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China how-to guides for first-timers

The small things nobody explains, one page each. Free to read. The steps, where to go, the one mistake, and a Chinese phrase to show.

Money, apps and internet

How to pay by QR codeAlipay for foreigners: foreign card + QR payNobody carries cash. Your Visa, JCB or Mastercard inside Alipay works at street stalls. PayPay, Kakao Pay and Naver Pay work at many shops too.Apps to download before you goAll free. All must be set up at home, on your own network: verification texts and card checks fail once you are on a Chinese connection. An hour tonight saves a bad first morning.Internet in China: eSIM, no VPNData that routes through your home country, so Google, LINE, KakaoTalk, Instagram and WhatsApp all work normally. No VPN needed.Cheaper hotels in China (WhatsApp booking help)Booking.com, Agoda and Hotels.com work in China. Chinese apps (Ctrip's Chinese app and Meituan) often show lower rates on domestic and budget hotels after local coupons. Message us on WhatsApp and we compare live quotes, then book under your passport name.

Getting around

How to ride the metroHow to ride the metro in ChinaCheap, clean, exact. But there is an airport-style X-ray at every station door, and the staff may ask you to sip your water bottle.How to ride a shared bikeHow to ride a shared bikeYellow is Meituan, blue is HelloBike, teal is Qingju. All three unlock from inside Alipay, no separate app needed.

Food

Dianping: find good food in China (China's Yelp)Dianping is China's Yelp: star scores, photo reviews, average spend per person and group-buy deals for almost every restaurant in the country. Locals check it before they eat anywhere new.How to eat a soup dumplingHow to eat xiaolongbao (soup dumplings)There is hot soup inside. The shop will not warn you. The rhyme locals learn as kids: lift lightly, move slowly, open a window, drink the soup.How to drink douzhiHow to drink douzhi in BeijingFermented mung-bean water. Smells like a sour sock, tastes like Beijing. Locals drink it at 6:30 a.m. and watch your face.How to build your hotpot dipSichuan hotpot dipping sauceSichuan hotpot does not come with sauce. You mix it yourself from a bar, and the locals' bowl is nothing like what tourists make.

Everyday

Why everyone hands you hot waterHot water and drinking waterAsk for water and you get boiling water. Ice is rare, and cold drinks are seen as bad for you. There is a free hot-water tap in every train, airport and mall.The toilet rules nobody writes downPublic toilets: the rulesPublic toilets are everywhere and free. Half have no paper. Some are squat. You need a plan, not luck.

Do you need a visa?

Check your passport against China's official lists.

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