Emergencies & Health

Calling for help

In a genuine emergency in China, your first move should be to call 120 (ambulance) or 110 (police). Operators in major cities increasingly have English-speaking staff, but having key Mandarin phrases ready — especially your location — can make a critical difference in response time. If you're with Chinese-speaking people, ask them to call for you (请帮我打电话 — please help me make a call).

Your location is the most important piece of information in any emergency call. Know the name of your hotel, the nearest landmark, or the street address before you go out each day. Screenshots of your accommodation address in Chinese characters are invaluable for this situation.

At the hospital or clinic

China has a two-tier healthcare system: large public hospitals (公立医院 gōnglì yīyuàn) and smaller clinics. Major cities have international clinics and hospital wings with English-speaking doctors — in Beijing, SOS International and Beijing United Family Hospital are well known to expats. These are significantly more expensive but far more navigable for non-Mandarin speakers. For non-urgent issues, international clinics are the recommended choice for foreign travellers.

At a public hospital, the process involves registering at reception (挂号 guà hào), waiting for your number to be called, seeing the doctor, getting a prescription or referral, and paying at the cashier (收费处 shōufèi chù). Payment is typically required upfront — keep your receipts for insurance claims.

At the pharmacy

Pharmacies (药店 yào diàn or 药房 yào fáng) are extremely common in China — recognisable by green cross signs. Many over-the-counter medications are available cheaply without prescription. Pharmacists in larger cities often have some English, but showing the medication name or box, or using a translation app, is reliable. Traditional Chinese Medicine (中药 zhōngyào) shops are also ubiquitous — these sell herbal remedies and are a separate category from Western medicine pharmacies.

Theft, loss, and police

Petty theft occurs in crowded tourist areas, train stations, and markets — the same caution you'd apply anywhere applies in China. If something is stolen, you'll need a police report (报案 bào àn) for insurance purposes. In major cities, tourist police stations (旅游警察 lǚyóu jǐngchá) are available and usually have English-speaking staff. Your embassy can also provide assistance for serious situations — keep your embassy's emergency number saved.

Essential health vocabulary