Your power bank might not be allowed on domestic flights in China
Since June 2025, power banks without China's 3C mark are banned on domestic flights. Most bought abroad don't have it. What to check and what to do instead.
Read →Hi, I'm David. I've spent years being the new foreigner: in the US for a long stretch, then Germany, France, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Australia. Now I live in China, and this is where I write down what actually works here, tested in person and dated so you know it's current. More about me →
Not sure if you need a visa? Check in 1 minute →
Latest
What's on my phone and in my bag when I travel around China
The eSIM, the payment setup, the apps, and the boring things in the bag that save the day. Plus what I deliberately leave at home.
Read →Can foreigners stay in any hotel in China?
Officially, hotels may no longer turn foreign guests away. In practice a few still hesitate. How to book so there's no surprise at check-in.
Read →Why Alipay won’t take your card, and the fixes that work
Installing Alipay is easy. Linking a foreign card is where most people get stuck, and it’s nearly always one of a handful of fixable things.
Read →Emergency numbers in China, and what to do if you lose your passport
Four numbers, three phrases, the immigration hotline, and the passport-loss steps in order. Screenshot it before you fly.
Read →What the “Chinamaxxing” videos don’t show you
Billions of views of young Westerners trying everyday Chinese life. The setup that happens before they press record, and what to copy.
Read →Trip.com, Booking.com or Agoda for hotels in China?
Which has the most rooms here, which suits a first trip, what goes wrong at check-in, and why Airbnb isn't an option any more.
Read →China’s visa-free deal runs to 31 December 2026. What happens next?
Nothing has been announced for 2027 yet. What happened the last two times, and how I’d plan a trip for early next year.
Read →After IShowSpeed: what to know before you go to Chongqing
Five livestreams, 35 million views, and a mountain city most Westerners couldn’t place on a map is suddenly on everyone’s list. Practical notes before you go.
Read →Will WhatsApp work in China? Roaming eSIM vs a local SIM
Short answer: on a roaming eSIM, usually yes. On hotel Wi-Fi or a Chinese SIM, usually no. How it works, what to buy and when to set it up.
Read →Who can visit China visa-free for 30 days right now
Fifty passports get 30 days without a visa, including the UK, Canada, most of Europe, Australia, Japan and Korea. The US isn't one of them.
Read →China’s visitor numbers for the first half of 2026, and what they mean for your trip
45.91 million foreign entries and exits in six months, up 20.6%. Nearly four in five foreign arrivals came without a visa. Here’s how to read it.
Read →What to pack for China, and what to leave at home
North and south are different trips. Plus plugs, the power bank rule that catches people at airports, medicine, and the small things everyone forgets.
Read →Booking a high-speed train in China: Trip.com or 12306?
Both work in English and both just need your passport. Which one I’d use for a first trip, when to book, and what to expect at the station.
Read →Getting a DiDi without speaking Chinese
You don't need a separate app. Book DiDi inside Alipay in English, pay with the card you've linked, and let the in-app chat translate.
Read →WeChat Pay or Alipay? Set up both, but start with Alipay
Both take foreign cards now. Alipay is easier for visitors and does more in English; WeChat is how everyone here keeps in touch.
Read →The menu is all in Chinese. Now what?
A translate camera, the QR code on the table, and a few phrases get you a long way. For allergies, carry it in writing.
Read →Opening a bank account in China as a student or worker
What the bank will ask for, why one branch says yes when another says no, and how to get it done in one visit.
Read →Do foreigners have to register in China? Usually your hotel does it for you
In a hotel it happens at check-in. Staying with friends, in a homestay or a rental, you register yourself, and since September 2026 you can do it online.
Read →The 240-hour visa-free transit, explained
Up to ten days in China without a visa if you fly on to a third country. The routing rule and airline check-in are where it goes wrong.
Read →Travel insurance for China: what I’d check before buying
If you get sick here, the hospital usually wants a deposit first and your insurer pays later. That changes what matters in a policy.
Read →Cash, tipping and haggling in China: quick answers
Carry a little cash in small notes, don't tip, and only haggle at markets. The short version, with the reasons.
Read →Using the metro in China with your phone (or your card)
Skip the ticket machines. Turn on the city's transit code in Alipay, or in more and more cities just tap your contactless card.
Read →Seeing a doctor in China as a foreigner
International clinic or public hospital? How registration works, what it costs, what to bring, and how to pay without a Chinese bank account.
Read →Sending your salary home from China
It can be done, but bring your paperwork. Bank wires, online services, what the bank will want to see, and why two banks give two answers.
Read →The 13 apps I’d install before flying to China
Five you need, four that help, four that are nice to have. With official links and the mistake people make with each.
Read →