China Emergency Numbers 2026: Tourist Help Guide

China is not a difficult country to travel in, but an emergency feels harder when you cannot explain the problem, read the address, or understand what the operator is asking. Save the basic numbers before you fly, but do not stop there. The more useful preparation is knowing who should call, what to show, and what details matter in the first five minutes.

This guide is written for foreign visitors who may not speak Chinese. It covers the numbers to save, what each one is for, simple scripts to show people nearby, and the practical backup plan when calling directly is not realistic.

China emergency numbers tourists should save

Save these in your phone contacts before departure:

Need help with	Number	Use it for
Police	110	theft, threats, assault, lost passport report, serious disputes, scams needing police
Fire	119	fire, smoke, trapped people, dangerous gas or fire hazards
Ambulance	120	serious illness, injury, allergic reaction, collapse, chest pain, breathing trouble
Traffic accident	122	road crashes, taxi or scooter accident, traffic police report

If the situation is life-threatening, call the emergency number first, then contact your hotel, travel insurance assistance line, family, or embassy.

The best first move if you do not speak Chinese

In a real emergency, your first goal is not perfect translation. Your first goal is to get a Chinese speaker to call the right number and give your exact location.

Look for one of these people:

• Hotel front desk staff.
• Railway station, airport, or metro staff.
• Police officers or security guards.
• Mall information desk or restaurant manager.
• A young bystander who is willing to use a translation app.

Show this message:

I need emergency help. I do not speak Chinese. Please call the correct emergency number and tell them this location.

我需要紧急帮助。我不会说中文。请帮我拨打正确的急救电话，并告诉他们这里的地址。

If you are injured or panicking, hand over your phone with the message already open. Point to the number if needed: 110, 119, 120, or 122.

What to say or show when calling

Emergency dispatchers need practical facts, not a long story. Prepare this structure:

1. What happened.
2. Where you are.
3. Whether anyone is injured.
4. Your phone number.
5. Your hotel name or landmark.

Show this template:

Emergency type: police / ambulance / fire / traffic accident
Location: ______
Nearby landmark: ______
Injured person: yes / no
My phone number: ______
I am a foreign tourist and I do not speak Chinese.

Chinese version:

紧急情况：报警 / 救护车 / 火警 / 交通事故
地址：______
附近地标：______
是否有人受伤：有 / 没有
我的电话：______
我是外国游客，不会说中文。

Save your hotel address in Chinese before leaving the hotel each day. A hotel address in English is often not enough for emergency dispatch, taxi drivers, or local police stations.

When to call 110 police

Call 110 for police help when there is immediate danger, a crime, a serious public safety issue, or a report that must be documented.

Common tourist cases include:

• Theft or robbery.
• Assault, harassment, or threats.
• Passport lost or stolen.
• A taxi or merchant dispute that has become serious.
• Fraud where you need an official police record.
• You are lost late at night and feel unsafe.

For a lost passport, 110 can direct you to the right police station, but in many cases you still need to file the report at the station covering the district where the loss happened. For the full sequence, use the lost passport in China guide.

Show this if your passport is missing:

My passport is lost. I need to file a police report for my embassy and the Exit-Entry Administration.

我的护照丢了。我需要报案回执，用于联系使领馆和办理出入境手续。

Do not leave your current location if the police ask you to wait. If you must move because you are unsafe, go to a hotel lobby, police station, metro service desk, or other staffed public place.

When to call 120 ambulance

Call 120 for medical emergencies. This includes serious injury, chest pain, breathing difficulty, stroke symptoms, fainting, severe allergic reaction, major bleeding, heatstroke, severe dehydration, or a condition that is getting worse quickly.

For allergy emergencies, do not wait for translation to be perfect. Use your prescribed medicine according to your doctor’s plan, then call 120. See the food allergy in China guide for preparation steps and allergy-card planning.

Show this for medical help:

This is a medical emergency. Please call 120. I need an ambulance to the nearest hospital emergency department.

这是医疗紧急情况。请拨打120。我需要救护车去最近医院的急诊科。

If you are at a hotel, ask the front desk to call. Hotel staff can explain the address, guide the ambulance to the entrance, and write down the hospital name. If you are in a shopping mall, restaurant, train station, airport, or attraction, find staff rather than relying only on bystanders.

