We’re a British couple who’ve been travelling in and out of China for the last 2 years. During that time, we’ve explored 21 provinces and over 30 cities across the country… but what is life in China actually like as foreigners? How do we travel so much? What’s daily life really like? And after all this time, do we still feel like outsiders? In this video, we take you through a completely normal day in Beijing, living out of suitcases, navigating one of the world’s fastest-changing countries and even a beer with our friends. We’re trying to turn this lifestyle into reality. This is our life in China right now 🇨🇳 May 2026 | Vlog 616 | Beijing, China 21/34 China Provinces
Reanne & Ben take you through a real day in Beijing – errands, jelly cats, bike chaos, a bank win, and beers with friends. Raw, funny, and full of heart.
Forget the tourist trail – this video drops you straight into the real, messy, wonderful life of a foreign couple in Beijing. From hutong breakfasts to near-death bike rides, a bank account triumph and a pub crawl with mates, it's a raw, hilarious, and deeply human look at what it really means to call China a home base.
We’re a British couple who’ve been travelling in and out of China for the last 2 years. During that time, we’ve explored 21 provinces and over 30 cities across the country… but what is life in China actually like as foreigners? How do we travel so much? What’s daily life really like? And after all...
A Normal Day in Beijing: Foreign Vloggers, Bank Accounts & Beer
Ever wondered what it's really like to live in China as a foreigner? This British couple takes you through a completely normal day in Beijing, living out of suitcases and navigating one of the world's fastest-changing countries. With 21 provinces already explored, they share the raw, unfiltered reality of daily life – from high-speed trains to beers with friends. No tourist veneer, just the real China they've come to know.
Attractions in this video: Wangfujing Street, China World Mall, Cctv Tower, Hutong, Communion Bar
Reanne & Ben, a British couple who have been traveling in and out of China for two years, invite you into a completely normal day in Beijing. They’re staying in a hutong hotel, and the day kicks off with a Chinese breakfast and a mission to run errands: get a Chinese bank account working, shop for a limited-edition jelly cat toy for Ben’s cousin, and meet friends for a beer.
Walking through Wangfujing, they reflect on how their lives changed the day they first landed in Beijing two years ago. They share the brutal reality of building a YouTube career – sleeping in hostels, burning through £20,000, and not making a penny for 18 months. It’s a rollercoaster of feast or famine, even now.
At the ICBC bank, they get lucky with a staff member who speaks perfect English, finally activating their online banking and paying in cash. That’s a huge step toward making China their home base. Next, they navigate the city’s chaotic bike lanes, dodging buses and lorries, and even have a strange encounter with a local who asks them to delete footage of him walking past.
They cycle to the China World Mall, grab a coffee at M Stand (56 yuan for two), and talk about why they prefer trains over flights – the 7-hour bullet train to Shenzhen means they can work and film content. The highlight of the evening is meeting their Irish and English friends at Communion bar, where they drink too many beers, share stories, and nearly die on bikes again. The next morning, they wake up to a woman practicing sword exercises outside their window – a perfect slice of authentic local life. This video is a raw, honest, and often hilarious look at what it’s really like to live and travel full-time in China as foreigners.
