Hiring an Ayi (Housekeeper) in Beijing: Apps, Hourly vs Live-in, Costs and Etiquette
A practical guide to hiring an ayi (domestic helper) in Beijing — which apps and agencies to use, what hourly and live-in help actually costs, and the etiquette that keeps the relationship smooth.
Home Broadband in a Beijing Rental: ISPs, Installation, Contracts and Moving Out
Getting fibre into a Beijing flat: which carrier actually reaches your building, what 300M really costs, the documents a foreigner needs, install day, the contract clauses that bite, and how to close the account before you leave the country.
Working Remotely in Beijing: Co-Working Spaces, Cafés, Day Passes and the Wi-Fi Reality
A practical guide to day passes, café culture, Wi-Fi reliability and VPN expectations for remote workers spending a week or more in Beijing.
Supermarkets and Grocery Shopping in Beijing: Where Foreigners Buy Western Food, Snacks and Supplies
A practical guide to Beijing's best supermarkets for Western groceries — from expat favorites like Jenny Lou's to budget local chains — plus payment tips and what to expect on the shelves.
Haircuts, Nails and Grooming in Beijing: Where Foreigners Get a Good Cut Without the Membership-Sales Pitch
How to find English-friendly salons and barbershops in Beijing, what a decent cut should cost, and how to politely shut down the membership-card upsell.
Applying to Chinese Universities in Beijing: A Practical Guide for Westerners
From choosing a program and passing the HSK to securing your X1 visa and settling into student life in Beijing, here is what first-time applicants from the US, UK, and EU need to know.
Where to Verify Official Information Before and During Your Long Stay in Beijing
Rules in China change often — visas, residence registration, payment apps, and park hours included. This guide shows you which official channels to trust and how to double-check anything before it costs you time or money.
Choosing a VPN or VPS Protocol for a Long Stay in Beijing
If you're staying in Beijing for months rather than days, your connectivity setup needs to survive app updates, throttling, and changing network conditions. Here's a practical, protocol-focused primer.
Monthly Apartments and Serviced Residences in Beijing: A Long-Stay Guide
Staying in Beijing for a month or more? Here's how monthly rentals, serviced apartments, and extended-stay residences compare — with real costs, paperwork, and booking tips.
Using Reddit r/travelchina Wisely: Review Etiquette and Asking Good Questions as a Long-Stay Visitor
How to ask questions that get answered and share reviews that help others on r/travelchina, written for visitors planning weeks or months in Beijing.
Renting an Apartment in Beijing as a Foreign Student or Intern: Agents, Deposits and Lease Registration
A practical walkthrough of finding, signing and registering a long-term rental in Beijing, from choosing an agent to getting your deposit back.
Supplier Hunting in Shenzhen: A 2–3 Week Business Stay Guide
Planning 2–3 weeks of factory visits and trade market crawls in Shenzhen? Here's how to base yourself, get around, pay for things, and stay sane on an extended sourcing trip.
Beijing Business Travel: Venues, Tax Invoices, Transport & Etiquette
The four venue clusters, how to get a tax invoice your finance team will accept, moving around on a work schedule without losing a morning to traffic, and the meeting etiquette that actually matters.
Staying Longer in Beijing: A Realistic Guide for Remote Workers
China has no digital nomad visa. What actually works for a 1–6 month stay: the 24-hour police registration, what rent and deposits really cost, the no-credit-record workaround, VPN and eSIM setup before you fly, and a monthly budget.
Peking University & Tsinghua: How Foreign Visitors Actually Get In
The booking mini-programmes only accept mainland Chinese ID cards, so overseas visitors must book by email. This guide covers both email routes, the seasonal opening windows, the 180- and 90-day limits, and what to walk on each campus.