Beijingkids has been an essential family resource for Beijing international families since 2006. And just as kids grow up in the blink of an eye, Beijing has grown and changed almost beyond recognition in that time. In Throwback Thursday we jump in the time machine, traveling through our 14 year-strong blog archives to dig out the most entertaining, fascinating, and thought-provoking stories for your reading pleasure. Ready? Let’s go…

If you had to guess, when would you say that the ban on smoking indoors was introduced in Beijing? 2000? 2008? Maybe even a bit later?

Actually, it was Jun 1, 2015, just five short years ago. As beijingkids reported at the time, the long-awaited ban made life just a little bit more difficult for Beijing’s then 4.2 million smokers. According to research conducted by the Beijing Municipal Health Commission in Dec 2019, that figure now stands at about 3.63 million, a significant reduction especially considering that Beijing’s overall population has grown from about 18.4 million to an estimated 20.4 million in the same time.

Predictably, the city’s bars, restaurants, and clubs were the most affected by the ban: back then, Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning conducted a survey (which might be filed under ‘We Could Have Told You That for Free’) that revealed that “90% of all respondents say they’ve encountered smoking in bars, while 66% say they’ve been exposed to it in restaurants.” Yet the feeling among the F&B industry leaders we interviewed back then was overwhelmingly positive, with Kenn Bermel, proprietor of The Local saying “I’m actually happy with the ban because it will make it easier for me to make the change to non-smoking.”

In a move that surely made a lot of Beijing families and parents happy, many outdoor areas were also made non-smoking in the 2015 ban, such as playgrounds, sports fields, areas with cultural relics (like the Forbidden City), designated waiting areas like lines for buses, temporary large-scale outdoor activity areas, and – praised be – outside maternity clinics and childrens’ hospitals.

The Chinese notice integrates the universally recognized and free No Smoking icon designed by AIGA, the American Institute of Graphic Arts

The 2015 ban wasn’t the first time that the city had tried to curb indoor smoking, but it finally stuck thanks to the introduction of serious fines for venues and individuals, and a clever marketing move: “the city’s official anti-smoking campaign has leveraged newfound sensitivity to air quality by pointing out that indoor smoking is far worse in terms of PM 2.5 than even the most hideous bad air day in the city.”

These days, the 禁止吸烟 jìnzhǐ xīyān ‘smoking is forbidden’ sign is an as ubiquitous part of life in China as the over-enthusiastic 到车型注意 dào chēxíng zhùyì screamed out by every tricycle and delivery vehicle executing a reverse move the country over.

You can read the original article in its entirety here.

Were you a smoker when the ban came in? Did it impact your smoking habits? 

How to Post and Promote Your Event on beijingkids – For Free!

Images: François Dallay (via Unsplash), billow 926 (via Unsplash)

About seven years ago a neighbor introduced her to me; in hindsight, maybe they did it out of spite. My first ayi in Beijing was in her 40’s, I think. We actually never had a conversation about her age. She was the worst ayi I’ve ever had. I only used her a few times before having to have that awkward conversation of letting her go.

Now I’m pretty low-maintenance, especially when it comes to settling on how many hours ayi worked and her availability, but she was a whole different story. Maybe she sensed that I was new to Beijing and was still a bit timid about giving instructions. She pounced on my language insecurity like a hungry lioness.

Her rate was reasonable but she’d take her sweet time with every task, all while taking constant breaks to chit chat on the phone. Annoying, but OK. I get it. It’s not the first time I’ve seen an hourly worker procrastinate, milking every minute of their work. But to make things worse I got the sense that she was gossiping to her friend about me in her local dialect that I couldn’t understand while she’s still in my apartment. You know that feeling, where even though you can’t understand what they’re saying you know they’re talking about you because they look at you and the make these snarky facial expressions.

OK Mina, be the bigger person and just let it go…

My final straw came after a particularly tiring day at work, and ayi was cleaning/gossiping and left without saying good-bye. After she left I found out that she had completely forgotten to do the bathroom (but somehow still spent the same amount of time cleaning as every other time she’s been at my place). That’s when I decided that enough was enough. I needed a new ayi. My plan was simple, just never call her to make an appointment again.

She had other plans.

A week goes by and I get a call from her, in her heavy accent that I can’t really understand she asks me if she can come over to clean. I tell her no and make up some excuse about not being home. A few days later she calls again; this time accusing me of wasting her time because I haven’t made an appointment with her in weeks. Um, excuse me? We didn’t have a set schedule and I’m not obligated to use her!

When I met my husband who’s a local Beijinger and told him about her, he laughed. “You were being overcharged and taken advantage of.”

How much should you be paying your ayi? Where can you go to find a good ayi?

Take the annual ayi survey, and when we publish the results, you’ll never have to go through the hellish experience with a nightmare ayi that I did.

Introduction to the Survey
Now in its seventh year, the Beijing Ayi Survey was started by an expat called Tobal Loyola; he now works at True Run Media, beijingkids’ parent company. After asking around about ayi salaries and getting a variety of responses, he realized the need for a community resource to provide a basis for comparison.

