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. 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. Visa-Free Transit in China: What It Actually MeansChina visa-free transit, explained for 2026: who qualifies, the airport process, region limits, 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. Emergencies in China: 120, 110, 119 — and What to SayChina's emergency numbers are 120 (ambulance), 110 (police), and 119 (fire). What to dial, how hospitals work for foreigners, and the Mandarin phrases to use. 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 — each with pinyin and real teacher audio by Joy. 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.

Put a real Chinese voice in your pocket

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.

Get the app Free 30-phrase audio guide