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
High-Speed Rail
How to Plan a Beijing–Xi’an High-Speed Rail Trip
Plan a practical Beijing to Xi’an high-speed rail itinerary with station advice, ticket steps, luggage guidance, and day trips to the Great Wall and Terracotta Army.
Last checked Oct 27, 2026
Arrival
China Arrival Setup: Payments, Maps and Essential Apps Before Leaving the Airport
A practical China arrival guide covering mobile data, Alipay and WeChat Pay, maps, translation, hotel details, airport transport and backup plans.
Last checked Oct 27, 2026
Apps
How to Set Up Essential China Travel Apps Before You Arrive
Prepare payment, maps, translation, transport, messaging, and mobile data apps for China before departure, with practical backups if verification fails.
Last checked Oct 26, 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 practical Beijing to Xi’an high-speed rail itinerary with station advice, ticket steps, luggage guidance, and day trips to the Great Wall and Terracotta Army.
Last checked Oct 27, 2026 Arrival China Arrival Setup: Payments, Maps and Essential Apps Before Leaving the AirportA practical China arrival guide covering mobile data, Alipay and WeChat Pay, maps, translation, hotel details, airport transport and backup plans.
Last checked Oct 27, 2026 Apps How to Set Up Essential China Travel Apps Before You ArrivePrepare payment, maps, translation, transport, messaging, and mobile data apps for China before departure, with practical backups if verification fails.
Last checked Oct 26, 2026 High-Speed Rail How to Book China High-Speed Rail Tickets With a Foreign PassportA practical guide to booking China high-speed trains with a foreign passport, including 12306 verification, name matching, payment, boarding, refunds, and backup options.
Last checked Oct 26, 2026 Arrival Beijing Airport to the City: How to Choose the Best Arrival RouteCompare Beijing Capital and Daxing airport transport options, including rail, metro, taxis, ride-hailing, and pre-booked transfers.
Last checked Oct 26, 2026Editorial standard
Calm, practical, and checked before it is polished.
- Official sources checked
- Human edited
- Practical steps first
- Updated regularly
- No OTA-first recommendations