China Travel Tutorials
Step-by-Step China Travel Tutorials
Follow practical tutorials by trip stage: before arrival, first day in China, getting around, payments, internet and emergency fixes.
Before Arrival
Prepare payment, internet and essential apps before you fly
Do these steps before your flight so your first day in China is not blocked by payment, internet, maps or translation problems.
Set up mobile payment
Install Alipay and WeChat, link an eligible international card, enable overseas card use and keep small RMB cash as backup.
Prepare internet access
Choose an eSIM, roaming plan or WiFi backup before landing. Payments, maps, taxis and translation all need reliable data.
Install the app stack
Prepare payment, messaging, taxi, booking, map and translation apps while you still have a familiar app store and phone number.
Save travel backups
Screenshot bookings, save your hotel address in Chinese and English, keep passport details ready and make a first-day checklist.
First Day in China
Land, get online, test payment and reach your hotel
Use this flow during your first 24 hours in China. The goal is to get connected, make one successful payment and reach your hotel without confusion.
Turn on mobile data
Activate your eSIM or roaming before leaving arrivals. If it fails, use airport WiFi long enough to load maps and hotel details.
Test a small payment
Buy water or coffee with Alipay or WeChat Pay before relying on QR payment for taxis, metro gates, restaurants or hotel deposits.
Choose airport transport
Compare metro, airport train, taxi, Didi and hotel transfer based on luggage, arrival time and payment readiness.
Check into your hotel
Prepare your passport, booking name, local address, deposit method and a translated sentence if the front desk does not speak English.
During the Trip
Move around China with metro, Didi, taxis and trains
Once your phone, payment and hotel are settled, these steps help with everyday movement and intercity travel.
Use metro for city travel
Learn security checks, ticket gates, QR codes, transfers, exit numbers and airport lines before your first subway ride.
Use Didi or taxis as backup
Save pickup points, hotel address and driver details. Use Didi when possible and keep a taxi backup for airports or late nights.
Buy train tickets carefully
Use passport details, check station names, arrive early and save booking screenshots before taking a high-speed train.
Navigate large train stations
Expect passport checks, security screening, waiting halls, departure gates and short boarding windows.
Emergency Fixes
Fix common China travel problems quickly
Use these actions when something goes wrong. The goal is not perfection; it is getting unstuck fast with a clear backup step.
Payment failed
Try a smaller amount, another card, the other payment app, better mobile data, a different QR code or small RMB cash.
No mobile data
Move to airport, hotel or mall WiFi, activate roaming, switch eSIM profile or ask staff to help you connect temporarily.
Driver cannot understand the address
Show the Chinese hotel address, nearby landmark, map pin and phone number. Avoid relying only on English place names.
Lost in a station or city
Stop moving, open your booking or map screenshot, find an information desk and use translation to ask for your gate, exit or platform.
Video tutorials
Watch a quick guide, then follow the checklist
Choose from five concise tutorials for payment, internet, arrival, metro and hotel check-in. Each one continues into a practical checklist.
Set up Alipay and pay in China
Watch the complete 58-second walkthrough for QR payments, Alipay, WeChat Pay, international cards and cash backup.
How to set up internet before China
Watch the 50-second comparison of eSIM, roaming and local SIM, then prepare one primary connection and one backup.
What to do in your first hour in China
Watch the 53-second arrival flow for mobile data, payment, hotel details, airport transport, check-in and a calm first evening.
How to take the metro in China
Watch the 56-second walkthrough for station entrances, security, tickets, QR codes, platform direction, transfers and exit numbers.
How to check in at a hotel in China
Watch the 60-second walkthrough for passports, booking confirmation, deposits, hotel details, the Chinese address and late arrival.
Focused tutorials
Use these when you want a narrower setup flow
These older tutorial pages stay useful as focused setup pages. The main tutorials page now gives the overall travel workflow.
eSIM setup tutorial
A focused tutorial for getting mobile internet ready before or after landing.
Metro tutorial
Step-by-step subway basics for ticket gates, QR codes, transfers and exits.
High-speed rail tutorial
Use passport checks, waiting halls, boarding gates and platforms correctly.
Shared bike tutorial
A practical backup for short rides when walking or taxis are inconvenient.
FAQ
How to use ChinaEasy tutorials
How is this different from the China travel guides page?
The guides page is a full content library. This tutorials page is a stage-by-stage workflow that tells you what to do before arrival, on your first day, during the trip and when something goes wrong.
What should I do first before traveling to China?
Start with payment, internet, essential apps and saved hotel details. These are the problems that most often affect foreign visitors on the first day.
Should I use this page during the trip?
Yes. Use the first-day and during-trip sections when you need a quick action flow for airport arrival, metro, taxis, trains, hotels or emergency fixes.