Guide to Beijing Table of Contents Message from the Head Master ………………………………………………………………….3 Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………......4 Living in Hegezhuang………………………………………………………………………………..5 General Information Regarding Your Apartment………………………………………………….7 Travel & Transportation…………………………………………………………………………….10 Domestic Help...………………………………………………………………………………….....12 Expat Magazines……………..……………………………………………………………….........13 Networking…………………………………………………………………………………………...14 Sports Activities……………………………………………………………………………………..15 Weather………………………………………………………………………………………….…..16 Popular Shopping Destination…………………………………………………………………….17 The Markets…………………………………………………………………………………………20 Restaurants & Bars – Staff Picks…………………………………………………………………22 Public Parks…………………………………………………………………………………………27 Banking & Utilities………. …………………………..……………………………………………30 Hospital and Dental Service……………………………………………………………………… 32 Places of Worship…………………………………………………………………………………. 33 Family Visits to China……………………………………………………………………………. 34 Maps…………………………………………………………………………………………………35 Your Feedback ……………………………………………………………………………………..36 Life in Beijing 2 | P a g e MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD MASTER Welcome to Harrow International School Beijing. A Harrow Beijing Education embraces the challenge of pursuing academic excellence, participation and fulfillment through a broad range of extra-curricula activities, and developing strong values to help guide our students in an increasingly complex world. At the heart of our unique educational philosophy is the importance of sympathetic and committed relationships, led by the expertise of our teaching staff. We aim to ensure every student is known, nurtured, and encouraged to turn their abilities into achievements. Harrow International School Beijing, founded in 2005, enjoys a strong link with Harrow London and with the other Harrow International schools in Bangkok and Hong Kong. Unifying our link is the educational expertise forged at Harrow London over hundreds of years, and in our core mission of Leadership for a better world. Staff, parents and students believe a Harrow Beijing Education inspires both excellence and character. Our Latin motto - Stet fortuna domus – translates as “May the fortune of the house stand”. The use of the word “house”, I believe, reflects the value of the individual as a member of a community. Now in our tenth year in Beijing we are settling into building a strong and vibrant community that both gives to, and learns from our local and International environment. Much of this handbook is generic to life in Beijing and Hegezhuang Village where our campus is situated. I hope you find it to be useful to help orientate you to our school. Beijing is a vibrant and exciting place to be living and working at this time, and I hope that you will be inspired by what the Harrow Beijing and wider community can offer you David Shinkfield HEAD MASTER Life in Beijing 3 | P a g e INTRODUCTION We hope you find our Guide to Beijing a useful resource as you settle into life in China. Our intent is to provide you with some basic information about life in China and hopefully you will find parts of this Guide helpful in your transition to living in Beijing. Our aim is to evolve the Guide on-line in the near future. Our goal is to create a private Harrow on-line presence that would enable us to develop a guide that directly relates to the specific interests of Harrow International School Beijing staff and teachers. We would also suggest that one of the best ways to introduce yourself to China is to take an active role in immersing yourself in the Chinese culture and language. Another key to successful living in Beijing is to be prepared for the unexpected and recognize things aren't always the same as they are 'back home'. Another great advantage of living in Beijing is the sheer size of the city. One can discover new neighbourhoods and make new friends on a regular basis. We look forward to your feedback on our Living in Beijing Guide. Suggestions for new sections or topics of interest that you would like us to profile is welcomed. Our hope is that once we have the Guide on-line, we can update / revise / discuss many additional areas of interest than this initial work. In essence, we will be looking to develop real time user-generated content that will be of value to our Harrow International School Beijing community. Enjoy your time in China and we look forward to hearing from you about all the new discoveries and challenges that living in Beijing brings to you. We wish you every success for your coming year living in Beijing. Life in Beijing 4 | P a g e LIVING IN HEGEZHUANG HeGeZhuang is the name of the village where the School and residence is located. It is an easy commute to many key points of the city. The community is in the Chaoyang Business District. The village truly represents life in China. It is a quiet and safe community. The residences are warmly welcomed by local neighbours. The hutong allways are filled with children, dogs and families going about their everyday lives. Within the village, you will