Before Your Departure

Digital infrastructure — set up everything before you leave

Every app must be downloaded, logged into, and tested in your home country. The moment you arrive in China, the App Store is geo-restricted, VPN installation is blocked, and linking foreign cards to payment apps becomes significantly harder. The six things to install — in order — are: VPN → WeChat Pay → Alipay → Amap → DiDi International → Trip.com, followed by translation offline packs. Full setup instructions, installation order, and a pre-departure checklist are in the Essential Apps guide.

eSIM: Buy a Chinese eSIM before you fly (~$15 for 10 GB / 7 days, or ~$40 for 50 GB / 30 days). Set it to activate on your landing day. Carry one home-country SIM for emergency calls and SMS verification only — keep data roaming off.

Getting around

Use DiDi (International app or WeChat mini-program) for all rides — never hail taxis at the curb near airports or stations. Use Amap for all navigation — Google Maps does not function in China. Metro and bus fares are paid via Alipay or WeChat Pay QR codes; no physical card needed. For intercity travel, high-speed rail is the best option under 1,200 km — book via Trip.com at least 15 days ahead, as popular routes sell out fast. Full details for each are in the Transport guide and Essential Apps guide.

Carry a power bank under 20,000 mAh in your carry-on at all times — it cannot go in checked luggage. Your phone is your wallet, map, ticket, and translator simultaneously. A dead battery is total paralysis.

Money

• Cash to carry: ¥500–¥1,000 RMB — sufficient for the small number of places that don’t accept mobile payments
• Currency exchange: best rates are at banks in your home country. Avoid airports and tourist areas — the rates are significantly worse
• Bank cards: one Visa or Mastercard credit card for hotels, major shopping malls, and some restaurants; one debit card for cash withdrawals at ATMs marked with the UnionPay logo (transaction fee applies)
• Tipping: China has no tipping culture. Tipping can embarrass the recipient. Hotels, restaurants, and taxis do not expect tips
• Cost of living: first-tier cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen) are more expensive; second- and third-tier cities are notably cheaper. A fast-food meal runs ¥20–¥30 RMB; a milk tea ¥15–¥25 RMB

Safety

China is one of the safest travel destinations in the world for foreign visitors. Firearms and bladed weapons are tightly regulated; violent crime against tourists is rare. Solo female travelers routinely report feeling safe walking through city centers late at night.

Watch for pickpockets in crowded places — subways, rail stations, scenic sites, and pedestrian streets. Phones and wallets are the primary targets.

Road safety: China drives on the right. Always use marked crossings and observe traffic signals. Electric scooters are ubiquitous, move fast, and frequently ignore signals — take extra care crossing streets.

Emergency numbers:

• Police: 110
• Ambulance: 120
• Fire: 119
• National Immigration Administration (multilingual): 12367

Save the emergency contact number for your country’s embassy or consulate in China before you depart.

Culture and etiquette

Queuing is standard — wait your turn at ticket windows, transit gates, and food counters.

Public behaviour: avoid loud conversations, don’t spit or litter, don’t eat or drink on the subway.

Dining:

• Never stand chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice — it resembles incense offerings for the dead
• Don’t point at people with chopsticks
• Serve yourself from the dish nearest you rather than reaching across shared plates
• Finishing your food is encouraged; waste is noticed

Photography: observe posted signs at scenic sites. Ask permission before photographing people.

Temples and religious sites: dress modestly — no shorts, short skirts, or bare shoulders. Remove hats on entry.

Culture shock — what to expect in the first 48 hours

Jet lag, a language barrier, and unfamiliar surroundings arriving simultaneously is a lot. Some disorientation in the first two days is normal and almost universal — it passes quickly.

Don’t try to see everything on day one. Settle in, walk the immediate neighborhood, buy water, eat a meal, and let your senses adjust. Travel always involves small frustrations — miscommunications, wrong turns, unexpected closures. These are part of the experience, not failures.

Meeting people

Hostels rated 8.5+ on Hostelworld typically run organized social events — hotpot nights, city walking tours, mahjong lessons, group dinners. These are the most reliable way to meet other travelers, particularly on the first full day.

Food tours are the fastest way to connect with other travelers while seeing the city. Book through Meituan, Dianping, or Trip.com.

