Beijing

Living in Bejing from an English Teacher's Perspective

Beijing is a great city to live and work in. You could be here for a couple years and still not have time to take in all this city offers. It should be noted though that summers can be intolerable and winters equally forgettable. The summers are hot and wet while the winters are cold and dry. There are dramatic temperature differents but fear not, if you forgot to bring your winter boots you can probably get the same ones you bought back home for $100 for a mere $10 here and they'll be the same thing!

The cost of living is higher here with respect to housing costs and because there is so much more to see and do, you can get caught up spending more than you intend but hey, what is money for if you aren't enjoying yourself.

Here are a couple must-see places:

Badaling Great Wall
Beihai Park
Beijing Hutong
Forbidden City
Liulichang Street
- also known as Cultural Street - save a couple hours, maybe even a day to wander through the shops that offer pretty much everything. Be sure to be prepared to haggle. Tons of great art and cultural imitation artifacts from the 18th and 19th century.
Summer Palace
Temple of Heaven
- A must visit in the wee hours of dawn when literally thousand of people do Taichi and other morning rituals. This is a great place to visit any time of day. I have been known to just go there to people watch, read a book or have lunch. Definitely a spiritual place that is an escape from the hub of the city.
Tianamen Square
Yonghe Lamasery
Pinjiayuan
- THE MARKET in Beijing on Saturday and Sundays. This is the place where Beijing goes to get a deal. Row upon row of EVERYTHING you can imagine. Definitely worth a walk through if you're looking for nothing but want to buy something.
Temple of Earth
- one of the most beautifully peaceful temples in Beijing.
Lama Temple

Medical in Beijing

A teacher has kindly pointed out that there is a good hospital in Beijing (Beijing United Family Hospital, #2 Jiang Tai Lu, Chao Yang District, within walking distance of the Holiday Inn Lido - PHONE: (010) 5927 7000). The Beijing United Family Hospital is said to be staffed primarily with Western physicians, so this is a good option if you have time to wait for treatment.

The care and facilities are excellent. The prices are high by Chinese standards but comparable to Western standards.

Dr. Andrew Perrett in the family medicine department is very helpful. He is only on part-time but he may be able to give you advice if you e-mail him ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

List of Annual Activities of Interest - In and Around Beijing

There is always loads happening in Beijing. If you have an ANNUAL event that you would like to list here or if you know of a great event for expats in Beijing please email us to add it to this list. As dates change from year to year we have simply put month references or as close an approximation as possible to when the event takes place.

May through June - Labagoumen Azaleas Festival
- Enjoying spring! Check out the azaleas, lilac, apricot and peach blossoms. This is a great way to relax and soak up the freshness of spring.
- Labagoumen Virgin Forest Scenic Area
May - Sanjiancheng Cup Vehicle Cross Country Rally
- A rally competition for cross country amateurs.
- Xiayunling National Forest Park, Beijing
June - The Dragon Boat Festival
- Displaying the custom and culture related with the traditional festival.
- Dongyue Temple of Beijing Folk Arts Museum
June (beginning) - Fiesta of Beijing Amusement Park
- Various kinds of performances and revelries.
- Beijing Amusement Park
June (end) - Labagoumen Showcase Festival of Manchu Custom
- Athletic sports, yangko, tour, performances of Manchu and trading of local products.
- the Eight Banners Culture Square of Labagoumen, Huairou District, Beijng
July - August - Bamboo Raft Drifting Competition
- An interesting activity for visitors.
- Donghugang Scenic Area, Beijing
July (middle) - Lotus Festival in Beijing Lianhuachi Park
- Displaying more than three hundreds varieties of rare lotus.
- Beijing Lanhuachi Park
July - September - Lingshan Mountain Tibetan Festival
- Enjoy various kinds of Tibetan performances and taste Tibetan food.
- Qingshui Town of Mentougou District, Beijng
September - Sanjiancheng Cup Vehicle Cross Country Rally
- A rally competition for cross country amateurs.
- Xiayunling National Forest Park, Beijing
September - October - Sweet-Scented Osmanthus Show in the Summer Palace
- take in the Summer Palace full of beautiful and aromatic sweet-scented osmanthus and then taste some delicious traditional food made from the flower.
- Summer Palace, Beijing