Visas, getting online, paying by phone, trains, and the police-registration thing nobody warns you about — the unglamorous half-dozen that make or break week one. Written by people who just fumbled through it, dated, and linked straight to the official source. Notices expire; these stay.
Before you fly & the first 48 hours
Do you even need a visa? The 30-day unilateral exemption, the 240-hour transit rule, and an eligibility checker that reads your passport and trip in seconds.
Google, WhatsApp and Instagram are blocked — but a travel eSIM gives you uncensored data the moment you land. The fix, the alternatives, and when you really need a VPN.
Bind a foreign Visa or Mastercard to Alipay or WeChat Pay, learn where cards and cash still work, dodge the 3% fee — with a "will my card work here?" picker.
The phone apps and real-world facilities that make China easy — Alipay, WeChat, Amap, DiDi, 12306, plus airport e-gates, the metro, eSIM, ATMs and power — with step-by-step scenarios.
Getting around & staying legal
The official rail app works with your passport once you know its quirks: account setup, the 15-day window, the no-paper-ticket rule, seat classes, and sold-out fixes.
Hotels register you automatically; a friend's place or a private rental is on you, within 24 hours. The 2026 online filing, what to bring, and the penalties — with a checker.
Once the basics are sorted, drop into a city board — Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xi'an, Hangzhou or Guilin — for local guides, live notices and meetups.
No guides in that group.
VERIFIED STAMPS & "WORKED RECENTLY" COUNTS ON THIS PAGE · DEMO DATA
Download before you fly · the daily toolkit
Free from any phone — even with no SIM. Operators are Chinese-speaking; ask your hotel front desk, or try the government hotline — English support varies by city.
If a how-to is missing — health & pharmacies, driving, festivals, anything — ask on the board. The most-requested questions become the next verified guides.