Beijing's digital ecosystem for global visitors just got a whole lot smarter

From an upgraded English map with over 30,000 annotations to a one-stop platform supporting 16 languages, Beijing is quietly building one of the most comprehensive digital service ecosystems for international visitors of any major city.

There is a version of Beijing that many international visitors never fully access, because finding it has traditionally required navigating a language barrier, a fragmented patchwork of apps and services that were initially not designed with foreigners in mind. 

That is changing, and quickly. 

The latest wave of upgrades to Beijing's digital infrastructure spans three interconnected platforms – the 2025 edition of the Beijing English Map, the newly launched "GO BEIJING" all-in-one service platform, and a refreshed International Web Portal. 

Together, they represent the most significant push yet to give international residents and visitors the same fingertip access to Beijing that locals have long enjoyed.

The English map: More than just navigation

The 2025 edition of the Beijing English map, released by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources, goes well beyond its predecessors. Available in both electronic and printed formats, the updated map features over 30,000 annotations spanning administrative areas, natural landmarks, transport routes, international organizations, medical facilities, sports venues and commercial establishments.

New service categories include history and culture, tourist attractions, consumption scenarios, currency exchange, departure tax refunds, ID services and accommodation registration, SIM card services, transit card services and self-drive services – covering the full arc of a visitor's stay, from landing to leaving.

For those exploring the city on foot, the map now identifies 1,111 traditional alleys and hutongs that appear on Beijing's List of Traditional Geographical Names under Protection, complete with searchable histories and the origins of their names.

Perhaps the most practically significant addition is the Travel Wallet function. Overseas users can load funds into the wallet via cross-border remittance before arriving in mainland China, then use it to pay during their stay. No card linking is required, there are no transaction fees for spending within China, and the wallet supports a wide range of payment scenarios. For visitors who have historically struggled with China's cashless payment infrastructure – which runs largely on WeChat Pay and Alipay, both of which have until recently been difficult for foreigners to use – this is a very helpful change.

The numbers behind the momentum

The timing of these upgrades is no coincidence. Beijing welcomed 3.94 million inbound tourist visits in 2024, a 186.8% increase year on year. The surge was driven in part by China's expansion of visa-free policies, including 30-day visa-free entry for citizens of 38 countries and a 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit policy for travelers from 54 countries.

The momentum of China's inbound tourism has continued into 2026. In the first five months of this year, Beijing received over 2.6 million foreign visitors, a year-on-year increase of 35.3%. 

For Beijing's municipal authorities, this influx makes the case for continued investment in international-friendly infrastructure. 

As China continues to open up to international visitors, updates like this signal that the welcome mat is being laid out with increasing care as part of a coherent and growing effort to make Beijing one of the world's most accessible major cities for international travelers.

Editor's note: Zaruhi Poghosyan is a multimedia editor for CGTN Digital. This article is part of an ongoing series on Beijing's digital platforms and services for international visitors. It follows our earlier piece on Beijing's one-stop ticketing platform, which allows visitors to book attractions quickly and easily in English.