💳 Payments — China Runs on QR Codes
Cash is becoming useless in Chinese cities. Credit cards are mostly not accepted outside international hotels. You pay by scanning a QR code with your phone — WeChat Pay and Alipay power this. Set them up before you leave.
Download WeChat and set up WeChat Pay
WeChat is China’s everything app — messaging, payments, booking. Tourists can link a foreign Visa or Mastercard directly to WeChat Pay. Open WeChat → Me → Services → Wallet → Cards. You need your passport for verification. Once set up, pay at any restaurant, market, taxi or street stall by showing your QR code.
Download Alipay and link your card via Tour Pass
Alipay is WeChat Pay’s main rival — many places take both, some only one. Alipay has a “Tour Pass” feature built for foreigners that simplifies card linking. Open Alipay → Tour Pass → follow the steps. Set up both apps — it takes 10 minutes and saves you from being helpless at a street food stall.
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Bring 500–1000 RMB cash as a backup
In Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen you can go days without cash. In Yunnan villages, rural markets and older areas it’s still needed. Chinese ATMs accept foreign cards but can be unreliable — don’t count on them mid-trip.
The Apps You Need on Your Phone
Download all of these at home — the App Store can be slow or restricted in China on a local SIM.
AMAP (高德地图) — the real map of China
Google Maps is wildly inaccurate in China — roads are offset, transit directions are wrong. AMAP (Gaode) is what every Chinese person uses. Owned by Alibaba, English navigation available. Essential in Chongqing’s hill streets and rural Yunnan where Google Maps fails completely. Download it and switch to English in settings.
DiDi — China’s Uber
Street hailing barely exists in Chinese cities anymore. DiDi is universal — English interface, upfront price, pay via WeChat Pay or Alipay. Works everywhere: Chongqing’s impossible hillside roads, Chengdu’s wide boulevards, Shanghai’s puddles. Download it, link your payment method, and you’ll never be stranded.
Google Translate — download offline Chinese pack
Open Google Translate → Languages → Chinese (Simplified) → download offline. Critical for menus, train signs, street food stalls — especially in Yunnan and smaller cities where English is rare. The camera mode (point at text, it translates live) works offline. Download your mother tongue pack too.
Trip.com — book high-speed trains in English
China’s high-speed rail is extraordinary — Shanghai to Beijing in 4.5 hours, comfortable, on time. Book via Trip.com (English, accepts foreign cards). Your ticket is issued to your passport number — collect it at station machines by scanning your passport.
WeChat — not just for payments
Everyone in China is on WeChat. Hotels, guides, tour operators, restaurants — all communicate via WeChat. Add contacts by scanning QR codes. Many businesses use WeChat mini programs instead of websites. If you book anything locally, they will WeChat you. Set it up before you arrive.
Internet in China — You Need the Right eSIM
China blocks Google, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube. A Chinese SIM gets the same firewall. VPNs are unreliable — I have had them cut out in Chongqing, fail in Yunnan, and throttle in Beijing at the worst moments.
The fix: an international eSIM routed through foreign carriers. The Great Firewall only applies to Chinese network traffic — roaming connections bypass it. I use Holafly. Tested in Shanghai, Beijing and Chongqing: Google Maps, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube all worked instantly with zero setup.
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🛂 Your Passport — Carry It Everywhere, Always
This surprises almost every first-time visitor:
China requires your physical passport — not a photo — to check into hotels, board trains, enter major tourist sites, and sometimes buy SIM cards. Hotels legally cannot check you in without it. Train security checks passport alongside your ticket at every major station.
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Hotels require physical passport at check-in
Every hotel must register foreign guests with local police by scanning your passport. No exceptions. Keep it on you when checking in — not buried in your bag or left at the bottom of your suitcase.
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Train tickets are issued to your passport number
When booking on Trip.com, enter your exact passport number. At the station, scan your passport at the machine — it prints your ticket. Security at every major station checks passports before boarding. This applies to high-speed G-trains between all cities.
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Tourist sites: Forbidden City, Panda Base, Great Wall
The Forbidden City and most national attractions require passport number to book online — and some check it at the gate. The Chengdu Panda Base is best visited at 8am when they’re active — book ahead with your passport number to guarantee entry.
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Photograph every page and save to cloud before leaving
Photo the data page and China visa. Email to yourself and save in Google Drive. If your passport is lost in China, copies dramatically speed up emergency replacement at your embassy. China has embassies in Beijing and consulates in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu.
Power and Adapters — Your Phone is Your Lifeline
In China you pay, navigate, translate and call taxis all on your phone. A dead battery in Chongqing or rural Yunnan is a genuine crisis. Solve this before you board.
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CCC-Certified Power Bank — Required for China
Chinese airports and metro security confiscate power banks without CCC certification (China mandatory safety standard). A standard Anker or Mophie may be taken at Shanghai Pudong or Beijing Capital. I use a 20,000mAh CCC-certified bank at 45W fast charge — charges an iPhone twice, passes every checkpoint. Non-negotiable.
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Universal Travel Adapter — China Uses Type A and I Sockets
China uses Type A (flat parallel, like USA) and Type I (angled flat, like Australia). European and UK plugs do not fit. A universal adapter covers China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia in one compact unit. This is the one I travel with.
The 6 China Cities Worth the Trip
Each one is a completely different China. The checklist above applies to all of them — here is what makes each unmissable.
All of the above require working internet. Get the right eSIM before you go.