One Call, One Night: Foreign Travelers Are Using China's 12345 Hotline to Get Cities Fixed
Foreign travelers in China are dialing 12345 — the free government hotline that fixed a damaged manhole overnight for Australian vlogger Andre. China Travel tip: one call, real action.
Key takeaway
Foreign visitors in China are discovering 12345, the free government service hotline. Australian vlogger Andre Longginou reported a damaged manhole cover in Sichuan — the call was answered in about 30 seconds, workers arrived within hours, and the manhole was fixed overnight. In Chongqing, an English-speaking operator coordinated a loose steel plate repair in 7 hours. The hotline is free, 24/7, and increasingly the travel hack foreigners share online.
Full report
Traveling in China, there's a new experience foreigners keep talking about — and it doesn't cost a thing. It's a phone number: 12345.
Australian vlogger Andre Longginou made the rounds online after spotting a wobbly manhole cover in Sichuan. He called 12345, China's government service hotline. The call was answered in about 30 seconds. Workers arrived to inspect the pit within hours. By the next morning, the manhole was fixed. "This is absolutely mind-blowing," he said on camera. (CGTN, Oct 7, 2026)
What is 12345?
12345 is China's unified, free government service hotline — available 24/7, staffed by real operators, and designed for non-emergency requests: inquiries, suggestions, complaints and help. Every call is logged as a work order, routed to the responsible department, and followed up.
For foreign travelers it doubles as an unexpected travel tool: instead of walking past a hazard and hoping someone else reports it, you can trigger a real response with one call.
English-speaking operators: the 7-hour Chongqing fix
What surprised international visitors most is that the line can work in English. In March 2026, Longginou found a loose steel plate creating a safety hazard on a street in Chongqing. He called 12345, the operator answered in English and coordinated with local authorities — the plate was fixed within seven hours. (CGTN, Jun 23, 2026)
In Chengdu, he used the same number to report piles of rubbish hidden in a park; crews cleared it within hours.
The numbers behind the speed
This isn't a one-off. Beijing's 12345 reform, now in its seventh year, pushed the city's resolution rate from 53.1% to 97.3% and satisfaction from 64.6% to 97.7%. (CGTN, Oct 13, 2026) In October 2026, Beijing hosted an international forum on urban governance built around the hotline — a working example of a megacity that listens.
How to use it as a traveler
- Dial 12345 (add the area code of the city you're in if you're traveling outside your local area).
- Explain what you found: location, what's damaged, what the risk is.
- Operators in big cities can handle basic English; in smaller cities, a translation app helps.
- Use it for non-emergency issues only. For emergencies, call 110 (police) or 120 (ambulance).
It might be the best-value service you experience on a China trip: free, effective, and it leaves the city slightly better than you found it.
Planning a China trip? Browse city guides and practical travel tips at chinapie.ai.
What to do next
If you spot a safety hazard or city-service issue while traveling in China — a damaged manhole, loose road plate, broken streetlight — call 12345 (add the city area code if you're outside your local city). Operators in major cities can handle basic English. It's free and works for non-emergency issues; call 110 for emergencies.
What may vary
English-speaking operators are more common in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing; in smaller cities you may need a Mandarin-speaking friend or translation app. Response times vary, but the Sichuan case above took about 30 seconds to connect and under a day to fix.