1. Prepping before you get here

before taking off, make sure your paperwork is solid. passports, visas, admission letters, insurance, college stuff… everything should be in order, because china isn’t shy about checking these things. bring a printed copy of everything for immigration if they ask.

you should also be mentally prepared for a lot of bureaucracy. expect some paperwork, like registering with the police on the first days or getting a local bank account.

VPN - get one before coming

expect any non-chinese apps to be blocked. google, youtube, telegram, whatsapp, chatgpt, instagram… as a foreigner, having a vpn is a MUST. set it up in your devices before traveling.

if you’re not aware, China is known for banning online content, mostly from other countries. a VPN is basically a tool that lets you bypass the ban. most foreigners NEED a VPN for daily stuff such as talking with our families back at home, managing home bank accounts, and other stuff like youtube, discord, netflix…

unless you wanna set up a server yourself, i suggest letsvpn. USD 40 for a year (shorter time available). very very stable, have been using it for more than 6 months. although it only allows 2 devices. use my ID: 476989977 when registering for 3 free days.

if you want more options, look at this reddit post. just dont get nord or express, they wont work.

other apps you NEED

• WeChat 微信: used for EVERYTHING. messaging, payments, social media, even booking taxis. get it and set it up before you land.
• Alipay 支付宝: wechat 2.0 but for money-stuff only. paying bills, ordering food, booking hotels, yada yada. bind your foreign bank card before flying, saves lots of headache.
• amap 高德地图: chinese map. everything google is blocked here, so you need a chinese map. i suggest amap, or baidu maps: (iOS) - (android). it’s not perfect, but you’ll get around. and no, unfortunately theres no map in english (maybe apple maps can help if you really dont know)… dont try to use others, they’re unreliable.
• translator app: i suggest deepL. other translators should be fine too, as long as you have wifi or data. if you’re studying chinese or staying for more than a few weeks, pleco is your best friend. (iOS) - (android)

keep in mind EVERYTHING here is done and paid in phone, expect no cash. so setting up 微信 and 支付宝 is crucial. yes, get both. if one gives trouble you have the other one.

bringing cash is not really necessary. at most, maybe bring RMB 500 in cash for an emergency, like if your phone doesnt work and you’re stuck at the airport.

E-SIM

if you can get an ESIM for the first days while getting a real phone number, go for it. ive never got one though, maybe read through this reddit post. if im not wrong, i think you can also buy one in Alipay 支付宝.

just note: do NOT expect public wifi anywhere

the only places that might have constant wifi are starbucks星巴克, mcdonalds麦当劳, intl’ airports, and your university campus. getting a phone number with a decent amount of data is key. i use over 70 GB monthly.

Medical check-up

if you’re an X1 student (coming for more than 6 months), you have to take a medical check-up locally. this is usually arranged by your university on the first week. make sure to write down the details, take your documents with you, and expect fasting.

2. expectations when you land

china is an experience. be ready for some culture shock, because the pace and style of life here can be way different from what you’re used to. a few things to keep in mind:

Police registration

you have to go to your local police office and register within the first 2-3 days you land. take your passport, accommodation registration, and admission notice from university. you need a local phone number to register. if you dont have one, get one or write your university’s number.

language

you’re probably not fluent in chinese (or maybe you are, flex). but you’re gonna be in situations where even basic chinese will be super helpful. no, dont expect people to know english. get familiar with some phrases. try hellochinese - iOS - android. i dont like duolingo for chinese.

air pollution

depending on where you’re at, the air quality might be a little… questionable. masks are normal here, so bring some along or just buy them locally. check the air quality index of your destination. pollution is better than 5 years ago though.

public transportation

public transport is pretty great in most cities, and taxis are everywhere. that said, don’t rely on google maps for anything, it’s basically useless here. use amap, take the metro, or call a cab - they’re dirty cheap.

“this app is not available in your region”

if using iphone, create a new apple id and set its country do china. i suggest making a new, separate account from your home country if you can. if using android or other, check this reddit post (google is banned, so no chinese apps on google store). you’ll need a chinese app store account to download most chinese apps further than wechat/alipay.

3. money matters

currency

the currency is the yuan: ¥ - CNY - RMB - 元 - 人民币… prices are cheap unless youre in beijing or shanghai. i check currency rates here.

paying by phone

no cash, no physical cards, no apple pay - only wechat/alipay, make sure you have them downloaded and a card binded to feed the money.

withdrawing money

you might have some trouble with international cards. not all foreign cards work everywhere. in my experience, ICBC and HSBC ATMs are reliable, others not so much. if you’re staying for a couple months, get a local bank account as soon as possible. i have ICBC, it works ok.

living costs

expect some variation. smaller cities are pretty cheap, but in places like beijing or shanghai, costs can skyrocket. on average, rent might run you anywhere from ¥2000 to ¥8000/month, depending on where you are and if your university provides housing. i pay 1800 per month in suzhou苏州, as of 2025. food is cheap, especially street food, but western stuff can burn a hole in your wallet if youre not careful.

sim cards

get a local sim card for your phone as soon as possible. phone numbers are VERY important here. the major carriers (china mobile 中国移动, china unicom 中国联通) all offer student-friendly deals, and they’ll hook you up with a number and data plan. talk with your university about this. mine has some sort of local agreement and they give me a ¥60 plan with 100 GB of data per month. pretty good if you ask me.

taobao 淘宝

you may have heard how packages and deliveries here are super cheap. yes, it’s true. get taobao淘宝. note, if you live in dorms your packages may arrive to a cainiao菜鸟驿站 instead of your door.

