Call center aims to make attendees' visits as smooth as possible

Interpreters for the free 96020 hotline will provide a 24hour service in a total of 14 languages at the upcoming G20 summit in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. Shi Xiaofeng/ China Daily

On August 10, the G20 Hangzhou Summit organizing committee launched a multilingual emergency and service call center to help attendees and journalists work and travel in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province.

A free hotline (96020) provides 14 interpretation services - English, French, German, Russian, Arabic, Turkish, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, Thai, and Lao - covering all member and observer countries, according to Bao Sheng, the director of the call center.

"The center has 248 interpreters, providing a 24-hour service. The interpreters each take three shifts a day and the system can serve 60 calls simultaneously," Bao said.

"The system connects directly to 110, the emergency call number, plus 119, which is for the fire service. Ambulances are on 120, and 114 can be dialed for yellow-pages calls. The system can provide help with booking tickets for high-speed trains and flights, ordering food, first aid treatment and the police, if an emergency situation occurs."

It's the first time a G20 summit has implemented this approach, but the service contract provider also worked at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympics, the 2014 Beijing APEC meeting and other notable events.

Liang Qi, a 20-year-old English major at China Jiliang University in Hangzhou, applied for a job as soon as she saw a recruitment notice.

"I work as an operator. When people call in, I have to identify the language from just one or two sentences and then transfer the call to the right interpreter. I have to recognize all 14 languages," she said.

"It feels so cool to serve the G20 summit. I am confident about my ability in English. It's a good platform to practice my skills and the practice means I am learning a lot. I study in Hangzhou, and I am very proud that I can do something for the city," she added.

The 96020 number is an open, free platform, and people who need assistance can call via a cellphone or landline. Meanwhile, hundreds of dual-handset telephones will be installed at hotel reception desks, customs desks, the local airport, railway stations and high-speed intersections around Hangzhou during the summit. Callers can pick up a handset and interpreters will translate for them via a tripartite telephone conversation.

During a seven-day trial, the hotline received 400 calls, many from international volunteers testing the system.

A group of 26 international volunteers, speaking a total 14 languages, will serve the summit in the conference hall.

They have also been invited to act as inspectors to assess the call center's work anonymously. "I make three or four calls a day, even at midnight after watching the Olympic Games. The translators may not meet native standards, but I can understand them very well. I think they will be a great help," said Anchik, a Russian-language inspector from Uzbekistan.

shixf@chinadaily.com.cn

Free guidebook to help visitors discover the real Hangzhou, By Shi Xiaofeng

On Aug 17, the Hangzhou municipal government published Hangzhou at a Glance, a guide book that will help visitors find what they need in the capital of Zhejiang province.

As Hangzhou is a city of choices, the book provides 10 different lifestyle and travel tips for visitors.

History buffs can enjoy Hangzhou's reputation as a city of stories, through tales of demons, kings, emperors and the beginning of civilization. The guide points nature lovers to beautiful tea gardens, scenic spots, a bamboo forest, hiking trails and riverside routes.

It also highlights Hangzhou cuisine and market-dining choices for foodies.

It recommends Buddhist, Taoist and Catholic destinations for pilgrims, and highlights silks, teas and craftworks for shoppers.

Entrepreneurs, culture vultures, party people and family travelers will find hints, listings and locations in the book.

The Hangzhou Tourism Committee plans to place the guidebook in hotels, the local airport and a raft of other public places, and it will be provided to travelers free of charge during the upcoming G20 summit.