Ask Beijing Today

I’m trying to find some organic items that aren’t as expensive as the stuff at Farmer’s Market. Where can I find basic products like soap nuts?

You can try De Run Wu, a local organic farm and retailer. Email jiyunliang@gmail or call 8450 0809.

I’ve lived in Beijing for five years, and like most foreigners here, I don’t own a car or plan on owning one. I’ve never had problems with taxis before – until now. Sometimes I hail for an open cab and drivers will go right by. It’s happened to a lot of my foreigner friends as well. What’s going on?

First of all, it’s not a foreigner thing. There are lots of complaints on Weibo from locals about how hard it is to get a taxi these days. There are a couple of reasons: worsening traffic, and increasing costs for drivers. So far, effective regulations haven’t been enacted to relieve the situation. As a result, more people are taking buses and the subway.

Are there any driving schools in Beijing that teach in English?

You can try Oriental Fashion Automobile Drive School, which offers classes in English. Its website, however – dfss.com.cn – does not have an English page. Ask a friend to call 5806 1703 for more information. It has five branches, including one at Shuangjing and East Third Ring Road, and several shuttles to take people to their locations.

How can I get a credit card in China? I need one to shop online and travel.

It’s easy to apply for a credit card if you are working for a big company that helps with your work visa and can open a bank account for you.

(By Wei Ying)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

Are there any groups for pregnant women in Beijing, especially expats?

Beijing United Family Hospital hosts regular events. You will meet many foreign and local moms and moms-to-be.

Breastfeeding support group (English) at Beijing United Family Hospital

Where: 2 Jiangtai Lu, Chao-yang District

Open: January 27, 1:30-3 pm

Tel: 6309 9714

When and where can I buy fireworks for the holiday?

Authorities have said that there will be 1,500 temporary stands that sell fireworks. All fireworks have already gone on sale. The cost can be anywhere from 120 to 1,200 yuan per unit.

How much do housekeepers cost? I met a Sichuan woman who charges 20 yuan per hour. How is that rate?

With the dramatically increased costs of living here, 20 yuan per hour is a great price for a housekeeper. You can also get a live-in housekeeper or nanny, but you’ll have to negotiate the price.

I just moved into a shared apartment and I’ve seen three cockroaches already. What can I do to get rid of them?

Try the following:

1. Starve them (don’t leave food out where the roaches can get to them).

2. Clean dishes thoroughly.

3. Put roach motels in dark areas where they are most likely to hide.

4. Keep the bathroom as clean as possible. Avoid filth buildup of any kind; cockroaches love dark, damp and warm places.

5. Clean your house regularly. Sweep under and behind beds, wardrobes and heavy furniture.

Can anyone recommend some good Chinese music? Is there any Chinese indie rock?

Try Twist Machine, Yaksa, AK-47, XTX and Cold Animal for Metal, The Suffocate,Chun Qiu, Zhan Fu, Dian Fu, Ming Jie for heavy and trash metal, CMCB for rap, The Reflector, Hang on the Box and other many locals for punk. Zi Yue and The Sand are also popular.

You can find the bands easily through Google or Baidu.

(By Wei Ying)

Ask Beijing Today

Do you know of a company in Beijing that offers storage facilities? I want a place that’s reliable and not very expensive.

Check out cangku88.cn – it offers storage lockers all over Beijing, from downtown to suburban areas.

What formalities are required in order to marry a Chinese national? What permits are needed? Is an interview with a government agency necessary?

Foreigners who wish to marry a Chinese citizen need to obtain a form called the “Letter of Eligibility to Marry” from their home country. This document basically says there is no legal reason preventing the person from marrying. Some embassies can issue this. The information should be available on your embassy’s website. Then you and your potential spouse need to register at the public security bureau where he or she is registered.

Can international magazines be delivered to addresses in China?

You can’t subscribe to international publications through China Post, but you can try the China National Publications Import and Export Corporation.

