Guides
How to Book an Airport Pickup with Didi
Book a Didi from the airport before you land — skip the taxi queue and get picked up at the designated ride-hailing zone.
Read Guide →How to Board a High-Speed Train Using Your E-Ticket and Passport
Board China's high-speed trains using your passport as your ticket — no paper needed. Here's exactly what to do from station entrance to seat.
Read Guide →How to Buy Attraction Tickets and Tours via Trip.com
Buy attraction tickets and guided tours across China on Trip.com — in English, with international card payment and skip-the-queue QR codes.
Read Guide →How to Book Domestic Flights in China via Trip.com
Book domestic flights between Chinese cities on Trip.com — in English, with international card payment and access to all major Chinese airlines.
Read Guide →How to Book Hotels Across China with a Foreign Card via Trip.com
Book hotels anywhere in China on Trip.com using your international credit card — with English listings, real guest reviews, and flexible cancellation options.
Read Guide →How to Book High-Speed Train Tickets with Your Passport
Book high-speed train tickets on China Railway 12306 using your passport — no Chinese ID required, pay with international card.
Read Guide →How to Book High-Speed Train Tickets in English via Trip.com
Book China's high-speed trains in English on Trip.com — easier than 12306 for foreign tourists, with international card payment and English customer support.
Read Guide →How to Buy and Activate an eSIM for China with Airalo
Buy a China eSIM on Airalo before your flight — install it in minutes, activate on arrival, and get data without swapping physical SIM cards.
Read Guide →How to Buy Attraction and Movie Tickets via Meituan
Buy discounted tickets to attractions, theme parks, and cinemas through Meituan — often cheaper than the gate price and with no queue at the entrance.
Read Guide →How to Use an Airalo eSIM to Access Blocked Apps Without a VPN
Use an Airalo eSIM to access Google, Instagram, and WhatsApp in China without a VPN — your traffic routes through foreign networks that bypass the firewall automatically.
Read Guide →How to Change or Cancel a Train Ticket on China Railway 12306
Change your travel date or cancel a train ticket on 12306 — refunds are possible but fees apply depending on how far in advance you cancel.
Read Guide →How to Message and Chat with Locals on WeChat
Add contacts, send messages, and communicate with hotels and locals in China using WeChat — the primary messaging app for daily life.
Read Guide →How to Choose the Right China Data Plan on Airalo
Pick the right Airalo eSIM plan for your China trip — compare data amounts, validity periods, and network providers to avoid running out of data mid-trip.
Read Guide →How to Choose the Right VPN for China Travel
Not all VPNs work in China. Here's how to pick one that actually bypasses the Great Firewall reliably for your trip.
Read Guide →How to Communicate with Your Didi Driver in English
Use Didi's built-in translation and messaging tools to communicate with your driver — even if neither of you speaks the other's language.
Read Guide →How to Set Up a Xiaohongshu Account as a Foreigner
Create a Xiaohongshu account as a foreign tourist — register with your phone number, set up your profile, and start browsing travel and food content.
Read Guide →How to Discover Hidden Gems and Travel Tips on Xiaohongshu
Use Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) to find local travel tips, hidden spots, and practical advice from Chinese travelers who know the places you're visiting.
Read Guide →How to Download Offline Maps in Amap Before Arriving
Download city maps in Amap before you arrive so you can navigate without mobile data — essential for subway stations and areas with poor signal.
Read Guide →Essential Apps for China Travel
The four apps every foreign tourist needs before landing in China — and how to set them up.
Read Guide →How to Filter for Foreigner-Friendly Restaurants on Dianping
Find restaurants in China that welcome foreign tourists — use Dianping filters and signals to spot English menus, international payment, and tourist-friendly service.
Read Guide →How to Find Top-Rated Local Restaurants with Dianping
Use Dianping to find the best local restaurants in any Chinese city — browse real reviews, photos, and ratings from millions of Chinese diners.
Read Guide →How to Find and Book Restaurants with Group-Buy Deals on Meituan
Use Meituan to find top-rated restaurants nearby and buy discounted meal vouchers — often 20–40% cheaper than paying at the door.
Read Guide →How to Find Trendy Restaurants and Cafes on Xiaohongshu
Use Xiaohongshu to discover the most talked-about restaurants and cafes in Chinese cities — find viral spots before they appear on English-language platforms.
Read Guide →How to Find Metro Stations and Plan Subway Routes with Amap
Use Amap to find the nearest metro station, plan your subway route, and know exactly which exit to use — in any Chinese city.
Read Guide →How to Get Group-Buy Discounts at Restaurants with Dianping
Save 20–50% at Chinese restaurants using Dianping's group-buy vouchers — buy a discounted meal package before you arrive and redeem it at the table.
