Information for expat in Beijing

Travelers will be asked to post a deposit prior to admission to cover the expected cost of treatment. Hospitals in major cities may accept credit cards for payment. Even in the VIP/Foreigner wards of major hospitals; however, expat patients have frequently encountered difficulty due to cultural and regulatory differences. Physicians and hospitals have sometimes refused to supply expat patients with complete copies of their Chinese hospital medical records, including laboratory test results, scans, and x-rays.

Ambulances do not carry sophisticated medical equipment. Injured or seriously ill Beijing expats may be required to take taxis or other immediately available vehicles to the nearest major hospital rather than waiting for ambulances to arrive. Generally, in rural areas, only rudimentary medical facilities are available, often with poorly trained medical personnel who have little medical equipment and medications. Rural clinics are often reluctant to accept responsibility for treating foreigners, even in emergency situations.

Raffles Medical, formerly International SOS, provides comprehensive medical and dentistry services delivered by a highly trained and specialized team of healthcare professionals. The clinic belongs to the Raffles Medical Group, a leading medical group in Singapore that was founded in 1976. Languages spoken include English, Chinese, French, German, Spanish and Japanese.

For medical emergencies anywhere in mainland China, expats can call the International SOS, Ltd., 24-hour "Assistance Center" in Beijing at telephone (86)(10) 6462-9100 or in Shanghai at (86)(21) 5298-9538 for advice and referrals to local facilities. International SOS Alarm Centers can also be contacted in Hong Kong at telephone (852) 2428-9900.

King's Dental Clinic 
Your International Competent Partner for Beautiful and Healthy Teeth
(86)(10) 8458-0388
102-104， Air China Century Plaza, No.40 Xiaoyun Road, Chaoyang, Beijing

Bayley & Jackson Beijing Medical Center

#7 Ritan Dong Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020
(86)(10) 8562-9998 Fax: (86)(10) 8561-4866

Beijing United Family Hospital and Clinics

#2 Jiang Tai Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100016
(86)(10) 6433-3960 Fax: (86)(10) 6433-3963
Emergency Hotline: (86)(10) 6433-2345

Beijing United Family Clinic – Shunyi

Pinnacle Plaza , Unit # 818, Tian Zhu Real Estate Development Zone,
Shunyi District, 101312
(86)(10) 8046-5432 Fax: (86)(10) 8046-4383

Peking Union Medical Hospital

1 Shuai Fu Yuan, Dong Cheng District, Beijing 100730
Tel: (86)(10) 6529-5269(registration and information);
(86)(10) 6529-5284 (24 hours); (86)(10) 6529 6114 (operator)
Modern Facilities with English speaking staff. Separate ward for foreign patients.

Raffles Medical, formerly International SOS
Address: Suite 205, Wing 1, Kunsha Building, 16 Xinyuanli, Chaoyang district
Open 7 days a week 8am-8pm
Clinic Appointments: (010) 6462 9112 Dental Clinic: (010) 6462 0333

Beijing Vista Clinic

Kerry Center Shopping Mall No. 1 Guanghua Road Chaoyang District Beijing 100020, China
Tel: + 86 10 6594 5129 Fax: + 86 10 6594 5129

Global Doctor Beijing Clinic

Beijing Friendship Hospital No. 95 Yong'an Road Xuanwu District Beijing, China
Tel: + 86 10 8315 1915

Hong Kong International Medical Clinic - Beijing

9/F Office Tower, Hong Kong Macau Center 2
Chao Yang Men Bei Da Jei Road Chao Yang District Beijing 100027, China
Tel: + 86 10 6501 2288 Fax: + 86 10 6502 3426

International Medical Center

(IMC) Beijing Office Building S106, Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Centre
No. 50 Liang Maqiao Road Beijing 100016 China
Tel: + 86 10 6465 1561 Fax: + 86 10 6465 1984

Sino-German Policlinic Landmark Tower

Room B-1 8 North Dong San Huan Road Chao Yang District Beijing 100004 China
Tel: + 86 10 6590 0901 Fax: + 86 10 6680 6609

OASIS International hospital

9 Jiuxianqiao North Road Chaoyang District, Beijing China
Hours: Monday-Friday 08:30-17:30
Tel: 400 87 62747; +86 10 5985 0333 (24 hours)

Today, Internet has become an integral part of our daily lives. We depend on the Internet to update ourselves about current news and rely on the communication platform it offers to get in touch with our near ones. So here is the information about how to access the internet in Beijing, China.

