Expat guide for purchasing Beijing property

Nathan Siy, a Chinese Canadian who has lived in Beijing for about eight years, is now considering purchasing a secondhand house in Beijing, both because he is about to get married with a Chinese woman and because he believes Beijing property can be an investment.

Forbidden City to sell tickets online

The online sales will be rolled out in a three-month trial period. The museum estimates it will sell 40,000 tickets online and another 40,000 at the entrance every day.

Libraries in town

Expats living in Beijing may often wonder where they can find a library that has a wide selection of English or other foreign-language books and magazines, or relevant policies for public library use. Beijing Today, at your service, has found these answers.

New route to Badaling now open

Drivers headed for the Badaling Great Wall from the Beijing-Tibet Expressway now have a new route they can take to bypass traffic.

Tips for hailing a taxi

The new regulations encourage drivers to work despite bad weather and during holidays, and to avoid changing shifts during rush hour. Companies that break such regulations will be severely punished.

Ask Beijing Today

The best places to buy gold, both bars and jewelry, are Caishikou Department Store and Guohua Department Store, as recommended by a long-time Beijinger. Both of these are state-run stores where most locals go to buy gold. If you want to invest in collectible coins, then Caishikou Department Store is the best place, but its gold bars are a bit expensive.

Nordic Art Festival kicks off Beijing Design Week

As one of the key components of 2011 Beijing Design Week, the 50-day NOTCH Art Festival, a comprehensive platform for Nordic and Chinese, began in Beijing on Monday.

Ask Beijing Today

It is illegal for agencies to do that, because it is tax fraud. You could get in serious trouble if you were caught. The real estate agencies may put the blame on you if the police come, saying that you asked them to do so, as you can save money on your income taxes by doing so.

Are you satisfied with the quality of running water?

A recent survey showed that more than 50 percent of people surveyed in Beijing are not satisfied with or worried about the quality of the city’s running water. They believe the water is polluted, tastes strange and smells of chemicals. In other words, the water certainly is not drinkable without filtration.

Ask Beijing Today

I would like to know the estimated cost of starting a general consultancy company for Hong Kong in Beijing. I have contacted a few agents but the costs vary so much.