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China Guide
China Guide
What changed this week, the essentials for any trip, and city by city. Free, checked and dated. Stuck on anything? Ask us: we answer free within 24 hours.
Part 1
Latest China updates
Entry rules, fairs, flights and seasonal news that affect your trip.
China online arrival card: fill it in before you fly (2026 guide for Thai travellers)
Since 20 November 2025, foreign visitors can submit China's arrival card online before landing, through the NIA website, the NIA 12367 app, or WeChat and Alipay mini-programs. Paper cards are still available at the airport.
Chongqing like a local: 8 tips from a Chinese team
How Chinese locals do Chongqing - entering Hongyadong from the top to skip the lift queue, ordering mild hotpot, the apps locals use, and the photo spots tourists miss.
Chongqing from Bangkok: four airlines fly direct, and the metro now speaks Thai
Thai AirAsia, Thai Lion Air, Chongqing Airlines and China West Air fly Bangkok to Chongqing in about three hours, and three central metro stations added Thai announcements on 29 September 2026.
Part 2
China essentials
Tickets, entry, money, apps, transport, hotels, shopping, seasons, health, halal food, mosques, safety and etiquette.
01Tickets & bookings
Why foreign visitors struggle to book China's attraction, museum and train tickets, when tickets are released, what you need, and how Landing China books them for you through official channels.
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02Entry & visas
Which Southeast Asian and Gulf passports can enter mainland China visa-free in 2026, for how many days, for what purposes, and what still needs a visa.
Read the guide →03Arrival checklist
Set up Alipay with a foreign Visa or Mastercard, understand the 3% fee over RMB 200, keep LINE, WhatsApp and Google working with an eSIM, and install the apps you need in China.
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04Money & payments
How foreign visitors pay in China in 2026. Link a Visa or Mastercard to Alipay or WeChat Pay, fees and limits, using wallets from home such as TrueMoney through Alipay+, and when to carry cash.
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05Phone & internet
How to stay connected in China. Why WhatsApp, Google and Instagram don't work on Chinese networks, how an international eSIM or roaming helps, and which Chinese apps to install.
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06Apps to download
The apps to install before you fly to China, for payments, maps, taxis, translation, trains and tickets, and how to set each one up while you are still at home.
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07Getting around
How to travel around China as a visitor. Booking high-speed trains with your passport, using the metro with Alipay, ride-hailing with DiDi, domestic flights and airport transfers.
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08Hotels & registration
What foreign visitors need to know about hotels in China. Hotels that accept foreign passports, the accommodation registration rule, and what to do if you stay with friends or in a private home.
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09Shopping & tax refunds
Where to shop in China, when to bargain, how to pay, and how the paperless departure tax refund for foreign visitors works in 2026.
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10Best time to visit
When to visit China by season, the Chinese public holidays that bring crowds and high prices, and how Muslim travellers can plan around Ramadan.
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11Health & medical care
What to do if you get ill in China. International departments at major hospitals, costs and insurance for visitors, pharmacies, emergency number 120, and what medicines to bring.
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12Halal food
How Muslim travellers find halal food and mosques in China. The 清真 halal sign, Lanzhou beef noodles, the best cities for halal food, historic mosques, and planning prayer times.
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13Mosques & prayer
Historic and active mosques in China's main cities, how to join Friday prayer, visitor etiquette, and how to plan daily prayers while you travel.
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14Safety & emergencies
Safety tips for visitors to China. Emergency numbers 110, 120 and 119, common tourist scams, keeping your passport safe, and what to do if you lose it.
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15Etiquette & culture
Practical etiquette for China. Business cards and meetings, dining and toasting, gifts, tipping, and cultural taboos, for both travellers and business visitors.
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Cities
What to see, what to eat, halal food and how to get around.
Beijing 北京
Imperial palaces, the Great Wall and the country's oldest mosques.
Shanghai 上海
The Bund, skyscrapers, water towns, and China's import expo.
Xi'an 西安
The Terracotta Warriors and China's most famous Muslim Quarter.
Chengdu 成都
Giant pandas, tea houses and Western China's business hub.
Chongqing 重庆
A mountain city of bridges, night lights and hotpot on the Yangtze, about three hours from Bangkok.
Zhangjiajie 张家界
Thousands of sandstone pillars rising out of the forest.
Guilin 桂林
Karst peaks, the Li River and Yangshuo's countryside.
Qingdao 青岛
Red roofs, sea air, Mount Laoshan and a great port.
Guangzhou 广州
The Canton Fair, wholesale markets and Cantonese food.
For business
Business guides
Canton Fair 2026: dates, phases and registration
140th Canton Fair, 15 October to 4 November 2026, Guangzhou: phase dates and categories, buyer registration, the International Pavilion for exhibitors, and how to check exhibitors first.
Checking a Chinese supplierChinese supplier verification
How to check if a Chinese supplier is real: the official registries, court and enforcement databases we search, common red flags, and what our written report includes.
