Xicheng English Salon

A weekly two-hour conversation group in English, run by the volunteer organiser 北京英语角 (Beijing English Corner). It has been going for years — sessions are numbered, and the current block is #546–556. Free.

Read this before you turn up: it is not a drop-in. You apply by email in advance and are screened, and the organiser asks members to take turns hosting and to say how many sessions a month they can commit to. It is a local study group rather than a visitor meetup, and it is aimed at people who can already hold a conversation in English. If you are in Beijing for a few days, the organiser will probably say no — no hard feelings, that is what it is for.

The listing gives the meeting point only as "near Xisi subway station, Exit D"; the exact spot comes with your confirmation.

Sessions usually pause over the National Day holiday (1–7 October). Apply, and check the current dates, on the Douban event page.