Install your core apps
Start with Alipay, WeChat, Amap, DiDi, Trip.com, a translation app, and Pleco. Sign in and update each one before departure.
EssentialBefore arrival
ChengduMemoPlan your visit中国 · Practical digital travel
China Travel
Digital Guide
A visitor-friendly handbook for navigating China's mobile-first everyday life—from payments and transport to local apps, bookings, communication, and help when something goes wrong.
TouristsBusiness travelersStudentsFirst-time visitors
Your quick start
Six things to finish before departure.
Tick them off here. Your progress stays only in this browser.
0/6ready
01
Set up at home
Before You Fly
Complete the essentials while your usual phone number, bank access, and documents are close at hand.
Prepare payment backups
Link an eligible international card to Alipay or WeChat Pay, notify your bank, and carry a second card plus a modest amount of RMB cash.
Essential
Save practical documents
Keep offline copies of your passport, visa, insurance, first hotel confirmation, and the hotel address and telephone number in Chinese.
Offline copy
Plan connectivity
Confirm roaming, eSIM, or local SIM compatibility. Keep your home number reachable if your bank sends one-time verification codes.
Phone
02
A calm arrival
Your First 24 Hours
Use your arrival window to establish connectivity, payments, transport, and accommodation registration.
Connect and test
Activate your chosen mobile service, then test data, calls, messages, map search, and one small mobile payment before leaving the airport or hotel.
Confirm your pickup point
Airports and major railway stations often use numbered ride-hailing zones. Match the floor, gate, and zone shown in DiDi.
Complete accommodation registration
Hotels normally register guests at check-in. When staying outside a hotel, complete the required registration within 24 hours through the available official channel.
Required
Save your base
Favourite your hotel in DiDi and Amap, save its Chinese address, and keep a screenshot available offline.
03
Mobile first, with backups
Payments & Digital Wallets
International visitors can use several payment methods in China. Set up more than one so a single verification issue does not stop your day.
Alipay
Register with an eligible mobile number, complete identity verification when prompted, and link a supported international card.
English interfaceInternational cards
WeChat Pay
Useful as a second wallet and for payments inside WeChat mini programs. Card support and limits depend on the issuer and product terms.
Backup wallet
Bank card and cash
Look for your card network at the cashier or ATM. Keep RMB cash for small vendors, emergencies, and places where your phone cannot connect.
If a card fails
Contact the issuing bank first, check in-app verification, and try a separately issued backup card. Never rely on only one payment route.
04
Stay reachable
SIM, eSIM & Connectivity
Choose based on trip length, the need for a Chinese phone number, device compatibility, and access to your home number.
Local physical SIM
Bring your passport to a China Mobile, China Unicom, or China Telecom service outlet. Ask about data, calls, hotspot use, and plan duration.
Chinese number
Travel eSIM
Fast to activate on supported phones and convenient for shorter trips, but many products are data-only and do not provide a Chinese number.
International roaming
Simple for short or corporate visits and keeps your existing number active, though daily charges can be higher.
Local service alternatives
Some international digital services may be unavailable or perform differently in mainland China. Install local maps, messaging, translation, and booking alternatives before departure.
05
Know what works locally
Internet Access & Local Alternatives
Build a practical toolkit around services designed for mainland China and confirm important access requirements before traveling.
Search and maps
Use Amap or Baidu Maps for current local places and routing. Apple Maps uses local mapping data on supported devices in mainland China.
Messaging and social
WeChat is the main communication platform. Xiaohongshu, Weibo, Douyin, and Bilibili are useful for local discovery and media.
Video and music
Bilibili, Youku, iQIYI, Tencent Video, and NetEase Cloud Music offer locally accessible alternatives.
Work and AI
WPS Office, DeepSeek, Kimi, and other China-based tools can support documents, translation, research, and daily productivity.
06
An official requirement
Accommodation Registration
Know who completes your registration and retain the confirmation when possible.
Hotel stays
The hotel registers you when you present your passport at check-in. Ask the front desk if you need a copy of the registration record.
Private homes and apartments
The traveler or host must complete registration within 24 hours. Online registration is available in participating regions, including Sichuan, or you can seek help from local public security authorities.
Within 24 hours
Moving to a new address
Registration applies to the place where you stay. Confirm the requirement again if you change accommodation.
07
Move with confidence
Transportation & Mobility
Keep the original passport used for bookings and allow extra time at large airports and railway stations.
DiDi ride-hailing
Register with an eligible number, verify the pickup pin carefully, and use in-app translated chat when coordinating with the driver.
English interface
China Railway 12306
The official English website supports foreign-passport registration and ticket services. Carry the original passport used for the booking.
Trip.com
A visitor-friendly alternative for trains, flights, hotels, and transfers, with an English interface and international payment options.
Metro, bus, and bikes
Options vary by city. Use tickets, transport cards, or supported QR codes; check local rules before using shared bikes.
08
Pin the exact place
Maps & Navigation
Chinese names and accurate map pins are often more useful than translated addresses.
