Essential Apps and tools
- Access: Sims & VPNs
- Payments: Alipay & WeChat
- Navigation: A-map & Baidu
- Transportation: Didi, Trip, Railway12306, & Alipay
- Accommodations: Trip.com
Extras
- Food Delivery: Meituan takeout
- Coupons: Meituan
- Luggage forwarding and delivery: Jingdong
- Ride-sharing: Shunfengche (WIP)
- Online shopping: Taobao (WIP)
Etiquette and observations
- Dining (WIP)
- Noise Levels (WIP)
Sims and E-sims
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
VPNs
- Payments
Alipay (支付宝)
English version available
- Download the Alipay app and register for an account. You don’t need a phone number for this; an email will suffice.
- Go to “account” → bank cards”, and follow the prompts to link a bank card. You might need to do additional security steps from your card’s end.
- You can now use your linked card on Alipay.
You’ll need to verify your identity via one of these methods when registering. An ID is not necessary to link a card, but you might eventually need to to, in order access other features.
A straightforward bank card flow.
At physical checkouts, larger vendors will usually scan your personal QR code via the “pay/receive” method. Smaller vendors, like local convenience stores, may require you to scan their QR code and manually enter the payment amount.
When checking out online, (like QR ordering while dining in or ordering takeout), you’ll automatically be redirected to an Alipay payment page and enter the passcode you’ve set up.
Under “account”, you can access “payment settings” and set up a few customizable settings. “Payment priority” might be useful if you’re linking multiple cards and have preferences on which one to use as a default.
Under “settings”→”general”, you will find the translation tool. I’d recommend turning this on, since many mini-apps don’t have translations.
For example, if you want to order from Heytea within Alipay, what might be a difficult task without Chinese knowledge is now more manageable.
Alipay and WeChat have almost identical mini app availabilities. I’d recommend using Alipay simply because of the translations feature.
The translation tool is similar to AssistiveTouch and sticks to screen wherever you are in the app.
For example, if you wanted to order a drink from Heytea ahead of time at a shopping mall, you can now translate the mini app.
WeChat (微信)
- Download the WeChat app and register an account. You do need a phone number (can be an international one). The registration process is lengthier, so leave some time to set it up.
- Go to “me” → “pay and services”→”wallet”→”bank cards”, and you can link a bank card. You might need to do additional security steps on your bank card’s end and additional forms of identity verification (e.g. passport info).
- You can now use your linked card on WeChat.
You can access both the scan and QR code payment methods from the home screen or under “me”->“pay and services”->”money”. How you’d make a payment is exactly the same as Alipay.
It’s also very popular for locals to transfer money to each other from within a chat (see image). This isn’t possible with an international bank card, so if someone requests this, ask for their QR code instead. You can, however, receive a balance, so if you have family or friends in China, you can ask them to transfer you money this way and you will subsequently have a balance to use.
Access QR code from the pay and services page, or more conveniently from the home screen (where all your chats are).
The “transfer” method within a chat only works if you have a balance, and that requires a local bank account or if someone local transfers you money.
You can arrange priority of payment methods just like Alipay under the “money” tab.
- Navigation
A-map (高德地图）
This is my navigation app of choice. I usually use the Chinese version, but the English version is pretty good; you generally don’t need the address written in Chinese to find your way, and it’s actually a cleaner experience since the Chinese version has some distracting ads and features.
A-Map is intuitive and has stellar public transport information across the country.
Detailed instructions for public transportation.
You can also hail a car directly from the app (I have not personally done this, but many people use it since it can be cheaper than DiDi).
Baidu (百度地图）
DiDi (滴滴）
English version available
The English version has noticeably fewer features than its Chinese counterpart, including the very useful “hitch-hiking” option that can include options which are half the price.
DiDi is available as a “mini-app” both within WeChat and Alipay, but you can download it separately as well.
How-to
- Enter the DiDi mini-app via WeChat or Alipay.
- You’ll need a phone number. A mainland number is better, but you can also enter an international one. A verification code is required, so make sure to do this while you have access to SMS when registering.
- You can now hail a car! It’s very intuitive, but make sure to enter clear addresses for both the starting and ending points rather than relying on the pinned location, especially if there’s a language barrier.
- You’ll see a few options with different prices. Just pick the one(s) within your budget.
- You might need the last four digits of your phone number for your driver when you enter the car. Have that handy especially if you haven’t memorized your new Chinese number.
The English version of DiDi is similar to other ride-hailing apps.
Choose the ride of your choice.
The Chinese version has more ride options, but the price differences only vary more significantly if the distance of the ride is longer.
Trip.com
You might not be able to check in and choose your seat online unless you access the mini-apps though; I haven’t found that to be a big deal. Airport counters have usually been pretty efficient.
Railway12306 & Trip.com
Note that when traveling long distances, high-speed rail tickets might sometimes be more expensive than airfare.
You can buy train tickets on Trip.com as well. I personally have not tried it, but it appears to have the basic functionalities within reasonable price ranges.
Alipay (支付宝）
How-to
- Tap the “transport” tab on the homepage. If you have your location services turned on, it should already show your current city. You can also select locations manually.