4. getting around

from the airport to your place

if new to china, set up didi and get a taxi. or if you speak chinese, you could take the city metro 地铁, or train 高铁 if going between cities (ex, arriving to beijing北京 but going to tianjin天津). for train tickets, i use 12306. note, you NEED your passport for taking trains. universities usually offer help for booking a pickup, sometimes they pick you up themselves if you dont speak chinese, just take it.

public transport

metros and buses are everywhere, and they’re dirt cheap (¥2–¥5 per ride). you can get a physical transport card and reload it as needed, or you can set it up on alipay (press the transport button in main menu) and use a QR like a real chinese. if you don’t read chinese, alipay has your back (supports other languages, should load in your phone’s language)

didi 滴滴

china’s version of uber, but better and cheaper. you’ll need to link a payment method (like wechat or alipay) to your account, and you can get rides from basically anywhere. if you’re stuck late at night, having drinks or just feeling lazy, this is your go-to option. you can use it from one of wechat’s mini apps, or just download didi’s app here. if you can read chinese, you can do fancier stuff like setting it up from amap高德地图 too.

driving

don’t expect to drive a car here. the chinese dont care about your country’s license, you’ll need a local 驾照 regardless of your nationality. however, you’ll notice the massive amount of bikes (and e-bikes) around the street. for the yellow ones, you can rent them with meituan美团. ask your university for more info if you’re into that.

e-bikes

some foreign students buy e-bikes like the chinese. you can buy one and use it (ive heard it starts from ¥3000), you dont need a license as of 2025. but keep in mind most are illegal (their legal speed limit is 25 km/h, but stores mod them to increase the cap and show 25). if you get into an accident while driving an illegal e-bike, your insurance may not cover you. i dont know the details, but make sure to know your stuff if you want to get one.

5. food & dining

china has some of the best food in the world, but it can also be a bit… different. don’t freak out though. here are some basics:

Restaurants

don’t expect a menu in english, not even a physical menu at all. look for the QR codes that say “扫码点菜”, “扫码点单” or sth like that (sometimes they’re in the tables). get the translate feature in wechat/alipay for help with menus or just play laowai, point at stuff and hope for the best. if you can read some chinese and wanna look for restaurants, use 大众点评.

Street food

this is where it’s at. dumplings (baozi包子、jiaozi饺子、xiaolongbao小笼包), skewers (chuan串), hotpot (huoguo火锅). get your hands dirty and try it all. don’t worry too much about hygiene, the food’s mostly safe - especially after covid. you might get a little stomach upset at first, but you’ll get over it. golden rule: if its not crowded/kinda empty, better look somewhere else.

• quick note, if you have allergies you might wanna write them down in chinese and carry them with you.

Delivery

if you’re lazy (just like everyone else), meituan美团 and eleme饿了么 deliver to your door. just make sure to use wechat or alipay to pay. depending where you order, they may deliver to some lockers (外卖柜) instead, so keep an eye on where they are. i like meituan.

Spicy food

in chinese, “辣” (là) means spicy. write this word down. chinese food can vary a lot, but spicy food is relatively common. if you’re not used to spicy food like an italian, beware - the “small spicy 微辣” options can be much stronger than expected. sichuan food 川菜 is known for being spicy. i wouldnt suggest it as your first dish unless you’re korean.

6. cultural quirks

Personal space

when commuting, personal space wont exist. you’re going to be jostled on the metro, people will get uncomfortably close in line, and don’t even get me started on the elevator situation.

Queueing

in my experience, it was better before covid. some people in the metro will just stand in front of the door and dont give a fk.

Loudness

chinese ppl aren’t shy about making noise. don’t be surprised if your neighbors are arguing in the hallway or if someones blasting douyin抖音 brainrot. it’s just how it is.

Scams

if some random chinese gets a bit too friendly and “invites you” to a tea or coffee at a non branded store, its 99% a scam. ive never experienced it, but ive heard stories of people paying ¥500 for a cup of tea. keep in mind, dating apps are full of scammers. if you’re worried about scammers, read this, although dont worry too much about it. maybe keep some distance and you’ll be fine.

Safety

despite the amount of people, china’s one of the safest countries out there. just dont do stupid stuff, avoid chinese politics, and you’ll be fine. ive walked in many random places at 3 am, not a single concern.

Smoking

if you’re sentitive to smoking like me, sorry to tell you, you’ll have a bad time with this - lots and lots of smokers everywhere. most public bathrooms smell like cigarrete. if you take trains between cities, do NOT take the old style train (the suspiciously cheap ones) - people smoke on those.

NOTE: the smoking situation was far, far worse before covid. i have to admit it’s improving.

7. what’s next?

once you’ve survived the first few weeks, you’ll start getting the hang of things. make local friends, improve your chinese (duh), and enjoy the ride. make sure to keep an eye on the dates and your legal papers like visas and residence permits.

china’s an experience - overwhelming at first, but you’ll learn to love it. hopefully. most of us do.

if youre coming soon and freaking out a bit or have a specific question, you may drop a message on my telegram. say you come from here.