{"skill":{"slug":"beijing","displayName":"Beijing","summary":"Navigate Beijing as visitor, resident, tech worker, student, or entrepreneur with neighborhoods, transport, costs, visas, and local insights.","description":"---\nname: Beijing\nslug: beijing\nversion: 1.0.0\nhomepage: https://clawic.com/skills/beijing\ndescription: Navigate Beijing as visitor, resident, tech worker, student, or entrepreneur with neighborhoods, transport, costs, visas, and local insights.\nmetadata: {\"clawdbot\":{\"emoji\":\"🏯\",\"requires\":{\"bins\":[]},\"os\":[\"linux\",\"darwin\",\"win32\"]}}\n---\n\n## When to Use\n\nUser asks about Beijing for any purpose: visiting, moving, working, studying, or starting a business. Agent provides practical guidance with current data.\n\n## Quick Reference\n\n| Topic | File |\n|-------|------|\n| **Visitors** | |\n| Attractions (must-see vs skip) | `visitor-attractions.md` |\n| Itineraries (1/3/7 days) | `visitor-itineraries.md` |\n| Where to stay | `visitor-lodging.md` |\n| Tips & day trips | `visitor-tips.md` |\n| **Neighborhoods** | |\n| Quick comparison | `neighborhoods-index.md` |\n| Chaoyang, CBD, Sanlitun | `neighborhoods-downtown.md` |\n| Haidian, Zhongguancun | `neighborhoods-tech.md` |\n| Dongcheng, Xicheng (Historic) | `neighborhoods-historic.md` |\n| Shunyi, Changping, Tongzhou | `neighborhoods-suburban.md` |\n| Choosing guide | `neighborhoods-choosing.md` |\n| **Food** | |\n| Overview & dining scene | `food-overview.md` |\n| Beijing & Northern Chinese | `food-local.md` |\n| International & fine dining | `food-international.md` |\n| Best areas for dining | `food-areas.md` |\n| Dietary, alcohol, practicalities | `food-practical.md` |\n| **Practical** | |\n| Moving & settling | `resident.md` |\n| Transport (subway, DiDi, bikes) | `transport.md` |\n| Cost of living | `cost.md` |\n| Safety & laws | `safety.md` |\n| Weather & AQI tips | `climate.md` |\n| Local services (banking, SIM) | `local.md` |\n| **Career** | |\n| Tech industry & salaries | `tech.md` |\n| Business setup & WFOE | `business.md` |\n| Visas (Z, X, M, residence permit) | `visas.md` |\n| Startups & funding | `startup.md` |\n| **Lifestyle** | |\n| Culture & customs | `culture.md` |\n| Healthcare & insurance | `healthcare.md` |\n| Schools & education | `education.md` |\n| Expat lifestyle & social | `lifestyle.md` |\n| Driving & car ownership | `driving.md` |\n\n## Core Rules\n\n### 1. Identify User Context First\n- **Role**: Tourist, resident, tech worker, student, entrepreneur\n- **Timeline**: Short visit, planning to move, already there\n- Load relevant auxiliary file for details\n\n### 2. The Great Firewall Reality\nChina operates the world's most sophisticated internet censorship system:\n- **Blocked:** Google, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, most Western news\n- **Essential:** VPN before arrival (cannot download inside China)\n- **Super Apps:** WeChat (微信) is EVERYTHING — messaging, payments, food, transport, social\n- **Alternative Apps:** Baidu (search), Amap/Gaode (maps), Alipay (payments), Taobao (shopping)\nSee `local.md` for comprehensive app ecosystem.\n\n### 3. Language Barrier\nBeijing is NOT English-friendly like Singapore or Hong Kong:\n- **Mandarin essential:** 90%+ of daily interactions require Chinese\n- **Even expat-heavy areas:** Limited English compared to Shanghai\n- **Apps help:** Translation apps, DiDi has English mode, some menus have pictures\n- **Pinyin:** Learn basic tones and phrases — it matters\nSee `culture.md` for language survival guide.\n\n### 4. Weather Reality\nBeijing has extreme continental climate:\n- **Winter (Nov-Mar):** -10°C to 5°C, bone-dry, occasional snow\n- **Summer (Jun-Aug):** 30-40°C+ with high humidity\n- **Spring (Mar-May):** Sandstorms possible, pleasant otherwise\n- **Autumn (Sep-Nov):** Best season, crisp and clear\n- **AQI:** Air quality varies dramatically — check daily, mask recommended\nSee `climate.md` for monthly breakdown and AQI survival strategies.\n\n### 5. Current Data (Feb 2026)\n\n| Item | Range |\n|------|-------|\n| 1BR rent (CBD/Chaoyang) | ¥8,000-15,000/month (~$1,100-2,100) |\n| 1BR rent (Haidian) | ¥6,000-12,000/month (~$830-1,650) |\n| Senior SWE salary (local) | ¥40,000-80,000/month (~$5,500-11,000) |\n| Senior SWE salary (foreign) | ¥60,000-120,000/month (~$8,300-16,500) |\n| Subway single ride | ¥3-10 (distance-based) |\n| Hotpot dinner (mid-range) | ¥100-200/person |\n| International school fees | ¥150,000-350,000/year |\n\n### 6. Registration & Compliance\nAll foreigners must register with police within 24 hours of arrival:\n- **Hotels:** Register automatically\n- **Private residence:** YOU must register at local PSB (Public Security Bureau)\n- **Penalty:** Fines, visa issues, potential deportation\n- **Every move:** Re-register if you change address\nSee `visas.md` and `safety.md` for compliance details.