Travel FAQs
China travel FAQs — every answer, verified
What this is
Every question a foreign visitor hits in China, answered and verified: visas and visa-free entry, booking attractions with a passport, payments, metros, trains, eSIMs, water, pharmacies and tipping. Each answer states when it was verified and links the official channel.
Visas & entry (4)
Entry (2)
Before you go (4)
Booking (6)
- How do I book Forbidden City tickets as a foreigner?
- China Attraction Ticket Release Times: When Every Major Site Opens Bookings (2026)
- China Golden Week October 2026: Booking Deadlines and Release Times
- How do I book Mutianyu Great Wall tickets as a foreigner?
- How do I reserve the Shaanxi History Museum in Xi'an?
- How do I book Terracotta Army tickets with a passport?
Transport (7)
- 12306 On-Sale Times by Station: When Train Tickets Actually Drop
- Why does 12306 verification fail for foreign passports?
- How do I use the Beijing subway with a QR code?
- How do I book China high-speed trains with a passport?
- China Metro QR Codes for Foreigners: Every City's Best Method (2026)
- How do I use DiDi without a Chinese phone number?
- Can I use the Shanghai metro with a foreign card?
Paying (7)
- Alipay vs WeChat Pay for Foreigners 2026: Which to Set Up First
- Can I use a Visa or Mastercard in China?
- How does the China departure tax refund work?
- Does Alipay work without a Chinese bank account?
- What Foreign Cards Really Cost in China 2026: Fees, Limits and the Cheap Path
- How do I link a foreign card to Alipay or WeChat Pay?
- Should I carry cash in China?
Connectivity (3)
Staying (5)
- Buying Medicine in China: Pharmacies, OTC Rules and Delivery
- Receiving and Sending Packages in China: Hotels, Lockers and Cainiao
- Can You Drink Tap Water in China? What Visitors Should Know
- What do I need for hotel check-in in China?
- Power Plugs in China: Which Adapter You Actually Need (220V, Types A, C, I)
Food (2)
Emergency (1)
Get ChinaPass — these answers offline, with the phrase cards that work at the counter when your data does not.