discover fruit and vegetable markets, Chinese restaurants and small convenience and grocery stores. In close proximity to the Residence is the well-known ‘Orchard’ restaurant, known for its excellent weekend brunches. A recently opened Japanese restaurant is receiving rave reviews and is a very short walk from the School campus. Many conveniences of life are only an arm’s length from your home. The Apartments The pictures below represent a selection of views of the apartments. The design of the apartment is clean lines with neutral colors. Life in Beijing 5 | P a g e Life in Beijing 6 | P a g e GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR APARTMENT Utilities As a new resident in our community, you will be pleased to know that we provide a full range of utilities to assist you in having a pleasant stay in Beijing. Such utilities include electricity, gas, water, heating and air-conditioning. Electricity is managed by our Facilities department, and charges are post-paid at our Finance department each month. The apartments are fitted with 220V sockets, which is the standard throughout China. However, the wall sockets are different from most countries, and it would be wise to bring along a universal adaptors. These adaptors are also readily available from nearby supermarkets. Gas is supplied and controlled by the city government, and falls under a pre-paid recharge card system. You will need gas for cooking stoves and water heaters in the apartment. Recharge is performed at a local bank, and the process is simple. Water is also supplied and controlled by the city government. There are no charges for water supply at this time, and is subject to policy changes that may levy a nominal service fee for water supply in future. As Harrow Beijing is committed to being a friend of the environment, you might be pleased to know that our heating and air-conditioning are provided by a geothermal system that is available throughout the year. This system harnesses natural energy resources deep underground to provide a cool/warm and comfortable indoor environment. Heating and air- conditioning services are provided free of charge. In summary, a typical household living in our apartments would spend an average of RMB300 (approximately £30) per month on all utilities. Life in Beijing 7 | P a g e Customer Services Upon arrival in Harrow Beijing, all you need to know is one focal point of contact; Customer Services, or CS in short. CS manages a wide range of services designed to assist you in many ways. Services include calling a taxi, receiving or mailing a document or package, repairs and maintenance, ordering take-out from nearby restaurants, or helping with directions in Mandarin. Security Security is paramount in Harrow Beijing, and we provide internal and external security patrols throughout our 67,000sqm grounds 24 hours a day, plus video surveillance (CCTV) and sentry points at our entrance and exit. We also have strict policies regarding visitor management and traffic management within our premises, ensuring that our community of staff and students enjoy a safe and secure environment. Residents’ Committee The Residents’ Committee operates throughout the academic year, and serves as a representation of our residents at the apartments, with the focus on continual improvement. Facilities Harrow Beijing is proud to announce that we have a comprehensive range of facilities to support your lifestyle needs; indoor swimming pools, tennis courts, astro-turf football pitches, rugby field, indoor basketball courts, table tennis tables, gymnasium, dance hall, rock- climbing structure, volleyball courts, and multiple childrens’ playgrounds. TRAVEL & TRANSPORTATION Buses The standard fare on the buses is 1 yuan; incredibly cheap. Buses in the city are very frequent although are less so in the School area. However, whether it is a local bus or a bus in the city centre, they are always packed and you have to be determined to reach the exit to get off in time as they do not hang around for long! Beijing Subway You will quickly note that Beijing has an abundance of cars and getting around Beijing can be quicker by using the underground public transportation system. The Beijing Subway system has been expanding rapidly over the last several years. During peak times the subway is very busy and you will be required to queue in line. The Subway can quickly take you to all points of Beijing without the hassle of traffic. Life in Beijing 8 | P a g e The Subway is the ideal way to travel around Beijing, and the cost varies from RMB3 to RMB9 depending on the distance. The station nearest the School campus is Maquanying on Line 15. Exit B is the most suitable exit for reaching the School. There are several apps available for the Beijing Subway. The following link will provide you with the schedules and maps for gaining access to the subway: http://www.urbanrail.net/as/beij/beijing.htm Beijing Transportation Smart Card The Beijing Transportation Smart Card, like the MetroCard in New York City and the Oyster Card in London, can be used on all of the subway trains, Airport Express Train and city buses.