City guide Beijing
- Laundry Services Fornet (major chain found in most shopping malls) none
- Libraries & Study Spots National Library of China or The Bookworm (closed/reopening status varies) National Library of China, 33 Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian, at National Library…
- Local Brewery Great Leap Brewing or Jing-A Brewing Co. (Xingfucun) Great Leap Brewing, 6 Doujiao Hutong, Dongcheng. Jing-A has a Xinchenli taproom at 8…
- Local Heritage Old Beijing 'Chengyu' culture and Peking Opera Hutong courtyard houses (siheyuan) and Beijing opera (jingju), the painted-face style that…
- Local Markets Panjiayuan Antique Market (Weekends) Panjiayuan Antique Market in Chaoyang, for crafts, old goods and souvenir antiques.
- Main Train/Transit Hub Beijing South Railway Station (High-speed rail to Shanghai in 4.5 hours) Beijing South (Beijingnan) in Fengtai, on metro lines 4 and 14, is the main high-speed…
- Museums & Art Venues National Museum of China or 798 Art District The National Museum of China on Tiananmen Square, and UCCA in the 798 Art District, 4…
- Music Scene Blue Note Beijing or School Bar (Punk/Indie scene) Beijing opera at Huguang Guild Hall and Liyuan Theatre in Xicheng, and concerts at the…
- Must-See Landmarks The Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven The Forbidden City, entered at the Meridian Gate. Adult tickets are ¥60 from 1 April to 31…
- National Parks Nearby Mutianyu Great Wall Area (National Forest Park status) No national park in the urban area. Songshan National Nature Reserve in Yanqing, about 90…
- Nearby Nature Escapes Fragrant Hills (Xiangshan Park) for hiking Fragrant Hills (Xiangshan) in western Haidian, beside the Botanical Garden and a short hop…
- Networking Events Startup Grind Beijing sessions; JingJobs networking mixers Sanlitun and the Guomao CBD are where business and expat gatherings sit. The Beijinger…
- Parcel Delivery Service SF Express (fastest/most reliable) or ZTO SF Express (Shunfeng), the largest domestic courier, including airport counters that can…
- Popular International Cuisine TRB Hutong (French) or Bottega (Award-winning Neapolitan Pizza) Sanlitun and Xingfucun for Western kitchens. Shenlu Jie, north of Ritan Park, is the…
- Population Approximately 21,890,000 21.80 million permanent residents at the end of 2025 (21,800,000), of whom 19.249 million…
- Power 220V, 50Hz, 🔌 Type A, C, and I (standard three-prong) sockets 220 V, 50 Hz. Common sockets are Type A (NEMA 1-15), Europlug (Type C) and Type I. Bring a…
- Property Tax Experimental in some cities; currently minimal for residential in Beijing No annual tax on a home you live in and do not rent out. Real estate tax applies to…
- Property Transaction Tax Includes Deed Tax (1-3%) and Value Added Tax (if held <2 years) Deed tax is 3-5% in statute. For an individual home in Beijing, from 1 December 2024, a…
- Public Transport Passes Beijing Yikatong card (available on iPhone Wallet) for Subway and Bus There is no unlimited monthly pass. Metro is ¥3 within 6 km, then ¥4, ¥5 and ¥6 at the 12…
- Regional Travel High-Speed Rail (CRH) to Tianjin (30 mins, 54 CNY) or Great Wall at Badaling Beijing South to Tianjin is 30 minutes and ¥54.5 in second class (C2551 and similar)…
- Religious Sites Yonghe Lama Temple (Tibetan Buddhism) Yonghe Lama Temple on Yonghegong Street, Dongcheng, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery. The…
- SIM Card China Unicom or China Mobile; approx. 100 CNY for 20GB/month (Passport required for… China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom. Apply in person with a passport at an…
- Scenic Viewpoints Jingshan Park (View over the entire Forbidden City) Jingshan Park, immediately north of the Forbidden City. The pavilion on the hill looks…
- Short Term Rentals Trip.com (Ctrip), Tujia, or JEN Beijing by Shangri-La (Nomad friendly) Hotels and hutong guesthouses, including rooms near Nanluoguxiang. Airbnb does not…
- Social Events for Expats InterNations Beijing events and 'The Beijinger' community meetups Sanlitun bar streets, and the clubs along the east side of Workers Stadium.
- Street Art Graffiti walls in 798 Art District 798 Art District, the converted factory halls off Jiuxianqiao Road in Chaoyang, around…
- Street Food Stalls Ghost Street (Guijie) - famous for spicy crayfish and late-night snacks Guijie (Ghost Street) in Dongcheng, more than a kilometre of late-night restaurants, plus…
- Studio Purchase Price (City Center) Approx. 120,000 CNY per m² (e.g., 40 m² = 4,800,000 CNY) Dongcheng new-home sales in June 2026 averaged about ¥100,070 per m², so a 40 m² flat is…
- Studio Purchase Price (Outside City) Approx. 60,000 CNY per m² (e.g., 40 m² = 2,400,000 CNY) Pinggu new-home sales in June 2026 averaged about ¥19,920 per m², so a 40 m² flat is about…
- Table Tennis Spots Public tables in Ritan Park or local community centers none
- Tap Water Not drinkable; use bottled water (Nongfu Spring, 2-3 CNY) or filtered water Not safe to drink. Use bottled or boiled water.
