Prepare guides
Visa, entry, safety, and pre-trip essentials to get you ready.
20 guides available
Entry check path
China Entry Check
Use this order before you rely on a visa-free rule, book a tight itinerary, pack restricted items, or assume your documents are enough.
Safety and emergency path
China Safety & Emergency Path
Use this order to separate ordinary travel friction from real risk, prepare emergency contacts, and know what to do when something stops being routine.
First trip setup
First China Trip Setup
Use this order before you fly: confirm entry rules, choose a realistic route, prepare apps and payment, and keep arrival backups ready.
Arrival plan
First 72 Hours in China
Use this order to get stable after landing: phone data, hotel route, payment test, check-in, first meal, and a simple way back.
Featured pre-trip guides
What safety in China actually feels like for travelers, why everyday crime anxiety is usually lower than expected, and which practical risks deserve more attention.
China Visa-Free Explained: Different Schemes, Different RulesA practical explanation of China’s different visa-free entry schemes, how they differ, what they really allow, and where travelers most often misunderstand the rules.
Do I Need a Visa for China? A Simple ChecklistA practical checklist to figure out whether you need a Chinese visa, qualify for a specific visa-free scheme, or should stop guessing and apply in advance.
Entry Documents for China: What You Actually NeedA practical checklist for entering China, including passport, visa or visa-free eligibility, arrival card expectations, and the documents worth saving offline.
Return Ticket Proof: What China Immigration Actually AcceptsWhen return or onward ticket proof matters for China entry, what usually satisfies airline and border staff, and how to avoid preventable check-in trouble.
Internet Restrictions in China: What Is Blocked and How to Stay FunctionalWhat foreign websites and apps commonly do not work in mainland China, what that means in daily life, and how to prepare without turning the trip into a tech panic.
Browse by topic
First trip essentials
Visa and entry
Stay limits and immigration rules
Safety and awareness
Etiquette and communication
All pre-trip guides
- First Time in China: A Step-by-Step Guide for Foreign Travelers
A practical starting path for first-time visitors to China: what to prepare first, what to solve early, and how to move through the trip with less stress.
- Entry Documents for China: What You Actually Need
A practical checklist for entering China, including passport, visa or visa-free eligibility, arrival card expectations, and the documents worth saving offline.
- Do I Need a Visa for China? A Simple Checklist
A practical checklist to figure out whether you need a Chinese visa, qualify for a specific visa-free scheme, or should stop guessing and apply in advance.
- Common Scams in China (Rare, But Know Them)
The few scams travelers may encounter in China, how they actually work, and simple habits that prevent almost all problems.
- Basic Etiquette in China: Making a Good First Impression
Simple, practical etiquette rules that help travelers blend in smoothly, avoid awkward moments, and be seen as respectful guests.
- Conversation Topics to Avoid in China
A practical guide to topics that are better avoided in casual conversation in China, plus safer alternatives that keep things comfortable.
- Customs Prohibited Items in China (What Not to Bring)
Items you should not bring into China, what often causes problems at customs or airports, and how to avoid confiscation or delays.
- Bringing Drones to China: What Is Allowed and What Is Not
What travelers should know before bringing a drone to China, including customs reality, registration expectations, airspace restrictions, and why flying is usually harder than packing the drone itself.
- Emergency Contacts in China: What Numbers Actually Matter
The emergency numbers worth saving before you land in China, what each one is for, and what foreign travelers should do when language or location is the bigger problem than the emergency itself.
- How Much English to Expect in China
A realistic guide to English usage in China, where you may encounter it, where you usually will not, and how travelers manage without it.
- First 72 Hours in China: What to Set Up First
The practical first-day priorities after landing in China: connectivity, payment, transport, accommodation details, and the small fixes that make the rest of the trip much easier.
- Health Declaration for China Entry: What to Expect
What changed after China ended routine health declarations, when travelers may still need to answer health questions, and how to avoid fake or outdated instructions.
- Internet Restrictions in China: What Is Blocked and How to Stay Functional
What foreign websites and apps commonly do not work in mainland China, what that means in daily life, and how to prepare without turning the trip into a tech panic.
- Is China Safe? Usually Safer Than First-Time Visitors Expect
What safety in China actually feels like for travelers, why everyday crime anxiety is usually lower than expected, and which practical risks deserve more attention.
- Length of Stay in China & Extensions: What Is Fixed and What Is Not
How stay periods are counted under different China entry schemes, when extensions are possible, and why travelers should not treat them as a casual backup plan.
- Overstaying in China: What Actually Happens
What counts as overstaying in China, what the law says about penalties, and what travelers should do the moment they realize their timing may be wrong.
- Return Ticket Proof: What China Immigration Actually Accepts
When return or onward ticket proof matters for China entry, what usually satisfies airline and border staff, and how to avoid preventable check-in trouble.
- Bringing Medicines to China: What Is Allowed and What Is Not
How to bring personal medicines into China without unnecessary customs trouble, which medicines deserve extra caution, and what documents make the biggest difference if you are questioned.
- Solo Travel Safety in China
What solo travel in China actually feels like, why many travelers find it easier than expected, and the practical habits that matter more than fear.
- China Visa-Free Explained: Different Schemes, Different Rules
A practical explanation of China’s different visa-free entry schemes, how they differ, what they really allow, and where travelers most often misunderstand the rules.