If you need emergency help in mainland China, call 110 for police, 119 for fire, 120 for an ambulance, or 122 for a traffic accident. These are separate services, so choose the number that matches the immediate danger. If an incident needs more than one service, you may need to place more than one call.
Save the four numbers before your trip. In an emergency, your first useful sentence is not a long explanation. It is your exact location.
Mainland China only: This guide does not cover Hong Kong, Macao, or Taiwan, which use different emergency systems.
Quick reference: which number should you call?
| Situation | Call | Say first |
|---|---|---|
| Crime, immediate personal danger, or police assistance | 110 | Your location and what is happening |
| Fire, smoke, or someone trapped by a fire | 119 | The address, what is burning, and whether anyone is trapped |
| Serious illness or injury requiring an ambulance | 120 | The location, the patient’s condition, and a callback number |
| Road traffic accident | 122 | The road or landmark, direction of travel, vehicles involved, and injuries |
China’s National Health Commission lists these four mainland emergency numbers, and Beijing’s official visitor guidance describes them as nationwide emergency services. The shortest way to remember them is 110 police, 119 fire, 120 ambulance, 122 traffic accident. (National Health Commission; Beijing municipal guidance)
Choose the service that matches the immediate problem
Call 110 when you need the police: for example, an assault, theft in progress, a serious threat, or another situation that requires law-enforcement help. If your phone has been stolen rather than merely misplaced, the steps in our lost or stolen phone guide will help after the immediate danger has passed.
Call 119 for a fire or a fire-related rescue. Tell the dispatcher what is burning and whether anyone is trapped. Leave the area if it is unsafe; do not delay evacuation to make a more detailed call.
Call 120 when someone needs an ambulance or urgent medical help. For illness and medical-care planning outside an immediate emergency, see what to do if you get sick in China.
Call 122 for a road traffic accident. Give the road name, nearby intersection or landmark, direction of travel, and whether anyone is injured. If there is also a fire or an urgent medical need, call the matching service as well rather than assuming one call will automatically solve every part of the incident.
What to say first on an emergency call
You do not need a polished explanation. Give the dispatcher the useful details in this order:
- Give your location. Read the Chinese address from your hotel card, map app, booking confirmation, or a nearby sign. Add a recognizable entrance, shop, metro exit, hotel, or intersection.
- Say what happened. Keep it concrete: fire, traffic crash, serious injury, theft, assault, or a person who is unconscious.
- Report immediate danger. Say whether someone is injured, trapped, bleeding, or unable to breathe.
- Give your name and callback number. Stay on the line unless remaining there puts you in danger.
- Arrange a meeting point. If the entrance is difficult to find, ask a nearby person or hotel employee to meet responders outside.
Shanghai’s official emergency guidance uses the same practical sequence: location, incident, injuries, caller details, and someone meeting responders when necessary. Shanghai also advertises local foreign-language support, but that city-specific service should not be treated as a promise that every dispatcher in China will speak English. (Shanghai municipal guidance)
If you do not speak Chinese
Ask, “English?” at the beginning of the call, but do not depend on an English-speaking dispatcher being available everywhere. Your most reliable fallback is a nearby Chinese speaker.
At a hotel, restaurant, attraction, station, or shopping center, hand your phone to an employee and point to the number you need. On the street, show a bystander a short written request and your location in Chinese. A prepared message is much quicker to use than composing one during the emergency.
Save this message as a screenshot:
我不会说中文。请帮我拨打紧急电话。
I do not speak Chinese. Please help me make an emergency call.
Also keep the Chinese-language name and address of your hotel in your phone and on paper. A map pin is useful, but written Chinese gives a helper or dispatcher something they can read aloud. Our guide to traveling in China without speaking Chinese covers more everyday communication preparation.
If nobody nearby can help, state the number and location slowly, repeat the landmark, and keep the line open. Do not spend valuable time searching for an unofficial alternate number.
When should you contact the U.S. embassy or a consulate?
For an active medical, fire, crime, or traffic emergency, contact local emergency services first. The U.S. Department of State gives the same instruction: local authorities are the immediate responders for medical and law-enforcement emergencies abroad. (Help abroad; Crisis response)
After the immediate danger is under control, U.S. consular staff may be able to:
- help replace a lost or stolen U.S. passport;
- contact family or friends with your permission;
- provide information about local medical care and financial assistance options; or
- provide a list of local attorneys.
They cannot investigate a crime, provide legal advice, serve as your interpreter, or pay your medical, legal, or other bills. (U.S. citizen victims of crime)
Use the current contact information for the U.S. embassy or the consulate serving your location. If you cannot reach the appropriate post, the State Department lists +1 202-501-4444 for callers outside the United States. If your passport is missing, follow our lost passport in China guide once you are safe.
Prepare a one-screen emergency card before departure
Put the following information in a single note or screenshot that works without internet access:
- 110 Police / 警察
- 119 Fire / 火警
- 120 Ambulance / 救护车
- 122 Traffic accident / 交通事故
- your hotel name and full address in Chinese;
- your insurance assistance number;
- your emergency contact at home;
- your passport number and a secure backup-copy location; and
- the current U.S. embassy or consulate contact for your route.
Keep a paper copy in a separate bag. That paper copy still works if your phone is dead, damaged, or missing. For wider preparation beyond phone numbers, use our China safety guide for tourists.
Frequently asked questions
Is 911 the emergency number in China?
No. In mainland China, use 110 for police, 119 for fire, 120 for an ambulance, and 122 for a traffic accident. Do not wait until an emergency to look them up.
Can I call one number for every emergency?
The official system assigns different numbers to different services. Start with the service that matches the immediate danger. If a situation clearly needs police, fire, and medical help, place the additional calls rather than assuming all services have been requested.
Will the dispatcher speak English?
Do not assume so. Some cities advertise foreign-language support, but availability is not uniform nationwide. Ask for English, then use a nearby hotel employee, station worker, shop employee, or other Chinese speaker as your practical fallback.
What if I cannot describe where I am?
Show someone your map pin, Chinese hotel address, metro exit, intersection, or nearby business name. Location comes before a detailed story. Saving your accommodation address in Chinese before you go out is one of the simplest ways to prepare.
Should I call the U.S. embassy instead of Chinese emergency services?
No. Call the appropriate local emergency service first when immediate help is needed. Contact the embassy or consulate afterward for the types of consular assistance it can legally provide.
About the author
This guide was created by Simon.C for LOCLYX to help U.S. travelers plan and navigate trips to China.