Travel Guides

What these guides cover

Traveling in China as a foreigner means dealing with a few systems that work differently from almost anywhere else: entry policies that change often, mobile payments that have largely replaced cash, an internet where Google, WhatsApp, and Instagram don't work without preparation, and an excellent transport network built around Chinese-language apps. These guides cover each of those areas — visa and entry options, mobile payment setup, connectivity (SIM cards, eSIMs, and VPNs), trains and city transport, accommodation rules for foreign guests, food and dining, health care, and emergency contacts — plus the smaller things that catch first-time visitors out, such as hotel registration and shopping tax refunds.

How the guides are verified

Every guide is checked against primary sources — immigration notices, embassy announcements, and operator documentation where official sources exist — and shows a last-verified date so you can judge how current the information is. Fast-moving topics such as visa-free policies are flagged as high-volatility and re-checked more frequently, and when a rule changes, the guide is updated rather than left to age. No guide is published until it has been audited.

Where to start

If you are planning a first trip, begin with the pre-departure checklist, which puts the essentials in order, from documents to apps. Then confirm how you can enter using the visa and entry options guide, and set up mobile payment before you fly — it is the one step most travelers wish they had done earlier. After that, read by travel stage: connectivity and transport before departure, accommodation and food on arrival, and the health and safety guides as reference during your trip. Each guide also stands alone, so if you only need one answer — say, whether your hotel can register foreign guests — you can jump straight to that topic.