Living in Beijing Guide - Dulwich College Beijing
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LIVING IN BEIJING
Transcript of Living in Beijing Guide - Dulwich College Beijing
LIVING IN BEIJING
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CONTENTS
This book is not intended to be a comprehensive guide, but should be enough to get started.
NOTE: contents are correct at time of writing (autumn 2013)
USEFUL CONTACTS College Information 3-4
Other Useful Contacts 5
LIVING IN BEIJING Resources 6
Transport 7
Communication 8-9
Travel and Activities 10-12
Especially for the Kids Shopping, Eating Out and Entertainment
12-15 15-17
LANGUAGE A Brief Guide to Speaking Chinese 18
Basic Phrases, Shopping 19
Numbers, Date, Time 20-22
Getting Around Giving Your Address
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USEFUL LOCATIONS Tourist Sights & Popular Areas
23-24
Around School Campus 25
Local Area: Shops/Restaurants 25-27
MAP OF LOCAL AREA
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USEFUL CONTACTS COLLEGE INFORMATION
Dulwich College Beijing 北京德威英国国际学校
Pinyin: Beijing Dewei Yinguo Guoji Xuexiao
CAMPUS ADDRESSES
Legend Garden Campus Reception (+86 10) 6454 9000
Legend Garden Villas (Gate 7), 89 Capital Airport Road Shunyi District, Beijing 101300
顺义区, 首都机场路 89 号 , 丽京花
园
Riviera Campus Reception (+86 10) 8450 7676
1 Xiang Jiang Bei Lu, Jing Shun Lu Chaoyang District, Beijing 100103
朝阳区, 京顺路香江北路 1 号,香江
花园
Who should you contact at the school? Please view our website for guidance of who to contact regarding your child’s education and well being or any concerns you may have. All emails for Dulwich College Beijing staff members are generic: [email protected]
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OTHER USEFUL CONTACTS
MEDICAL EMERGENCY
SOS Alarm Centre Kunsha Building, No.16 Xinyuanli
+86-10-6462 9100 (24 hour) 北京市朝阳区新源里 16 号琨莎中心
Beijing United Family Hospital 2 Jiangtai Lu, Lido
+86-10-5927 7120 (24 hour) 北京市朝阳区将台路 2 号
LOCAL EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Police Vehicle Accident
Fire Ambulance
110 122 119 120 or 999
EMBASSIES & OTHER GREAT NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES Upon your arrival to China, it is recommended that you contact your embassy and register as a resident of China. There are so many ways you can start getting busy with your new life in Beijing. The following organisations offer a great opportunity to obtain information about Beijing and meet new friends. These organisations are open to all foreign passport holders. Your embassy may be able to help you find similar organisations for your own country, however, the following organisations have an international membership.
• Friends of Dulwich – this is Dulwich College’s parent run organisation.
• INN – International Newcomers Network – www.innbeijing.org Monthly meetings and informal coffee mornings
• British Club – www.britishclubbj.org Meetings every alternate Tuesday, interesting guest speakers
• ANZA – www.anzabeijing.com The Australian/NZ Association – very active, good charity events
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LIVING IN BEIJING
RESOURCES
The following information gives you a brief introduction to life in Beijing. There are a huge number of resources available for expats to help navigate Beijing life. There’s also a Handy Guide Google map here: http://tiny.cc/o492e
FREE LISTINGS MAGAZINES • The Beijinger: monthly print publication also online at:
www.thebeijinger.com/. Also publishes a children’s magazine, Beijing Kids www.beijing-kids.com
• City Weekend: fortnightly, also online at www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijing/.
• Time Out Beijing: monthly, also online at www.timeoutcn.com/Magazine/Digitaledtion/Default.html.
BOOKS Aside from the usual Lonely Planet/Rough Guide books, have a look at the phrasebooks, food guides and taxi books. For sale in branches of Jenny Wang’s and April Gourmet, or try The Bookworm in Sanlitun.
WEBSITES • www.mobilenative.com a handy searchable site providing shop and
restaurant listings across Beijing. Provides a map and English/Chinese address, and reviews. SMS service available on 13466660777.
• www.xianzai.com provides email updates on offers and events.
