One of the most difficult things about moving overseas (or moving in general, for that matter) is that you end up losing whatever community you had and you have to start over. Beijing can be an especially difficult place to meet people, make friends and develop new community. People tend to be very busy, it can be difficult to get around the city (especially during peak traffic hours), and most of all it’s hard to find places where other expats hang out. Obviously a lot of expats hang out atSanlitunin the bars or Wudaokou in the clubs, but those aren’t ideal places to meet new friends and find community.

Here are a few different options for finding community in Beijing:

1) Book clubs

There are various book clubs that meet in Beijing, a number of them meet at the Bookworm in Sanlitun south.

2) Pub Quiz

If you’re a brainy type you could make some friends by finding a team that’s short a person and helping them win a prize at one of the pub quizzes around town. Check out Lush in Wudaokou or Paddy O’shea’s on Wednesday nights

3) International Church

The largest weekly gathering of expats in Beijing is at the Beijing International Christian Fellowship, but it can be easy to get lost in the crowd of a big church. The best way to connect it to attend one of the smaller services on Sunday night, or the young adults group on Thursday nights. There are also several other smaller international churches in Beijing. If you live in Shunyi, check out Capital Community Church..

4) International Newcomer’s Network monthly gatherings

The INN has groups that meet monthly in Sanlitun, Lido and Shunyi. They are purely social events meant to help you meet people that live in your neighborhood. Check out their www.innbeijing.org