Practical guides for China

Travel guides

Plain answers, checked against current rules, with sources.

Visa & entry

China visa and entry rules for tourists

Whether you need a visa at all, how the 240-hour transit scheme works, and why every rule here carries an expiry date.

7 min read · Last updated September 30, 2026

Money & payments

Payments and money in China for tourists

How to set up Alipay and WeChat Pay on a foreign card, what the fees are, and what to do when your bank declines the binding.

6 min read · Last updated September 30, 2026

Money & payments

Shopping in Shanghai: where to go, what to buy, what to watch for

Shanghai's shopping areas do different jobs: Nanjing Road and Huaihai Road are commercial streets, the Xintiandi area is malls and brands, Yu Garden is souvenirs, and the outlets are out of town. Here is what each is for, plus the real position on bargaining and tax refunds.

7 min read · Last updated October 1, 2026

Internet & apps

Internet, SIM cards and apps in China

The eSIM routing question, what the Great Firewall blocks, where VPNs stand legally, and what to install before you fly.

6 min read · Last updated September 30, 2026

Transport

Where to stay in Shanghai: choose the district before the hotel

In Shanghai, the district you sleep in matters more than the hotel. What the Bund, People's Square, the French Concession, Jing'an, Lujiazui, Hongqiao and Disney are good and bad for.

7 min read · Last updated October 1, 2026

Transport

High-speed rail in China: booking, tickets and stations

Why the train usually beats flying, how to book with a foreign passport, and what actually happens at the station.

6 min read · Last updated September 30, 2026

Seasons

The best time to visit China, month by month

Season-by-season weather, crowds and prices, which regions peak when, and why the two big 2026 holiday weeks reorganise everything.

6 min read · Last updated September 30, 2026

Food & drink

How to order Shanghai local food: a beginner's route through a benbang kitchen

A meal of benbang cooking in four moves: recognise the sweet-savoury style, build a menu of braise, river fish, greens and soup, then work out timing and seating. Lao Zhengxing is the worked example.

5 min read · Last updated October 1, 2026

Etiquette

How to walk the Bund: timing, route, and the mistakes people make

The Bund is a 1.5 km riverside promenade where the old buildings and the Pudong skyline face opposite ways. Here is when to go, which end to start from, and where visitors get it wrong.

5 min read · Last updated October 1, 2026

Etiquette

Chinese food and etiquette for visitors

What to eat and where, how to order without Chinese, what dietary needs are realistic, and the etiquette that actually matters.

6 min read · Last updated September 30, 2026

Safety

Health, safety and scams in China

Water and food, insurance, hospitals and pharmacies, emergency numbers, how the common scams work, air quality, altitude and lost passports.

6 min read · Last updated September 30, 2026