China Emergency Numbers and Offline Contacts

Save these four emergency numbers

China uses separate emergency numbers: 110 for police, 120 for an ambulance, 119 for fire and 122 for a traffic accident. The China Daily government portal and provincial government English pages list these numbers.

Save all four before travel in a written note, lock-screen note or contact card you can read without data or an app. Keep the table below as a reference.

Check that you can make a voice call

Do not assume that a data-only travel eSIM can place a voice call. Some travel plans provide mobile data but no telephone number or outbound calling, and an inactive or incompatible SIM may not connect the way you expect.

Before travel, confirm that at least one phone in your group has outbound voice service in China. Test it by calling a normal contact, your carrier or your hotel. Never make a test call to 110, 120, 119 or 122.

Keep the phone charged and carry a small power bank so you can make a call when needed.

• Save 110, 120, 119 and 122 on paper or a lock-screen note.
• Keep the phone charged and a power bank available.
• Confirm a real voice-calling path instead of relying on a data-only eSIM.

When you cannot speak Chinese

Do not assume the operator will be able to continue in English. Keep a written help card that you can show to someone nearby; you do not need to pronounce Chinese characters to use it.

For an ambulance, show: 请帮我叫救护车，拨打120。我的位置是：____ ('Please call an ambulance on 120. My location is: ____'). Fill in your current location; use the hotel address only if you are there.

Use the China Rescue Pack below to choose a police, ambulance or fire card, enter a location and save the bilingual card as an image, text or printout before travel. It does not call emergency services or translate a medical history. In an emergency, call or seek nearby help immediately rather than spending time completing the tool.

SMS and non-emergency channels

12110 is a supplementary police SMS channel for situations where speaking is unsafe or impossible, including a hearing or speech difficulty. Public-security instructions vary by place: some regions tell users to address the message to 12110 plus the final three digits of the local telephone area code. Confirm the local format when possible; use 110 by voice when it is safe and possible.

12345 is the general non-emergency government service hotline. Use it for administrative or service problems that are not life-threatening, such as a complaint or a question about a public service. It is not a substitute for 110, 120 or 119 in a real emergency.

For transport-specific problems, 12306 is the national railway customer service line and 95128 is the taxi hotline available in many cities. These resolve booking and transport issues rather than emergencies.

Record your exact location

Save your hotel's name and full address in Chinese, with a nearby landmark or intersection. An operator or responder needs your exact location, so keep details you can read out or show to a helper.

If you are in transit, note the station name or the road you are on in Chinese. A screenshot of your position on a map in Chinese is a practical way to communicate location when you cannot pronounce it.

Keep this location information with your emergency numbers and call script, so everything a helper needs is in one place.

Ask someone nearby to help

When you are ill, injured or overwhelmed, you do not have to handle the call alone. Hotel staff know the property address and may be able to call in Chinese, but English ability and the help available vary by property and shift.

Before you need help, note the hotel front desk number in your phone and keep it beside the emergency numbers. If you are staying in a private rental, identify the nearest hotel or the building management as your first local contact.

A companion who does not speak Chinese can show the bilingual card to staff, point to the service you need and provide your current location. Ask them to help with the call if you are too unwell to manage it.

• Save the hotel front desk number next to the emergency numbers.
• Show the written script to a clerk or passerby if you cannot speak.
• Let a helper note the hospital, time and what was said for your insurance or embassy.

When help arrives

If they are immediately accessible, take your passport, medicine list and insurance details. Do not delay an emergency call or urgent departure while searching for paperwork.

If you are with a companion or hotel staff, ask them to note the hospital name and the time of arrival. This helps if you need to contact your insurance or your embassy later.

For problems that are not emergencies, use the service numbers listed above so emergency lines remain available for urgent calls.