Tips

1 · Payments — Alipay Tour Pass / WeChat Pay

China is functionally cashless. Restaurants, taxis, even temples take QR-code payments only. Foreign Visa/Mastercard works at most hotels and some malls but is useless for street food, taxis, museums, etc.

• Alipay is the easiest for tourists. Download before you fly — the App Store works, the in-China download often doesn't.
• Set up Tour Pass inside Alipay. It's a virtual prepaid card linked to your foreign Visa/Mastercard. Top up €100-300 to start.
• WeChat Pay also works for foreigners now (since 2024). Same idea — link a foreign card. Slight back-up to Alipay; some merchants only take one.
• Carry a small amount of cash (¥500-1000) for the rare merchant who doesn't take QR.
• ATMs at airports and Bank of China branches accept foreign cards. Get cash on day one.

2 · Internet — VPN + eSIM

The Great Firewall blocks Google (everything: Gmail, Maps, Drive, YouTube), Instagram, Facebook, X, WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, NYT, BBC, etc. Plan as if those do not exist.

• Get a VPN before you fly. Inside China, downloading a VPN is blocked. Recommended: ExpressVPN, Astrill, or Mullvad (the last one is the most paranoid-friendly). Install on phone and laptop, test it works, pay for at least 2 months.
• VPN reliability degrades around politically sensitive dates (Oct 1 National Day already past your window, but check). Have 2 VPNs installed in case one stops working.
• eSIM: Airalo, Holafly, Nomad all sell China eSIMs. Some route through Hong Kong which means no Firewall — Holafly and 3HK roaming are the best for unblocked internet without VPN. Worth ~€30-40 for the trip.
• Hong Kong has open internet — use those 3 days to back things up.

3 · Mandatory applications for the comrade's terminal

• Alipay + WeChat — payments, taxis, restaurants menus, scanning anything
• Trip.com — flights, trains, hotels in English
• DiDi — China's Uber. The English version works on foreign phones.
• Apple Maps or Maps.me (offline) — Google Maps does not work even with VPN inside China for actual navigation. Apple Maps works but locations are slightly offset due to the GCJ-02 datum. Maps.me + downloaded offline maps are reliable.
• Pleco — best Chinese-English dictionary, works offline
• Google Translate — download Chinese offline pack before flying. Camera mode for menus is a lifesaver.
• Microsoft Translator — back-up to Google. Has live conversation mode.

4 · Communications with the populace

• Outside HK and tourist hotels, very little English. Be ready to point and translate.
• Pinyin is your friend. "Wǒ yào zhège" = "I want this one" + point. Gets you 80% of the way.
• Have your hotel name in Chinese characters saved in screenshots — taxi drivers can't read pinyin.
• Restaurants: photograph the menu, run it through Pleco or Google Translate camera.

5 · Photography — discretion regarding State installations

• Don't photograph: military installations, police, government buildings (anything with a guard), railway/subway facilities (officially banned, mostly tolerated), border crossings.
• This trip's risky pins: Marco Polo Bridge memorial is fine; Project 131, Underground City, 816 Nuclear Plant, Heicheng Ruins, Yumen are all OK as they're official tourist sites. Skip photographing inside any active military zone if you stumble on one.
• If a uniformed person asks to see your photos, show them and delete what they say to delete. Don't escalate.
• The KWC Park exhibit and Datong walls and museum interiors are all fine.

6 · Health and procedural welfare

• Tap water is not potable. Hotels provide a kettle — boil it or buy bottles.
• Carry hand sanitizer and tissue packets — many public toilets have neither.
• Air quality in Beijing can spike in October (heating season starts Nov 15 but smog comes earlier some years). N95 masks are useful, sold cheaply locally.
• Travel insurance: get one that covers China and HK separately.
• Pharmacies are common, no prescription needed for most basics. Bring any specific meds with original packaging + prescription.

7 · Reservations requiring early action

• Obscura, Fu He Hui: book 4-8 weeks ahead via their official channels (WeChat or Klook).
• Quarry Hotel (InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland): book 6+ weeks ahead. Lake-view rooms sell out first.
• Forbidden City: tickets sold online only, 7 days in advance, daily cap. Book exactly 7 days before via the official mini-program in WeChat or via Trip.com.
• Mogao Caves (if you detour): Type-A tickets release 30 days ahead, sell out in hours. Type-B (emergency) sold day-of.
• Pingyao guesthouses: stay inside the walled city. The cluster off South Main Street is best.
• Tianducheng / Thames Town: no booking needed, just show up.

8 · Currency and gratuities

• No tipping culture. Don't tip taxi drivers, don't tip restaurants, don't tip housekeeping. Western hotels in Beijing/Shanghai sometimes expect it from foreigners — ignore.
• 10% service charge is added at upscale restaurants automatically.
• Bargaining: only at markets and Dafen. Fixed prices in restaurants and shops.

9 · Conveniences of the people's infrastructure

• HSR is comfortable, on time, clean. You'll wonder why your country can't do this.
• Taxis via DiDi are cheap (¥20-40 typical).
• Public bathrooms are free and ubiquitous in tourist areas.
• Most museums are free with passport ID. Show up, queue, get in.

10 · Bearing and conduct

• People are friendlier than the internet says, especially outside Beijing/Shanghai.
• You will be photographed by strangers. Smile.
• The food is the trip. Don't fill up on hotel breakfasts.