In mainland China, dial 110 for police, 119 for fire, 120 for an ambulance and 122 for a traffic accident; for non-emergency tourist help or a complaint, call the local 12345 government service hotline, which replaced the old national tourism number 12301 by the end of 2021. Use 12345 only for non-emergency help or a tourism complaint.
This guide is for visitors in mainland China. Save the numbers, your hotel address in Chinese, and your embassy or consulate's official contact page before departure.
China emergency and tourist hotline numbers
| Number | Use it for | What to provide |
|---|---|---|
| 110 | Police emergencies, theft, assault, or an immediate security risk | City, exact location, what happened, and whether anyone is hurt |
| 120 | Medical emergencies and an ambulance | Patient's symptoms, exact location, and a callback number |
| 119 | Fire, smoke, gas leak, or rescue at a fire scene | Building or landmark, floor or room if known, and whether anyone is trapped |
| 122 | Traffic accidents and traffic police assistance | Crash location, injuries, vehicles involved, and hazards |
| 12345 | Non-emergency government service, tourism consultation, complaints, or requests for help | Date, location, business or service involved, and supporting evidence |
The Beijing government lists 110, 119, 120, and 122 as nationwide emergency calls. Its 12345 service is a non-emergency channel. Shanghai's current public-service page also lists 110, 119, 120, and 12345. See the official sources at the end of this article.
What is the China tourist hotline number?
There is no longer a separate national tourist hotline. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism integrated the old 12301 number into local 12345 hotlines, so call 12345 in the city you are visiting for tourism help or a complaint. For police, ambulance, fire, or a road accident, dial 110, 120, 119, or 122 instead.
Which China tourist hotline should I call?
- Someone is in immediate danger: call 110, 120, or 119. Use 122 for a road collision.
- You need help with a tourism service but nobody is in immediate danger: call the local 12345 hotline.
- You want to report a tourism complaint online: use the National Cultural and Tourism Market Complaint and Reporting System.
- You found an old page telling you to call 12301: do not rely on it. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism says 12301 was integrated into local 12345 hotlines by the end of 2021.
Do not use 12345 instead of an emergency number. A delayed train, a disputed bill, or a booking problem can go to 12345; a fire, serious injury, assault, or immediate threat needs emergency assistance first.
What to say when you call from China
Emergency operators may not be able to handle a full conversation in English. Keep the call short and make the location easy to repeat:
- Give the city, district, street, building, hotel, or landmark first.
- State the problem and the number of people affected.
- Give the room number, entrance, or floor when relevant.
- Keep the phone available for a callback. Ask a hotel employee, host, station staff member, or local companion to help explain the location.
- Do not guess an address. Show the Chinese address saved in your phone or printed on a card.
A useful preparation is a note with these fields:
- Hotel or accommodation name in Chinese
- Full Chinese address and map pin
- Your room number
- Local contact number, if available
- Passport name and your emergency contact
- Travel insurance assistance number
Only call emergency numbers for real emergencies. If the danger is changing, move to a safe public place if you can do so without increasing the risk.
Medical emergencies: call 120 first when time matters
Call 120 for a serious injury, breathing difficulty, loss of consciousness, severe bleeding, or another urgent medical situation. Give the location before trying to explain every detail.
While waiting:
- Follow the dispatcher's instructions.
- Ask hotel or venue staff to meet the ambulance at the entrance.
- Keep the patient's passport or a photo of the identity page, medication list, allergies, and insurance details available if safe to do so.
- Do not delay emergency care to find an English-speaking clinic.
- For a non-urgent issue, ask your accommodation or insurer for a suitable clinic and confirm opening hours before travelling there.
LocalKey does not publish a universal hospital list here because facilities, departments, phone numbers, and language services can change. Confirm current details with the hospital or your insurer rather than relying on an old directory.
Lost passport or stolen phone
A lost passport is not an emergency number issue unless there is an immediate safety risk. Move somewhere safe, then:
- Ask the hotel, accommodation host, police station, or venue staff to help you locate the appropriate local police office and request a loss report.
- Contact your own embassy or consulate using its official government website. Do not rely on a number copied from a forum or an old travel article.
- If your phone was stolen, change important passwords from a trusted device and suspend payment or SIM services through the relevant provider.
- Keep the police report, passport copy, travel itinerary, and consular instructions together for your insurer and onward travel.
Consular procedures differ by nationality. This article does not make claims about visa, entry, exit, or emergency-document rules; check the official authority for your passport.
Before you leave: a five-minute emergency plan
Independent travelers often save these hotlines before the trip. If you want hotels, trains, and day-by-day support handled for you, start with a private China tour enquiry — LocalKey plans your own China trip and stays with you 7×24 on WeChat or WhatsApp.
- Save 110, 120, 119, 122, and 12345 in your phone with labels you will recognize.
- Screenshot the Chinese name and address of every accommodation.
- Keep an offline note with your passport details, allergies, medication, and emergency contact.
- Save your embassy or consulate's official China page, plus your travel insurer's assistance number.
- Tell a travel companion where the emergency note is stored and keep a paper copy separate from your phone.
For scams, health and the current US and UK advisories, see our China safety overview.
Quick reference
- Police: 110
- Medical emergency / ambulance: 120
- Fire: 119
- Traffic accident: 122
- Non-emergency government and tourism help: local 12345
- Former national tourism number: 12301 was integrated into local 12345; do not treat it as the current national route
Official sources
- Beijing Government: Emergency Numbers — 110, 119, 120, and 122.
- Beijing Government: 12345 Citizen Service Hotline — 12345 as a non-emergency service channel and the emergency-number distinction.
- Shanghai Government: Public service hotlines — current Shanghai listing for 110, 119, 120, and 12345.
- Ministry of Culture and Tourism: National Cultural and Tourism Market Complaint and Reporting System — current online reporting and complaint route.
- China Government: Ministry of Culture and Tourism hotline integration notice — 12301 and 12318 were to be integrated into local 12345 hotlines.
Reviewed 28 September 2026. Emergency numbers and local service arrangements can change; confirm the current official instructions for the city you are visiting.
