Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

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.

It depends on how quick you would like to have your company set up. The time influences the price. For example, if you have someone doing the complete job for you, you will get all documents within several working days, and the cost is around Hk $10,000 (8,200 yuan), including one-year operation. On the other hand, if you try the normal way, it can take you three to four months to finish, but the cost will be much lower.

Try companysec.com/incorporate /default.asp.

I know KFC and McDonald’s deliver, but what about Chinese restaurants? Is there a delivery fee or tip?

A number of Chinese restaurants have home delivery services, but many of them have a minimum order value and only deliver within a certain distance. Some will charge you a delivery fee while others won’t, but you don’t need to tip. Use dianping.com to find Chinese restaurants in your neighborhood, then call them and ask whether they can deliver food to your home and how much.

As an expat, do you think it would be hard to find a job as a personal trainer at a gym? I speak fluent English and am currently taking Mandarin classes. I am an internationally certified trainer.

I think it would be pretty easy for you to find such a job in Beijing as long as you have experience. There is great demand among foreigners who are looking for personal trainers in the big cities. Also, some hotels and private gyms would like to have experienced trainers on staff as well. So try your luck at places like Shangri-La at the Kerry Center.

(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)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

As a parent living in China, I’m constantly being overcharged because vendors know there are certain products I can’t do without. Are there any ways to get imported toddler supplies here?

Visit youa.baidu.com or taobao.com, popular online market places. Both of these websites are in Chinese, so you may need to find someone who can read Chinese to help with the purchase. It doesn’t matter if you know the brands’ Chinese names or not. Just remember, beware of fake products on these websites.

What kind of perfume is popular among Chinese women? I need to buy a birthday present for a female friend.

It depends on her age and personal preference. Normally, young Chinese women like perfume with a light smell, so we recommend products such as Love Love by Moschino, Flower by Kenzo and many of Morgan’s perfumes. You can go straight to the store and ask a salesperson for advice.

I recently got a job offer in China that pays 18,000 yuan per month plus medical benefits, including dental. However, there is no housing or travel allowance. Is it a good salary?

Actually, it’s a great salary, unless you’ll be cleaning bathrooms every day. Even then, I’m sure all of China’s actual bathroom cleaners would swap salaries with you in a heartbeat. But for 18,000 yuan a month, maybe you shouldn’t eat at Maison Boulud every day – stick with the Outback Steakhouse and you’ll be just fine.

(By Wei Xi)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

I am new to Beijing and was told not to drink the tap water, so can anyone suggest some good bottled waters?

There are a number of brand names at local supermarkets, such as Chinese brands Nongfu Spring, Robust and Master Kong. You can also find some global brands like Nestle, Evian and C’est Bon.

For your home, try buying a German-made Brita water filter from home appliance stores.

I have been in Beijing for a year and a half and am beginning to miss Canadian poutine. Does anyone know where can I find a good Canadian restaurant or just the dish?

A hutong bar run by a Canadian called the Box (5 Qianmachang Hutong, Jiu Gulou Dajie, Xicheng District) will have it. It sells Canadian beers and cocktails as well.

Where can I take a driving course in Beijing? I can speak a little Chinese, but I prefer an English driving course. I have never been behind the wheel of a car, so I hope the course can start in an open area first and not the roads.

The Oriental Fashion driving school offers English driving courses, but it is a little far away in Daxing District (look for shuttle buses to take you there). The cost is 8,000 yuan if you take the shuttle bus and 12,000 yuan if you want to be picked up by private cars. For more information, visit dfss.com.cn or call its hotline at 5806 1999.

(By Wei Xi)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to weiying@ynet.com

I’m wrapping up my two-month stay in China, but I want to see some kung fu and acrobatics shows before I return home. Can you tell me where and how I can get a ticket?

Visit en.piao.com.cn/beijing/allticket.asp and scroll down to “acrobatics and magic show” or “folk art.” Click on the price you want and then enter your personal information on the checkout page. Tickets will be delivered to your address and you can pay cash on delivery. There is also an English hotline (4006103721).

Is there a Par3 course somewhere near the central business district I can try as a beginner?

Try Chaoyang Kosaido Golf Club in Chaoyang Park, 9A Nongzhan Nan Lu, Chaoyang District. It’s not luxurious, but the courses are decent and affordable: 240 yuan on weekdays and 350 yuan on weekends. Three- and six-month discount packages are also available.

I’m planning a few places to go. If I want to book hotels online, where can I find the best deal?

The most popular websites are elong.com, ctrip.com and qunar.com, which all have both Chinese and English services. You can also try booking.com, but the accommodations it finds aren’t cheap.

