Emergency preparation is one of those travel tasks that feels unnecessary until the moment it matters. For international visitors in China, the goal is not to worry about every possible problem. The goal is to know which number to call, what information to show, and where to find your hotel address, insurance details, passport information, and emergency contacts quickly.
This guide gives a practical preparation framework. It is not medical, legal, or security advice. In an urgent situation, follow local emergency instructions, contact the relevant emergency service, and ask nearby staff, hotel employees, station staff, or police for immediate help.
Know the Main Emergency Numbers
Official Beijing and Shanghai English pages list the main emergency numbers travelers should know: 110 for police, 119 for fire, 120 for medical aid or ambulance, and 122 for traffic accidents. Shanghai also lists 12395 for maritime search and rescue. These numbers are short enough to memorize, but you should also save them offline.
You can check official references here: Beijing emergency numbers and Shanghai safety tips and emergency numbers.
Use 12345 for Non-Emergency City Service Questions
Some issues are important but not emergency calls: local service questions, public-service guidance, complaints, city information, or help finding the right department. Beijing's 12345 page states that 12345 Online is a non-emergency service channel and clearly separates it from emergency hotlines such as 110, 119, 120, and 122.
For Beijing, the official 12345 page is here: Beijing 12345 Citizen Service Hotline. In a true emergency, do not use a non-emergency hotline first. Call the emergency number that matches the situation.
Save Your Hotel Address in Chinese
In an emergency or stressful situation, the most useful information may be your exact location. Save your hotel name, Chinese address, phone number, nearest metro station, and room booking record offline. If you are in a taxi, hospital, police station, railway station, or attraction, showing the Chinese address can be faster than explaining it verbally.
If you change hotels during the trip, update the saved note each time. Also send the hotel details to another traveler in your group or a trusted contact. Our guide to preparing Chinese addresses before your trip explains how to organize this information.
Prepare a Small Emergency Note
Create one simple note on your phone and save a screenshot. It should contain your name, nationality, passport number, hotel address, emergency contact, travel insurance contact, allergies or medical conditions if relevant, and a short line in Chinese saying what kind of help you need.
Keep it concise. A crowded station or hospital is not the place for a long explanation. A short note can help staff understand the situation and contact the right person. If you have serious medical needs, prepare this information before travel and follow professional medical advice.
Do Not Depend on One Phone
Many emergencies are made harder by a low battery, no data, or a lost phone. Keep key information in more than one place: phone note, screenshot, printed card, another traveler's phone, or a small paper in your day bag. This is especially important if one person manages all payment apps, bookings, maps, and addresses for the group.
For phone and battery preparation, read power bank and phone charging tips for China travel. For offline records, use what to save offline before traveling to China.
Know Who Can Help Nearby
In many travel situations, the fastest first step is to ask nearby staff for help while calling the right number. Hotel front desks, airport staff, railway station staff, metro employees, attraction staff, police posts, and information counters can help identify your location, explain the situation in Chinese, or direct you to the correct service.
If you are in a large railway station or airport, do not wander far while stressed. Find a staffed counter, security checkpoint, police post, ticket office, or information desk. For station planning, see what to know about large railway stations in China.
Keep Insurance and Medical Details Accessible
If you bought travel insurance, save the policy number, assistance hotline, claim instructions, and emergency medical contact offline. If your insurer requires specific steps, know them before departure. In a medical situation, immediate care and local instructions come first, but having insurance information ready can help with later coordination.
For medicine, allergies, chronic conditions, or special needs, prepare clear notes in Chinese. Keep essential medication in your day bag, not only in checked luggage or a suitcase stored at the hotel.
Use Your Embassy or Consulate for the Right Problems
Your embassy or consulate may help with passport loss, serious incidents, arrest, death, or contacting family, but it is not a replacement for local emergency services. If there is immediate danger, call the relevant local emergency number first. For passport or consular questions, use your own country's official embassy or consulate website and save the contact details before travel.
If you lose a passport, you will usually need both local reporting steps and consular assistance. Exact procedures can depend on nationality and location, so prepare your own country's official contact details instead of relying on generic advice.
What to Say or Show in an Emergency
If language is difficult, keep the information factual and simple. Show your location, hotel address, passport photo page if needed, medical note if relevant, and a short description of what happened. Avoid long explanations when the immediate need is clear.
Useful details can include:
- Your current location or nearest landmark.
- Hotel name and Chinese address.
- What happened and when.
- Whether anyone is injured or needs medical help.
- Your name, passport nationality, and phone number.
- Emergency contact or travel companion contact.
Prepare Before High-Risk Moments
Some travel moments are more likely to create problems: late-night arrival, crowded public holidays, large railway stations, long walking days, unfamiliar taxis, severe weather, or low phone battery. Before those moments, check that your phone is charged, addresses are saved, and the group knows the meeting point.
For crowded travel periods, read how China public holidays affect travel plans. For weather-related planning, see how to plan around weather during a China trip.
Emergency Preparation Checklist
- Save 110, 119, 120, and 122 offline.
- Know that 12345 is for non-emergency city service questions, not urgent danger.
- Save hotel name, Chinese address, and phone number.
- Prepare one short emergency note with key identity, contact, insurance, and medical details.
- Keep a printed or screenshot backup in case mobile data fails.
- Share important details with another adult in the group.
- Save your embassy or consulate contact from its official website.
- Ask nearby staff for help while contacting the correct emergency service.
The Main Point
Good emergency preparation is quiet and practical. You may never need it, but if something happens, a few saved numbers, a Chinese address, a charged phone, and a clear note can save time when people are stressed.
Before departure, check the latest official emergency information for the cities you will visit, and make sure every responsible adult in the group knows where the emergency note is saved.