With China’s borders finally open, foreign businesspeople are returning en masse and May and June and then September to early-November are typically the busiest periods for visits aligning with trade shows and the milder weather windows.
So I thought now was a good time to give some tips for visitors to make sure their stay is as valuable as it can be:
1. Don’t get stranded without being able to pay, travel or order in
For some years now, China has been one of the most digitally-connected countries. If you were in China pre-Covid, you probably noticed it. Over the pandemic years, China became even more digital.
There are now a lot of places you cannot pay for things without using a smartphone. With so many people using Uber-type apps, there are less taxis around too, and many won’t stop for hailing foreigners as it is just too much trouble dealing with another language.
A lot of hotel’s restaurants don’t even do dinner or room service in the evenings because so many guests get waimai (food delivery) – to prevent their halls being overrun with delivery people, many hotels now have robots that deliver ordered food to guests’ doors, which is worth seeing just for the quirky experience.
Fortunately, the Superapp Alipay is largely in English and allows you to add your foreign credit card. This allows you to use the app to pay with your smartphone, which is very valuable.
There are two ways stores want you to pay, either by scanning their QR Code - tap ‘Scan’ below (1), scan their code and enter the amount to pay; or they will scan your code - tap ‘Pay’ below (2) and they will scan the code that appears on your phone. It’s all beautifully easy.
A screenshot from Alipay illustrating some of its many features
As a bonus with Alipay, you have a lot of options to pay for travel – tap ‘Travel’ (3):
Public transport: bus or metro are simple to catch and pay for, when you’ve hit Travel (3), tap either ‘Bus’ or ‘Metro’ and you’ll get a QR code which is effectively a travel card, which you scan when you get on and off a bus or the metro. Apple and Google maps give helpful and detailed instructions to catch a bus or metro to a destination, so give it a try!
Taxis: much like Uber, cars can simply be ordered through the Alipay app. You can usually add/find addresses in English, although if you have a Chinese address to paste into the app, it can sometimes work easier – have your address in Chinese handy on your phone so you can cut & paste it. To book a car, once you’ve tapped ‘Travel’ (3) just tap ‘Taxi’: riding on one of the jellybean-coloured shared bikes through Beijing’s hutongs or Shanghai’s colourful streets is one of the most enjoyable things you can do in China, it’s also a great way to get around. Loan bikes are everywhere and simple to use. There is a ‘Bike’ option under ‘Transport’ (3) or you can just ‘Scan’ (1) the QR code on the bike. With Alipay, you can hire the blue and white Hello bikes and they cost as little as ¥1 ($0.14). There’s usually plenty to choose from, so pick a new-looking one if you can, as they generally ride better. The newest ones are usually shinier and have the biggest handle to adjust the seat. Make sure you remember to click the lock on the back wheel of your bike when you’re finished and park the bike in a designated bike area, where other bikes are usually parked, inside the painted outline.
Hello Bikes are everywhere in Chinese cities
You can also use AliPay to order food, by tapping on ‘Takeout’ (4). A lot of the process is in Chinese, but there are photos to help you choose your meal and it is a fairly logical path to get food delivered. Best to have your address is Chinese for delivery, so have it in a place you can paste it.
These are the most common uses of Alipay for visitors to China, but there are a host of other services you can use in the app – explore the app to see for yourself.
In short, if you only do one thing to prepare for your trip to China, download the Alipay app and add your credit card. You can download it here. It’s free.
2. WeChat, the way Chinese communicate
Most visitors to China will be briefed on the need to download WeChat before they come, but some seem still seem to miss the memo. WeChat is the most essential way to keep in touch with Chinese contacts. Many Chinese don’t use business cards, instead they connect over WeChat.
Many don’t use email either, instead conducting business communications and sending documents over WeChat. They don’t send text messages, they send WeChat messages. They have calls and group calls on WeChat.
Download WeChat here, and if you are using it with day-to-day communications, it is a lot easier to have it on your laptop to, which can be downloaded here for Windows or here for a Mac. Both services are free.
3. Download a VPN onto your laptop & smartphone
Although many are familiar with the ‘Great Firewall’ which blocks a lot of Western websites and apps such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and even Netflix, people still seem to be caught out in China.
The good news is that data roaming with a foreign SIM will generally allow access to banned apps. However, connecting your smartphone or laptop to a WiFi service will not allow access. You cannot underestimate the frustration of not being able to access those online services that you use without thinking about every day.
One option is to tether data through your phone, but you’d be better to download a VPN onto your laptop before you leave. We’ve found Astrill to be a good option, which costs $30 for a month, although is cheaper if you sign up for a year or more. You can download it here, it works on laptops or smartphones.
4. Facemasks
It wasn’t long ago when face masks were everywhere in China. Over the past couple of months, more and more people are showing off their faces and going mask-free. Many places have loosened policies around using masks and there aren’t many places left where wearing is mandatory. The PM2.5 pollution levels have also improved since pre-pandemic.
Nevertheless, it is worth having a mask handy to wear, often out of respect to others wearing masks, and for the places where they may still insist.
5. Flight is approaching, no sign of the Visa?
We’ve been hearing a lot that it’s currently taking longer than expected to get visas issued. This isn’t unexpected as Chinese visa staff has been keeping busy since China opened up and travellers now need to arrange ‘interviews’ for the fingerprint scanning at their consulate or embassy.
We know a number of people who have locked in flights and meetings and their visa didn’t arrive in time, so they just booked an onward flight to Seoul, Hong Kong or somewhere close, and arrived in China on the 144-hour Transit Visa. The visa gives you 6-days in China, starting on the day after arriving.
The visa is applicable in most major cities, for travellers from 53 countries including OECD members. If you can squeeze everything into a working week, this a great backup plan for those who have been unable to source a visa in time, and a good excuse to pop over and see another destination in Asia. More information is available here.
I hope that helps make your trip a little more successful, more enjoyable and less stressful. Have a great trip and if you’re in Shanghai, do pop by China Skinny's office.
We can’t help with everything, but it would be great to discuss how our research, marketing strategy, branding and digital services can assist you to be more successful in the China market. Safe travels!
Mark Tanner
Managing Director at China Skinny
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