Practical China Travel Guides
Every operational detail a first-time visitor needs, checked against current rules and real prices.
What is in this section
This section currently holds 12 guides: If You Lose Your Passport In China, Ordering Food in China Without Speaking Chinese, Seeing A Doctor In China As A Visitor, Paying In China, The 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Rule, Explained Plainly, Getting Online In China, Plug Types In China, First Time In China. Each one is written against published timetables, current fare tables and the version of the rules that is actually enforced — not against what a booking site claims.
How current it is
The most recently checked page here is Seeing A Doctor In China As A Visitor: The Queue Guide, verified on 2026-10-06. Every guide carries its own date: if a figure is more than six months old, treat it as a starting point and confirm the official source before you spend money on it.
If You Lose Your Passport In China
A guide to the process of reporting a lost passport and obtaining emergency travel documents in China.
Ordering Food in China Without Speaking Chinese
From scanning QR codes to understanding the bill, we've got you covered.
Seeing A Doctor In China As A Visitor: The Queue Guide
Navigate Chinese hospital queues. Step-by-step guide for visitors on registration, payment, and pharmacy logistics.
Paying In China: What Actually Works At The Counter
Alipay and WeChat Pay with a foreign card, plus the handful of places where you’ll still need cash.
The 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Rule, Explained Plainly
Ten days, no visa — but only if you arrive from one country and leave for a third.
Getting Online In China: SIM, eSIM, And Which One To Choose
A local SIM is cheapest; a travel eSIM is fastest to set up. Bring your passport either way.
Plug Types In China: The One Thing Every Visitor Gets Slightly Wrong
Most laptops charge fine. It is the voltage that kills things, not the plug shape.
First Time In China: What Surprises Almost Everybody
Everything that feels like a barrier turns out to be a five-minute problem, once you know it is coming.
Getting Around Chinese Cities: Metro, Taxi, And When To Stop Walking
Learn the first ride properly and the other twenty take care of themselves.
The Great Wall: Badaling, Mutianyu Or Jinshanling?
Badaling for ease, Mutianyu for most people, Jinshanling for anyone who has already done the wall once.
Eating In China When You Read Nothing On The Menu
Point at what the next table is eating. It works better than any app.
Booking Train Tickets In China: The App, The Window, And The ID Rule
Buy it the moment your plans are firm. Popular services really do sell out.