The huge country where less than 1% speak English but still gets 600k British tourists

A massive country that borders 14 nations and spans five time zones welcomes over half a million British tourists every year - despite only one per cent of the population speaking English. When visiting overseas2, some Brits may fall into the habit of relying on the assumption that the natives will speak English, regardless of whether or not it's the official language.

Chinese is considered a particularly challenging language for Brits to learn due to it having thousands of characters unlike the Latin alphabet and some sounds in Mandarin Chinese are not even present in English. Despite this, hordes of UK tourists every year flock to China to experience its rich culture and history.

In 2019, a whopping 612,213 British tourists visited China. Many visitors are drawn to the stunning landscapes, to taste the incredible food and of course ticking off the Great Wall.

China’s capital Beijing recorded 3.9 million international tourists in 2024, up from only 1.2 million in the previous year. Although the language barrier can pose challenges for non-Chinese speakers to navigate the sprawling city, Beijing is considered a tourist-friendly city that also happens to be relatively cheap.

In February 2025 alone thousands of Brits visited Beijing. Some of the capital’s highlights include the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, hiking the Great Wall and the Mao Zedong Memorial Hall.

The vibrant and bustling city of Shanghai is also a popular tourist destination. Renowned for its iconic skyline.

Shanghai is one of the world's most visited cities and it is easy to see why.

As China's biggest and most developed city Shanghai has lush green spaces, is home to some of the world's tallest skyscrapers and boasts a diverse culinary scene.

China offers a thriving job market and a growing number of opportunities for British professionals. Around 40,000 British people live in China, these people are often drawn to the opportunities and challenges of living in a new country.

Most expats enjoy a high standard of living in the country, with bigger salaries and a better work-life balance than they'd get at home.