Golden Week isn’t just a local holiday — it’s also a special time for foreigners living in China. From exploring new cities to enjoying cultural festivals, expats find unique ways to make the most of the 7-day break. Here are some community picks and ideas from fellow foreigners:
🎆 Joining Local Celebrations
Many expats love to take part in fireworks shows, parades, and...
Let’s be real: Finding a roommate in China isn’t just about splitting the bills. It’s about finding that one person who won’t complain when you’re cooking Jollof at 9:00 PM or who understands the struggle of a 4-hour physics lab.
Whether the school chooses for you or you’re venturing out into the "real world" of Chinese apartments, here is how you navigate...
Forget the tourist lists — this is where the community actually eats. Xiaobei (exit Line 5, look for the pedestrian overpass) is still the beating heart, an area where Africans can be found speaking Arabic, Bambara, French, Portuguese, Lingala, Malagasy, Yoruba or Igbo. For grilled fish and cheap suds, regulars head to Moustache Bar — a popular hangout amongst African expats and...
Beijing is about to experience something special this December. For the first time ever, the Embassy of Nigeria in China is hosting a Nigerian Christmas Carnival, bringing West African energy, music, culture, and global flavors to the heart of Chaoyang.
The carnival will take place on Sunday, December 14, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Nigerian Embassy. Tickets for similar...
Most Africans arrive in China and start off in survival mode. Finding a place to sleep. Figuring out visas. Taking whatever small job comes first. Trying to understand a system that moves faster than anything they’ve seen before.
It’s a normal beginning — but it shouldn’t be a permanent lifestyle. The turning point comes when you shift from surviving day-to-day to...
Hafrik: The Digital Home for Foreigners in China
A community-driven platform helping foreigners in China connect, thrive, and build bridges with Chinese society.
What Is Hafrik?
Hafrik is a lifestyle, business, and community platform designed specifically for foreigners living in China. Life in a new country comes with challenges — from language barriers to finding trusted services...
If you have ever stepped off the metro at Xiaobei station and walked up into the open air, you already know the feeling. The smell of grilled suya mixing with fresh bread from a Yemeni bakery, Lingala and Wolof and Arabic all bouncing off each other in the same five metres of pavement, a Nigerian aunty haggling over the price of stockfish while a Guinean trader counts out yuan for a bag of...
The Shanghai Public Security Bureau (PSB) has rolled out new measures to make it easier for foreigners to attend and do business during the China International Import Expo (CIIE). These updates improve visa access, registration, and mobility around the event.
1. Electronic Port Visa System
For the first time, Shanghai has introduced an electronic port visa system for foreign exhibitors and...
Help Center
Arabic
English Language
French
Spanish
Portuguese
Deutsch
Turkish
Dutch
Italiano
Russian
Romaian
Portuguese (Brazil)
Greek