Keep these documents accessible:

• Passport.
• Insurance card or policy number.
• Emergency contact.
• Medication list.
• Allergy note.
• Hotel address.

The paid Chinatripbox Kit 2026 and the free China Survival Kit are designed for this exact scenario: showing short Chinese cards when you cannot explain the problem out loud.

When to call 119 fire

Call 119 for fire, smoke, explosions, trapped people, or dangerous gas/fire hazards. In hotels, shopping malls, restaurants, and railway stations, also alert staff immediately. Large buildings in China usually have security teams who know the exits and can coordinate with fire responders.

Show this:

There is a fire or smoke. Please call 119 and help people leave safely.

这里有火灾或烟雾。请拨打119，并帮助大家安全离开。

Do not go back for bags, passport, camera, or laptop. If your passport is left inside a building during a fire evacuation, deal with documents later. Get out first.

When to call 122 traffic police

Call 122 for traffic accidents. If anyone is injured, call 120 first, then 122. This matters for scooter accidents, taxi crashes, ride-hailing incidents, bicycle collisions, and pedestrian accidents.

If you are in a taxi or Didi crash:

1. Check injuries first.
2. Photograph the license plate, driver information, road signs, and damage if safe.
3. Do not stand in traffic to take photos.
4. Ask the driver or bystander to call 122.
5. If you are injured, call 120 and contact your travel insurer as soon as practical.

Show this:

I was involved in a traffic accident. Someone may be injured. Please call 120 and 122.

我遇到了交通事故。可能有人受伤。请拨打120和122。

For general transport preparation, read the China high-speed rail guide and China train station guide.

Payment failure is usually not an emergency

Payment failure feels urgent when you are standing at a restaurant counter or trying to leave a taxi, but it is usually not a 110 issue unless there is a serious dispute, threat, fraud, or you are being physically prevented from leaving.

Use this order:

1. Try another card in Alipay or WeChat Pay.
2. Ask if cash is accepted.
3. Ask whether the merchant can scan your Alipay/WeChat code again.
4. Use a friend, hotel, or travel companion as backup if appropriate.
5. If a dispute escalates, ask the hotel front desk or local police for help.

Show this:

My payment app failed. I am not refusing to pay. Please wait while I try another method.

我的支付软件失败了。我不是不付款。请等一下，我换一种方式支付。

For payment setup, use Alipay for foreigners, WeChat Pay for foreign visitors, and cash in China.

Embassy or consulate: when to contact them

Your embassy is not a replacement for Chinese emergency services. Call local emergency services first if someone is injured, in danger, detained, missing, or the situation is happening now.

Contact your embassy or consulate after the immediate situation is under control for:

• Lost or stolen passport.
• Arrest or detention.
• Hospitalization.
• Serious crime.
• Death of a travel companion.
• Emergency travel document.

Before travel, save your embassy’s emergency contact page offline or in screenshots. Embassy websites may be hard to access quickly if your mobile data, VPN, or browser is not working.

Make an emergency card before your first day out

Create one note on your phone and keep a paper backup in your wallet:

Name:
Nationality:
Passport number:
Hotel name:
Hotel address in Chinese:
Emergency contact:
Travel insurance:
Allergies:
Medical conditions:
Current medicines:

Do not write your full credit card number or passwords in this note. Store only what a hotel, hospital, police officer, or bystander would need to help you.

The safest practical setup

Before leaving your hotel each day:

• Screenshot your hotel name and address in Chinese.
• Keep passport or a passport copy according to the day’s activity requirements.
• Carry a small amount of RMB cash.
• Save 110, 119, 120, and 122.
• Keep your insurance assistance number available offline.
• Make sure translation works without needing a new login or SMS code.
• Open your survival cards once while online so they are ready on your phone.

Most China trips never need emergency numbers. But if you do need them, the difference between a scary hour and a controlled process is preparation: the right number, a Chinese address, a simple script, and a nearby person who can call clearly.

Read next: First 24 Hours in China: Arrival Checklist covers the setup that prevents many emergency situations. What to set up before traveling to China gives you the pre-departure app, payment, data, and document checklist.