Practical Travel Guide

I used Alipay and WeChat Pay throughout China; learn how foreign travelers can link international cards, pay by QR code, avoid common failures and keep reliable backups.

See which VPNs still work in China in August 2026, based on our real-world independent testing on hotel Wi-Fi and mobile data, plus the best backup setup.

The essential China travel apps I used during more than a month of independent travel, from eSIMs and VPNs to Alipay, WeChat, Amap, Didi, Trip.com, maps, taxis, payments, and translation.