IPHONE APPS (buy from the iTunes Music Store) • Beijing Taxi Guide (£5.99) – extensive listings, with addresses in
Chinese • Beijing Genius Map (59p) – offline map • Explore Beijing Subway map (£1.19) • Pleco Chinese Dictionary (free, but pay-for add-ons) • DianHua dictionary (free)
TRANSPORT
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Taxis are cheap and abundant in Beijing, starting at 10 RMB (11 RMB at night), then 2 RMB per km (3 RMB per km over 15km). There is a 2 RMB surcharge (add it on at the end when you pay) for journeys over 3km to allow for rising fuel prices. Most drivers do not speak English and driving can be erratic. Be aware that many taxis still do not have seatbelts, especially in the back, and you usually get in on the right side only. Taxis are harder to find in rush hours and in bad weather. See the language section for some useful phrases. • Download Beijing Taxi Guide app or carry a map and your destination
written in Chinese characters: taxi books and business cards (called ‘míngpiàn’) are helpful.
• Some drivers are nervous of foreigners and might refuse a fare. Learning some Chinese, and sounding confident, usually helps.
• Drivers usually know road names and big tourist sites - learn the former and find out if any of the latter are near your destination.
• Using an expressway incurs a toll for outbound traffic from the city centre - normally the driver will pay but you should add it on to the final bill (5 or 10 RMB for journeys within Beijing).
• To order a taxi, call 96103, then dial 8 for English. The service costs 3 RMB extra (paid to the driver), and at busy times you should order in advance.
• Driving restrictions are in place. Cars are not allowed on the road inside the 5th Ring Road one day per week, as per your plate number.
OTHER OPTIONS SUBWAY: The subway system is being constantly extended across the city and is cheap (2 RMB). See www.explorebj.com/subway BUSES: Buses are extensive and cheap (1-2 RMB) but can get busy. Bus stop information is usually only displayed in Chinese, but this site may help: www.bjbus.com/home/map_section.php?uPageType=5. DRIVING: To drive a car you will need to get a Chinese driving licence. The test includes an eyesight test and a written exam which you must get 90% correct. Try Expat Cars (www.expatcar.com), Beijing Car Solutions (www.bjcarsolution.com) or Star Auto Club www.stautoclub.com.cn for help with cars, licences and insurance. You can hire private drivers, perhaps ask around for recommendations. WALKING/CYCLING: Beijing is not a very pedestrian-friendly city, but there are some areas that are easy and pleasant to walk around. Be
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aware that vehicles rarely stop at zebra crossings, and can turn right at junctions even on a pedestrian green light. Bicycles are readily available and there are many cycle lanes (though these are often used by drivers).
COMMUNICATION
TELEPHONE IP Cards offer cheap international calls and can be purchased from newsstands, mobile phone shops and some markets. You should be able to get them for less than the face value. Note: recommend 08448619090 for cheap UK-to-China calls, or try Planet Numbers online. Mobile phone handsets and SIM cards are readily available. There are two providers, China Mobile and China Unicom (the latter has better coverage at Legend Campuses). Pay-as-you-go SIM cards are the easiest option, with top-up cards available in many shops (including the Friends Shop in Legend Garden and branches of Jenny Wang’s). If you want a contract telephone you will have to pay in person, each month, at the provider’s shop where you bought the SIM. For more information go to www.mobilenative.com/chinamobile.php
INTERNET Home internet access is easily arranged through your landlord or management company. Wireless access is readily available in Beijing in many restaurants and cafes, and is usually free of charge. www.mobilenative.com has a ‘search for venues with wifi’ function. Skype is free software which allows you to have free computer-to- computer calls. For a charge you can make calls to landlines or mobiles. The Skype App for IPhones is also available. See www.skype.com/intl/en for more information.
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POST Incoming mail can be unreliable. Documents and letters are usually fine packages can be problematic and may be opened by Customs. Sending a letter internationally costs around 5-7 RMB per letter. The following Post Offices have English-speaking staff: • Jianguomenwai Dajie Yabao Lu, Dongcheng District. (tel 6512 8114)
(北京国际邮电局,东城区 建国门外大街 雅宝路). Main international office.
• Inside the shopping complex at Lido Metropark hotel (丽都假日饭店
Lido fàndiàn, pron. lee-do fan-dee-en). • Gongti Beilu, Sanlitun, opposite the Worker’s Stadium North Gate.
You can also use DHL, Fedex and UPS to send items - see their websites for details. Sending documents to the UK is around 200RMB.
