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Beijing BISS International School
Beijing, China
IBInternational BaccalaureateIB PYP+1
Ages 4–18
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The social and commercial heart of Beijing's expat scene with international restaurants, bars, and western supermarkets.
Monthly temperatures, rainfall, and sea conditions
Monthly family budget estimates (USD)
A young professional couple or small family in a 2-bedroom serviced apartment, using metro and DiDi, dining at mid-range restaurants, and children in a local or mid-tier bilingual school.
A family in a 3-bedroom apartment in a premium tower near Workers' Stadium, children at an international school in Chaoyang, with a part-time ayi and regular DiDi use.
A senior executive in a luxury 4-bedroom penthouse or villa compound near Sanlitun, children at ISB or Dulwich, with full-time ayi and driver, embassy social life and regular fine dining.
Sanlitun is central Beijing's premium expat-friendly zone with a wide range of housing options from serviced apartments to luxury towers. Rents are high for Beijing but the walkable urban lifestyle reduces dependence on cars or drivers. International schools are typically a DiDi ride or metro away rather than on the doorstep. All figures in USD; 1 USD is approximately 7.2 CNY.
Average monthly AQI (US EPA scale)
Yearly average AQI is 109. Best air quality May–Oct (best: Jul at 65). Jan–Dec air quality worsens due to heat, humidity, and dust (peak: Dec at 168). Families with children who have asthma or respiratory conditions should plan indoor activities during summer months.
Sanlitun is where Beijing's international community goes to play. The Sanlitun Village (Taikoo Li) complex — a stylish open-air mall with Apple Store, flagship international brands, and rooftop restaurants — is the social centrepiece. The surrounding streets are dense with embassies, boutique bars, international restaurants from Ethiopian to Peruvian, and the kind of hip, globally-connected neighbourhood energy you'd find in Shoreditch or Silver Lake. Expats here tend to be younger, single or newly coupled, and often in media, creative, diplomatic, or tech sectors.
The recently renovated Workers' Stadium (reopened 2023) hosts major sporting events and concerts. The area around it has been landscaped with walking paths, a running track, and outdoor exercise areas popular with both residents and commuters. Chaoyang Park — a vast 300-hectare green space — is just 2 km east and provides Beijing's best urban parkland with boating, picnicking, and seasonal festivals.
Sanlitun sits between several metro lines — Line 10 (Tuan He He, Nong Zhan Guan stations), Line 6, and the airport express. This makes it one of the most transport-connected expat neighbourhoods in Beijing. Most central CBD locations — Guomao, CBD, Dongzhimen — are 10-20 minutes by metro. Commutes to universities and research institutions in Haidian require a 40-50 minute metro journey.
Sanlitun's daily life is as close to a Western urban lifestyle as Beijing offers. April Gourmet at Taikoo Li North, Sanyuanli Market (Beijing's finest fresh produce market, 10 min drive), Jenny's Kitchen in Lido, and a growing number of Sam's Club and Costco orders via delivery make stocking an international kitchen straightforward. Specialty restaurants and cafes cover everything from artisan sourdough to authentic Sichuan hot pot to omakase sushi.
Sanlitun sits in central-east Beijing and experiences the full weight of the city's continental climate without the slight suburban relief of Shunyi. The urban heat island effect keeps winter nights a degree or two warmer than the outskirts but summer days can feel stifling — July and August frequently hit 34-36°C with high humidity. Air pollution is marginally worse than Shunyi due to traffic density, but access to indoor venues, high-quality restaurants, and cultural sites make the bad-air-day calculus less acute.