We’re once again conducting the ayi survey to collect some much-needed information on an essential part of your life in Beijing. To take the survey, click here or scan the QR code below.

Photos: unsplash

We all need a bit of a laugh to get the weekend started. Check out some of the adventures of Steve and Harmony from past issues of beijingkids. 

Cartoons: Jin Chan Yum Wai

Beijing is a unique place to spend your formative years, and it can take time to adjust to life here. From the range of different foods to the unusual local customs, there’s a lot to discover in this city, and at times the discoveries come as something of a shock. Students from The British School of Beijing, Shunyi (BSB Shunyi) decided to compile some of their favorite funny and sometimes bizarre moments, when they realized they “weren’t in Kansas anymore.”

Fabulous Foods

By Kelly V (Year 9)

When I first came to Beijing, I found that Beijing cuisine was really extensive, but some of the smells were a bit strange. I’ve had chicken nails, pig blood, frog legs, and stinky tofu. Not only did they smell strange, but they tasted strange as well. I’m sure if you get used to them, they may not smell so bad, but there is one thing I will never get used to – it’s called doujiang, and is also known as soya bean extract. This is a really famous traditional breakfast drink in Beijing. I tried it last summer and it tasted sour and smelled awful. It was like drinking through a sock that hadn’t been washed for a long time, and almost made me feel sick. The funny thing was that when I looked around the restaurant, everyone looked as if they were about to be sick. That makes me wonder why the local people in Beijing like to drink doujiang.

The Photobomber

By Denisa B (Year 9)

About one and a half years ago, when I first came to Beijing, my family and I were looking around and taking pictures. One day, we were taking a family picture in front of a Buddha, and my Mom asked some family friends who were with us to take the picture. There was a man walking around us saying something in Chinese, and then he just came and took a picture with us. That happens to me all the time, so I am used to it now. When it happened for the first time, I was confused.

Driving Me Crazy

Brian L (Year 9)

When I first came to Beijing, the most shocking thing for me was the Chinese drivers: they did not use their indicators when they drove and changed lanes. This was a culture shock for me. In Korea, this kind of behaviour is unthinkable. It seemed really dangerous too! After two years now, I’m completely used to this kind of driving. I don’t even care when the taxi drivers don’t signal to turn, even though I know it’s dangerous; I actually find it funny and interesting.

Personal Space

Konnor W (Year 12)

After I had lived in Beijing for about two years, I thought I had experienced all that the city and its people had to offer. When my grandparents visited for the first time, my family and I did the standard tour of famous tourist locations: the Great Wall and the Forbidden City.  It was my third time visiting the Forbidden City, so I considered myself used to the densely packed crowds at the entrance, which form a large pushy mob. I was also used to my appearance as a foreigner attracting attention from local tourists. The only difference from my previous visits to this particular location was my own appearance. At the time of this visit I had chosen to grow an afro; a decision which I was already regretting in the Beijing summer heat. Shortly after passing though the entrance, an older woman, who was walking around with others in a Chinese tour group, reached out and touched the back of my head. When I turned around in surprise she paced quickly back towards her group. At first, I considered this to be a singular incident. However by the end of our visit, it had happened three more times.

Interesting Characters

Yannick (Year 7)

I first came to Beijing when I was just 7 months old. Let’s face it, I don’t remember anything. Now, I’m back again! I returned to Beijing in August 2018, just eight months ago. When I came, I thought it was all very weird. I wasn’t really used to ‘city life’, Beijing is a very busy city. I wasn’t used to different languages either, I’m just used to English. Thankfully, my Dad and my Nanny know some Chinese. My sister, my brother, my Mum and I couldn’t speak a single word. All we knew was “Ni Hao,” but that was nothing to be proud of. Now I think my life in Beijing is amazing, even though I still don’t know the language well…Beijing is a busy, amazing city.

This article appeared in the beijingkids July-August 2019 Teen Takeover issue

Photos: Adobe Stock

As Joni Mitchell said, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone,” and perhaps we can’t really appreciate what Beijing means to us until we’re leaving. To get some insight, we talked to Cecilia Cao, a Year 13 student at the Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing). Cao is leaving this summer to study Art at Rhode Island School of Design, and we asked her what her first memories were of coming to Beijing when she was ten years old.

“To be honest,” she said, “I was actually feeling really melancholy. I was reluctant to come here with all the smog. I’d left all my friends in Vancouver, where it’s really sunny. I was crying very often. I missed my friends back home, and we had a house there which was furnished so nicely… here we had a rented apartment, with gaudy furniture. My earliest memory of Beijing is utmost dread.”

Cao’s IB exhibition

Fortunately, this didn’t last.

“I naturally got accustomed to it,” Cao said, “and came to appreciate the culture. When I first came back I identified as a Canadian citizen. But as I rediscovered my heritage I came to think of myself as Chinese. Now I like it a lot more than Canada. There’s a lot more people here! And it’s good for me to take inspiration artistically, how the country has changed in the last 50 years.”

