Field Guide
HiChina Insights
Field notes, practical guides, and cultural maps for navigating China.
Start with Arrival GuideBegin with airports, SIM cards, payment, and your first city transfer.
Start here 240-Hour Visa-Free TransitUnderstand the practical shape of transit rules before you build an itinerary.
Start here How to Pay in ChinaSet up foreign cards, backup payment routes, and cash expectations.
Start here High-Speed Rail BasicsBook tickets, read stations, and board trains with fewer surprises.
Featured guides
Edited for the traveler who needs the details to work.
Arrival
A Practical Guide to Arriving in China for the First Time
A calm first-day guide to airports, documents, payments, connectivity, and getting from the terminal to your hotel.
Last checked Jun 25, 2026
City Routes
How to Plan a Low-Walking China Trip for Older Travelers
Plan a comfortable China itinerary for older travelers with fewer hotel changes, low-transfer routes, private cars, verified attraction access, and realistic rest time.
Last checked Aug 28, 2026
Apps
How to Find and Order Vegan Food in China Without Hidden Animal Ingredients
A practical workflow for finding vegan food in China, communicating dietary needs, checking hidden ingredients, and planning reliable backups.
Last checked Aug 28, 2026
City Routes
Which Great Wall Section Should You Visit for Fewer Crowds?
Compare Jinshanling, Mutianyu, Simatai, and Badaling to choose the best Great Wall section near Beijing for your crowd tolerance, fitness, and travel style.
Last checked Aug 28, 2026Explore by topic
Seven columns for the practical parts of a China trip.
Entry rules, transit stays, border paperwork, and what to check before flying.
02 PaymentsAlipay, WeChat Pay, cards, cash, refunds, and payment failure backups.
03 High-Speed Rail12306, station flow, ticket changes, seats, luggage, and boarding rhythm.
04 City RoutesPractical routes for Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Xi'an.
05 AppsThe everyday stack: maps, translation, ride-hailing, food delivery, and bookings.
06 HotelsForeign guest registration, address formats, booking platforms, and check-in notes.
07 ArrivalAirport-to-city moves, eSIMs, arrival cards, customs, and first-day checklists.
City routes
Built for three careful days, not thirty tabs.
- Beijing
- Shanghai
- Guangzhou
- Chengdu
- Xi'an
Recently updated
Guides with dates worth noticing.
Plan a comfortable China itinerary for older travelers with fewer hotel changes, low-transfer routes, private cars, verified attraction access, and realistic rest time.
Last checked Aug 28, 2026 Apps How to Find and Order Vegan Food in China Without Hidden Animal IngredientsA practical workflow for finding vegan food in China, communicating dietary needs, checking hidden ingredients, and planning reliable backups.
Last checked Aug 28, 2026 City Routes Which Great Wall Section Should You Visit for Fewer Crowds?Compare Jinshanling, Mutianyu, Simatai, and Badaling to choose the best Great Wall section near Beijing for your crowd tolerance, fitness, and travel style.
Last checked Aug 28, 2026 High-Speed Rail How to Book China High-Speed Rail Tickets With a Foreign PassportA practical guide to booking, collecting, and boarding China high-speed rail tickets when travelling with a foreign passport.
Last checked Aug 27, 2026 Payments How to Pay in China With a Foreign Card: Alipay and WeChat Pay SetupSet up Alipay and WeChat Pay with a foreign card before traveling to China, understand QR payments, and keep reliable backups for food, hotels and transport.
Last checked Aug 27, 2026Editorial standard
Calm, practical, and checked before it is polished.
- Official sources checked
- Human edited
- Practical steps first
- Updated regularly
- No OTA-first recommendations