China Travel Guide — Essential Apps for Tourists

Why You Need It

Dianping is China's most trusted restaurant review platform with over 150 million monthly users. It shows real ratings, dish photos, and customer reviews for virtually every restaurant in the country — including hidden local spots that don't appear on Google or TripAdvisor. For tourists, it's the difference between eating at a tourist-trap and finding the best bowl of noodles on the block. Group-buy coupons can save you 30–50% off meals at top-rated restaurants.

ℹ

The easiest way to use Dianping without full setup is through the WeChat mini-program. Search "大众点评" in WeChat's Discover → Mini Programs, then tap the three-dot menu to translate the page into English.

Installation

1
Download Dianping
Search '大众点评' or 'Dianping' in the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). The app is about 300MB. Download before arriving in China.
2
Register with your phone number
Open the app → tap 我的 (Me) at the bottom right → select your country code → enter your international phone number (no + prefix needed) → verify with the SMS code.
3
Alternatively, log in with WeChat
If SMS registration fails, tap the WeChat login button. This works reliably as long as you've already set up WeChat and completed passport verification there.
4
Switch language
Tap Profile → Settings → Language → select English. Alternatively, use iOS's built-in translate (long-press text) or the WeChat mini-program translate feature for full-page English.
5
Link a payment method
Go to Wallet settings and link Alipay or WeChat Pay. Direct foreign credit cards are not accepted — go through one of these two wallets.

Finding Restaurants

1
Tap Nearby or search
Tap 附近 (Nearby) for top-ranked restaurants close to you. Or type in English — 'dumpling', 'hot pot', 'BBQ' — Dianping understands common English food terms.
2
Filter results
Use filters to narrow by price range (¥–¥¥¥), cuisine type, distance, and minimum star rating. Stick to 4.0+ stars with 100+ reviews for reliable quality.
3
Check photos and reviews
Browse customer dish photos — they show exactly what food looks like. Look for 推荐菜 (Recommended Dishes) for the restaurant's best items.
4
Check current wait time
Look for 当前等位 (current queue) info on the restaurant page to see live wait times before heading over.

Group-Buy Deals (团购)

1
Find a coupon
On the restaurant page, tap the 代金券 (voucher) or 团购 (group buy) section. These offer prepaid meal credits at a discount, e.g. pay ¥45 for a ¥50 credit.
2
Purchase with Alipay or WeChat Pay
Buy the coupon in-app. It saves to your account immediately.
3
Redeem at the restaurant
When paying, open Dianping → My Coupons → show the QR code to the cashier. The discount applies automatically.

Usage Tips

Remote queueing: Tap 订座 (book a table) to reserve by date, time, and party size. For popular restaurants during peak hours, book before you leave your hotel.
Screenshot the menu: Take a screenshot of the menu with prices on the restaurant's Dianping page. Use it at the table to prevent price discrepancies.
Avoid below 3.5 stars: Anything under 3.5 stars on Dianping (out of 5) is genuinely poor — the platform's users are experienced and the ratings are reliable.
Recent reviews matter: Filter by "Most Recent" to catch any quality changes since the last peak review period.
Search hashtags: Tap search and try #避雷 (avoid, literally "lightning rod") for crowd-sourced warnings about bad restaurants, or #种草 (recommend) for positive picks.

Troubleshooting

SMS registration failed? Try the WeChat OAuth login — it works around 95% of the time for foreign users who already have WeChat set up with passport verification.

Can't pay in-app? Dianping requires Alipay or WeChat Pay — direct international cards don't work. Make sure at least one of these is set up with a linked foreign card before trying to buy coupons.