We asked Cao what she loved most about Beijing.

“I do love 798 Art District,” she told us. “I held a photo shoot there with my friends. It has a lot of history and industrial heritage, but also wonderful art. China’s artists are just as talented and diverse as artists in the west but we don’t hear a lot about them. It’s a wonderful place to explore art.”

Cao’s captivating art on display

Cao aims to be a comic book artist and named as a favorite Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi’s celebrated memoir of growing up in Iran. Where in the city influenced her own art, we wondered?

“The biggest influence, of course, is 798 because I appreciate its industrial, grungy style. But I’m also a huge fan of the Forbidden City. It appeases my love of history; in China’s history it’s gone through so much, been partially destroyed, then reconstructed, now there’s clothes, artwork, all the prestigious history of China…”

Cao has just finished her IB Art exhibition, and we asked her to tell us more about her work.

An attendee at the exhibition admires Cao’s work

“For the last two years, I’ve been developing my theme, of gender expectations and roles, both ancient and contemporary. Men’s clothes reflect their roles in various settings, political, familial, and social. Then there’s the inner world of women, which is often smothered, disregarded. So in the exhibition, on the front, you see boards with pieces of clothing associated with masculinity. Then you have to walk round to see a smaller board with pieces associated with femininity.”

“It’s interesting to reflect on how dynamics are changing, or not changing, in Chinese culture. Last year five feminists were detained, for ‘creating trouble’. But all they were doing was handing out flyers on trains to prevent sexual harassment on public transport.”

Her sculpture work shows her versatility

We asked her what she’s going to miss about Beijing.

“I’m honestly going to miss my friends. Once you stay in a place you become accustomed to it, Beijing is home, my family is here. There’s a sense of potential wherever you go.”

What about the food, we asked?

“I wasn’t born in Beijing,” she said, “so I won’t miss Beijing cuisine. I find the desserts here really gross. I was born in Sichuan, so I love hotpot and barbecues. I will miss roast duck though.”

Attendees took the time to appreciate Cao’s work during the exhibition

And what, we wondered, will she miss least?

“The pollution,” she said immediately. “But really I’m just very eager to start university, connecting with new people, meeting new friends, discovering a new culture. I’ve visited Rhode Island and the professors were so genuine, so wonderful, I can’t wait.”

Finally, we asked how she would describe Beijing to her new friends, in one sentence.

“The first thing I would say is making sure you have money,” she said. “It’s such a consumer culture here, and the rents are so high… but ‘changing’ is the one word I would use. Beijing is so many things.”

This post is paid for by YCIS Beijing 

Photos: YCIS Beijing 

Living in Beijing does present itself with some very unique challenges. The language can make living in Beijing daunting yet exhilarating at the same time. Kids can learn five basic life skills that will have them explore more of the city they call home. This can be a good learning experience for adults as well as these skills have unique aspects. Once I started to acquire these skills, life in Beijing became more manageable.  Here are the five skills:

Use Public Transportation
Beijing’s public transportation is a doozy if you can’t read Chinese, but a gold mine if you do. Buses, subways, taxis, and even bikes make navigating the city easier than most capital cities. The taxi hailing (apart from Uber) and bike sharing apps have Chinese interfaces, so it would be a handy skill for kids (old enough) to try at least three different public transportation systems to understand how it works. In our Home and Relocation Guide, we have compiled different taxi hailing apps that can be found here.

Local Market Grocery Shopping
The access Jenny Lou’s, Jenny Wang’s, BHG Marketplace, and April Gourmet are a good start for kids to learn how a supermarket works. But for a real adventure,  have your kids head to the local market and buy groceries using the Chinese system of calculating weight. This is also a good way to teach kids to appreciate food and money. The Hutong, for example, has culinary tours available for children to learn the best methods of grocery shopping at local markets.

Speak to Strangers in Mandarin
Kids in China are adored, and strangers walk up to kids and start talking to them unlike other places in the west. To truly experience culture while building communication skills, take your kids to the local neighborhood, or hutong, and have them sit with the locals and chat about Beijing in Chinese. This will be an unforgettable experience for them as the locals will share their personalized version of the city’s history that will open their minds to a new perspective. Learning how to communicate with total strangers is also a confidence booster for kids.

Order at Restaurants
Being able to order at is a very good and useful skill to master. It’s especially handy if you have visitors who you would like to take for a local treat. If your kids know how to order in Chinese and speak to the waiters about special requirements, then your meal will be more enjoyable, creating a better Beijing experience for your guests. Learning how to do this will gradually let you focus on what you want to eat and have the kids decide to order on their own.

Learn to Cook
Cooking is a basic life skill regardless of where you live. There’s a limit to how much take out people can have in one week. After buying groceries, let a Chinese friend or ayi teach the kids how to make the family’s favorite Chinese dishes. The ability to cook will come in handy on those surprise birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. The possibility of learning different regional cuisines is on the edge of the knife.

Photo: wrirosscities.org