Beijing information
 Sitemap
China Travel Information
Hong Kong Travel Information
 
 
 

Chinese language

English can be a problem in Beijing. English will be spoken in all the main hotels, large restaurants and larger shops. Taxi drivers are not good at English and normal practice is to ask the hotel staff to write down your destination in Chinese. Do make sure you carry with you the hotel card in Chinese to return. Many restaurants have picture menus and includes the fast food ones where the picture menu will be given to you.

Mandarin (or known as Putonghua) is the national language of China, Cantonese is spoken in Guangdong, and Hakka is used in northeastern Guangdong. Chinese uses tones and incorrect tones change meanings of words.