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China is a popular travel destination that is getting more visitors every year. Even if the amount of tourism brought a lot of Western amenities to the country, a lot of things are still pretty different and it is good to be prepared before going there. In this article, I’ve compiled some tips that will help you prepare for your first trip to China.
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1 ● Apply for a tourist visa
To visit mainland China, you will most likely need a tourist visa unless you are from one of the visa-exempt countries (check the visa requirements for your country). But, if you are transiting and have proof of your upcoming next flight, there is a 72-hour visa-free transit policy that allows passengers from 53 countries to stay for up to 3 days (72 hours) in 18 China cities without a visa.
2 ● Know about the blocked websites
A large number of websites and apps are blocked in mainland China. Just to name a few: Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Youtube, Netflix, Pinterest, Dropbox, Wikipedia, Google (all things Google such as the search engine itself, Gmail, Google Map, Drive, Docs, etc.). If you have international roaming on your phone and are using a foreign sim card, you can, however, use all of those sites. I advise you to definitely get an eSIM prepaid card to travel to China that include cellular data and a VPN so you can use your cellphone with no restriction. The one I used was Holafly and it was absolutely brillant (and you can get 5% off it you use the link I just put!)
3 ● Use a VPN
Speaking of VPN, if you decide to buy a prepaid SIM card from China or use local WiFi, the best way to access blocked websites is by using a VPN. The Chinese government tends to shut down VPN apps often so here’s a list of China VPNs that are not blocked (yet!) in the country (but I still think getting an eSim would make everything easier).
4 ● Download WeChat & Gaode Map
If you make Chinese friends, they will most probably ask you for your WeChat account. It is the most popular social media app in China so you should download it while you are there and if you want to stay in touch with them afterward. Also, I advise you to download Gaode Map (高德地图) since Google Maps is blocked (even with a VPN you might have problems loading Google Maps so better be safe than sorry!)
5 ● Carry cash
Often, my European credit card didn’t work because a lot of stores didn’t support international credit card machines. That is why I advise you to bring cash everywhere you go especially at restaurants.
Locals use QR codes on their phone to pay through online payment systems called WeChat Pay or Alipay. The payment apps and QR codes are everywhere, even in a small ice cream shop in the middle of a park! Young consumers rarely carry cash or use credit cards. Paying via QR code is commonplace in China, where mobile payments amounted to $15.5 trillion in 2017 according to CBInsights.
6 ● To tip or not to tip?
Tipping is not a common practice in China. Most places do not expect you to tip and in some cases, it is even frowned upon. Tipping may be considered rude as it implies that the employee is not paid enough – hence valued enough – by their employer. Tipping, also won’t get you better service because Chinese people do not have a tipping culture nor mindset.
However, there are very few times when it is acceptable to tip, especially in places catering to many Western tourists because the staff might have gotten used to getting a few extra bills. Tips are more accepted in high-end restaurants (unless a gratuity is already added!) and for tour guides and drivers (since those mostly serve foreign tourists, tipping became a common practice in this industry). It is still not expected though but more than acceptable in those cases.
7 ● Use your bargaining skills
Be ready to bargain in local markets! Prices tend to go up if you are a foreigner so be ready to haggle down the asking price. Learn to say “太贵了(taì guì le) which means “it’s too expensive!” – you’ll thank me later.
8 ● Learn basic Chinese phrases
So you just learned one Chinese sentence. Why not learn more? Learning the basics like “Hello”, “Thank You”, “Goodbye” goes a long way especially since not everyone in China speaks English. Locals are very happy if you try to speak their language! Below are a few sentences to get you started.