Where: 16 Gongti Dong Lu, Chaoyang District

Tel: 6506 3082

My friends and I plan to visit Harbin this winter. I know it’ll be freezing, but we don’t want to spend a lot of money on expensive winter jackets. My Chinese friends said a People’s Liberation Army coat is cheap and will keep you warm. Is that true? Where can I find them?

Yes, PLA coats are quite heavy and warm. You can try the army surplus Junyongpin Zhuanmaidian at 17 Shibalidian, Chaoyang District (tel: 6748 8925). There is another shop on Xizhimen Bei Dajie, south of Xueyuan Nan Lu. You can also find a smaller one on the west side of Hepingli Xi Jie, south of Third Ring Road.

(By Wei Ying)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to weiying@ynet.com

Where can I go to patch up my sportswear?

You can try Sanfu Huwai, an outdoor sports apparel and gear chain (1 Nongzhan Nan Lu, Chao-yang District; tel: 6592 5827). They sell a fabric fixer. A 7 by 24 centimeter patch costs 35 yuan. You need to use a low-temperature iron and stick the fabric on the part you want to patch up. It can last up to a year. They also have more expensive materials suitable for fixing hiking jackets and tents.

I’m planning to take the GMAT this year and I think I need to take a prep course. Is there any place I can go in Beijing for that?

The Princeton Review has a good book called Cracking the GMAT. If you don’t want to order from Amazon, you can get it from TPR Beijing: tprbeijing.com/eng.

Or you can get creative and hire a Chinese student to tutor you in math.

I heard there are several local orgnic produce markets. Are these regular events and where are they?

The Farmer’s Market has regular events, but its location varies from time to time.  Keep an eye on its Sina Weibo:

beijingyoujinongfushiji. weibo.com

(By Wei Ying)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

What are Beijing’s regulations for outdoor skating? I want to take my daughters skating on the weekend.

For safety reasons, we recommend skating at public places like Houhai, which is open to the public when the ice is thick enough.

Our family plan to have a great New Year’s party, and we’d like to actually hire a Peking opera singer. How can we do this?

You can contact Beijing Fenglei Jingjutuan (fengleibjo.com) at 6301 7386. Their manager, Song Yan, has publicly said they have a tight schedule around this time of year, but you can try to see if they have any extra performers.

Do you know where I can find vinyl  records around Beijing? Some flea markets or shops?

Waiting for Godot near Beixinqiao subway station has a small but fairly interesting selection. They have some old Chinese records along with retro Western stuff. (4-24 Jiaodaokou Dong Lu, Dongcheng District)

(By Wei Ying)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to weiying@ynet.com

Anyone know where I can get an STD self-testing kit in Beijing, and what it is called in Chinese? Or, is there somewhere I can go for 100 percent anonymous testing?

STD home testing kits are seldom seen in drug stores and pharmacies in Beijing, but you can get tested at the Chaoyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention (25 Huaweili, Panjiayuan, Chaoyang District). If you are a foreigner who plans to get a work or study visa in China, you will have to get a full physical that includes STD testing, most notably for HIV.

How does one get birth control pills in Beijing? Are the implants available as well?

You can get birth control pills, called biyunyao, at any pharmacy. A month supply costs 30 to 130 yuan, depending on the brand. For implants, please consult a doctor from a hospital for more information.

(By Wei Ying)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

I’m thinking of having plastic surgery done in Beijing. Can you recommend a good hospital or clinic?

Some people recommend big state-owned hospitals like the Sino-Japanese Hospital. Many Chinese celebrities have reportedly had their faces done there.

How do I get to the Great Wall by bus?

You can get there via Bus 919 from the Deshengmen bus stop between 6:30 and 8:30 am. The ticket is 12 yuan. Or you can take a tourist bus from Qianmen between 6 and 10 am, or at Beijing Railway Station at the same time. You can also depart from Summer Palace between 6:30 and 10 am.

