You can use WeChat to do almost everything, such as sending text, audio and video messages, sharing pictures and videos, ordering food, booking flights and hotels, etc. One of the best features about WeChat for foreigners is the translation in the messaging system. All the messages sent through WeChat can be translated into Chinese and English though sometimes not very accurate.
One is Alipay, a smartphone-based system that was invented for Taobao, an online platform backed by Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce giant. Using Alipay or WeChat is the easiest way to pay for things in China. Keep in mind though that you can only connect the payment apps to Chinese bank cards. Baidu Maps and AMap are the most used map apps, and they are more accurate, up-to-date and reliable for traveling the whole country.
The apps will show you the routes to get you where you need to be. Want to explore the streets and alleys in China freely? Then try Mobike, a bike-sharing application,. It allows you to get around the city without getting stuck in traffic. Signing up is free, but it requires a picture of you holding your passport to verify your identity.
Bike sharing is cheap too, you only need to pay for 1 yuan every 15 minutes of usage. Too tired to cook at home or to go out for a meal? Then you probably want to get food delivered.
The app is in English but also more expensive to use. If you love online shopping, then you should download a Taobao or JD.
Generally, people prefer to order high-quality or expensive products such as electronics, applications on JD. The apps are in Chinese but they have a great image search feature where the apps helps you find what your looking for based on a picture. We also love the loyalty programme as we get Agoda cash to spend on future bookings. Check out the latest hotel options with Agoda here!
We actually used it to get the lowdown on everything to do with the latest smartphone that we purchased. Another good option is Waygo , an award-winning app that translates menus and signage for you — just point and translate. It works without an internet connection, which is super helpful. Plus you could even make payments through it, if you link your credit card to the app.
Yes and no. If you want an English app, then the Bon! App works well in the major cities. It includes English maps, reviews and photographs as well as a Discovery section which allows you to find highly-rated restaurants in your area. Although the air quality in China is generally improving, especially compared to a few years ago, there are definitely days in some of the bigger cities where we could feel slightly tighter lungs than we are used to.
And were really happy with the choices that we made for these credit cards when it came to traveling in China — as we had absolutely no trouble at all when it came to purchasing goods or withdrawing cash. Note that most of these recommendations are geared to UK travellers.
We did a lot of research on the benefits of Starling against bigger well-known competitors like the Revolu t card , Monzo or Caxton and felt that Starling was the best of the bunch.
This is since Starling offers you unlimited ATM withdrawals at no charge and their currency conversion is one of the most competitive on the market. Again, one for the UK readers. We have loved our Halifax credit card. There are 3 main providers in China for mobile phone networks, and all offer a pretty good service. Ideally you should get your sim card at the airport when you first land but, if not, there are stores all over town, and generally the store assistants are really helpful in sorting out a SIM card for you.
Not only can you purchase global internet bundles, it also has two SIM card slots. Meaning that we can purchase local SIM cards on internet only packages, but not have the concern about always changing our telephone numbers. A very clever device. Recommended: Why you should go to Zhangjiajie National Park. This is definitely not a definitive list, but here are a few of the websites and apps that are blocked in China:.
Yes — there are a few different ones. First up, Apple App Store has a version specifically for China. Most of the big phone producers in China also have their own app store versions. WeChat is everything in China. A combination of Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Venmo, and more, you can do pretty much anything on this app.
Everyone uses Wechat to message one another. You can join giant groups of up to people covering any topic imaginable: women in business, local expat neighborhood groups, nightlife, housing, even cat owners in your city!
You can also hook WeChat up to your Chinese bank account and pay for anything under the sun using the app! Just scan the QR code using your app and pay with your phone!
You can also top up your phone plan through Wechat, send money to your friends, split a bill in a group chat, and more! Book flights and train tickets. Download Apple Download Android.
Thankfully they now have an English version of the app, so you can hail a taxi without Chinese. You can even add foreign credit cards now! This app pretty much works just like Uber. You type in your destination in English! The app auto-translates English to Chinese, so as long as you type something very basic, the driver should be able to understand. This app is GOLD for travelers and expats because oftentimes taxi drivers are racist hesitant to pick up foreign passengers.
Pleco is a Chinese-English dictionary in app form that you can access without internet which is a godsend for travelers and expats alike. You can type in English and it will give you the result in both Chinese and Pinyin!
This means that you can pronounce the word yourself if you dare , or you can just show the Chinese character translation to someone! If you need to translate one word, this is your absolute go-to. Let me translate my Lijiang haiku into Chinese…. Now, if you need to translate full sentences, Baidu Translate is the second app you need. I use this to translate long strings of text or the inevitable super-long Chinese text message I get from my bank or phone company. It actually does the job pretty well!
It works great, they have excellent customer service, and they stay on top of all of the Chinese censorship updates. Download Express VPN! A few days of pollution are definitely not going to kill you. Airpocalypse is great because it tells you when you should avoid outdoor exercise and when you should wear a mask using little jokes.
This makes it super easy to know when you should take precautions. Three traveler apps, and three expat apps! These apps are my go-to travel apps regardless of where I am, but they work in China too and I highly recommend them to any traveler!
Skyscanner is my go-to app and booking site when it comes to finding cheap flights all over the world!
When in China, your browser might change you to a site called Qunar. This is the Chinese version of Skyscanner and is literally exactly the same. You can change back to the English version for Skyscanner, or you can just download the Skyscanner app! My super cool hotel in Dali we booked on Booking. I used Hostelworld religiously when I traveled solo, but now that I travel with my fiance Chris, I exclusively use Booking.
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