About this site

I've moved countries more times than I can comfortably count: years in the US, then Germany, France, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Australia. Every time, the help that mattered most wasn't official. It came from people who'd just been through it: which bank would actually open an account for a foreigner, which phone plan, which form. Advice from a friend who'd done it last month.

Now I live in China, and I meet visitors who hit the same wall from the other side: the card that won't link, the taxi that won't come, the map that's wrong. This site is my version of that friend.

How I write these guides

• I test things myself in China, and every guide shows the date I last checked it.
• If something changes, I update the guide and mention it in the monthly email.
• I don't recommend VPNs or anything that bends local rules.
• The tools run in your browser. If you subscribe, I keep only your email.

How the site pays for itself

Some links (eSIMs, train and ticket bookings, insurance) are affiliate links: if you buy, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Posts with affiliate links say so at the top. What I use myself is in My China travel kit.

Say hello

Questions, corrections, or something changed since I last checked? Email me at hello@chinaallset.com. I read everything.

Photos: my own, plus free-licence photos from Unsplash, credited under each image.

China All Set is independent and not affiliated with any government agency or official app. Privacy: the site uses no tracking cookies; if you subscribe, your email is stored by our email provider and you can unsubscribe anytime.