This fall, let's follow Bruce Connolly (photographer) to see the exciting changes in the language environment for international exchanges in Beijing. According to Bruce, 35 years have passed since he began working and living in Beijing in 1987. It's unbelievable how fast time flies. He felt forever young in this city because of the rapid development. Services and living environment for foreign nationals have also been constantly improving here. He hoped to stay in the city to witness its further development and changes.

As a foreigner working in Beijing, Bruce wants to find out how to apply for a Chinese "green card" (permanent residence card). So, he first went to the Daxing District Government Service Center Exit-Entry Sub-center, Beijing's first integrated service center allowing both Chinese and foreigners to apply for multiple permits.

Bruce highly praised the convenient multilingual services there. He was welcomed by friendly, English-speaking staff and clear signs at the service center, and got the information he needed and filed an application all in English. In addition to learning about the process and required material for the "green card" application, he also took beautiful pictures, posted them on WeChat Moments, and got a lot of likes.

(Photo by Bruce)

By documenting Bruce's firsthand experiences, such as inquiry about the "green card" application at the government service hall, physical examination at the hospital, sightseeing in the parks and photoshoot at the airport, the serial short videos "In Beijing" show the city's high-standard, convenient multilingual services in fields like government affairs services, health care, culture and tourism, and transportation after the implementation of the Regulations of Beijing Municipality on Improving Language Environment for International Exchanges, presenting Beijing's openness and inclusiveness.