Language exchange: HelloTalk and Tandem connect you with Chinese users who want to practice English. Many are happy to meet in person, show you around, and introduce local spots that don’t appear in any guide.

WeChat groups: many hostels and cafés have guest WeChat groups. Ask the front desk to add you — they often organize informal meetups.

Packing list

Electronics

• Phone, charger, cables
• Power bank under 20,000 mAh (carry-on only — cannot be checked)
• Headphones
• Universal plug adapter (China uses Type A and Type C; voltage is 220V)
• Camera and memory cards if needed

Clothing

• Shoes: comfortable, waterproof athletic shoes — Chinese cities require significant walking. Add sandals for summer, insulated boots for northern winters
• Clothing by season: summers (June–August) are hot and humid in the south, hot and dry in the north; winters (December–February) are cold and dry in the north, mild and damp in the south
• Rain gear: a lightweight packable rain jacket is more practical than an umbrella, especially in southern China during the wet season (May–September)
• Sun protection: sunscreen, sunglasses, hat — UV exposure is intense in summer

Documents and financial backups

• Original passport (6+ months validity, at least 1 blank page) — full backup rules in the Visas & Entry Documents guide
• 4–6 passport-format photos (white background, 48mm × 33mm, taken within 6 months)
• International credit and debit cards stored separately from each other
• ¥500–¥1,000 RMB cash
• Travel insurance policy (paper and digital copies)
• Hotel and flight confirmations (paper and digital)

Personal care and medications

• Toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, body wash, towel (many hotels no longer provide disposable toiletries)
• Cold medicine, antidiarrheals, fever reducers, bandages, motion sickness pills, antihistamines

Important medication warning: do not bring medications containing ephedrine, morphine, or strychnine — including Contac, Tylenol PM Cold, and compound licorice tablets. These are controlled substances in China and will be confiscated at customs, with possible fines. If you must bring prescription medication, carry the original prescription and product information sheet.

Other practical items

• Small day bag for phone, wallet, and passport
• Reusable insulated water bottle (hotels and restaurants routinely provide hot water)
• Tissues and wet wipes — public restrooms often don’t supply toilet paper

Accommodation

Book through Booking.com, Agoda, or Trip.com — all accept international cards with English support. Stick to international chains (Marriott, Hilton, Ibis, IHG) or well-rated hostels; many domestic budget hotels have inconsistent procedures for registering foreign passports, which is a legal requirement. Present your passport at check-in — the hotel handles police registration on your behalf. Standard check-in is 2:00 PM; checkout is 12:00 PM. Full chain recommendations and short-term rental alternatives are in the Lodging guide.

Food

Delivery: Meituan and Ele.me dominate food delivery. Both accept international cards; typical delivery in 30 minutes.

Choosing restaurants: places full of locals are usually a sign of authentic food and fair prices. Use Dianping for ratings and reviews.

Regional heat levels: Sichuan is spicy and numbing; Cantonese is light and delicate; Jiangsu is sweet and savory; Shandong is salty. If you can’t tolerate spice, say “bù yào là” (不要辣 — “not spicy”) when ordering.

Drinking water: tap water is not potable. Use bottled water or boil tap water in the in-room kettle.

Emergencies

Lost passport

1. Report the loss at the local police station and obtain a written police report
2. Take the report and any passport copy to the local Entry-Exit Administration to apply for a Chinese Exit-Entry Pass (出入境通行证)
3. Contact your country’s embassy or consulate to apply for a replacement passport or temporary travel document
4. The full process typically takes 3–5 business days

Illness or injury

• For minor symptoms: visit a pharmacy — staff are generally helpful with over-the-counter recommendations
• For serious conditions: call 120 for an ambulance or go directly to the nearest hospital
• Contact your travel insurance provider — they coordinate hospital admission and handle claims

Getting lost

• Use Amap with the destination entered in Chinese characters
• Ask younger people for help — most know at least some English
• If all else fails, show a taxi driver the name and address of your hotel on your phone

China is vast and varied — modern megacities alongside quiet ancient towns, some of the world’s great regional cuisines, and natural landscapes that don’t look real until you’re standing in them. Language differences will pose some friction early on, but with the prep done before you land, the practical obstacles are manageable. Most travelers report that the first two days are the hardest and everything after that feels progressively easier.