Health Checkups in China: How 体检 Centres Work (2026)

A health checkup (体检, tijian) is one of the simplest things to do on a trip to mainland China. Hospital checkup centres and private chains run efficient morning circuits of blood tests, imaging and examinations, and packages often cost far less than the same tests bought one by one elsewhere — one Shenzhen hospital publishes international-centre packages from ¥8,753 to ¥16,062^[2]. The value depends on choosing tests for a reason and knowing what you will do if a result is abnormal.

How checkups are organised in Chinese hospitals

Most large hospitals run a separate checkup department, usually called:

• 体检中心 (physical examination centre) — the traditional name.
• 健康管理中心 (health management centre) — the newer name at many big hospitals, signalling follow-up and risk management, not just testing.
• 国际医疗部 / 国际医疗中心 (international medical department/centre) — often offers its own checkup packages with English service.

Private checkup chains operate in every big city, often in office districts, and some focus on corporate checkups. Specialist hospitals add their own screening: cancer hospitals run 防癌体检 (cancer screening checkups), heart hospitals offer cardiac evaluations.

A checkup circuit typically passes through:

What international visitors usually choose

• A standard or executive package — see executive health checkup.
• Targeted cancer screening (low-dose chest CT, endoscopy, mammography, HPV tests) — see cancer screening.
• A cardiac evaluation — see cardiac evaluation.
• Dental and eye checks added to the same trip — see dental check-up and optometry.

At the high end, Peking Union Medical College Hospital's international department runs checkups as a short admission of one to three days: a clinician reviews your history, agrees the tests with you, and staff book MRI, CT, endoscopy or PET-CT slots with one-on-one accompaniment^[1]. If something is found, the same hospital can arrange a specialist consultation or admission^[1].

Designations and what matters more

Health management is not one of the categories of the NHC's national medical centres. The NHC's key clinical specialty programme focuses on clinical fields such as cancer, heart and brain disease^[7]. For a checkup, the useful signal is not a title but the hospital behind the centre: a checkup centre inside a large tertiary hospital can refer you straight to its specialists, which matters when a result needs action.

Choosing tests: more is not always better

A Cochrane systematic review of randomised trials found that offering general health checks to adults did not reduce overall, cancer or cardiovascular deaths, and warned they may lead to unnecessary tests and treatment^[3]. Targeted screening of the right people has better evidence. For example, yearly low-dose chest CT reduces lung-cancer deaths in adults aged 50–80 with a significant smoking history, but it also produces false positives and incidental findings^[4]. For PSA testing, the USPSTF advises an individual decision for men aged 55–69 and recommends against routine screening at 70 and over^[5].

Practical rule: ask the centre's doctor to review your package against your age, sex, family history and risk factors, and remove tests with no clear purpose.

Strong cities

Every large city has hospital checkup centres. For international service and English reports, the widest choice is in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Hainan's Boao Lecheng and Sanya combine checkups with a beach stay; Xiamen, Nanjing and Dalian also have listed centres. Browse hospitals offering health checkups.

Two routes and price tiers

Ordinary hospital checkup centre. Book through the hospital's channel (many accept a passport; some online systems require a Chinese ID or +86 number — call or go in person). Fees follow the hospital's published prices; basic medical services at public hospitals follow government-guided prices that apply to all patients^[8]. Reports are usually in Chinese and staff may speak little English. See your first hospital visit without a Chinese ID.

International department or private chain. English-speaking coordinators, bundled packages, English reports, and higher prices. PUMCH's international department states that its services are not covered by China's public insurance, collects a deposit, and bills per item, so your total depends on the tests actually done^[1]. For comparison of tiers, China-Japan Friendship Hospital lists ¥500 for a chief-physician consultation in its international department against ¥50 for an ordinary attending-physician appointment^[9].

Preparing

• Fast as instructed — usually from the previous evening.
• Bring a medicine list and tell the centre about stents, pacemakers or implants, which affect what can be scanned safely^[1].
• Blood thinners and endoscopy: one Hangzhou hospital tells gastroscopy patients to stop aspirin-type drugs a week before; only do this with your own doctor's agreement^[6].
• Sedated endoscopy: hospitals require an accompanying adult and prohibit driving for 24 hours afterwards^[6].
• Bring previous results, so new findings can be compared.
• See planning checklist.

Questions to ask

1. Which tests are in the package, and which would you remove for someone like me?
2. Who reviews the results, and will I talk to that doctor before I leave?
3. When is the report ready, in which language, and can I get raw images (DICOM) and lab values?
4. If something abnormal turns up, can you arrange a specialist the same week, and at what price?
5. Is endoscopy done with sedation, and what do I need to arrange for it?

Risks and follow-up

• False positives and incidental findings are the main risk: a nodule or a raised tumour marker can lead to repeat scans, biopsies and worry^[4].
• Radiation from CT adds up; avoid duplicate scans.
• Overselling — "VIP" packages padded with tests of little value.
• Follow-up at home: bring the report to your own doctor, who decides what to repeat and when. See medical records and follow-up.

Next steps

• Browse hospitals offering health checkups and compare executive checkups and cancer screening.
• Write to a checkup centre with the bilingual inquiry letter tool.
• Use the AI planner to fit a morning checkup and report review into your trip.