Visitor Information

For general information, including advise on tours, insurance, and safety, call, or visit China National Tourist Office's Web site, as well as the Web site run by the Beijing Tourism Administration (BTA). The BTA maintains a 24-hour hotline for tourist inquiries and complaints, with operators fluent in English. BTA also runs Beijing Tourist Information Centers, whose staff can help you with free maps and directions in Beijing.

The two best-known Chinese travel agencies are China International Travel Service (CITS) and China Travel Service (CTS), both under the same government ministry. Although they have some tourist information, they are businesses, so don't expect endless resources if you're not booking through them.

China National Tourist Offices

United States (888/760–8218 New York; 800/670–2228 Los Angeles. .)

Beijing Tourist Information

Beijing Tourism Administration (visitbeijingeng@163.com. .)

China International Travel Service (010/6522–2991 CITS in Beijing. . 626/568–8993 U.S. .)

China Travel Service (010/6462–2288 CTS Beijing Head Office; 800/899–8618 CTS New York. .)

Online Travel Tools

For a general overview of travelling in China, try the China National Tourism Office's Web site. The state-run travel agency, China Travel Services, is another helpful starting place.

All About Beijing

Beijing Expat. Beijing Expat has pages and pages of advise and listings from foreigners living in Beijing. .

Beijing International. Beijing International, if slightly dry, is the comprehensive government guide to the city. .

Beijing Tourism Administration. Beijing Tourism Administration offers well-organized information on sights and activities in Beijing, as well as hotel and restaurant information. .

China Digital Times. China Digital Times is an excellent Berkeley-run site tracking China-related news and culture, though you won't be able to access it from inside China. .

Chinese Government Portal (.)

China National Tourism Office (.)

China Travel Services (.)

Caixin. English-language website for the popular business and economic paper. .

Business

China Daily. Newspaper website with large business section. .

Chinese Government Business Site. Chinese Government Business Site offers news, links, and information on business-related legal issues from the Chinese government. .

NuiBBall.com. has everything you ever wanted to know about Chinese basketball, plus schedules and ticket advise. .

Global Times. The best of the local newspapers. .

Wild East Football. looks at the weird world of Chinese football, with tips on how to get tickets and attend local games. .

Culture and Entertainment

Beijing Weekend. Beijing Weekend is a weekly supplement from China Daily newspaper, with shopping, dining, and entertainment reviews. .

Chinese Culture. Chinese Culture has a detailed, searchable database with information on Chinese art, literature, film, and history. .

The Beijinger. The Beijinger has a weekly e-mail newsletter about what's going on in the city. Their classifieds section is excellent, too. .

Smart Beijing. has extensive listings, reviews and offbeat articles on life in the city. .

Time Out Beijing. provides a great overview of all the major cultural (and non-cultural) events in the city. .