I know there are many fresh-buy sites in China, but I also heard that many of these deal du jour are of low quality. Can you recommend some trustworthy sites?

The biggest ones include lashou.com and meituan.com. Dianpin.com, a leading dining review site is very strong in offering restaurant deals.

The last issue of Beijing Today reported on an ethical trade fair hosted by Brandnü charity shop. But when I got there, the shop owner said that there was no such fair.

We apologize for the mistake – the trade fair was only last year. However, it’s always good to support Brandnü – at any time!

(By Wei Xi)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

Are there any cooking classes in Beijing? It does not matter what cuisine – Chinese, French or Italian.

Black Sesame Kitchen on Heizhima Hutong off Nanluogu Xiang holds cooking classes on Thursdays and Saturdays for 300 yuan per person. Visit blacksesamekitchen.com for more information. You can also learn delicious and easy Chinese recipes at hutongcuisine.com. For world cuisines, try wix.com/tinasworkshop/tws. If you are also interested in activities and want to share cooking experiences with others, thehutong.com/blog may provide you with opportunities.

We are moving to Beijing next month. Is it going to be difficult to find a doctor to prescribe Ritalin for my child? Can you buy it in a pharmacy?

Ritalin isn’t available in pharmacies in China, it has to be prescribed by a doctor. But it is not difficult to get – just go to the hospital. Major clinics have English-speaking doctors and will be able to help you. Some also have pharmacies within the clinic. Here are some recommended hospitals: Beijing International SOS Clinic, Beijing United Family Hospital, Vista Medical Center, and Hong Kong International Medical Clinic, Beijing.

Are there any summer camps available for my little 5-year-old boy from mid-July to the end of August?

Try beijing-kids.com and search for “summer camp.” You will find many summer camp options, such as Sports Beijing Summer Camp, Golf and Chinese Language Summer Camp and Kid Summer Theatre Camp.

I recently heard someone say that there is a market where you can buy cheap secondhand furniture somewhere near Haidian. Can you give more details? Or are there any local secondhand furniture markets elsewhere?

You can buy and sell secondhand furniture at Chengwaicheng Secondhand Furniture Market, located near South Fourth Ring Road in Fengtai District. It is a large warehouse-type complex with multiple vendors largely selling sofas, cane furniture and cots. Most designs are Chinese, with some vendors selling modern pieces. You can bargain 10 to 15 percent off the quoted price. Another secondhand furniture market is called Bei Sha Tan, near North Fourth Ring Road. You can take subway line 10 and get off at Mudanyuan or Jiandemen station. It’s a 10-minute walk from there. Or take Bus 305, 315, 407 or 618 and get off at Nanshatang station.

(By Wei Xi)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to weiying@ynet.com

I want to learn Yunnan and Sichuan cooking. Where can I find cookbooks for that?

If you are looking for a cookbook in English, I would recommend Land of Plenty, written by Fuxia Dunlop, a foreign correspondent for the BBC who attended a culinary institute in Sichuan Province. You can order it through Amazon. If you are looking for ones in Chinese, go to the bookstores at Xidan or Wangfujing. You should find more than a good selection there.

My parents are visiting Beijing next week and because of work, I don’t have time to take them around town. I want to book them on a tour that will expose them to Chinese culture, but one that has good English-speaking guides.

Try the website the-hutong.com, run by two expats who have lived in China for years. They have a calendar of various cultural activities lined up, like dumpling-making, Chinese tea tasting and traditional Chinese medicine diet therapy. Each class is about two hours long.

I want to make some authentic southern American cornbread but need to find the ingredients. I had no success at Jenny Lou’s. Can you help me?

Jenny Lou’s and the other international grocers are not your best choice for these types of ingredients. Go to the bulk rice and grains section of any local grocery store or wet market. Cornmeal is cheap in China and available every day, just not in a pre-packaged form.

I have been in Beijing for two years and am increasingly interested in Chinese. Can you recommend some Chinese novels?

Check out My Country and My People (Wu Guo Wu Min) by Lin Yutang. The book digs deep into Chinese culture and society. It was originally written in English in the 1930s, then translated into Chinese. It may not be a very easy reading, but it’s worth a try. A lighter option is Pulitzer Prize-winning The Good Earth (Da Di) by Pearl S. Buck. The author had a great understanding of the Chinese mentality and the story is well written and easy to follow. Or pick up Fortress Besieged (Wei Cheng) by Qian Zhongshu, a relatively easy read in Chinese.

(By Liang Meilan)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

I’m marrying a Chinese guy next year in Beijing and I’m already preparing for the big day. We’ve decided on a Western ceremony and reception. Can you recommend some wedding planners?

Below are agencies with bilingual service. You should book the planner at least six months before the wedding.

