Short answer
Install a payment wallet, a local map app, the rail app, a ride-hailing option and an offline translation pack before you fly. Finish anything needing an SMS or passport verification at home — those are exactly the steps that fail at the airport.
Step by step
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Alipay — your payment lifeline
The one app that does everything: scan to pay everywhere, book trains, order food, call a ride. Sign up with your passport, add a Visa/Mastercard under Cards (most international cards work), then scan any merchant QR. If your card gets declined, try the Tour Card mini-program — a prepaid option built for visitors.
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WeChat — messages + payments
China's default messenger — locals will add you here first. Payments work inside it too (WeChat Pay), and museum tickets, shared bikes and most services are mini-programs running inside WeChat. Sign up with any phone number (international numbers work); add your card under Me → Services → Wallet.
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China Railway 12306 — trains
The ONLY official train ticket app — anything else in search results is a reseller with markup. English UI is built in. Register with your passport (identity verification can take a few hours, do it before you need tickets), add passport as your ID type, then book. Tickets release 15 days ahead.
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Skip the app — use the mini-program
Most Chinese services run INSIDE Alipay/WeChat as mini-programs — no install, no new account, billed to your bound card. Ride-hailing: search 滴滴出行 (DiDi) in WeChat or Alipay. Metro: the 出行 (Ride) tab activates each city's transit QR. Even 12306 has one — but verify your passport in the official app first; the mini-program's passport check is unreliable.
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Still worth installing
Amap (高德地图) — the best offline maps, has an English mode; its 高德打车 tab also aggregates every ride-hailing service when DiDi's queue is long. Dianping (大众点评) / Meituan (美团) — China's Yelp + food delivery: massive restaurant reviews, deals, table booking and delivery. Chinese-first UI — use it alongside your translate app. A VPN — arrange and install BEFORE arrival if you need your home services.
Good to know
Install everything before you fly — hotel/airport Wi-Fi works, but why wait. Your home App Store region has all of these.
If something goes wrong
store-unreachable-after-landing
After landing, the app store won't load or downloads stall
Likely cause: On Chinese networks, app stores and some official sites are slow or unreachable — installing after arrival is a trap.
What to do: Install Alipay, WeChat, 12306 and this app BEFORE your flight (this guide's whole point). Android without Play Store? Use the official sites: global.alipay.com, weixin.qq.com, 12306.cn.
no-chinese-number
Sign-up needs a Chinese number you don't have
Likely cause: International numbers often can't receive mainland SMS short codes.
What to do: Prefer no-number paths: Alipay international (email + passport), en.12306.cn, Trip.com. Most services also have mini-programs inside Alipay/WeChat — no separate account. For transit, use the Alipay ride QR instead of metro apps. See Stay connected for more workarounds.
Official apps and links
- China Railway 12306 — official site & app official
- Alipay (international) official
Sources
- Alipay on RuStore (official listing) (2026-09-08)
- WeChat official Android APK (weixin.qq.com) (2026-09-08)
- WeChat on Huawei AppGallery (official, C5683) (2026-09-08)