TRAVEL & ACTIVITIES TRAVEL
Aside from making bookings directly with airlines/ hotels, you may find the following resources useful. The Excursion Guide (details Page 6) has ideas for short trips around Beijing, whilst the free magazines also provide listings on travel and tours. There are many travel services in Beijing which can book transport etc. for you. This is particularly useful for booking train tickets which can be time-consuming to buy yourself.
• Ctrip: Payment in cash or credit card (faxed copies of the credit card wil be required). Tickets can be delivered. www.ctrip.com
• Elong: Payment details as above. Offices in Lido. www.elong.net • BJS Travel has offices in Pinnacle Plaza and inside Jenny Wang’s
at Chaoyang Park West Gate. Email [email protected] • Travel Agent, James Zhang can book travel, deliver tickets and
collect payment. Email: [email protected]
WITHIN BEIJING
Main tourist sites: Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square (including Chairman Mao’s Mausoleum, National Museum and the Great Hall of The People), Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs.
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Great Wall: Accessible from Beijing are the following sites: Badaling: Approximately one hours drives from Beijing, but being the closet site to Beijing also means it is the busiest and most popular with tourists. Mutianyu: Approximately 1.5 hrs, still popular but not as busy. Take the option of a cable car up, walk along the Wall for approximately 40 minutes and toboggan down. Would recommend this site for children and others who are less able. The Schoolhouse restaurant is nearby for good rewarding lunches (Call ahead at the weekends)! Jinshanling and Simitai: further away, not all renovated, good 3-4 hour hike. At time of printing was being maintained, so check in advance that this site has re-opened. Lesser known sites: Ming Dynasty Walls, Old Summer Palace, Longqing Gorge (near Badaling Great Wall), Fragrant Hills, Botanic Gardens, Yonghegong (Lama Temple), Bell and Drum Towers (Gulou/ Zhonglou), Legation Quarter, Wangfujing Snack Street (try some scorpion or seahorses on sticks!), Panjiayuan Market (antiques market, also known as the ‘dirt’ market) and Confucius Temple. Parks: Jingshan Park (great view over Forbidden City), Beihai Park (boating), Ritan Park, Chaoyang Park (sports and activities), Ditan Park Architecture: Olympic Park, CCTV Building (East 3rd Ring Road), National Centre for the Performing Arts (‘the Egg’) Culture: 798 art district and Caochangdi art district (both Lido), China Art Museum, City Planning Museum, Acrobatics shows (try Chaoyang Theatre) ‘Old Beijing’: hutongs (traditional alleys/streets) around Houhai/Gulou and the Forbidden City, Liulichang Culture Street (SW of Tiananmen)
ACTIVITIES
Beijing has a huge number of sports clubs, cultural and national groups, alumni organisations and other interest groups. Check the free magazines for full listings, or try the following companies. • China Culture Center www.chinaculturecenter.org Offers tours,
classes and courses. • The Hutong www.the-hutong.com or phone 8915 3613. Offers classes
and courses in a traditional setting. • Beijing Hikers www.beijinghikers.com or phone 5137 4906. Organises
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hikes of varying difficulty around Beijing. • Yin Yang Center www.yinyangbeijing.com Courses and classes.
OUR STAFF RECOMMEND…
Manicures, pedicures and massages are cheap and abundant. Treat yourself!
Sunday brunches are a Beijing fixture. From all-you-can-eat-and-drink champagne extravaganzas (The Westin is a staff favourite or Sureno at The Opposite House), to tasty fry-ups (try The Vineyard). Check magazine listings for the dedicated brunch section.
Outdoor eating and drinking can be great on summer evenings. Sanlitun has a number of restaurants/bars with outside space (Migas, Blue Frog, Flamme, Element Fresh, Fez, Kokomo, The Saddle, Bar Blu) plus try The Pavilion (West Worker’s Stadium), Xiu Bar (CBD Park Hyatt hotel), Parkside Bar (Lido), Q Bar (Sanlitun Nanlu).
Wandering in the parks at the weekend is a popular Beijing pastime. Beijingers love parks and you’ll see ballroom dancers, singers, accordion players, calligraphers, games of table tennis, mahjong and more. The exercise parks, similar to outdoor gyms are fun and busy. Temple of Heaven park very early on a Sunday morning is unbeatable. 798 – Art Zone – wander around the many galleries show-casing Chinese Contemporary Art and enjoy a coffee or lunch break at one of the many cafes.