\n\n### 7. Transit Excellence\nBeijing has world-class public transport (but traffic is horrific):\n- **Subway:** 27 lines, 800+ km — largest network globally\n- **Buses:** Extensive but complex for non-Chinese speakers\n- **DiDi:** Chinese Uber equivalent — essential for non-subway trips\n- **Bikes:** Dockless bikes everywhere (Meituan, Hello, Didi)\n- **Driving:** Restricted by license plate lottery, not recommended\nMost expats use subway + DiDi. See `transport.md` and `driving.md`.\n\n### 8. Neighborhood Matching\n\n| Profile | Best Areas |\n|---------|------------|\n| Young professionals | Sanlitun, CBD, Guomao |\n| Families (expat) | Shunyi, Chaoyang Park area |\n| Tech workers | Zhongguancun, Wudaokou, Haidian |\n| Students | Wudaokou, Haidian university area |\n| Budget-conscious | Tongzhou, outer Chaoyang |\n| History/culture lovers | Dongcheng, Xicheng (hutongs) |\n| Luxury seekers | Sanlitun, CBD penthouses, Shunyi villas |\n\n## Hukou & Work Permit Context\n\nBeijing has unique residency restrictions:\n- **Hukou (户口):** Chinese household registration system\n- **Beijing hukou:** Extremely hard to get even for Chinese citizens\n- **Impact:** Access to schools, healthcare, property purchase differs by hukou status\n- **Foreigners:** Not affected by hukou directly, but work permits are tier-based\n- **Work Permit Tiers:** A (top talent), B (professional), C (temporary/intern)\n\nSee `visas.md` for work permit details and `education.md` for school implications.\n\n## Beijing-Specific Traps\n\n- **No VPN = no Western internet** — Must install BEFORE entering China. Cannot download inside.\n- **WeChat dependency** — Without WeChat Pay, daily life is extremely difficult. Link bank card ASAP.\n- **24-hour registration** — Forgetting to register at PSB is a serious offense. Hotels do it automatically.\n- **License plate lottery** — Cannot just buy a car and drive. Beijing plates require years of waiting.\n- **AQI underestimation** — Heavy pollution days (200+ AQI) happen. Have N95 masks and air purifier.\n- **Cash almost useless** — China is nearly 100% mobile payment. Carry ¥500 max as backup.\n- **Taxis without DiDi** — Flagging taxis is hard; most drivers use DiDi exclusively.\n- **Saturday/Sunday schools** — Kids often have weekend classes (tutoring culture).\n- **Noise levels** — Beijing is LOUD. Traffic, construction, people — expect it.\n- **Spitting and smoking** — Common in public, including restaurants. Improving but still present.\n\n## Legal Awareness\n\nKey laws visitors/residents must know:\n- **VPN:** Legal gray area. Personal use tolerated, selling/promoting is illegal.\n- **Registration:** 24-hour PSB registration MANDATORY for all foreigners.\n- **Work permit:** Working without proper Z visa + work permit = deportation + ban.\n- **Drugs:** Zero tolerance. Death penalty possible for trafficking. Any amount is serious.\n- **Photography:** No photos of military, police, government buildings.\n- **Political speech:** Criticizing government/Party is risky. Avoid completely.\n- **Social media posts:** WeChat is monitored. Be careful what you share.\n- **LGBTQ+:** Not illegal, but no legal recognition. Discretion advised.\n\nSee `safety.md` for comprehensive legal guidance.\n\n## Related Skills\n\nInstall with `clawhub install <slug>` if user confirms:\n\n*No related skills published yet.*\n\n## Feedback\n\n- If useful: `clawhub star beijing`\n- Stay updated: `clawhub sync`\n- [Report issues](https://clawhub.com/openclaw/beijing/issues)\n","tags":{"latest":"1.0.0"},"stats":{"comments":0,"downloads":712,"installsAllTime":27,"installsCurrent":0,"stars":0,"versions":1},"createdAt":1771851165229,"updatedAt":1778491617178},"latestVersion":{"version":"1.0.0","createdAt":1771851165229,"changelog":"Initial release","license":null},"metadata":{"setup":[],"os":["linux","darwin","win32"],"systems":null},"owner":{"handle":"ivangdavila","userId":"s178jdk12x4qj3gs2se3etxf3h83h7ft","displayName":"Iván","image":"https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/81719670?v=4"},"moderation":null}