Living in China you may be worried about what happens if your glasses break. Do you have to send home for a new pair and spend the waiting weeks feeling your way around? Will you be able to get quality eyewear in China? Will this be your big opportunity to ... Read More>>
Most of us do not wake up on Sunday morning after a busy night enjoying Beijing’s nightlife and want zhou (they call it gruel for a reason) spiked with fermented dofu and pickled vegetables. Sometimes, the best way to start off your Saturday or Sunday, ... Read More>>
So, we're already well into 2012 and the question is: have you meaning to be more active and creative in Beijing this year? Has a voice in the back of your brain been (unsuccessfully) urging you to attend more workshop and social gatherings? If you've ... Read More>>
The last few weeks haven't been the best time to be an expat in Beijing with misbehaving foreigners and police crackdowns, so why not get out there and relieve some of stress with some hot parties and great movies. Read on to find out more. Read More>>
The past year a lot of new places have popped up throughout Sanlitun, from new restaurants to chains bringing us a taste of home. This is our pick of the best food and beverage newcomers in Sanlitun, Beijing. Read More>>
China’s Mongol minority has a centuries-old tradition of invading their neighbors. Their latest target? Taking over Beijing’s restaurant and bar scene! These peaceful invaders from the north have conquered no small number of hearts with milk tea, spirits ... Read More>>
Numerous studies have been conducted to prove that pets can bring joy and healing to our lives, plain and simple. Coming home to someone who is always glad to see you and who never complains or argues is delightful. Naturally, along with a pet however comes ... Read More>>
It’s been an eventful month of crazy news in Beijing. Luckily, July is just around the corner and offers some great ways to give your brain cells a much needed break. Read More>>
Though it’s still all too easy to compare Beijing’s subway with a tin of sardines during rush hour, the opening of Metro Line 4 on September 28 has been a welcome addition to the overworked and under-developed subway network in the city. Before Metro Line ... Read More>>
BC MOMA will be two years old this year, so I took a subway down to Dongzhimen to visit the cinema complex and see what leeway had been made in China’s supposed underground film Mecca. For those unfamiliar, BC MOMA—not to be confused with the Museum of ... Read More>>
As Jack Frost nips at your nose, here’s a guide to help you select the best way to get around Beijing this winter. Read More>>
In 2008, in light of the Olympics, tourists, netizens, the media and expats alike all feared for the safety of foreigners in Beijing. Numerous publications warned individuals of growing antiforeigner sentiment and rising violence. Today, in 2012, some very ... Read More>>
The Bird’s Nest in the Olympic Village is host to a veritable wonderland of winter fun. Here are some of the activities on offer this December. Read More>>
Dating in Beijing is hard, that’s a given. Factor in a smaller than usual support network and it is easy to see why many aspects of our lives get neglected in the megacity that is Beijing. Read More>>
If you are opting to stay at home for National Week, Tianjin may be the perfect day-trip to get out of the city and clear your head. Here are our suggestions for a perfect city break in Tianjin. Read More>>
Beijing is awash with delicious food options, but sometimes only a sandwich will hit the spot. Everyone has his or her favorite sandwich combination. White or brown bread? Mustard or mayo? To make sure you never have to endure a trip to Subway, we've ... Read More>>
In the past year, the iPhone craze has really hit Beijing. Whether you are riding the bus or subway, it’s hard not to notice young and trendy Beijingers using gaming apps on their iPhone as they wait for their final destination. Sitting in a coffee shop ... Read More>>
As any veteran Beijing expat knows, this city offers a multitude of choices when it comes to letting your hair down with a drink in hand. You’ve got Sanlitun, Nanlouguxiang, Houhai and the Wudaokou student bars just to name just a few. But for those who ... Read More>>
Hankering for home comforts is part and parcel of being an expat. Many are disheartened by the paltry and overpriced offerings at the imports section of their local supermarket and gob-smacked when they see some of the prices on the labels in the ... Read More>>
One the best ways to spend a hot summer day in Beijing is to hit up one of the city’s many water parks. From man-made beaches right in the middle of the city, to a huge choice of slides and wave pools, Beijing has tons of options! Read More>>
With spring well and truly on its way, many people will be thinking about coming out of hibernation, casting their DVD box-sets and take away pizza boxes aside and taking a weekend break. Echinacities brings you some of the best getaway locations around ... Read More>>
The first foreign language library for children opened on the eve of Children’s Day in Haidian District, Beijing. The new library, which is located in Haidian Children’s Palace (海淀少年宫), occupies a floor space of over 80 square metres and contains over... Read More>>
Pyongyang Restaurant, located on the first floor of a hotel in Maizidian Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing, has an unremarkable appearance and decoration, but among certain circles it’s quite famous. An insider told our reporter that the restaurant has an ... Read More>>
Jean Ellie Guillaume, 24, says that when he came to China from Haiti in 2009, he had it in his heart and prayers to find a place to worship, but when he arrived he was hesitant to ask people questions. He says he held back because he had learnt that China's ... Read More>>