Begging is not banned in Beijing though it is not encouraged. Beggars in Beijing are commonly found in public places such as street corners, underpasses, malls, popular tourist spots, where they request money using cups, boxes or hats to collect the donations.
85% beggars in Beijing are professional beggars, only 15% are really poor men. In professional begging, using a child for panhandling is quite popular. It is said professional beggars are the members of a kind of beggars’organization, a large, complicated organism.
Beijing local government has provided homeless shelters on a voluteer basis for the homeless and beggars, which is aimed at reducing any survival need for begging. But most of the professional beggars are not willing to use the homeless shelters. The reason is very simple – they make more money outside on the streets, even richer than an office worker. Their motto is “it is easier to beg for it than to earn it”.
So it is unfare for those who are truly poor and in the need of help from others because people find it hard to distinguish the fake beggars from the poor, the visibly handicapped, or the blind . It is these fake beggars who have taken advantage of people’s kindness. When coming across true beggars, most of the people would take no notice of them due to the fact that people are afraid of being fooled.
To give or not give is a frequent question on our mind when we meet beggars on the streets. My advice is that if not sure whether the beggars are true or not, you just ignore them. At least, not giving beggars money discourages them to remain on the street begging otherwise they have good reason not to look for a job. If you feel the beggars are really poor and in need of help, you are advised to give them something to eat instead of money. If you really want to donate to help the poor, you are recommneded to give more to organisations like Red Cross in Beijing China. They have checkable accounts on the work they do with the money they collect.
You are strongly advised not to give any money to child beggars. Some child beggars may be linked to the adult beggars ( parent-child relationship), but some child beggars are said to be stolen from some parts of China and made into physically handicapped child beggars in order to easily beg more money from passers-bys. If you give money to child beggars, you may have the risk of getting a swarm of them.
You may find some beggars with unsightly deformities cruising around on the streets, which make you feel very sick. In my opinion, it is a blackmail. They should be banned in a capital city like Beijing.
Finally I also feel sorry for those fake beggars. If they have a decent job, why begging? In begging, they have no personal dignity. Though sometimes we are unhappy with their deceptive panhandling, I still feel sorry for them.
Have a happy travel in Beijing!
Beijing Rescue Centers ( refuges for homeless and beggars) in 16 districts and 2 counties in Beijing:
1.Dongcheng District Rescue Center
Tel: 64043861，64043689
Add: Wudaoying Hutong 81, Dongcheng District
Zip Code 100007
1.Dongcheng District Rescue Center
Tel: 64043861，64043689
Add: Wudaoying Hutong 81, Dongcheng District
Zip Code 100007
2.Xicheng District Rescue center
Tel: 62210944、62219884
Add: Gaojin Hutong 16, Xineidajie, Xicheng District
Zip Code: 100035
3.Chongwen District Rescue Center
Tel: 67160805、67165292
Add: Waitaoyuan Dongli 6, Chengwen Disrict
Zip Code:100075
4.Xuanwu District Rescue Center
Tel: 63464201、63329190
Add: Xiaohongmiaojia 11, Guangwai, Xuanwu District
Zip Code:100055
5.Chaoyang District Rescue Center
Tel: 84333463