Dahuajiao Wedding

Service Center

Where: 464 Dongsi Bei Dajie, Dongcheng District

Tel: 6404 3350

Jiufangzhou Wedding Culture Service Center

Where: 149 Dian’men Wai Dajie, Xicheng District

Tel: 8401 9067

Xishangxi Wedding

Service Agency

Where: 3/F, Heping Xincheng Building A, 30 Heping Li Jie, Chaoyang District

Tel: 8421 9320

Do you know of a climbing gym within Fifth Ring Road that is suitable for workouts?

Try Ole Climbing, which has a lot of indoor facilities: a huge bouldering area, a slackline section and a 12-meter indoor top rope and lead wall. During the winter it boasts heated floors. You will meet climbers of different levels, ages and nationalities, and the staff is well trained and very helpful. It also rents out and sells climbing equipment.

Where: 5 Shimencun Lu, Baiziwan Qiao Dong, Dong Sihuan, Chaoyang District

Open: 9 am – 9 pm

Tel: 5128 2825 / 6776 0608

Web: oleclimbing.com

(By Liang Meilan)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

I’m a baker in Germany and I’d like to go to China for two years or so, but I need to find a job that will also allow me time to travel. I was thinking about NGO work. Can you give me suggestions?

Working for an NGO can be a good choice. Give Shanghai Young Bakers a try. It is an NGO school that teaches young orphans how to bake, founded by French volunteers several years ago. All pastry teachers there are expats. They need part-time teachers as well. Visit shanghaiyoungbakers.com for more information.

I have two days left in my Beijing adventure before I head back. To cap off this amazing trip, do you have any ideas for souvenirs I can take home?

Areas like Wangfujing, Nanluogu Xiang and Wudaoying Hutong are places to find creative gifts with a Chinese flavor. We recommend engraved chopsticks, small Peking Opera figurines, embroidered silk and chunlian – a pair of paper scrolls containing a poetic couplet. Don’t forget to bargain.

I’ve heard that some e-book readers made in China are of high quality and really cheap, but there are hundreds of them! How do I choose? My budget is about 800 yuan.

Try TECLAST, which makes an e-book reader – model TL-K6-W4GB16 – with an advanced screen that’s sold for about 900 yuan. On the most popular digital product website, B2C platform 360buy.com, this model is priced around 1,000 yuan and is among the best sellers. You can visit the website to find more information about it.

I was living in Beijing a few years ago. Back then, a used bike was so cheap, only about 50 yuan. Now most used bikes are nearly 200 yuan. Where can I find inexpensive used bikes again?

Inexpensive used bikes used to be more available in town because a lot of them were stolen. After  local police cracked down on illegal used bike sales, a used bike’s price rose to between 100 and 250 yuan. Depending on its make, the price is actually reasonable.

(By Liang Meilan)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

I am going to be a mom in April! Do you know of any birthing classes run by foreigners who speak English?

Try La Leche League, llli.org/Beijing, which provides support for expectant mothers. La Leche League’s English sessions are on the fourth Friday of every month. The next meeting is January 28. You can meet other mothers-to-be and new mothers to share information. The kids forums on Cityweekend. com.cn and Beijing-kids.com are also useful.

I want to get a full list of common Western and Chinese cooking ingredients and vegetables, fruits and herbs, with photos and names in Chinese characters, pinyin and English.

Do you know any? Also, where can I get organic duck eggs?

Email De Run Wu’s owner at drwjyl@tom.com. He runs an organic farm in suburban Beijing has a mailing list for his produce sent out in English and Chinese, with photos. For organic duck eggs, email Gods Grace Farm at will2bdone@yahoo.com.
 
My friends’ children, who are 12, are visiting Beijing this weekend. They have never seen snow in their life, and Beijing is having its first snowless winter in a while. Where can I take them to see snow?

Take them skiing in places like Nanshan Skiing Resort (nanshanski.com), or ice skating in Houhai or Tuanjiehu (ice will have to suffice in place of snow). If you’re looking for other fun things to do, try the Beijing Museum of Natural History (Tianqiao Nan Dajie, Chongwen District; open: 5 am – 5 pm except Monday; tel: 6702 4431). It hosts interesting exhibitions about wild animals from time to time.

I have a design that I want to make into sterling silver. Do you know where I can find people who work with silver wire and make their own jewelry?

Try Linlin’s silver jewelry store at Nali Mall on Sanlitun Bar Street or Xinjiekou Xicheng District. The one at Xinjiekou does not have a clear address: go to the north end of Xinjiekou and you will find shops upstairs in a market-like place where people make silver or gold jewelry.

(By Wei Ying)