ESPECIALLY FOR THE KIDS A very useful website when you arrive in Beijing and have children to think about is www.beijing-kids.com Beijing Kids is a monthly publication (you can often pick up a copy in bookstores, housing compound clubhouses, and many expat haunts) with parallel website aimed at expat families in Beijing. Their website directory (and back pages of print publication) is full of places to go, places to eat, shopping guides etc. Here are a few things to get you started. SHOPPING LeYou Level B1 Europlaza, 99 Yuxiang Lu, Tianzhu Zhen, Shunyi District 顺义区天竺镇裕翔路 99 号欧陆广场 5 层
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This store also has several downtown locations addresses can be found in BJ Kids Magazine, Directory. Diapers (Pampers/Huggies), Wipes, General baby equipment (from weaning spoons, to soothers, to strollers), Toys, Clothes. Several well known Western Brands are available. You can order online and on the telephone but you will need a Chinese speaker to help you with that! www.leyou.com Mothercare Solana Mall (See below) British chain of baby and young children’s supplies. Strollers, car seats, cots, linen, feeding equipment, high chairs, shoes, clothes. Expect to pay sometimes as much as 50-80% more than you would in the UK. Solana 蓝色港湾 6 Chaoyang Gongyuan Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区朝阳公园路 6 号蓝色港湾国际商区 Indoor and outdoor shopping mall. Pleasant place to wander around. Basement level is devoted to children – toys, Lego, clothing etc. There is a small soft play area in the Scholastic bookshop. There is also a cinema which shows Hollywood films. www.solana.com.cn/english/web/bom_3.asp CHILD FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS Beijing has a large restaurant scene and many of these cater for young children. Most will have baby chairs/high chairs. Some restaurants have a play area to entertain the kids while you wait for your meal, some go as far as having a separate room where the kids can play, watch TV and eat their meal. The following are a few examples of family friendly restaurants which have a fair size kids’ menu and cater well to little people! Most of the large hotel brunches have a playroom, usually supervised, for children. Annie's - Italian Several branches across town and towards Shunyi. www.annies.com.cn/en’ Element Fresh – ‘Healthy’ American One branch in Lido another in The Village Sanlitun www.elementfresh.com Blue Frog – American 1 branch in The Village Sanlitun. At time of going to print another branch is rumoured to be opening up in Pinnacle Plaza, Shunyi. (NB Their website currently says there is a branch in Europlaza Shunyi – that has closed down) www.bluefrog.com.cn
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Union Bar and Grill - American The Village Sanlitun www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijing/listings/dining/american/has/union-bar-grill/ The Orchard – European Shunyi Sunday brunches are very popular www.beijing-kids.com/directory/The-Orchard THINGS TO DO: Happyland Arts and Crafts Xibaixinzhuang (near Capital Paradise), Houshayu, Shunyi District 顺义区后沙峪白辛庄村东（名都园的附近） Hands on craft studio. 50rmb per hour and children can take home what ever they make. Supervised by patient staff with some functional English. Pottery, painting, beading, paper cutting, clay figurines, window art, sand pictures. www.beijing-kids.com/directory/Happy-Land-Arts-and-Crafts-Center Myoyo Level 5 Europlaza Shunyi Europlaza, 99 Yuxiang Lu, Tianzhu Zhen, Shunyi District 顺义区天竺镇裕翔路 99 号欧陆广场 5 层 Soft Play Centre. Equipment most suitable for age 5’s and under. Pay per visit or buy a discount card for several visits. A-Z Kids Room 102, Bldg 3, Pinnacle Avenue, Linyin Lu, Shunyi District 顺义区 A-Z 英伦创意园，顺义区林荫路荣和广场 3 号楼 102 Large Soft Play Centre with Amusements. www.a-zkids.cn Fundazzle Gongti Nanlu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区工体南路 Large Play centre Beijing Zoo 137 Baishiqiao Lu, Xizhimenwai Dajie, Haidian District 海淀区西外大街白石桥路 137 号
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Lovely area to walk around, some animal enclosures are not what you would hope to see, but the Monkey Enclosure and Panda House are very nice. Would recommend taking a picnic and sitting by the lake! www.beijingzoo.com Beijing Aquarium 18B Gaoliangqiao Xiejie, Haidian District 海淀区高粱桥斜街乙 18 号 Located next to the zoo. Fantastic modern Aquarium with twice daily dolphin and sealion shows. Would recommend taking a picnic – the food options are not very inspiring. www.bj-sea.com Blue Zoo Workers’ Stadium South Gate, Chaoyang District 朝阳区工人体育场南门 Small Aquarium with walk through tank. Great entertainment for an hour or two. Not particularly stroller friendly but small enough for a toddler to toddle around! www.blue-zoo.com Magic Bean House 7 Chaoyang Park Xilu, Chaoyang District, Chaoyang District 朝阳区朝阳区朝阳公园西路 7 号 Fun space with mini supermarket, building area, water play, car servicing, amongst other things. www.beijing-kids.com/directory/The-Magic-Bean-House China Science and Technology Museum 1 Beisanhuan Zhonglu (Beisanhuan at Anhua Qiao – look for the geodesic dome), Xicheng District 西城区北三环中路 1 号 Hands on Science Museum www.cstm.org.cn/eapdomain/home/english/index.htm
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Top Tips If venturing to any of the popular tourist sites including the Zoo, Aquarium and Science Museum get there early. Tourist buses and school parties tend to arrive late morning and therefore places can start to get crowded.
