General Information

Conference Location: the auditorium of the main NTU library building (see the hotel map below)

ICAT2000 will be held at National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. (address: No.1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 104, Taiwan) There are two subway stations at Taiwan University, one at the front gate, the other at the rear gate, all leading to the central railway station and conference hotels. Please see the subway map from http://www.trtc.com.tw/english89/english.htm, take the green line and stop at the station named "Kungkuan" (front gate of Taiwan University). The other way is to take the brown line, and stop at the "Technology building" (rear gate of NTU).

Tips to Hotels and Conference Site

Registration Fees (Registration Form)

The registration fees are:

(1) for early registration before October 1: US$250 (regular fees), US$150 (student only)

(2) on site registration or after October 1: US$300 (regular fees), US$200 (student only)

The registration desk will be located at the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering.

Pre-registration is encouraged for attendees' convenience.

Welcome Reception

A welcome reception and social hour will be held at the front porch of Dept. of CSIE, on October 25 17:00-19:00.

Banquet

The conference banquet will be held at Howard Plaza Hotel Restaurant, the Taiwan University branch, on 26 October from 18:30 to 20:30. The banquet ticket is included in the conference fee except for student registrants; an advanced reservation is required.

Language

The official language of the ICAT2000 is English. No simultaneous translation will be provided. In Taiwan, the national language is Mandarin Chinese, though other dialects are also spoken. Many people can speak some English (the most wildly studied foreign language), but taxi drivers generally speak only Chinese.

Post-Conference Tour

We are delighted to welcome you to Taiwan, an island of incredible scenic and cultural attractions. The sightseeing tours listed below offer opportunities to enjoy the value in Taiwan, with convenience at a minimum cost. Tour fees include admission charges and bus fares. You are advised to make reservations as early as possible to avoid any disappointment. For further information about Taiwan please visit the web site of Taiwan Tourism Bureau at http://www.tbroc.gov.tw; or Government Information Office at http://www.gio.gov.tw. To better understand Taipei, please use http://www.taipei.gov.tw and select English for browsing.

Suggested tours

Tour A: Taipei City Tour

Half-Day, 8:30-12:30 , suggested price US$20 per person. A City of many faces, the capital city -Taipei- is where ancient and modern Chinese culture co-exist in perfect harmony. Its high-rise buildings, modern boutiques, and bustling streets prove Taipei an international metropolis. However, you may also observe ancient temples, or witness traditional festival celebrations in this very same city. Tour includes Chung Cheng (Chian Kai-Shek) Memorial Hall, Presidential Square, Martyrs Shrine, National Palace Museum, Business and Theater Districts.

Tour B: Taroko Gorge Tour by Air

Full-Day, 06:30-19:00, suggested price US$150 per person. One of the greatest and most awesome natural wonders of the world is the 19 kilometer (12 mile) long Taroko Gorge at the eastern end of the 193 kilometer (120 mile) East-West Cross-Island Highway which the Chinese call the rainbow of Treasure Island. The towering cliffs of the gorge, some more than 900 meters (3,000 feet) high, contain millions of tons of marble deposits. Tourism officials say no visit to Taiwan is complete without a trip to the gorge. Fly to Hualien in the morning, drive through the Taroko Gorge to Tien Hsiang for lunch, return to Haulien, see performance by aborigines of the Ami tribe, and visit a marble plant and showroom. Fly back to Taipei at about 17.00. Tour B includes bus and airline tickets; an advance reservation and payment is required.

Accommodation  (Reservation Form)  (see hotel map) 

A block of rooms has been reserved for ICAT2000 attendees at the Howard Plaza Hotel, Hotel Dynasty, and Hotel Leofoo, Taipei, Taiwan. Please use the accommodation form.

Listed price, may have discount. All speaking English and Japanese TAX and services included. One US dollar equals 31.4 NT dollars, September 30, 2000.

*Howard Plaza Hotel: Single NT 6700/night Twin: NT 7100

  NTU special price:   Single  NT 4070 (breakfast not included) Twin: NT 4400

  Tel: (886)2-2700-2323  FAX: (886)2-2700-0729

  http://www.howard-hotels.com  E-mail: howard@howard-hotels.com

*Hotel Dynasty Taipei: Single NT 3400/night Twin: NT 3800

  NTU special price: Single: NT 2720 (breakfast not included) Twin: NT 3040

  Tel: (886)2-2708-1221 FAX: (886)2-2325-7265

  http://www.hotel-dynasty.com.tw/htdocs/index_b.htm E-mail: dynasty@dynasty.fenet.com

*Hotel Leofoo: standard Single NT 2200/night  Twin: NT 2400
http://www.leofoo.com.tw/hotel.htm email: hotel@leofoo.com.tw

   NTU special price: Single NT 2000 (breakfast included) Twin: NT 2400

   Tel: (886)2-2507-3211  Fax: (886)2-2508-2070

Travel Visas

Visitor Visa is required for foreign-passport holders. However, if your passport and the length of your visit to Taiwan satisfy the following terms, no visa is required: (1) you are holding passport from Japan, U.S.A., Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Austria, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Australia, and New Zealand; (2) your passport is valid longer than 6 months; and (3) the length of your visit is less than five days (120 hours). Visa can be obtained from Taiwan embassies, consulates, or designated representative offices. Please check with your travel agent concerning necessary procedures. Especially, if you are holding PRC passport, an application is necessary two months before coming to Taiwan.

Climate

Taiwan climate is subtropical, with average annual temperatures of 22℃(72℉) in the north and 24℃(75℉) in the south. Average temperature of October is 25℃(78℉).

Currency

The New Taiwan dollar (NT$) is the Taiwan official currency. The exchange rate in recent months has been shifting between NT$30.2-NT$31.5 to US$1. Foreign currencies can be exchanged at government designated banks and hotels. Receipts are given when currency is exchanged, and must be presented in order to exchange unused NT dollars before departure.

Airport Transportation

CKS airport is 40km south of Taipei . There are frequent shuttle buses to and from the Taipei central railway station, until mid-night. Ticket price: 120 NT. From the central railway station, take the subway (MRT lines) or Taxi to your hotels. The Taxi price should be less than NT200.

Information

For more information, please contact ICAT2000 at National Taiwan University, 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 104, Taiwan;  Fax:+886-2-23658741; Tel:+886-2-23625336 Ext. 233  E-mail: yaho@csie.ntu.edu.tw

Acknowledgement

We wish to thank the following for their contribution to the success of this conference:

U.S. Air Forces Office of Scientific Research, Asian Office of Aerospace Research and Development (U.S. AFOSR/AOARD)