Tourist Visa for Indian Passport holder who is a resident of Nigeria

I am an Indian Passport Holder, working in Lagos, Nigeria for 7 years. I plan to visit China with my family as tourists. My family lives in India & will apply for the visa from India. I have already booked my flight tickets to arrive at Beijing on 13th April 2013 for 3 weeks. I will make the hotel reservations for my stay in China before I come to the consulate next week. We have as a family travelled extensively in Europe, USA, South America, Africa & some of Asia & are very keen to travel to China. Having travelled to 40 countries, I am familiar with processes & documentation. My questions are as follows 1. Do I need to come in person to book an appointment? 2. Do you need any other documents other than the completed application form, passport photographs, return flight ticket to China , hotel resrvations, employers introduction letter, attested bank statement & credit card copy? 3. How long would you keep my passport at the consulate for the process? Would await your response at the earliest.