• It’s often best to pack a picnic! Lunch options are sometimes limited – especially for the tastes of young children.
• If travelling in a taxi, often there will not be seat belts in the back seats – be aware.
SHOPPING, EATING OUT & ENTERTAINMENT
SHOPPING
Western brands are becoming easier to find, but you will not find the range you might get in Hong Kong or Shanghai. Markets sell almost anything you can think of at varying levels of quality and authenticity. Look up the following on www.mobilenative.com for addresses/maps or use the Handy Guide Google map (http://tiny.cc/o492e): • Household/Electronic Items - Ikea, Da Zhong, Lufthansa Center,
Carrefour, Wal-Mart, Muji. Apple store and Johnson Computers sell (genuine) computer equipment. Golden Five Star market on Xueyuan Nanlu has been recommended for household goods.
• Bicycles - There are a number of Giant bicycle shops across Beijing and Decathlon, a huge sports shop, also delivers (4th Ring Road).
• Groceries - Jenny Wang’s and April Gourmet provide imported expat favourites- mostly US brands. The Market Place situated in Europlaza near Pinnacle Plaza, and also has stores city wide, is a nice, clean supermarket, also stocks a lot of expat favourites although a little more expensive. Jingkelong – a Chinese supermarket has many branches across the city. Local food markets like San Yuan Li (on Xinyuanli) which sell good quality fruit, vegetables and meat. City Shop off Liangmaqiao Lu sells some imported British food items. Look out for the small fruit and vegetable shops nearby the housing compounds, for example opposite the back gate of Capital Paradise. Schindlers Meats is a German run butchery.
• Clothes/Shoes - Beijing has numerous clothes markets (Yashow,
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Sunny Gold, Silk Market, Zoo Market to name but a few) selling cheap clothes and tailored items, or try Oriental Plaza, China World, or Shin Kong Place malls for the other end of the spectrum- designer gear. Malls including The Village in Sanlitun, Solana at Chaoyang Park, Joy City in Xidan, The Place near Ritan Park and Wangfujing Street have more mid-price outlets including Zara, Mango, Uniqlo, H&M and sports brands like Adidas and Nike. Shopping in Ritan Office Building can be fun, take the time to rummage through the racks to find discounted designer brands, including Calvin Klein, MaxMara, Monsoon and more.
• DVDs/CDs - It is difficult to find genuine copies of CDs or DVDs in Beijing. Be aware that DVD shops, whilst popular and plentiful, will stock fake copies. Carrefour stocks a few genuine DVDs; otherwise try online sites like www.cd-wow.com (free shipping) or Amazon. You may incur customs charges importing these items, though in practice this rarely seems to happen. US/UK iTunes Music Store is available if you have US/UK-registered accounts/ payment cards.
• Books - Second hand shops include Coffee & Books at Legend Garden campus, or buy new at The Bookworm (Sanlitun), Foreign Languages Bookstore (Wangfujing), Charterhouse (The Place/River Garden) or buy online from Amazon. For children’s books try Little Books in the Holiday Inn Lido.
