't know how to speak English. So try to ask for someone who can atleast understand english. Use the simplest words possible so you can understand each other. Don't forget to get the name of the person who answered. You're gonna need that name again when you confirm your payment.
You may encounter someone who will tell you that there are no more rooms left, don't panic! Try to call again after a few hours, somebody else might answer and tell you that there are still a lot of rooms available. (Trust me, been through this!) :D
Once you've confirmed that there are still rooms available, send your payment via telegraphic transfer. Ask your bank for telegraphic transfer charges. BLCU bank details that we used are as follows:
Intermediary Bank -
INTERMEDIARY BANK: CITIBANK, N.A. NEW YORK
SWIFT/BIC: CITIUS33
A/C NO. 36082562
Account with Institution -
HUA XIA BANK，HO SWIFT/BIC:HXBKCNBJ030
Beneficiary -
HUA XIA BANK, BANK DEPT
ROOM 311, BEIJING INTERNATIONAL FINANCE CENTRE
NO.11 FINANCIAL ST., XICHENG, DIST., BEIJING
100034, CHINA SWIFT BIC:HXBKCNBJ030
Details of Payment -
A/C NO.: 0301123-8194127
BEIJING LANGUAGE AND CULTURE UNIVERSITY
15 XUEYUAN ROAD, HAIDIAN DISTRICT
BEIJING, CHINA
Details of Charges -
Dormitory Reservation Fee of -your name here-.
I find the telegraphic transfer really confusing. But that's how we sent our payment. Also, send your payment in US dollars. Our first transaction bounced back because we sent our payment in RMB. You can send an email to zhusu@blcu.edu.cn just to confirm if the details are correct.
So after sending your payment through telegraphic transfer, fax the receipt, your preference (single/double room, what floor you prefer), your passport and admission notice to BLCU Housing center: +86-10-8230-3589. Then you can call them again to confirm if they have received the payment.
If you have any trouble understanding their English and vice versa, I suggest you look for someone who can speak to them in Mandarin. Try looking for a Chinese-owned travel agency nearby and ask for help. This was what I did when I couldn't comprehend what the person from the dorm was saying.
Finally, after several phone calls to the housing center, we were able to reserve a dorm! I hope I posted enough details and instructions to help you through your dorm reservation. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below!:)
May I ask: once I get to BLCU, what options do I have regarding payment for the rest of the dorm fees?
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for your question. I was told that you can get a refund on your deposit(in US dollar). Get your US dollar money back, then pay the full dorm fee in RMB. You can also inquire from them your remaining balance since you already paid for a deposit and pay the rest in RMB.
ReplyDeleteThank you Stephanie for the reply.And great detailed information you provided on your Blog ... very kind of you to spend time sharing it with us BLCU-student-to-be!
ReplyDeleteYou're most welcome! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Stephanie. I would like to know if is that possible choose a room and pay everything before arrive in the campus. I want to be certainly that I will have a room (the one I chose)when I arrive in China. Is that possible? Or only I can do is pay the reservation fee and pray for a free room similar of the one I would like to live?
ReplyDeleteHello there! No, I don't think it is possible to choose the room that you want. It's only when you arrive that you can inquire at the front desk if that type of room is still vacant or not...
ReplyDeleteI would suggest that you come a few days early, so you get better chances of getting the room that you want, although, that's still not a guarantee :)
How much was it the payment in dollars? The deposit is 2400 RMB
ReplyDeleteThat would be around $400.
ReplyDeleteHi there! I have a question: I have made a telegraphic transfer for a double room in dorm 4 and I want to stay the hole semester there. My course ends on the 5th of July, but I'm staying two more months because I want to travel. Is it possible to keep the room during the months of July and August. Or, the campus closes? Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteYou can try to negotiate immediately once you arrive. My friend and I tried to extend for a couple days (but it was almost the end of the sem), so we weren't allowed to do that. Give it a try though. Good luck!:)
ReplyDeleteHi Stephanie, you have a very informative blog. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. During breaks between semesters, students are not allowed to live in the dorms (ex. July / August)? What if we decide to extend for another semester, can we continue to stay in the same room? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI think you can, you just have to pay a certain amount so the school lets you keep your things in their dorms.
ReplyDeleteHi Stephanie. I am also from the Philippines. Came across your very helpful blog about the dorms in BLCU, THANK YOU SO MUCH! This is the most informative blog about dorms I've seen!
ReplyDeleteI am planning to take Chinese Language Studies for a semester in Beijing, may I know your opinion on the curriculum of BLCU? I have also heard some comparisons between BLCU and Tsing Hua, it was said that the student life is distracting because other students are always up all night partying. Can you help me confirm this?
Hi Janelle, thanks for the compliment! I was a graduate of BLCU and yes it's true BLCU is more of a TRAVEL + HAVE FUN + LEARNING kind of school. So having a night life is somewhat going to be part of your student life. I think Tsinghua has fewer Filipino students so if you want less distractions then you may also consider that school instead. Although I believe you can't really tell who your classmates are going to be, so if they love to party then it's the same story. :))
DeleteHi Stephanie, thank you for your response! About the dorms, which one has newer rooms? Dorms 7 and 8 or Dorms 4 and 6? I am planning to take a single room because of being particular with the toilet. LOL
DeleteDorm 4 is probably the oldest. But I think all of them are quite a bit old :)) Try contacting the conference center, I heard it's already converted into a new dorm now. :) The best dorm I saw was Dorm 17, the interior is already modern, but it's always full and located outside the school.
DeleteHi Stephanie! I already tried contacting the dorms and it is so unusual because the dorms suddenly have increase in price. Dorms 4, 6, 7 and 8 now cost 145 rmb per day, dorm 17 and the conference center cost 150 rmb per day (prices indicated are for single rooms). I also asked them for discount if i stay the whole month and they told me there is none, which is weird. Is this normal? Thanks!
Deletethanks for being really generous with info. :) Personally avoiding Dorm 17 because it might be too expensive. In fact, I'm not really too particular with the appearance of the dorms as long as they are clean and pest free. HAHA.
ReplyDeleteFor the conference center, by looking at websites it seems that the conference center is still being referred to as a hotel, but I will look into this :)
Wow what a great blog, i really enjoyed reading this, good luck in your work. Chocolate Delivery Philippines
ReplyDelete