Read Guide →How to Hail a Taxi or Ride-Hailing Car with Didi
Book a Didi ride in China using English — set your pickup, choose your car type, and track your driver in real time.
Read Guide →How to Link an International Card to Alipay
Link your Visa or Mastercard to Alipay before leaving home — the key setup step that makes cashless payments possible across China.
Read Guide →How to Look Up Words with Pleco's Offline Dictionary
Look up Chinese words instantly with Pleco's offline dictionary — type, draw, or paste characters to get full definitions, pronunciation, and example sentences.
Read Guide →How to Navigate Chinese Cities with Amap (Gaode Maps)
Use Amap for walking, transit, and driving directions in China — it works where Google Maps doesn't and covers every city and town.
Read Guide →How to Order Food Delivery to Your Hotel with Meituan
Order food delivery from thousands of restaurants to your hotel room using Meituan — China's dominant delivery platform, with English support.
Read Guide →How to Order Food Delivery via Alipay
Use the Meituan mini-program inside Alipay to order food delivery to your hotel — no Chinese phone number or account needed.
Read Guide →How to Pay for Didi via Alipay or WeChat
Link Alipay or WeChat Pay to Didi so rides are charged automatically — no cash, no fumbling at the end of every trip.
Read Guide →How to Pay at Shops and Restaurants with Alipay
Scan a QR code or show your payment code — how foreign tourists pay at shops, restaurants, and street stalls using Alipay.
Read Guide →How to Pay for a Didi Ride via Alipay
Link Alipay to Didi as your payment method so rides are charged automatically — no cash, no negotiating, no WeChat Pay required.
Read Guide →How to Pay for Metro and Bus with Alipay
Activate a city transit QR code in Alipay to tap through metro turnstiles and bus scanners — no ticket machines, no coins needed.
Read Guide →How to Pay at Shops Using WeChat Pay
Show your WeChat Pay QR code or scan a merchant's code to pay at shops, restaurants, and markets across China.
Read Guide →How to Read Chinese Menus and Food Labels with Pleco
Use Pleco to decode Chinese menus and food labels — scan characters with the camera or draw them by hand to get full definitions and ingredient details.
Read Guide →How to Register Your Passport on China Railway 12306
Register your passport on the 12306 app to unlock train ticket booking — a one-time setup required for all foreign tourists.
Read Guide →How to Search for Restaurants and Attractions by Name in Amap
Search for any restaurant, attraction, or business in Amap using English — find it on the map, get directions, and see opening hours.
Read Guide →How to Set Up a VPN Before Arriving in China
Set up a VPN before you fly to China — you can't download or configure most VPNs once you're inside the Great Firewall.
Read Guide →How to Set Up WeChat Before Arriving in China
Register WeChat and link a foreign card before you fly — account verification is much harder once you're inside China.
Read Guide →How to Have a Conversation with Locals Using Google Translate Voice
Use Google Translate's voice and conversation modes to communicate with locals in real time — speak English, they hear Chinese, and vice versa.
Read Guide →How to Translate Chinese Characters with Pleco's Camera
Use Pleco's camera to instantly translate Chinese characters on signs, menus, and labels — with accurate definitions and pronunciation.
Read Guide →How to Translate Menus and Signs with Google Translate Camera
Point your camera at any Chinese menu or sign and get an instant translation — Google Translate's camera mode works in real time, even offline.
Read Guide →How to Translate Chinese Text Without a VPN Using Baidu Translate
Use Baidu Translate to translate Chinese text without a VPN — it works on Chinese networks where Google Translate may be slow or unavailable.
Read Guide →How to Use Baidu Translate's Camera on Hotel Wi-Fi
Use Baidu Translate's camera to instantly translate Chinese signs, menus, and documents on hotel Wi-Fi — no VPN needed, works faster than Google Translate on Chinese networks.
Read Guide →How to Use an eSIM Instead of a VPN in China
A foreign eSIM routes your data through an overseas network, bypassing China's firewall without needing a VPN — simpler and more reliable for many travelers.
Read Guide →How to Use WeChat Mini-Programs for Bikes, Transit, and Attractions
Access bike-sharing, transit cards, and attraction tickets directly inside WeChat — no separate app downloads needed.
Read Guide →How to Use Google Translate Offline Without Internet
Download the Chinese language pack before your trip so Google Translate works without internet — essential for subway stations and areas with no signal.
Read Guide →How to Use Baidu Translate's Voice Translation to Talk with Locals
Use Baidu Translate's voice and conversation modes to communicate with locals in China — works on Chinese networks without a VPN.
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