Guides
The parts of a China trip that nobody explains.
Not "top 10 things to do". The specific screens that reject your passport, the payment setting that fails at the till, the ticket that sells out seven days early. Each guide solves one problem and is dated so you know it's current.
Before you fly
Visa rules, entry paperwork, and the things you should have installed before boarding.
Visa-free entry in 2026: the list, checked
Which passports get 30 days, which get 240 hours in transit, and the three conditions that void the transit rule.
Use the visa checker →The eSIM that actually works here
Google, WhatsApp and Instagram are unreachable on local networks. What to install before you board, and what to skip.
Compare eSIM options →Setting up Alipay with a Visa card
Eight steps, plus the three situations where foreign cards still get declined — and what to do at the till.
Publishing this weekTickets and bookings
Real-name, timed-entry systems that regularly reject foreign passports. This is where most trips get stuck.
Forbidden City tickets with a foreign passport
Release time, which gate to enter, why your passport number gets rejected, and what to do when it's sold out.
Read the guide →Terracotta Army tickets with a passport
The booking screen nobody explains, and why the shuttle bus is not optional.
In progressZhangjiajie: which gate, which ticket
Four entrances, three ticket types, one very long queue if you pick wrong.
In progressGetting around
Trains, transfers and the apps that replace the ones you're used to.
Buying high-speed rail tickets with a passport
12306 in English, step by step — and why the ticket machine still won't read your passport.
In progressPudong Airport to the city: three ways
Metro, taxi and pre-booked transfer compared on time, cost and hassle at 6am.
In progressNan'ao Island from Shantou
The bridge, the bus, and where the beaches actually are once you're on the island.
In progressWhy these guides are different
We don't write from a desk. We run inbound trips in China, so we hit these systems with real bookings every week — and we say when something isn't worth your money.