- Tap “get now” to either obtain a metro or bus pass. If you haven’t entered your passport info when you registered for Alipay, you’ll need to do so now.
- You’ll receive a QR code to enter and exit the metro or buses. Accompany this with A-map and you can take public transit easily.
Access this feature via the “transport” tab.
The availability of transport cards will depend on which modes of public transport are available in each city.
Receive a QR code after entering passport info.
WeChat & Alipay
There isn’t a Chinese version, but there may be screen translators to make this app usable if language is an issue; hotel staff will also be able to help. Below are some general guidelines to get started, but it will likely be a tad challenging without some Chinese knowledge.
Meituan Takeout (美团外卖）
To sign up for Meituan, you might need your passport to verify your identity. A local phone number is useful for Meituan, but there’s a messaging feature in the app that allows you to contact a business or your delivery person, if absolutely necessary. You can also put down your hotel’s phone number.
Categories
Food options range from coffee to 24-hour bbq chains. Some unique features include:
->24-hour medicine delivery services;
->grocery delivery services;
->group orders (拼好饭) that optimize location and product type, so you get much cheaper options;
-> inner-city delivery service (跑腿) that can, for example, have a delivery person bring a hair straightener from your’s to your friend’s house.
While getting set up might be a barrier, the rest of the app is pretty straightforward, and you can gauge what you’re ordering with comprehensive photos and prices across most businesses. You’ll be redirected to Alipay or Wechat upon checkout, and you can track the status of your order after payment.
you can also choose to pick up your order instead, though this might not be a common use for short-term visits.
Menus for almost all businesses will include photos for each menu item, with very good discounts if you’re a first time customer.
Some items will require you to choose customizations.
Upon checkout, you can double check your address and see associated fees. Make sure you select your discount (红包) if you see one - usually when you hit a minimum spend.
->I prefer to order from vendors with physical stores for extra reassurance on hygiene, but of course this is not guaranteed.
->There is almost always a coupon or discount you can use, and sometimes a larger order can actually decrease your final bill once you hit a minimum spend.
->From my experience, ordering groceries can be a hit or miss; online storefronts shows a large selection of items that doesn’t reflect actual inventory. This will often elicit a call from the seller, and it gets complex with refunds, replacements, etc.
In general, I don’t think coupons are essential to the China tourist experience, but it’ll definitely help you feel more integrated since discounts are a big part of consumer culture here.
Meituan (美团)
Services on Meituan can be a mixed bag in terms of how they operate. After purchasing a package, you might be required to make an appointment via the app through available time slots, contact the business to book time, or not require an appointment at all. This information is all available in the app, but will require an understanding of Chinese.
Food pick-up/dining in
You can also find (usually small) discounts on food when dining in; I like to check Meituan once I sit down to see if I can save a bit of money.
Using coupons
After purchasing a coupon, a QR code will be generated for use at physical locations; you can use this QR code when you order or checkout in person.
Food & drink coupons will be automatically added to the business’ mini-app within WeChat if you use your Meituan phone number to register for it. You can then use the coupon when ordering on your phone. This is a bit of a nuisance for short-term travel, so I’d just let the employee scan your QR code.
Each coupon you buy provides comprehensive information (in Chinese): whether you need to book ahead, when you can use it, how long it’s available for, what the service entails, etc.
An example on some discounts on milk tea. This looks pretty similar to the takeout options, but a QR code will be generated instead.
There are usually instructions on how to load your coupon onto WeChat, but it might be simpler to just show the employee your QR code.
An example of how a ready-to-use QR code looks like.
The most reliable luggage forwarding companies are Jingdong (京东快递) and Shunfeng (顺丰). There are other uses for these services, but luggage forwarding is the most applicable in the context of tourism.
There’s no English language support, so you can get a hotel staff to help you out; it’s a pretty ubiquitous service in China, so they’ll be able to guide you.
Jingdong (京东快递)
- Download the Jingdong delivery app and sign up (very little personal info is needed to get started). Select the “寄快递” option.
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Enter addresses for sender and recipient. This is likely the accommodation you are currently staying in, and the accommodation where you’d like to receive your bags.
- You’ll be prompted to select the time that you’d like the delivery person to pick up your package, details of your items, and payment option.
- Someone will come right to your door to grab your things. If you’re in a decently sized city, this will be very quick.
- You’ll be able to track the progress of your luggage and pay accordingly after your item is properly weighed.
The luggage will take a day or two to arrive, so have essentials with you. I’ve never had issues with my luggage being lost, but take precaution that it could certainly still happen.
For reference, my 5.6kg package of clothing that travelled across two provinces, plus packaging, costed me 50RMB; this took 2 days to deliver. Another 3kg package was 22RMB and took 2 days as well.
Hence, it’s a pretty inexpensive and reliable service that can lighten your load and maybe save some airport luggage costs.
The delivery option is right on the homescreen.
Add the sender and receiver Enter addresses.
Enter additional details of your package.
Details of your package can be rough; the weight will be remeasured after pickup. I also usually purchase a box on the app so I don’t have to go find my own.