In a live emergency, call 110 for the police, 119 for fire, and 120 for an ambulance. These numbers work nationwide. Say a hotel or landmark name, or hand the phone to someone and point at a written Chinese address. For a lost passport, get a police report and then call your embassy. This is practical information, not a medical or legal service.
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关键事实
| Police | 110 |
|---|---|
| Fire | 119 |
| Ambulance | 120 |
| Traffic accidents | 122 |
| Consumer disputes | 12315 |
| Your embassy | A parallel path for consular help — look up the nearest mission (often Guangzhou, for Shenzhen) before you need it |
The numbers that matter
These emergency numbers are nationwide, and they are published on official English municipal pages (including Shanghai’s “Getting help” service pages):
| Number | What it is |
|---|---|
| 110 | Police |
| 119 | Fire |
| 120 | Ambulance / medical emergency |
| 122 | Traffic accidents |
Call from any working phone. If you cannot explain the situation in Chinese, say the name of your hotel or a nearby landmark slowly, or hand the phone to someone next to you and point at a written address. A saved Chinese address on your lock screen is more useful here than a fluent paragraph.
UK Foreign Office travel advice, and similar pages from other governments, also tell their citizens to contact their own embassy or consulate for consular help. That is a parallel path, not a substitute for 110 or 120 in a live emergency. Look up your country’s nearest mission before you need it — for many nationalities there is a consulate in Guangzhou, which covers Shenzhen, as well as an embassy in Beijing.
Hospitals and pharmacies
Large public hospitals in Shenzhen have international or foreigner desks at some campuses, but we will not name a “best hospital” without a current, sourced note — and we are not a medical service. In an emergency, call 120 and let the dispatcher route you. For a minor issue, a pharmacy (药店) can help with well-known cold or digestive medicines if you show a translation; we will not recommend a drug or a dose.
Carry your insurance policy number and a 24-hour insurer phone, and confirm in writing before you travel that mainland China is covered. Pay-and-claim is common; some insurers have a direct-billing list — ask them, not us.
Lost passport, lost phone, lost wallet
- Passport. Report the loss to the police (110, or a local station) and get a report. Then contact your embassy or consulate for a replacement travel document, and the Chinese exit-entry authority about leaving China on that document. This takes time; do not plan it as a same-day exercise.
- Phone. This is why a paper hotel address and a second way to pay matter. Use another phone to reach your eSIM or carrier’s account, and to lock the lost device.
- Cards. Call the issuing bank’s international collect number (usually on the back of a second card or on a paper you packed). Freeze the card in the bank’s app if you still have a device.
A calm everyday posture
Keep copies of your passport photo page and visa or entry stamp, stored separately from the passport — a paper copy and an offline file. Know the nearest 24-hour reception to wherever you are staying. For the quieter problems — a wrong seafood bill, a taxi dispute — see scams and etiquette. For ordinary preparedness, see what nobody tells you.
For a longer, honest answer to “is it safe?”, without invented statistics, see is China safe for tourists.
常见问题
What is the emergency number in China?
There is more than one: 110 for police, 119 for fire, 120 for an ambulance, and 122 for traffic accidents. They are nationwide.
Will the operator speak English?
Do not count on it. A Chinese address, a hotel name, or a person next to you who can speak is more useful than a long English explanation.
What if I lose my passport?
Report it to the police and get a written report, then contact your embassy or consulate for a replacement travel document, and the Chinese exit-entry authority about leaving China. It takes time.