The file photo shows the office of the Shanghai Foreign Information Service Hotline. [Photo: sh.eastday.com]
Working or living in a new country can be a difficult experience, especially for partners and families who have to come to terms with setting up home and learning a new culture.
For several years now, Shanghai has been providing free consulting services for expats via a multilingual hotline to help them deal with barriers they face in daily life.
Founded in 2006, the Shanghai Foreign Information Service Hotline has been providing a consultancy, assistance and translation service for tourists, business people and foreigners generally who are living in Shanghai for more than six months.
Le Di, director of the platform, said the hotline aims to help foreigners experience life to the full in China.
"We intend to serve foreigners through guidance and active assistance rather than simply tell them what to do. We will guide them towards fully experiencing life in China and help them be part of the stories they will hear. If they can truly feel the existence of those things, thanks to our guidance, and their experience is perfect, they can fully engage with what's going on around them."
Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the number 962288 not only answers questions on tourism, medical care and business, but also hopes to help solve daily issues such as the whereabouts of the nearest restaurant or how to find a babysitter.
