Home, Projects, Photo, About


Essential Apps and tools

  1. Access: Sims & VPNs
  2. Payments: Alipay & WeChat
  3. Navigation: A-map & Baidu
  4. Transportation: Didi, Trip, Railway12306, & Alipay 
  5. Accommodations: Trip.com

Extras

  1. Food Delivery: Meituan takeout
  2. Coupons: Meituan
  3. Luggage forwarding and delivery: Jindong
  4. Ride-sharing: Shunfengche


Etiquette and observatons

  1. Dining
  2. Noise Levels
Access

Sims and E-sims

While it’s probably possible to travel in China without a phone number, things will be a lot easier with one. There are a myriad of options out there, but due to limited English abilities in even major cities, airport kiosks might be a good option as an efficient option. 

I use China Mobile and its prices are reasonable; there are many locations across China and a very simple English version of the app to track usage or top up. 

I’d still recommend having an E-sim upon arrival as a backup. MobiMatter has much more competitive packages and prices compared to the very popular Airalo.


VPNs

Having a VPN is essential in China. I use LetsVPN across two devices and have had minimal issues; you can also check Reddit for the latest on what everyone is using.
© Tracy Xie 2025IndexScroll to top