Where almost every foreigner in Beijing ends up: the embassies, the CBD, Sanlitun's bars, Lido's families and Wangjing's Korean community are all inside this one enormous district.
At a glance
Life without Chinese
Metro access
Quiet at night
Value for money
Good for students
What is around
Metro109
Supermarket135
Park223
Pharmacy36
International hospital74
Shopping mall54
Counted from OpenStreetMap data for this district.
What works
The widest range of English-speaking services in northern China
Embassies, international clinics and international schools
Sanlitun and Gongti for going out; Liangmaqiao for a quiet river walk
What to expect
Rents at Sanlitun and the CBD are the highest in the city
Traffic on the East 3rd Ring is a fact of life
Bar-street flats are loud on Friday and Saturday
Suits:Working professionalsBusiness travelA first move to China