I have a car back in the US and I want to bring it here. How do I do that?

If you are a foreigner, you need to pay a car tax first. Take you passport, resident permit and work visa to a local custom (Add: 10 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District; Tel: 8573 6114)for the procedures. You need to register the car at a local vehicle authority as well. If you are of Chinese nationality, the tax policy is different. Please consult a customs officer for more information.

(By Wei Ying)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to weiying@ynet.com

Someone stuck a water bill to my door but I don’t know what to do with it. How do I pay my water bill here?

Easy: just take the bill to the nearest bank or post office and tell someone there you want to pay for your water. Or you can pay at select ATM machines: just type the number on your bill into the machine.

I’m thinking about starting a company but am having trouble finding the most updated information and requirements. Here’s my situation: I don’t have much money, so I might need to bootstrap the business. But I still want everything done in the right way. Any tips or suggestions?

We consulted a Canadian named Nathan Siy who has launched a wholly owned foreign enterprise (WOFE) before. Siy said he set up his  through a law firm here, Dezan Shira & Associates, but they were very expensive and not very helpful. They were informative, but there were a lot of steps and procedures and forms that they couldn’t assist with. He even had to go back to Canada to get some documentation from a bank.

Each time he opens a company, he uses an agent. The laws and regulations are complex and change all the time. Finding an agent is fairy easy, though prices vary: some ask for 1,000 yuan to start a local Chinese company, while others may request up to 20,000 yuan to start a WOFE.

Joint ventures, on the other hand, aren’t something anyone can “start” in China. To register a joint venture, you must already have a company in your home country. It must have been in operation for at least a year. Only then can someone seek a local Chinese partner.

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

Is it legal for agencies to make invoices or receipts (fapiao) for a higher amount than the real price?

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.

If the tax bureau audits a tenant, they have the authority to request a copy of the lease from him or her, and may even be able to cross check with the landlord’s tax paid, since it had to issue the receipt.

I am looking for a decent place to rent a car for weekend trips outside downtown Beijing or to nearby cities. I have a driver’s license and want to rent without a driver.

Zuche.com is a professional car rental website with fair prices for day, week or month rentals. Insurance is included in the month price. Register on the site and you will see the prices for different cars. It’s a Chinese website. If you cannot speak Chinese, try avischina.com.

What’s the maximum amount of foreign currency I can carry into China?

If you are bringing more than 20,000 yuan or $5,000, you must declare it according to Chinese law.

There’s no need to bring so much hard cash, as you can use wire transfer or your debit or credit card to get cash while in China, which is safer and more convenient.

(By Wei Xi)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

Can you recommend some decent places that serve traditional Chinese food and local people go?

Everyone knows Quanjude and Bianyifang are famous for Peking duck, but if you’re looking for something less touristy, try places like Baikuilao (158, Jiaodaokou Nan Dajie, Dongcheng District; Tel: 6406 0667) or Huntunhou, a wanton eatery with many outlets in the city.

Chinese food can be further classified into different regional cuisines. You will find all kinds of restaurants that focus on different cuisines – the only question is, how to choose? That’s up to you.

I moved to Beijing for work, and I know few people here. I sometimes want to go out to have a drink when I am tired of reading books or watching DVDs, but my Chinese colleagues told me only libertines go to bars alone. I just want to meet some nice people and talk in my native language. What’s the drinking culture like in Beijing, and what places are good and popular with foreigners?

The drinking culture in Beijing has developed rapidly over the last five years or so, and despite what your Chinese colleagues tell you, there are many great choices that are perfectly fine to visit alone. It’s probably best to avoid the main street in Sanlitun, which can get rowdy on weekends, but both Nali Patio and The Village have plenty of great bars and restaurants where lots of foreigners of all ages congregate. You can also try Nanluogu Xiang, a very popular alley for tourists and locals alike.

(By Wei Xi)