5 Medicines You Should Take To The Beijing Language and Culture University

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If you're going to study Chinese at the Beijing Language and Culture University, it would be a good idea to take some basic medicine and other supplies for your first few weeks.

Note that most, if not all, of this stuff can be bought in Beijing and the Wudaokou area (around BLCU) but by having some already with you it will make the first few weeks easier. The last thing you want to do is get ill early on and then have to go searching round shops and using your non-existant Chinese (if you're just starting to learn the language) to find what you need.

In this post I've come up with a very small and basic list of what I consider the most important and obvious items to pack in your medicine bag before leaving to China. I hope it helps!

Anti-diarrhoea - It won't be long before you need to take some diarrhoea relief medicine once you arrive in Beijing. Food standards are just not as high as in the West (or where you're from) and even if you think you have a strong immune system chances are you'll suffer from some diarrhoea early on. This is particularly true if you plan to enjoy some street food, but it can also be the result of eating in restaurants. Tap water is another big cause of diarrhoea - even if you haven't drank any, vegetables can be washed in it and served to you.

Probiotics - These come in pill or powder form and are useful for replacing the good bacteria lost in your gut after having diarrhoea. It is really a very effective way of treating the symptoms and I recommend you get hold of some before coming to BLCU. The popular Yakult drinks are full of probiotics but the sugar content is extremely high, so if you can't get hold of pills you can always pick up some of these instead. I've seen them in Beijing supermarkets during my time there.

Ibuprofen - As everyone knows, these are powerful pain killers and anti-inflammatories that are good for general use. If you're suffering from a fever, sore throat, headache or any other flu symptoms, these are a good place to start. Again, having a pack or two in your medicine bag will just give you some peace of mind and mean you don't need to go out when you're feeling sick to buy some.

Anti-allergy - A lot of people can suffer from allergies in Beijing, particularly during the summer months. I'm assuming it's partly because of the pollen but probably also to do with the poor air quality and pollution, as well as dust and other factors. Having some allergy relief pills will be very useful if you're someone who regularly suffers from hay fever or any other allergic reactions.

Lip balm and moisturiser - Due to the extreme dryness of the Beijing climate, you will soon find your lips and skin extremely dry and cracking. Bring along your favourite creams and chap sticks from home and it will make your first few weeks there much more comfortable. You can always buy replacements after a while. I found the skin on my hands cracking a lot and particularly my lips became very dry - not pleasant at all.

Where to buy

At the start of the post I said you can buy everything I've listed here in Beijing - and you can.

In the U-Centre, which is a big shopping complex in Wudaokou just a 10 minute walk from BLCU, you can find a Watson's pharmacy. It sells most of the Western brands you will need in terms of medicine and toiletries. It's definitely a great place to know about for Western students.

I believe Watsons is on the second of third floor so just take the escalators up and it should be easy to spot. Prices are good and you won't be ripped off - they should be similar to what you pay back home. It's a reputable chain that's all over Hong Kong as well.

Alternatively, there's another Watson's store (or is it a Manning's?) at the Lotus Centre. To get there, follow the road past the U-Centre and under the Wudaokou subway station. Pass the crossroads, continuing in the same direction. On your left you will see the towering Huaqing Jiayuan apartment complex. Keep going to the end of this road.

When you eventually come to the end of the road, on your right and at the corner of an even bigger crossroads is the Lotus Centre. You can access the Watson's or Manning's store (sorry, not sure which one it is!) from outside without actually going into the main shopping centre.

You'll know you're in the right place because on the opposite side of the road is a McDonald's branch and over the crossroads to the west are the towering Microsoft and Cernet buildings. It should be easy enough to find.

So these are your two options for buying western medicines and toiletries in the Wudaokou area and the best place to go for BLCU students.

That's it for this post. I hope you've found it useful and take on board my recommendations before heading off to study Chinese in Beijing. Please share your thoughts on what you consider the most essential medicines and items are for a BLCU student's medicine bag in the comments section below. If you have any further questions, please let me know and I will get back to you with an answer.

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