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游A guide to modern China
Travel China,
unfiltered.
Visa-free transit, payments without a Chinese bank account, eSIMs that actually work, high-speed rails, ancient alleys and futurist skylines — everything you need to travel China with confidence.
240h
visa-free transit
55+
countries eligible
45 000 km
of high-speed rail
5 000 yrs
of stories
Now showing
Beijing · 北京
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The four things every China traveler asks first.
We've sorted the chaos into four clean tracks. Pick the one you're anxious about — we'll handle the rest.
Entry & Visa
144/240-hour transit, visa-free countries, the new K-visa, and what to expect at the border.
付
Pay & Connect
Alipay & WeChat Pay for foreigners, eSIM that works through the Wall, getting online day-one.
行
Get Around
12306 in English, metro cards in Apple Pay, DiDi, the high-speed rail playbook.
游
Plan & Explore
City-by-city guides, curated 7- and 14-day itineraries, and slow-travel detours off the algorithm.
It is 此刻 in China.
Beijing time · GMT+8
- BěijīngBeijing--:--:--—
- ShànghǎiShanghai--:--:--—
- ChéngdūChengdu--:--:--—
- Xī'ānXi'an--:--:--—
- XiānggǎngHong Kong--:--:--—
Three guides we wrote first, because everyone asks them.
12 min read
The Best eSIMs for China in 2026 (tested over the Wall)
We tested every major China-compatible eSIM through real Beijing and Shanghai networks. Here's what actually works for Google, WhatsApp, and Maps.
9 min read
144 & 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit, Decoded
Who qualifies, what you can actually do, the 6/3/1 zone trick, and the entry-stamp gotcha that catches most travelers off-guard.
7 min read
Using Alipay & WeChat Pay as a Foreigner
Yes, you can pay for everything with your Visa or Mastercard now. Here's the screen-by-screen setup and the limits nobody tells you about.
Six cities, one country, a thousand contradictions.
北京
Běijīng
Beijing
Imperial gates, hutongs, and a tech-noir skyline.
Explore→
上海
Shànghǎi
Shanghai
Art Deco shikumen meet Pudong's neon future.
Explore→
成都
Chéngdū
Chengdu
Pandas, peppercorns, and a slow-living counterculture.
Explore→
西安
Xī'ān
Xi'an
Where the Silk Road begins and dynasties never quite end.
Explore→
云南
Yúnnán
Yunnan
Tea mountains, rice terraces, and Tibetan borderlands.
Explore→
香港
Xiānggǎng
Hong Kong
Dim sum at dawn, neon at midnight, ferries between.
Explore→
Most English-language China guides are a decade out of date. We're fixing that — one carefully tested, beautifully designed guide at a time.
Travel2CN is written by people who actually live, eat, and ride the high-speed trains here. Every recommendation is tested. Every affiliate link is disclosed. Every piece of advice is what we'd tell a friend.