- Tax System Resident based; worldwide income for those staying over 183 days Residents (domiciled, or present 183 days or more in the tax year) are taxed on worldwide…
- Tech Repair Services Zhongguancun (China's Silicon Valley) tech markets Zhongguancun in Haidian, the electronics markets and tech cluster beside the university…
- Theater Venues National Centre for the Performing Arts (The Giant Egg) National Centre for the Performing Arts, 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng, the titanium egg…
- Top International Airline Air China (Hub at PEK and PKX) Air China, primary hub at Beijing Capital (PEK). Beijing Daxing (PKX), opened in 2019, is…
- Top Regional Airline Hainan Airlines Air China, from its main hub at Beijing Capital (PEK), for domestic trunks. High-speed…
- VAT 13% (Standard), 9% or 6% (Services) 13% on goods, 9% on transport, construction and property, and 6% on most services. The…
- Vegan/Vegetarian Options King's Joy (High-end Buddhist cuisine) or Vege Tiger King's Joy on Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng, a fine-dining vegetarian kitchen. Hotpot houses…
- Wine Bars The Merchant Beijing or Buona Bocca (Sanlitun) none
- Yoga & Wellness Centers Yoga Yard (Sanlitun) or SpaceCycle (Taikoo Li) none
full-depth rewrite. City (municipality, not Hebei); Population (21.80 million, end-2025); Internet Speed (Ookla September 2026; blocked sites, no VPN brands); Currency & Banking (ECB 6.6807 / 7.4991 on 19 Oct 2026); SIM Card (passport halls, Trip.com Unicom Nihao US$42.10); Banking for Expats (Alipay/WeChat foreign cards, Capital Airport T3 desk); Accommodation and Short Term Rentals (Airbnb does not operate); Budget Accommodation (Pagoda Light); Best Coworking Space (Servcorp ¥1,030, WeWork dedicated from ¥1,650); Best Cafe for Work (Wudaoying Hutong); Networking Events and Social Events for Expats (Sanlitun, Guomao, Workers Stadium); Best Taxi/Ride App (DiDi plus ¥13 / ¥2.3 taxi); Bike/Scooter Rental (¥1.88 per 60 minutes); Best Beach Nearby (Beidaihe G9897, 1h 40min); Top Regional Airline and Top International Airline (Air China at PEK; Daxing is the second airport); Highway Access (ring roads, G95, G1); Main Train/Transit Hub and Public Transport Passes and Regional Travel (Beijing South, day passes, Tianjin ¥54.5, Badaling from ¥29); Best Hospital (United Family, 2 Jiangtai Road); Best Food Delivery App and E-commerce/Online Store (Alipay/WeChat, SF Express); Best Local Dish to Try (Da Dong about ¥298, Siji Minfu about ¥238); Vegan/Vegetarian Options (King's Joy); Best Dessert Spots (bingtang hulu); Affordable Shopping Spots and Local Markets (Panjiayuan); Local Brewery (Great Leap at 6 Doujiao Hutong; Jing-A Xinchenli and Daxing Airport, Xingfucun not reconfirmed); Street Food Stalls (Guijie); Popular International Cuisine (Sanlitun, Kavkaz); Must-See Landmarks (Forbidden City ¥60/¥40); Museums, Street Art and Art Galleries (UCCA, 4 Jiuxianqiao Road); Music Scene (opera houses and NCPA, not Blue Note or School Bar); Annual Events (Spring Festival and National Day); National Parks Nearby, Birdwatching Locations and Bonfire-Friendly Spots (Songshan paused, Baihuashan fire closure); Cycling/Walking Paths (bike lanes and hutongs, not Liangma); Language Classes (Hutong School); Libraries & Study Spots (National Library; Bookworm dropped); Community Centers and Cooking Classes (The Hutong); Casino & Gaming Halls (municipal ban); Studio Purchase Price (City Center), Studio Purchase Price (Outside City), 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center), 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City), 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center) and 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City) (June 2026 Dongcheng ¥100,070/m² and Pinggu ¥19,920/m²); Tax System, Highest Income Tax Bracket, VAT, Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) Rules, Property Tax and Property Transaction Tax (PwC July 2026 and the Beijing deed-tax notice); Attractive Tax System for Digital Nomads (no work on visa-free entry). Yoga & Wellness Centers, Gyms & Fitness Centers, Laundry Services, Grocery Delivery, Wine Bars, Table Tennis Spots and Gaming Lounges cleared because the old venues were not reconfirmed (https://www.beijing.gov.cn/renwen/bjgk/rk/202603/t20260327_4567645.html).