EATING OUT AND ENTERTAINMENT
For ideas of good restaurants and bars, check out listings in the free magazines. Their annual awards are a good indication of popular places: The Beijinger Restaurant Awards/ Bar and Club Awards 2011 www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2011/03/21/The-Winners-the-Beijingers-8th-Annual-Reader-Restaurant-Awards www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2011/05/19/The-Beijinger-2011-Reader-Bar-Club-Awards-The-Results
City Weekend Restaurant and Nightlife Awards 2011 www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijing/articles/blogs-beijing/the-dish-bj/readers-choice-awards-2011-the-final-results/
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AREAS TO TRY
Sanlitun Located around Gongti Bei Lu (Worker’s Stadium North Road), Sanlitun has an abundance of good bars and restaurants. Gulou/Houhai More traditional hutong area with shops and restaurants. Nanluoguxiang is a redeveloped hutong with many bars, restaurants and shops. Lido 15 minutes from Legend Garden campus- good mixed Western/Chinese area, lots of restaurants and bars. Centred around Holiday Inn hotel (pinyin: Lido fandian) and along Jiangtai Lu. CBD (around Guanghua Lu) Swanky hotel bars and restaurants plus upmarket shopping malls. Haidian student scene in north-west Beijing around the universities- good live music. Centered around Wudaokou area. Lucky Street/Solana Mall Increasing number of bars/restaurants.
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LANGUAGE
The Chinese spoken in Beijing (and in most of China) is Mandarin (not Cantonese, which is only spoken in Hong Kong). This is sometimes referred to as ‘Hanyu’ (‘spoken language’) or ‘Putonghua’ (‘ordinary language’). Mandarin is a tonal language, written in characters. The Romanised phonetic version, which is commonly used to teach the language to foreigners, is called ‘pinyin’; for example, China is 中国 in characters, or ‘Zhōng guó’ in pinyin. Characters have both a simplified and traditional form (中国 is simplified; 中國 is traditional).
Although tones are important in Mandarin (and can make the difference between saying, for example, ‘mother’ (mā) and ‘horse’ (mă)) don’t worry too much about them to begin with. The context in which you use the word will help someone understand what you are trying to say. For information, the tones are as follows:
Number Mark Sounds like…
1 __ (ā) Steady high tone (almost sung)
2 / (á) Rising tone (from mid to high, as though asking a question, like ‘what?’)
3 \/ (ă) Falling then rising (mid to low to high)
4 \ (à) Sharp falling tone (as though giving a command, like ‘stop!’)
Consonant and vowel sounds can also be quite different. The ones that tend to confuse most often are the letter ‘Q’ (pronounced ‘ch’) and the letter ‘X’ (pronounced like a breathy ‘sh’). Some more resources: • Immersion Guide/ Lonely Planet/ Rough Guide phrasebooks. • Free Chinese Lessons : www.freechineselessons.com • Chinese Pod : www.chinesepod.com • Chinese Learn Online : www.chineselearnonline.com • Online Dictionaries : www.xuezhongwen.net/chindict/chindict.php or
www.nciku.com • Other tools, e.g. flashcards : www.mandarintools.com
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For local classes, check the free magazines for listings. BASIC PHRASES
English Pinyin Pronunciation Characters
Hello Nĭ hăo (lit. you good)
nee how 你好
How are you?
Nĭ hăo ma? (lit. you good?)
nee how ma? 你好吗？
Goodbye Zài jiàn dzai jee-en 再见
Thank you Xiè xie s-yeah s-yeah 谢谢
Please could I ask…
qĭng wèn… ching gwen… 请问
OK. Hăo de how duh 好的
OK? Hăo ma? how ma 好吗？
I don’t understand.
Tīng bù dŏng. (can hear, but don’t understand)
teeng boo dong. 听不懂
SHOPPING
English Pinyin Pronunciation Characters
How much [money]?
Duō shao qián? dwor shao chee-en?
多少钱？
I don’t want it.
Bù yào (lit. don’t want)
boo yao 不要
That’s too expensive!
Tài guì le! tie gway luh! 太贵了
Can you make it a little cheaper?
kěyĭ piányi yidian ma?
kuh-yee pee-en-yee ee-dee-en ma?
可以便宜吗？
I want this one
Yào zhè ge yao jay-gur 要这个
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The unit of currency in China is the RMB (rén mín bì). It is more commonly known as the yuán (元, pron. yoo-en) or colloquially, the kuài (块, pron. k-why). In markets you will need to bargain- start with around 10% of what you are offered and be prepared to walk away. If you express any interest in any item, it is assumed that you want to buy it. NUMBERS
English Pinyin Pronunciation Characters
0 líng ling 〇 or 零
1 yī ee 一
2 èr ar 二
3 sān san 三
4 sì sur 四
5 wŭ woo 五
6 liù lee-oh 六
7 qī chee 七
8 bā baa 八
9 jiŭ jee-oh 九
10 shí shur (short) 十
11 shí yī shur ee 十一
12 shí èr shur ar 十二
20 èr shí ar shur 二十
21 èr shí yī ar shur ee 二十一
100 yī băi ee bye 一百
150 yī băi wŭ (shí) ee bye woo (shur) 一百五十
1000 yī qiān ee chee-en 一千
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DATE
the largest number comes first, so format is year-month-day
Year Use the corresponding number and ‘nián’, which means ‘year’. Each digit is spoken separately, e.g. 1987 is 1-9-8-7, not 19-87.
