Be Safe in Beijing
Beijing is a safe capital city if you keep your wits about you and take special care when crossing roads. Likewise, the main health concerns are the same as for most other Asian climes; be wary of eating food from hawker stalls and stick to busy eateries.
Health
Stomach upsets and more importantly, food poisoning, are the biggest health risk with any trip to China, where low food-hygiene standards can spoil a holiday. Eat at busy restaurants and make sure the food is freshly cooked and piping hot. Peel fruit yourself and drink only bottled water; never drink water from a tap. Infection of the upper respiratory tract is another common cause of bad health in Beijing owing to the high levels of pollution. Symptoms are similar to the common cold or flu.
Speak to your hotel reception if you or a family member becomes ill, as many of the better establishments will have doctors on staff or at least be able to call a doctor for you. Try and stay away from the regular Chinese practices, as these low-paid doctors often prescribe antibiotics for anything and everything, and some unscrupulous GPs may even prescribe unnecessary medication. Also, stay away from traditional Chinese medicines.
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Safety
Like anywhere else in China, penalties for most offences of crime are extremely high and therefore crime in general is fairly low. That is not to say crime is immune to the streets of Beijing, however, as cheats, touts and pick-pockets all work the streets and the chance of you being ripped off by any number of scams or when buying at markets is high. Areas to be wary of are the inner city, along the Great Wall, in and around Tiananmen Square and at bus and train stations.
In addition, be careful when crossing the street, as most locals are reckless drivers who don’t like to stop for pedestrians, regardless of whether the pedestrian is on a special crossing or not. Use under and over passes where possible and follow what the masses do when crossing streets. Tourists are not allowed to drive in China, so there is no reason to study the road etiquette in too much detail.
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