Beijing Hotel Check-In and Your Room: What to Expect, Step by Step
Passports for every guest, deposits, 大床房 versus 双床房, the card slot that runs the lights, 220 V power, the six toiletries Beijing hotels no longer put out, and how check-out really works.
Water in Beijing: What to Drink, Where to Refill, and Why the Room Has a Kettle
Beijing tap water meets a strict national standard at the plant, and nobody here drinks it straight from the tap anyway. What the hardness means, how to use the kettle, what a bottle actually costs, the free refill points most visitors walk past, and whether ice, toothbrushing and baby formula are safe.
Overcharged in Beijing: How to Complain and Actually Get Your Money Back
Overcharged, mis-sold or taken for a ride in Beijing? The four complaint channels that really answer — 12345, the 12315 platform, 12328 and 12326 — plus the evidence that turns a complaint into a refund.
Lost Something in Beijing: How to Get Your Phone, Bag or Wallet Back
Phone left in a Didi, bag left on the metro, wallet left at the airport: the four Beijing lost-property channels, the hotlines that actually answer, and how to collect an item after you have already flown home.
Beijing Emergency Numbers: Who to Call and What Happens Next
110, 120, 119 and 122: which Beijing emergency number fits which situation, what the dispatcher will ask, what an ambulance costs on the official tariff, and the paperwork insurers demand.
What to Wear in Beijing: A Season-by-Season Packing and Dress Guide
Beijing swings from sub-zero wind on the Great Wall to 35°C summer humidity. What to actually pack, season by season — plus the temple and mosque dress codes and what is cheaper to buy on arrival.
Jet Lag and Your First Day in Beijing: An Arrival-Day Plan That Works
A gentle, realistic arrival-day itinerary for beating jet lag in Beijing — light exposure, easy walking, early dinner, and an early night, with practical tips for first-time visitors.
Lost Your Passport in Beijing: The Recovery Steps That Actually Work
Police report, passport loss certificate, embassy, replacement visa — the four steps in the order that works, what each office asks for, and how to get through the days in between.
Public Toilets in Beijing: Where to Go, What to Expect
Beijing's public toilets are free, signed and everywhere — but mostly squat, mostly without paper. Here is the sign to look for, the search order that works, and what to carry.
Beijing in Winter: Ice Festivals, Frozen Lakes and Surviving Sub-Zero Sightseeing
Winter is Beijing's quiet season: crisp blue skies, frozen lakes, and glowing ice festivals — if you pack right. Here's how to enjoy the city at -10°C and below.
Booking Beijing's Big Sights: Real-Name Tickets, Passport Entry and What Sells Out
How reservation actually works for the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the National Museum and the parks — when tickets are released, which channel takes a foreign card, and the Monday rule that wrecks itineraries.
What a First Trip to Beijing Actually Costs: A 2026 Budget Breakdown
Real numbers for a first-time visitor — hotels, food, transport, tickets, the Great Wall day and the extras nobody budgets for — in yuan and dollars.
Beijing Info Center for Foreign Visitors
Everything a first-time foreign visitor to Beijing needs, organised around your real trip timeline — visas, payments, internet, getting around, and where to stay.
Pre-Flight Checklist for China: Set These Up Before You Fly
The 30-minute prep that saves hours in China — apps, data, payments, documents and where to stay.
China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit: Who Qualifies and How to Enter via Beijing
A plain-English guide to China's 10-day transit visa-free policy, the unilateral 30-day visa-free list, and how foreign travellers enter through Beijing.
First Time in Beijing
Everything you need to sort out before and during your first trip to Beijing — visas, payments, transport, language and etiquette.