Month Use the corresponding month’s number and ‘yuè’, which means ‘month’.
Day/ date Use the number and ‘hào’ (meaning ‘number’).
8 May 2010 ‘èr líng yī líng nián, wŭ yuè, bā hào’ (2-0-1-0 year 5 month 8 day)
DAY
English Pinyin Pronunciation Characters Today Jīntiān jin-tee-en 今天
Tomorrow Míngtiān ming-tee-en 明天
Yesterday Zuótiān zwor-tee-en 昨天 Monday - Saturday
Use ‘xīng qī’ and the corresponding number yi/ er/ san/ si/ wu/ liu e.g. Wednesday is ‘xīng qī san’.
Sunday Xīng qī tiān shing-chee tee-en 星期天
WEEK, MONTH, YEAR
English Pinyin Pronunciation Characters This week Zhè ge xīng qī jay-gur shing-chee 这个星期
Next week Xià ge xīng qī shee-ah gur shing-chee
下个星期
Last week Shàng ge xīng qī
shang gur shing-chee
上个星期
This/ next/ last month
Zhè ge/ Xià ge/ Shàng ge yuè
jay-gur/ shee-ah gur/ shang gur yew-eh
下/上/这/个月
This year Jīn nián jin nee-en 今年
Next year Míng nián ming nee-en 明年
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Last year Qù nián choo nee-en 去年
TIME
the largest unit comes first, so format is period-hour-minute
English Pinyin Pronunciation Characters (early) morning Zăoshang zow-shang 早上
afternoon Xià wŭ shee-ah woo 下午
evening Wănshang wan shang 晚上
7 o’clock Qī diăn chee dee-en 七点
6.30pm
Wănshang liù diăn bàn (lit. ‘evening six o’clock half’)
wan-shang lee-oh dee-en ban
晚上六点半
5.15am
Zăoshang wŭ diăn shíwŭ fēnzhōng (lit. ‘morning 5 o’clock 15 minutes’)
zow-shang woo dee-en shur-woo fun-jong
早上五点十五分钟
GETTING AROUND
English Pinyin Pronunciation Characters
Taxi Chū zū chē choo zoo chuh 出租车
I want to go… Wŏ yào qù… woah yow choo… 我要去…
Turn left zuŏ guăi zoh g-why 左拐
Turn right yòu guăi yoh g-why 右拐
Straight ahead Yī zhí zŏu/ Qián miàn
ee jur zoh/ chee-en mee-en
一直走
前面
Turn around/ u-turn
diào tóu dee-ow tow 掉头
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Stop the car tíng chē ting chuh 停车
We’ve arrived Dào le dao le 到了
Please use the meter
Qīng yòng biăo ching yoong bee-ow
请用表
I know where to go
Wŏ zhīdao qù năr
wo jur-dow choo nar
我知道去那儿
At the traffic lights…
zài hónglùdēng…
zai hong-loo-dung 红绿灯
GIVING YOUR ADDRESS
Most apartments are in compounds with building numbers, apartment numbers and sometimes unit numbers. Give the compound name first, then:
English Pinyin Pronunciation Characters
Building number [no.]
[no.] hào lóu [no.] how low 号楼
Unit [no.] [no.] dān yuán
[no.] dan yoo-en
单元
Apartment [no.] [no.] shì [no.] shur 室
So building 10, unit 2, apartment 601 = 10-2-601
Housing compounds and apartment complexes are too numerous to mention but most addresses, including Chinese characters can be found in the taxi guides.
