10 Things & People I Will Miss in Beijing That You Should Know

I write this onboard the plane leaving Beijing for my home country on my repatriation trip. After five years of living in the capital city of China – the longest I’ve lived outside of Singapore – I know that I am going to miss many people, places and things about Beijing. In a series of articles, I will detail my personal recommendations for places to visit, restaurants to eat at, and things to do! This first article details personal contacts for people and services I will miss in Beijing that I believe will enhance your life in the city.

1. A local contact

As an expatriate living in China, you’re going to face some hassle in acquiring certain goods and services that require a local identity card (ID). Aside from bothering local friends, my professional contact for this has been Lucy, a lovely single mother whose bilingualism and local ID has come in handy on many occasions. From hiring courier services to buying medication on Taobao, Lucy will handle any of these tasks for you at a nominal fee.

2. Travel agents

One key reason for living overseas is to explore, and in China you are spoiled for choice in this regard – floating mountains, ice cities, UNSECO heritage sites and more! However, language and again, lack of a local ID may hinder your ability and enjoyment of visiting some far-flung places in China. Here’s where a local travel agent comes in handy. My top picks are Lost Plate if you’re a foodie and little more luxury, or FCN LaoWai (WeChat account: Laowai在华）for more wallet-friendly options. The latter even does free trips for students/female expats from time to time.

3. House call beauty specialists

One of the most unique privileges Beijing has to offer is good and inexpensive house call beauty services. I first used an app to hire a masseuse to my place, and after enjoying her services, proceeded to personally hire her for future house calls. Do the same and find the right masseuse/beauty specialist for you, or just go with my recommendations here. Zhu does an incredible job with tackling chronic muscular pain and charges way less than spas like Bodhi and Dragonfly. She doesn’t speak English, but body language and translation apps will do the trick.

In the beauty department, Xiao Fei is well known among the expats for her spot-on manicures and immaculate eyelashes. Add her on WeChat (ZXF19930710) and schedule her visit to your home.

4. Roundabout

Beijing’s own resident Goodwill-like charity and thrift store – Roundabout – is one of the best I’ve ever encountered around the world. They pick up your donations from your home for a low fee (as long as you have an adequate amount), take everything without complaint, and offer volunteer opportunities from sorting out donations to organizing hikes and luncheons for fundraising! Their store is also a delicious treasure trove perfect for an afternoon of vintage hunting with friends, and all for a good cause!

Find it:
Cathy View Plaza, 2 Xiangjiang Bei Lu, Chaoyang District
Tel: 137 1805 3814

5. Auesome Place

I had the honor of working with the amazing staff and students at Auesome Place – an international-minded educational center for kids with special needs located in Kempinski hotel. The center caters to both locals and expats from grade school age all the way to young adulthood, and they love to partner with local schools and youth groups to expose their students to more real-world interactions with their peers.

Find it:
Auesome Place, Rm S111, Lufthansa Center Office Building Kempinski Hotel, 50 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District

6. Animal Rescue groups

Our family went from three to four members while we were in Beijing because we adopted a Lost Puppy! The Lost Puppies and Furry Tales are just two of the more popular animal rescue groups, but there are countless ones in Beijing and China. You can help foster abandoned dogs and cats, adopt them, or just donate generously to support the endless work of these brave and faithful people.

7. Beijing Hikers + Wild Wall

As a nature-lover, I needed my fix of the great outdoors while living in densely-populated Beijing. I am so grateful to have found Beijing Hikers, who lead regular kid-friendly hikes out in the suburban areas surrounding the city. One of our favorite hikes was the Happy Farm hike, which ends at a huge local farm with a rustic outdoor playground, pony rides and the best roasted sweet potato I’ve ever had!

For Great Wall lovers, you must take on at least one trip with Wild Wall, William Lindesay’s company dedicated to visiting, exploring and learning about this world wonder. He is the only person I know who has seen the Great Wall from end to end, and hearing his stories while drinking champagne watching the sun set on the wall is one of my most treasured memories from Beijing.

8. Taozi Tree Yoga

Over the last five years in Beijing, I went from being a lapsed yoga practitioner to graduating from Taozi Tree’s 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) just two weeks ago! This was largely because of the incredible community spirit of the Taozi Tree yoga people and the accessibility of their yoga events and classes. In fact, I am so inspired that I intend to start Yoga in the Park in my own home country! If you’re looking for an active, mindful community to help you stay committed to your physical, mental and spiritual health, or just want to do some yoga, check out Taozi Tree!

9. Beijing United Family Hospital

If your insurance will cover it, I would highly recommend going to BJU. The hospital itself is great with expat needs – from offering medical service in multiple languages to accepting direct billing with major insurance companies. One of my favorite people I met in Beijing, Dr Melissa Rodriguez, still works for BJU through her free weekly Health Sessions, where she discusses various aspects of a healthy life and interviews leading health experts as well. For individual doctor recommendations, Dr. Roo Changizi is our favorite family doctor by far, and Dr. Na is our go-to dermatologist.

10. Liuba Draws

We all want to take back a little slice of Beijing with us, whether to share with family and friends or just for ourselves. Liuba Draws offers great calendars, postcards, magnets, earrings and bags with a special Beijing flair perfect for that. She also released her first illustrated book, Liuba Draws Beijing, that makes for a great coffee table book and a fond reminder of your time in the city.