Beijing's Internet Access Providers

China Union, Broad Netcom, BGCTV, China Telecom, China Mobile are the main internet access providers in Beijing. We got the following fees in June 2016.

It is the biggest FTTH service provider in Beijing.

• 50M/s package costs 1480 RMB per year in Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chaoyang, Haidian, Shijingshan, Fengtai District, while 1280 RMB per year in other districts of Beijing.
• 100M/s package costs 1780 RMB for 1 year, it's available in all districts of Beijing.

• 30M/s package costs 700 RMB for 1 years, 1100 RMB for 2 years
• 50M/s package costs 1080 RMB for 1 years, 1600 RMB for 2 years

• 55M/s package costs 1680 RMB for 2 years

• 50M/s package costs 2016 RMB for 3 years
• 70M/s package costs 1680 RMB for 2 years

Blocked Websites in Beijing

Here is the list of blocked websites, you will need to buy a VPN service before you can access these websites in China.

• Google.com
• Gmail.com
• Youtube.com
• Blogspot.com
• Facebook.com
• WordPress.com
• Twitter.com
• Vimeo.com
• Xing.com
• Picasaweb.google.com (picasa.google.com is reachable)

These websites as Forbes.com, BBC.co.uk, yahoo.com, CNN.com are reachable in Beijing, If there is any other website was blocked, you are welcome to send us an email.

Beijing is on its way to be the international metropolis, it's hardly to find out the Mao suited Chinese now, and proletariat no longer bike to work each morning. Instead Beijing commuter scenes resemble what you'd see in any large metropolis. But Beijing is a city of many contrasts with gaps between rich and poor, orderly and chaotic, ancient and modern. It's also an exciting city undergoing rapid changes. Live in Beijing is no longer the exotic adventure it once was. Some mourn the changes, but most Beijing residents, including expats, welcome them.

Work, kids, schools, commute, there's so much to consider before relocating to Beijing. For expats moving to Beijing, the first step is to decide whether you want to take the plunge. The work may be exciting, but is a Beijing relocation right for you? If you're single, moving to Beijing is mostly about two things: your work and your play. But for families with kids, a Beijing relocation means you'll need to carefully research and plan your move.

When living and/or working in Beijing, Expats don't have the same level of access to the healthcare system as to the local population. Consequently, it is crucial to have some professional advice on how to choose the right expatriate health insurance in Beijing.

China Travel Information

During weekends or holidays you might want to visit places in or out of Beijing, then check Chinese Pictures to find out which is the place/city you really wanna visit.

Cultural Revolution in Yinchuan	Underground Army in Xi'an	Great Wall in Beijing

China Exhibitions is the leading exhibition service provide in China, you can find more information about China exhibitions, expos, trade shows and trade fairs in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Yiwu, Hong Kong, Macau and Taipei.

Exhibitions are sorted in different ways, such as by month, by Chinese city and by industry, so that you can find the exhibition information in the most convenient way.

This Beijing Expat Guide contains all the key things you'll need to know about moving to Beijing and living here.

