Is Beijing Safe in December 2026?

Friendly locals posing as university students practising English approach tourists near Wangfujing or Tiananmen and invite them to a traditional tea ceremony nearby. The experience ends with an exorbitant bill of several hundred USD for tea sampled, and some visitors report being blocked from leaving until they pay.

How to avoid: Be extremely wary of strangers who approach you in tourist areas and invite you to a venue. If curious about tea culture, research a reputable tea house independently, walk there yourself, and confirm all prices before consuming anything.

On heavily used lines such as Line 1 through the Tiananmen–Wangfujing corridor and Line 10, coordinated pickpocket teams operate with one member creating a distraction while another removes valuables. Tourists are consistently targeted at major transit hubs during peak hours.

How to avoid: Keep valuables in a front pocket or concealed money belt. Use a bag with zip closures worn on your front. Stay alert when boarding or alighting at crowded stations where passengers are pressed together.

Near Tiananmen Square and Wangfujing, friendly English-speaking students approach tourists claiming to want to practice English. They invite tourists for tea, and the bill arrives for hundreds or thousands of dollars. Intimidating staff prevent leaving without payment.

How to avoid: Politely decline invitations from strangers near tourist areas who want to practice English or show you around. This is the most reported tourist scam in Beijing. Walk away from persistent strangers.

Outside the Summer Palace, Great Wall (Badaling), and other major sites, drivers of unmarked cars solicit tourists with seemingly reasonable fixed prices. Fares are often tripled at the destination, and drivers have been known to lock doors or become threatening when tourists refuse to pay the inflated amount.

How to avoid: Use only metered taxis with visible license plates and official signage, or book through DiDi which shows price and driver details upfront. Arrange return transport through your hotel or a pre-booked tour operator.

Unofficial money changers near tourist areas offer attractive exchange rates but use sleight of hand to short-count cash, mix in foreign currency notes with RMB, or swap the bundle after the tourist has verified the amount.

How to avoid: Exchange money only at official bank branches such as Bank of China or ICBC, or at licensed bank ATMs. Never exchange currency on the street regardless of the rate offered.