Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For those on their way here to job hunt, it's advisable to come for at least a month. It's
easy enough to pick up an off-the-books English teaching job within a few hours, but not
necessarily a job that will provide you with a legitimate visa and contract. Getting replies or
feedback from companies and HR departments can be a protracted experience, so it won't
help to be in a rush. It will also give them, not you, the upper hand if they know you are on
a tight time schedule and in a rush to sign a contract before you fly out.
If you're just flying in for an interview, the new visa exemption law may allow you to do
it with a little less fuss. Trying to understand the city in such a minute amount of time,
however, is next to impossible, so this really will be just a taste.
For this visit, it may be best to concentrate your time in the northeast corner, between the
Second and Third Ring Roads, perhaps somewhere around Dongzhimen or Liangmaqiao.
Both spots will give you easy access to commercial and social hubs, as well as a smooth
route to the airport.
Consider adding a stroll around the following areas to your itinerary: Gulou, Sanlitun,
Guomao, Central Park, or Lido. If your kids' education is at the top of your mind, you may
want to add Shunyi to the list, although bear in mind it can take 40 minutes to an hour to
get there.
When speaking to the company that you'll be visiting, ask them ahead of time to give
you a few names of apartment compounds in the neighborhood. In Beijing, there is no real
segregation between commercial and residential areas, so there will usually be somewhere
to live within easy distance of the office.
Scour the rental ads on
www.thebeijinger.com
or walk into one of the real estate agen-
cies near a complex you're interested in. If you're sure you want to live in an international-
level house or apartment, there are many agents specialized in helping expats do just that.
They may even be able to expedite your house-hunting time while you're here by driving
you around to each complex at a pre-arranged time.
If at the end of your whirlwind visit you're still feeling completely ignorant about the
city, don't worry too much. Simply consider living out of a serviced apartment complex for
the first month when you do return in order to give yourself more time to work out what
you want before signing a lease.