30 Chinese Travel Phrases You Need to Know
- Hello – 你好。 (nǐ hǎo)
- How are you? – 你好吗？ (nǐ hǎo ma)
- My name is [Name]. What’s yours? – 我叫 [Name], 你呢？ (wǒ jiào [Name], nǐ ne)
- Nice to meet you – 我很高兴认识你。 (wǒ hěn gāoxìng rènshí nǐ)
- Thank you – 谢谢。 (xiè xie)
- You are welcome – 不客气。 (bù kè qì)
- Goodbye – 再见。 (zài jiàn)
- Welcome – 欢迎光临。 (huān yíng guāng lín)
- Please excuse me – 借过一下。 (jiè guò yī xià)
- I’m sorry – 对不起。 (duì bu qǐ)
- No problem – 没关系。 (méi guān xì)
- I don’t know – 我不知道。 (wǒ bù zhī dào)
- Sorry, I don’t understand – 不好意思， 我听不懂。 (bù hǎo yì si, wǒ tīng bù dǒng)
- I don’t speak Chinese – 我不会说中文。 (wǒ bù huì shuō zhōng wén)
- Do you speak English? – 你会说英语吗？ (nǐ huì shuō yīng yǔ ma?)
- What do you mean? – 什么意思？ (shén me yì si)
- Wait a moment – 等一下。 (děng yī xià)
- I want a beer – 我要一瓶啤酒。 (wǒ yào yī píng pí jiǔ)
- I want a bottle of water – 我要一瓶水。 (wǒ yào yī píng shuǐ)
- I want a cup of coffee – 我要一杯咖啡。 (wǒ yào yī bēi kā fēi)
- How much is it? – 多少钱？ (duō shao qián?)
- The bill, please. Thanks – 结账，谢谢。 (jié zhàng, xiè xie)
- How do you say that in Chinese? – 这个用汉语怎么说？ (zhè ge yòng hàn yǔ zěn me shuō?)
- Please write it down – 请写下来。 (qǐng xiě xià lái)
- I want to go here. Do you know where that is? – 这儿, 知道吗？ (zhè ér, zhī dào ma?)
- Excuse me, where is the toilet? – 请问，厕所在哪里？ (qǐng wèn, cè suǒ zài nǎ lǐ?)
- Thank you for helping me – 谢谢你帮我。 (xiè xiè nǐ bang wǒ)
- Be careful – 小心。 (xiǎo xīn)
- Happy Birthday – 生日快乐。 (shēng rì kuài lè)
- Happy Chinese New Year – 新春快乐。 (xīn chūn kuài lè)
Before your trip, you should also download a translation app or buy a translation book just to be sure you will be able to communicate in any situation.
9 ● Have the name of your destination written down in Mandarin
You should write down on your phone or on a piece of paper the places you want to go to in Chinese characters. This is really helpful especially with taxis because most drivers do not speak English. You can also ask someone from your hotel to write your destination address in Chinese.
10 ● Beware of the lack of personal space
China is a very crowded place. Locals have become used to having a much smaller personal place than we are used to, at least in Europe or the US. So don’t be surprised if you’re shoved and pushed when queuing.
11 ● Don’t drink tap water
Tap water in China is for the most part not drinkable. You can, however, buy bottled water mostly everywhere at a very low price.
12 ● Tea & hot water
In China, it is not really common to have water with a meal unless it is hot! It is ok if you bring your own water bottle because most places don’t mind. But the best is drinking tea! Chinese love to drink tea with meals and the variety and taste of Chinese tea is amazing.
13 ● Bring tissues & hand sanitizer
Even if hotels and fancy restaurants have a Western-style toilet, keep in mind that squat toilets still prevail in China. Most bathrooms also don’t have toilet paper or hand soap. It’s always a good idea to carry a pack of tissues and a small bottle of hand sanitizer with you.
14 ● The spitting issue
The Chinese do not use tissues to blow their noses. They spit instead. If you are not used to it, it is pretty gross but it is just part of the culture so you have to get used to it. Funny enough, Chinese people don’t understand our habit of blowing our nose into tissues and then returning them to our pockets. They find it unhygienic!
15 ● Be a foreign sensation
If you aren’t Asian, be ready to be stared at. China is a very friendly place and the locals will be very interested in you and why you are there. Some Chinese people might also try to snap a photo of you with or without your permission. A lot of locals asked me to take photos with them because of my “exotic” looks. It is very likely that the same will happen to you and even more if you are blond with blue eyes. You will feel like a celebrity (with its perks and downsides).
Thank you for reading this blog post about China! It really is an amazing country and I hope these tips will help you have a wonderful trip there. Do you have any more tips about visiting China? Feel free to leave them in the comments below!
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