Payments that actually work, trains you can actually book, visas that actually apply to you. Written from firsthand accounts — not brochures.
Browse guides →Step-by-step itineraries and route plans for your China trip.
Standing in front of your suitcase two days before a China trip, you’re likely juggling three thoughts: Did I remember the right power adapter? Will…
second trip chinaYou’ve already stood on the Great Wall, wandered the Bund at dusk, and stared down the Terracotta Army. Now, planning a second trip to China, you’re…
two weeks chinaYou land in Beijing, jet-lagged but ready for your two weeks China itinerary, only to hit a wall within hours: your international debit card won’t…
Solo travel tips, safety, and route ideas for independent travelers.
You land at Pudong or Daxing, connect to airport Wi-Fi, and try to register Alipay with your foreign number. The SMS never arrives. You walk to a…
traveling china aloneYou’ve planned your itinerary, booked flights, and brushed up on basic Mandarin, but even with 7 years of language practice, you’re still caught…
solo female travel chinaAs a non-East Asian solo female traveler in China, you might step off a busy Shanghai metro or into a Chongqing night market and immediately feel the…
Phones, eSIMs, Alipay, and the tech setup you need on the ground.
You land at Beijing Capital Airport, grab a pre-ordered 'China-compatible' foreign eSIM, activate it mid-flight, and turn on your phone, only to get…
alipay for touristsYou land in Shanghai Pudong International Airport in 2026, grab your bags, and head for the taxi queue. Then you realize every driver only accepts…
City and region guides to help you choose where to go.
You have two weeks, a China visa, and a shortlist that keeps coming back to two names: Yunnan and Guilin. Every itinerary you sketch tries to cram…
xinjiang itineraryYou’ve landed on a Xinjiang itinerary page because you want clear answers, about permits, winter travel, train routes, and how to structure a trip…
inner mongolia travelYou’ve mapped out your Inner Mongolia travel itinerary, grassland sunrises, Gobi sand dunes, maybe a side trip to Irkutsk, only to hit a wall…
Trains, border crossings, and getting between cities.
You just landed at HKIA with two suitcases, an eSIM that hasn't kicked in yet, and a hotel booking in Futian. Your Uber app tells you no drivers…
beijing shanghai high speed trainYou booked your first China trip, saw the two-hour flight time between Beijing and Shanghai, and assumed flying was the obvious choice. Then you…
Money, family travel, shopping, and first-timer mistakes to avoid.
You've been firing off LinkedIn applications for Shanghai roles for three months and haven't heard back from a single one. That's not bad luck — it's…
family travel chinaImagine stepping off a high-speed train in Xi’an, your 2-year-old already fussy from a long morning of travel, only to find the nearest public…
best shopping shanghaiYou step off the metro in Shanghai, ready to dive into the city’s legendary shopping scene—but without a clear plan, it’s easy to get lost in a maze…