About Shane Yang and Hidden Beijing
Hidden Beijing exists to explain this city from a local point of view, with practical detail and enough honesty to be genuinely useful.
Why I Built This
My name is Shane Yang. I am from Hanzhong in Shaanxi, China. Until the end of high school, I had barely been outside Hanzhong. Then I studied in Xi'an, moved to Beijing for work, and have now spent the past 10 years building my life here.
Today I work as an algorithm engineer at TikTok. The schedule is intense, usually 10 AM to 10 PM, which is exactly why I understand a certain kind of traveler very well: people with limited time, limited patience, and very little interest in vague travel writing.
I built Hidden Beijing for two reasons. First, I wanted to introduce Beijing from a local point of view and give travelers information that feels real, dependable, and specific enough to act on. Second, I hope this site can create chances to explore this beautiful place together instead of leaving people with a cold checklist and no human help behind it.
What I Want This Site to Be
A practical guide first
The site should help people solve real Beijing travel problems like payments, apps, neighborhoods, routes, and local logistics before anything else.
Local, not generic
I want the recommendations to feel lived-in and specific, not like a summary written from other summaries.
A bridge to real exploration
Sometimes the right next step is just a better article. Sometimes it is a direct conversation. Sometimes it is going out and exploring Beijing together.
My Background
Shane Yang
Algorithm Engineer at TikTok
- Originally from Hanzhong, Shaanxi
- Studied in Xi'an
- Have lived and worked in Beijing for 10 years
- Currently work as an Algorithm Engineer at TikTok
What Hidden Beijing Is For
- Help travelers discover Beijing from a local point of view, with information that feels real, specific, and dependable.
- Create chances to explore this beautiful city together instead of treating travel as a checklist.
If you want a more grounded view of Beijing, or need help turning questions into a real plan, reach out directly.
Contact Shane