China travel guides

Everything you need to survive China with zero Mandarin.

By Joy (雨洁) — certified Chinese teacher from Nanjing. Every guide comes with real phrases; every phrase has her real voice in the app and the free 30-phrase guide.

How to Use Didi in China Without Speaking a WordHow to use Didi in China as a foreigner: set it up with your own card, request rides in English, and pass the tail-number check drivers do at pickup. Why Didi Drivers Ask for Your Phone Number Ending in ChinaWhy Didi drivers in China ask for your phone number ending, what 手机尾号 means, how to say the last four digits, and what to show at pickup. Alipay & WeChat Pay for Tourists: Set Up Before You FlyHow to set up Alipay and WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly: the two QR directions, small-vendor reality, and what to do when a card fails. How Does China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Actually Work?China's 240-hour visa-free transit explained: the 10-day rule, the three-point itinerary test, eligible ports, hotel registration, and when you need a full visa. Checking Into a Hotel in China: What Actually HappensHow hotel check-in works in China for foreigners: booking hotels that accept foreign guests, passport registration, deposits, and the hotel card trick. Your First Two Hours After Landing in ChinaArriving in China tips for your first two hours: airport immigration flow, SIM and cash decisions, avoiding terminal touts, and one phrase officials need to hear. Order Food in China Without Speaking a WordOrdering food in China without Chinese: how QR menus work, pointing at dishes, the spice ladder, allergy phrases in writing, and paying at the table. Internet in China: eSIM First, Offline AlwaysHow to get internet in China as a tourist: eSIM before departure vs airport SIM counter, hotel wifi reality, and the offline downloads to do before you fly. Can You Call 911 in China? The Numbers That Actually Work911 doesn't work in China. Dial 110 for police, 120 for ambulance, 119 for fire, 122 for traffic accidents — all free. What to say in Mandarin, with a real teacher's audio. Passport Gone in China — What Do You Do in the Next 24 Hours?Lost your passport in China? Step by step: file a police report (报警回执), contact your embassy, then get Exit-Entry paperwork before you fly. Phrases included. Sick in China: Where Do You Actually Go?How tourists see a doctor in China: passport at the 挂号 window, pay per step, English at international clinics, pharmacies, 120, and insurance receipts. Just Got Scammed in China — What Do You Actually Do?Scammed in China? Dial 110, get the 报警回执 police receipt, dispute payments inside Alipay or WeChat, and call the 12301 tourism hotline. Step-by-step for travelers. Tourist scams in China: six classics, one playbookThe six tourist scams you'll actually meet in China — the tea ceremony scam, black cabs, rigged bar bills — and the exact Mandarin that shuts each one down. China's High-Speed Rail: Your Passport Is the TicketHow China's high-speed rail works for foreigners: booking train tickets with your passport, station security, seat classes, and what to expect on board. Taxi Chinese: 12 lines that get you anywhereThe 12 taxi and Didi Chinese phrases you actually need — meter, address card, pickup call, paying — with pinyin, and Joy's real voice in the free guide and app. The Apps That Work in China, Job by JobWhat apps work in China? The short list — Didi, Alipay, Amap, offline translation — plus the setup you must finish before you fly. Organized by job, not hype. Do You Need a Chinese Phone Number? SMS Codes, ExplainedWhich China apps really require a Chinese phone number or SMS code — 12306, bike share, food delivery — and what to do when the code never arrives. Booking China's Big Sights With a Foreign PassportHow foreigners book China's big sights — Forbidden City reservations, WeChat mini-programs, foreigner ticket windows, and why your passport is the ticket.

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Every phrase on this page — and 200+ more — lives in the China Survival Kit app: tap to show it big, play it in teacher Joy's real voice, and let locals tap their answer back. Works 100% offline.

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