Amap · 高德地图
Strong for public transport, walking, driving, live traffic, and local place search. Save important locations and offline resources when available.
Baidu Maps · 百度地图
Detailed local points of interest and indoor mapping. The interface is primarily Chinese.
Apple Maps
A convenient English-language option for iPhone users in mainland China, using locally compliant mapping data.
Address habit
Save the Chinese place name, full address, telephone number, and a screenshot of the map pin. Confirm the complete railway station name.
09
Find and order well
Food, Delivery & Restaurants
Local discovery happens through reviews, mini programs, map listings, and table QR codes.
Meituan · 美团
Restaurant discovery, delivery, local services, and ticketing. A precise Chinese delivery address makes the app much easier to use.
Ele.me · 饿了么
Food delivery accessible through its app and Alipay ecosystem. Hotel staff can help confirm a delivery address.
Dianping · 大众点评
Local ratings, photographs, menus, and restaurant discovery. Compare recent reviews rather than relying on a single score.
Dietary needs
Carry a Chinese-language allergy or dietary card. For table QR menus, use camera translation and confirm important restrictions with staff.
10
Connect locally
Communication & Social Apps
Set up the tools people and businesses use every day, and save your own contact QR code.
WeChat · 微信
Messaging, calls, payments, official accounts, and mini programs. It is widely used for both personal and professional communication.
Xiaohongshu · 小红书
A strong source for recent local recommendations, visual reviews, neighborhoods, food, and travel inspiration.
Baidu Translate and Pleco
Use camera translation for signs and menus, and an offline dictionary for words, characters, and saved phrases.
Douyin and Bilibili
Useful for local video discovery, cultural content, food, attractions, and everyday city life.
11
From malls to delivery lockers
Shopping & E-Commerce
Physical shops are easiest for short visits; online shopping becomes more useful once you have a stable Chinese address.
Taobao and Tmall
Broad marketplaces with Chinese-first interfaces. Card and delivery support depend on the product and account.
JD.com · 京东
Popular for electronics, household goods, and reliable delivery in many cities.
Delivery details
Use a complete Chinese address with building, entrance, room, recipient name, and a reachable number. Ask your hotel whether it accepts parcels.
Tax refund
Eligible overseas visitors may qualify for departure tax refunds at participating stores. Keep receipts and check current official rules.
12
Keep confirmations together
Travel & Booking Services
Make every name match the passport and save confirmations where you can retrieve them without mobile data.
Trip.com
English-language bookings for hotels, trains, flights, attractions, and airport transfers. Enter passport details exactly.
Fliggy · 飞猪
Alibaba's travel platform for flights, hotels, packages, and attraction tickets, integrated with the Alipay ecosystem.
Hotels
Confirm that the property can register international guests, especially for small guesthouses and privately operated accommodation.
Attractions
Recheck opening dates, reservation windows, passport requirements, and ticket-release times shortly before visiting.
13
Useful local tools
AI & Productivity Tools
China-based services can help with translation, documents, local research, and professional collaboration.
DeepSeek
An AI assistant with Chinese and English support for research, drafting, translation, and general productivity.
Kimi
Useful for long documents, summaries, research, and bilingual work. Registration requirements can change.
14
Your compact toolkit
15 Essential Apps
You do not need every app on day one. Prioritize payments, communication, maps, transport, bookings, and translation.
01–05 · Daily essentials
Alipay · WeChat · Amap · DiDi · Trip.com
Start here
06–10 · Food and discovery
Baidu Translate · Meituan · Xiaohongshu · Dianping · Pleco
11–15 · Travel and productivity
China Railway 12306 · Baidu Maps · Ele.me · DeepSeek · WPS Office
15
Save offline
Emergency & Official Resources
Keep essential numbers, your insurer, and your embassy or consulate details available on paper as well as on your phone.
110 · Police
For personal safety incidents, crime, or urgent police assistance.
119 · Fire
For fire and rescue emergencies.
120 · Ambulance
For urgent medical assistance. Ask someone nearby or your hotel to help communicate the exact location when needed.
12345 · Government service hotline
Local public-service assistance; foreign-language availability varies by city.
12367 · Immigration service
National Immigration Administration service support and information for foreigners.
Your embassy and insurer
Save the current emergency contact, lost-passport procedure, policy number, and pre-authorization instructions before departure.
16
Use technology respectfully
Digital Etiquette & Cultural Notes
A little context makes China's fast-moving digital environment feel intuitive rather than overwhelming.
QR codes are everyday infrastructure
They can open menus, payments, tickets, mini programs, lockers, and contact cards. Check the source before entering personal information.
WeChat bridges work and life
It is common to exchange WeChat contacts for business and services. Keep your display name recognizable and communicate clearly.
Mobile payment is convenient, not mandatory
Cash remains legal tender. Keep a backup method while learning how local payment flows work.
Protect personal information
Use official apps and links, review permissions, avoid unknown QR codes, and follow local laws and platform rules.
Ask for human help
Hotel staff, station personnel, and local hosts can often solve an address, ticket, or mini-program problem faster than repeated app attempts.
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