"Thank you for your efficient and professional answers to my questions. Your service has demonstrated an extremely high level of professionalism, and I believe my family and I will have a wonderful time here."

The International Web Portal of Beijing recently received this thank-you email from a user in Spain, who thanked the 12345 Online team for its quick assistance in obtaining an eSIM card before the trip to Beijing. Launched by the web portal, the multilingual 12345 Online is currently China's only platform that handles foreign-related inquiries, requests and complaints in 10 languages. Messages from foreign users are directly forwarded to Beijing's "Swift Response to Public Complaints" system, forming a closed-loop for rapid response.

And this is just part of the one-stop, full-cycle online services provided by this web portal. As a globally-oriented platform for releasing official information and providing public services, the portal consistently supports the development of Beijing into a center of international exchanges. Integrating information dissemination, public services, and consultation, it has become a vital channel for people from the rest of the world to discover, understand, and integrate into Beijing.

Supporting 10 languages — English, Korean, Japanese, German, French, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, and Italian — the web portal has recently launched the redesigned "Traveling in Beijing" section. With richer content, easier access to services, and more targeted guidance, it offers global travelers a comprehensive range of reliable and user-friendly online services.

This upgraded section is precisely tailored to the full-spectrum needs of international tourists, including those before entry, upon arrival, during their stay, and before departure. It now features five core columns: "Fancy Events", "Iconic Destinations", "Curated Shopping Choices", "Tasty Offerings", and "Essentials". The section integrates resources across all possible scenarios, including entry visa consultation, transportation guidance, ticketing and reservation for attractions, accommodation recommendations, dining guides, souvenirs, and tax refunds, truly achieving the coverage of phases "from planning to return". Its new design combines elements derived from Beijing's historical and cultural heritage with an international expression, conveying the city's charm through aesthetic design while meeting international tourists' need for efficient access to the city's travel information, thereby making the city easier to explore.

Beyond that, the staff of the web portal continues improving the content in key areas, such as investment, work, daily life, study, and consumption, constantly enriching its content to fully showcase Beijing's urban appeal and strength in development. It systematically presents Beijing's profound historical legacy and abundant cultural resources, highlighting the unique allure of the city's Central Axis and other World Heritage sites, museums, and offerings of performing arts. The web portal also focuses on Beijing's innovation-driven development, including the "Three Cities and One Area" (Zhongguancun Science City, the Huairou Science City, the Future Science City, and the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area) and major industrial clusters, providing timely updates on sci-tech achievements as well as industrial trends. It offers authoritative data and policy interpretation on topics such as the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the improvement of the business environment. The "My Story in Beijing" section is also a highlight, which tells the real-life experiences of foreign diplomatic envoys, key figures of foreign-invested companies, international talents, and overseas students, conveying the warmth of the city through genuine, heartfelt narratives.

In terms of public services, the web portal has been evolving, with over 20 most-requested, scenario-based integrated services covering ticket booking, medical treatment, and business registration. These are supported by more than 330 user-friendly service guides and over 50 reservation services. With the "Policy Toolkit", users can find key policies on investment, taxation, and industries, among others. The "How Beijing" video series adopts straightforward and easy-to-understand visual content to transform service processes such as those of document applications, trips by public transportation means, and medical registration into clear, accessible visual guides. Regarding the thoughtful services of the web portal, Sekar Gandhawangi, a journalist from Indonesia's newspaper Kompas, remarked that she was deeply impressed, noting that with this website, foreigners in Beijing can easily access all kinds of information they need without having to visit offline agencies — making the daily life here much easier.

"BeijingService", a WeChat account developed alongside the web portal, publishes practical public service information every day, including the latest policies, service guides, and public service information. It also integrates online service portals for everyday life in Beijing, such as those for park ticket booking and hospital registration. The English digital map of Beijing can also be accessed here. The WeChat account is aimed at providing more and timelier digital convenience for expatriates living in the capital. It has also become known as China's first official English-language platform for releasing early warnings, affectionately referred to by expats in Beijing as the "Essential Guide to Living in Beijing".

(Source: CRI Online)