Add: Jinzhandajie 8, Chaoyang District ）
Zip Code: 100018
6.Haidian District Rescue Center
Tel: 82774128、82774171
Add: Siyiqu, Tangjiaxilingcun, Dongbeixiang, Haidian District
Zip Code: 100094
7.Fengtai District Rescue Center
Tel: 83884107
Add: Dahuichanglu 88, Fengtai District
Zip Code: 100074
8.Shijingshan District Rescue Center
Tel: 88912274、88912274/2283
Add: Beixingannancha 149, Shijingshan
Zip Code: 100041
9.Daxing District Rescue Center
Tel: 80234938
Add: Backyard of Andingzhen Almshouse Daxing District
Zip Code: 102607
10.Tongzhou District Rescue center
Tel: 89597911、69547433
Add: Welfare Centwe of Yongshui Township, Tongzhou District
Zip Code: 101100
11.Shuiyi District Rescue Center
Tel: 69471156、69445221、81483948
Add: Nanfaxin Township, Shuiyi District
Zip Code: 101302
12.Changping District Rescue Center
Tel: 69779744、69742386
Add: The former home for the aged in Nankou, Changping District
Zip: 102202
Tel: 62210944、62219884
Add: Gaojin Hutong 16, Xineidajie, Xicheng District
Zip Code: 100035
3.Chongwen District Rescue Center
Tel: 67160805、67165292
Add: Waitaoyuan Dongli 6, Chengwen Disrict
Zip Code:100075
4.Xuanwu District Rescue Center
Tel: 63464201、63329190
Add: Xiaohongmiaojia 11, Guangwai, Xuanwu District
Zip Code:100055
5.Chaoyang District Rescue Center
Tel: 84333463
Add: Jinzhandajie 8, Chaoyang District ）
Zip Code: 100018
6.Haidian District Rescue Center
Tel: 82774128、82774171
Add: Siyiqu, Tangjiaxilingcun, Dongbeixiang, Haidian District
Zip Code: 100094
7.Fengtai District Rescue Center
Tel: 83884107
Add: Dahuichanglu 88, Fengtai District
Zip Code: 100074
8.Shijingshan District Rescue Center
Tel: 88912274、88912274/2283
Add: Beixingannancha 149, Shijingshan
Zip Code: 100041
9.Daxing District Rescue Center
Tel: 80234938
Add: Backyard of Andingzhen Almshouse Daxing District
Zip Code: 102607
10.Tongzhou District Rescue center
Tel: 89597911、69547433
Add: Welfare Centwe of Yongshui Township, Tongzhou District
Zip Code: 101100
11.Shuiyi District Rescue Center
Tel: 69471156、69445221、81483948
Add: Nanfaxin Township, Shuiyi District
Zip Code: 101302
12.Changping District Rescue Center
Tel: 69779744、69742386
Add: The former home for the aged in Nankou, Changping District
Zip: 102202
13. Huairou District Rescue Center
Tel: 60697046
Add: The Home for the aged in Miaochengzhen, Huairou District
Zip Code: 101400
14.Mentougou District Rescue Center
Tel: 69842174、61891128
Add: Zhongmensi Dajie, Longquan Home for the Aged, Mentougou District
Zip Code: 102300
15.Fangshan District Rescue Center
Tel: 69374371
Add: Liangxiang Xilu 10, Fangshan District
Zip Code: 102488
16. Miyun County Rescue Center
Tel: 6904274、69042744
Add: Rescue Section of Civil Affairs Bureau in Miyun District
Zip Code: 101500
17.Yanqing County Rescue Center
Tel: 69184119
Add: Guancheng Home for the Aged, Yanqing County
Zip code: 102100
18.Pinggu District Rescue Center
Tel: 69960316
Add: Fuqian Xijie 8, Pinggu District
Zip Code: 101200
Tel: 60697046
Add: The Home for the aged in Miaochengzhen, Huairou District
Zip Code: 101400
14.Mentougou District Rescue Center
Tel: 69842174、61891128
Add: Zhongmensi Dajie, Longquan Home for the Aged, Mentougou District
Zip Code: 102300
15.Fangshan District Rescue Center
Tel: 69374371
Add: Liangxiang Xilu 10, Fangshan District
Zip Code: 102488
16. Miyun County Rescue Center
Tel: 6904274、69042744
Add: Rescue Section of Civil Affairs Bureau in Miyun District
Zip Code: 101500
17.Yanqing County Rescue Center
Tel: 69184119
Add: Guancheng Home for the Aged, Yanqing County
Zip code: 102100
18.Pinggu District Rescue Center
Tel: 69960316
Add: Fuqian Xijie 8, Pinggu District
Zip Code: 101200
