SIM, eSIM, Wi-Fi and staying reachable
What to install before you fly, and how to pay for anything once you are connected.
Everything operational in China runs through a phone: paying, hailing a car, buying train tickets, translating menus. That makes connectivity the single highest-leverage thing you set up before boarding — and the single most annoying thing to fix at midnight in a hotel lobby.
These guides cover physical SIM versus roaming eSIM, which VPN-adjacent phrasing to avoid at the counter, why some hotel Wi-Fi blocks the services you rely on, and how to keep a payment app alive when your number changes.
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.
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.
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.