The full list of topics are listed on the right of your screen, but you can start with these links to help research and plan your Beijing relocation:

• Beijing Cost of Living
• About Expat Housing
• If you have Kids, read about International Schools and Kindergartens
• How to Plan Your Move
• Medical service in Beijing
• Internet status in Beijing
• Foreign airlines in Beijing
• Foreign Embassies in Beijing
• Car Rental Beijing China

Why foreigners with international driving license failed to get Chinese driving license in Beijing? Read the article below to find it out:

One of my most prized accomplishments in the past year was earning my Beijing driver's license. This may sound strange—particularly to people who believe a driver's license test is one of life's simplest exams. I, too, once thought this way. Growing up in the United States, I believed almost anyone could pass a driver's test, and when I moved to Beijing in 1991, all my expatriate friends who drove in Beijing laughed at how simple the process was. "Ridiculous," one friend quipped. "I only needed to turn in my overseas license and take a driver's test that consisted of starting the car and driving 100 meters. I passed with flying colors."

Hearing this was a relief, particularly when my wife and children urged me to get a license so we could travel more easily to the countryside. Considering daily work pressures, I didn't need any bureaucratic hassles—driving through the streets of China would be tricky enough.

So I simply handed my US driver's license to a coworker so he could help me apply for a license and arrange a date for me to drive the famed 100 meters. "It's impossible," he replied in Chinese. "The Beijing Traffic Management Bureau changed the requirements. Foreigners can no longer trade their nation's license for a 100-meter test. You must take a 100-question exam and get at least 90 percent correct to obtain a Beijing license." I was about to become part of a new generation of Beijing drivers who had to take the multiple-choice, true/false test that was developed in September 2003. (Some foreigners, including staff of embassies, consulates, and international organizations with diplomatic privileges, are exempt from the exam.)

On the day of my test, I arrived at the traffic management bureau just in time. A proctor told me that I would have 45 minutes to complete the test (in English) and that they would tell me immediately whether I had passed. After answering all of the questions I knew the answers to in the first 20 minutes, I still debated the answers to roughly 20 questions. I took a few calculated guesses, turned in the questionnaire with minutes to spare, and awaited the good news.

Most of the questions that puzzled me had had awkward translations. I remember one question that asked in rather broken English whether a person who had been in an accident and had a bone sticking out of his or her body should be moved or left in the street. And there were other questions whose wording would stump even the most intrepid linguists.

As I waited outside the classroom, my exam result came at a speed uncharacteristic in China. Standing among about 10 other participants, the proctor announced to all, "Ke Ingde xiansheng, ni zuo bu liao!" (Mr. Kronick, you did not pass!)

I first felt embarrassed, as all of the other exam participants—both Chinese and foreigners—laughed. Then I felt ashamed because I had to explain to my wife and children that I had failed the exam.

But I was determined not to be defeated a second time. Thankfully, a colleague bought a Beijing traffic regulation manual for me; the manual contained all of Beijing's traffic rules, along with the test's questions and answers. The only caveat, since the book was then unavailable in English, was that I needed fairly advanced Chinese-language skills to read the book. To make things easier, I had the questions and answers translated. Among the questions:

* "Categorized according to the specification terms, carriers for agricultural use include ____________.

1. Three- and four-wheeled vehicles;
2. Three-wheeled vehicles, four-wheeled ordinary goods carriers, four-wheeled vans, four-wheeled tank carriers, and four-wheeled automatic unloading trucks;
3. Three-wheeled, four-wheeled, and six-wheeled vehicles."

* True or false:

"When big trucks are loaded with goods, the height of the goods from the ground should be not more than 5 m, the width of the goods should not be more than that of the carriage, the front part should not stand out of the vehicle body by more than 1 m, and the rear part should not stand out of the carriage by more than 2 m or touch the ground."

By now, word of my test preparation had spread to my colleagues and friends, and the pressure mounted. A test date was set, and with a translated portion of the book in hand, I crammed.

This time, I arrived early and braced myself for the test. I considered each answer in detail. After 45 minutes, I turned in the test and waited to hear whether I would soon be taking to the road, or facing my family and colleagues another time with word of defeat.

Fortunately, the coveted license now rests in my car. And with a combination of pride and fear, I have become one of Beijing's newest defensive drivers.

Now your will know how important to get a Textbook for exam of Beijing driver's license. Click the link to find more information.