USEFUL LOCATIONS
TOURIST SIGHTS
English Pinyin Pronunciation Characters
Forbidden City Gùgōng Goo-gong 故宮
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Tiananmen Square Tiān'ānmén Tee-an-an-men 天安门
Temple of Heaven Tiāntán Tee-en-tan 天坛
Bird’s Nest (Olympic Park)
Niăocháo Nee-ow chow 鸟巢
Summer Palace Yíhéyuán Yee-hur yoo-en 颐和园
Great Wall (you need to give a specific location)
Chángchéng
Chang-chung 长城
798 Art District Qī jiŭ bā Chee jee-oh baa 七九八
POPULAR AREAS
To get to… Ask for… Pronounciation
Sanlitun
Sanlitun san dian san (Sanlitun 3.3)
San-lee-toon (or san-lee-turr) san dee-en san
3.3 is a building on Sanlitun Lu that is known to taxi drivers. It is just beside the Village, and is a good place to be dropped off to explore the area.
Houhai Houhai Ho-hi
Gulou (drum tower) Goo-loh
If you ask for Houhai, most taxis will drop you off at the south side of what is actually Qianhai Lake on Di’anmen West Street (Di’anmen Xi Da Jie). Gulou is the Drum Tower, and is surrounded by interesting hutongs.
Lido Lido fàndiàn (Lido hotel) Lee-doo fan dee-en
The Holiday Inn hotel in Lido was the first open to foreigners, so most taxi drivers know it. The hotel complex houses a few shops and restaurants, and is a good starting place for exploring the area.
CBD area Guanghua Lu (Guanghua Road)
Gwang-hwa loo
Guanghua Lu cuts through the middle of the CBD area and the older Embassy district and Ritan Park. There are a few high-end shopping malls here.
Haidian Wudaokou ditie zhang Woo-dao-koh dee-tee-eh jang
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Wudaokou subway station (ditie zhang) is close to the student bar area.
AROUND SCHOOL CAMPUSES
English Pinyin Pronunciation Characters
Airport… Ji chang… Jee chang… 机场…
Terminal 1/2/3
…yi/ er/ san hao
ee/ ar/ san how 一/二/三号
Airport Expressway…
jī chăng gāo sù Jee-chang gow-soo
机场高速
Yang Lin exit 7 for Legend Garden
yáng lín dà dào Yang lin da dow 杨林大道
Beigao exit 4 for Riviera
Beigao chukou Bay-gow choo-koh 北皋出口
LOCAL AREA SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS
PINNACLE PLAZA
Rong Xiang Guang Chang
Rong see-yang gwang chang 荣祥广场
Mexican Kitchen Tex Mex 8046 4558/9 Delivers
Little Italy Italian 8046 4679/80 Delivers
Haru Japanese 8046-5112 Delivers
Domino’s Pizza 8046 3226 Delivers
Also: Jiu Ding Feng hotpot, Subway, Starbucks, Baskin Robbins Shops: Johnson Computer, Trek Bicycles, KK Pet Shop, Jenny Wang’s supermarket, Lohao organic supermarket, Kodak, Bookstore, Kids+ (toys/games etc), Winns picture framers, Zen Yue (beauty), Beijing United Family Clinic/Dentist.
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EUROPLAZA across junction with Jingshun Lu, first left
Ou Lu Guang Chang Oh loo gwang chang 欧陆广场
Papa John’s Pizza 4008887272 Delivers
Comptoirs de France
Bakery 8046 6309 Delivers
Taj Pavilion Indian 8046 3238 Delivers
Michael’s Ristorante Italian 8042 4457 Delivers
Also: McDonalds, Cold Stone Creamery, South Beauty (Sichuan food), Costa Coffee, German Bakery
Shops: Market Place supermarket, Villa Lifestyles (outdoor equip) plus an indoor play area on the 5th floor for children.
PINNACLE AVENUE
Rong He Guang Chang Rong huh gwang chang 荣和广场
Has a Burger King, Starbucks, Jenny Wang’s supermarket, BJU medical and dental branch.
XI BAIXINZHUANG towards Yosemite Villas
Xi Baixinzhuang See buy-shin-jwang 西白辛庄
Mrs Shanen’s Pizza/bagels 8046 4301 Delivers
Smallville American 8046 5446 Delivers
The Yard Malaysian 8046 5449 Delivers
Also: Paddy’s Bar and Grill (formerly The Pomegranate) (south area of village near Capital Paradise) Shops: Radiance (gifts, furniture), Roundabout Charity Store
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YUYANG LU back road towards Yosemite Villas
Piazza Café Chinese/western 8046 7788 Delivers
Victor’s Indian 8046 2287 Delivers
Also: King’s Bar Shops: Lion Mart (supermarket), Le Spa (beauty), Costa Coffee, Charterhouse Booktrader
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www.dulwich-beijing.cn
