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This Is What Our Life in China Is Actually Like 🇨🇳
A Normal Day in Beijing: Real China Life for Foreigners
We’re a British couple who’ve been travelling in and out of China for the last 2 years. During that time, we’ve explored 21 provinces and over 30 cities across the country… but what is life in China actually like as foreigners?
How do we travel so much? What’s daily life really like? And after all...
We’re a British couple who’ve been travelling in and out of China for the last 2 years. During that time, we’ve explored 21 provinces and over 30 cities across the country… but what is life in China actually like as foreigners? How do we travel so much? What’s daily life really like? And after all this time, do we still feel like outsiders? In this video, we take you through a completely normal day in Beijing, living out of suitcases, navigating one of the world’s fastest-changing countries and even a beer with our friends. We’re trying to turn this lifestyle into reality. This is our life in China right now 🇨🇳 May 2026 | Vlog 616 | Beijing, China 21/34 China Provinces
Ever wondered what it's really like to live in China as a foreigner? This British couple takes you through a completely normal day in Beijing, living out of suitcases and navigating one of the world's fastest-changing countries. With 21 provinces already explored, they share the raw, unfiltered reality of daily life – from high-speed trains to beers with friends. No tourist veneer, just the real China they've come to know.
We’re a British couple who’ve been travelling in and out of China for the last 2 years. During that time, we’ve explored 21 provinces and over 30 cities across the country… but what is life in China actually like as foreigners? How do we travel so much? What’s daily life really like? And after all this time, do we still feel like outsiders? In this video, we take you through a completely normal day in Beijing, living out of suitcases, navigating one of the world’s fastest-changing countries and even a beer with our friends. We’re trying to turn this lifestyle into reality. This is our life in China right now 🇨🇳 May 2026 | Vlog 616 | Beijing, China 21/34 China Provinces
Reanne & Ben, a British couple who have been traveling in and out of China for two years, invite you into a completely normal day in Beijing. They’re staying in a hutong hotel, and the day kicks off with a Chinese breakfast and a mission to run errands: get a Chinese bank account working, shop for a limited-edition jelly cat toy for Ben’s cousin, and meet friends for a beer. <br><br>Walking through Wangfujing, they reflect on how their lives changed the day they first landed in Beijing two years ago. They share the brutal reality of building a YouTube career – sleeping in hostels, burning through £20,000, and not making a penny for 18 months. It’s a rollercoaster of feast or famine, even now. <br><br>At the ICBC bank, they get lucky with a staff member who speaks perfect English, finally activating their online banking and paying in cash. That’s a huge step toward making China their home base. Next, they navigate the city’s chaotic bike lanes, dodging buses and lorries, and even have a strange encounter with a local who asks them to delete footage of him walking past. <br><br>They cycle to the China World Mall, grab a coffee at M Stand (56 yuan for two), and talk about why they prefer trains over flights – the 7-hour bullet train to Shenzhen means they can work and film content. The highlight of the evening is meeting their Irish and English friends at Communion bar, where they drink too many beers, share stories, and nearly die on bikes again. The next morning, they wake up to a woman practicing sword exercises outside their window – a perfect slice of authentic local life. This video is a raw, honest, and often hilarious look at what it’s really like to live and travel full-time in China as foreigners.
Forget the tourist trail – this video drops you straight into the real, messy, wonderful life of a foreign couple in Beijing. From hutong breakfasts to near-death bike rides, a bank account triumph and a pub crawl with mates, it's a raw, hilarious, and deeply human look at what it really means to call China a home base.
Reanne & Ben take you through a real day in Beijing – errands, jelly cats, bike chaos, a bank win, and beers with friends. Raw, funny, and full of heart.
A Normal Day in Beijing: Foreign Vloggers, Bank Accounts & Beer
16:09 Use shared bikes in Beijing but beware of traffic: cycle lanes are often shared with cars and buses. Stick to quieter streets if possible, and always check for pedestrians and turning vehicles.
9:41 To open a Chinese bank account, go to a major branch in Beijing or Shanghai where English-speaking staff are more common. Bring your passport and phone number – ICBC worked well for Reanne & Ben.
20:18 When filming in public, be aware that some locals may ask you to delete footage. Be polite, explain you'll edit them out, and respect their privacy to avoid conflict.
14:30 For affordable coffee in Beijing, join Luckin Coffee's membership (9.9 yuan/month) to get two coffees for under £2. M Stand is pricier but has great Wi-Fi for working.
13:27 Take high-speed trains instead of flights for content creation and productivity. You can work on your laptop with stable internet, film the journey, and arrive feeling less tired.
11:01 To get a Chinese phone number, buy a SIM card at a major carrier store. Then use that number to open a bank account and register for digital payment apps like WeChat Pay and Alipay.
16:09 Use shared bikes in Beijing but beware of traffic: cycle lanes are often shared with cars and buses. Stick to quieter streets if possible, and always check for pedestrians and turning vehicles.
9:41 To open a Chinese bank account, go to a major branch in Beijing or Shanghai where English-speaking staff are more common. Bring your passport and phone number – ICBC worked well for Reanne & Ben.
20:18 When filming in public, be aware that some locals may ask you to delete footage. Be polite, explain you'll edit them out, and respect their privacy to avoid conflict.
14:30 For affordable coffee in Beijing, join Luckin Coffee's membership (9.9 yuan/month) to get two coffees for under £2. M Stand is pricier but has great Wi-Fi for working.
13:27 Take high-speed trains instead of flights for content creation and productivity. You can work on your laptop with stable internet, film the journey, and arrive feeling less tired.
11:01 To get a Chinese phone number, buy a SIM card at a major carrier store. Then use that number to open a bank account and register for digital payment apps like WeChat Pay and Alipay.
0:00 Morning in the Hutong
3:36 Wangfujing shopping and coffee
9:41 ICBC bank account success
12:06 Finding the jelly cat toy
18:14 Bike ride through Beijing traffic
20:18 Weird interaction with a local
23:55 Meeting friends at Communion
24:26 Morning after reflection
0:00 Morning in the Hutong
3:36 Wangfujing shopping and coffee
9:41 ICBC bank account success
12:06 Finding the jelly cat toy
18:14 Bike ride through Beijing traffic
20:18 Weird interaction with a local
23:55 Meeting friends at Communion
24:26 Morning after reflection
on tour with dridgers#otwdchina traveltravel chinachina vlogforeigner in chinamodern chinareal chinalocal chinachina tourismthings to do in chinabest things to do in chinabeijingbeijing chinachina nightlifebritish in chinachina infrastructurechina hotelsguangzhoushenzhenshanghaihigh speeds train chinaWhat happened when a local man asked you to delete a video of him?
We used a translation app because the man didn't speak English. He was polite, just asked us to delete footage where he appeared. We promised to cut him out – we never put people in videos without consent.
How much does coffee cost in Beijing?
It's about 56 yuan (under £6) for two coffees at M Stand – similar to Starbucks. But Luckin is cheaper, especially with a membership paying 9.9 yuan a month, making two coffees under £2.
Why did you take a train instead of a flight to Shenzhen?
We chose a 7-hour high-speed train to Shenzhen because it has great internet, we can work on laptops, and we can film content. Flying would waste a whole day with no connectivity.
