Essential for tourists in China

Tourists can easily make domestic or international calls from their hotel room with the charge added to their hotel bill. Alternatively, long-distance and international calls can be made at post offices or public phone booths located near scenic spots, shops and entertainment venues. These calls are typically paid for immediately after they are made.

Making domestic long-distance calls

From Landline to Landline: Dial the area code (starting with "0") followed by the local number.

From Landline to Mobile: Dial "0" followed by the mobile number.

Area Codes for Major Cities:
Beijing: 010
Shanghai: 021
Tianjin: 022
Hangzhou: 0571
Guangzhou: 020
Guilin: 0773
Kunming: 0871
Xi'an: 029

Making international calls

From China to other countries: Dial "00" (international prefix), then the country code, area code, and local number.

From outside China to a Chinese landline: Dial your country’s international prefix (e.g., "011" in the US), followed by "86" (China's country code), then the area code (without the initial "0") and the local number.

Telephone services and convenience

IDD services: International Direct Dialing (IDD) services are available at most hotels and post offices in towns and cities across China.

Phone cards: Prepaid phone cards can be purchased at post offices, hotels, nearby streets, and even newsstands in major cities.

Telephone booths: Public telephone booths on streets are primarily for local calls.

Useful phone numbers in China

If you find yourself in an emergency while traveling in China, you can reach the following services:

Local telephone and area code inquires

110: Police
114: Local telephone number inquiry and area code inquiry
119: Fire emergency
120: Ambulance and medical emergencies
11185: Postal code inquiry
10000: China Telecom customer service
10086: China Mobile customer service
10010: China Unicom customer service
95566: Bank of China customer service

In case of passport loss, please report it to the local police station immediately.