14 things to know before traveling to China in 2025

Good afternoon. As China continues to ease entry policies and improve services for foreign travelers, the numbers of foreign nationals' visits to Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai have picked up to or even surpassed the pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

According to the latest statistics, Shanghai welcomed approximately 670,900 foreign tourist visits in April alone, a 40.5 percent increase compared to the same month last year and even higher than the 640,800 recorded in April 2019. Meanwhile, Beijing received 454,920 foreign visitors in April, up 23.5 percent from the 368,281 in April 2019.

Against this backdrop of growing inbound travel, today I’d like to introduce a YouTube video that might be especially helpful for those planning a trip to China.

American couple Mike and Ashley—who have over 70,000 subscribers on YouTube—recently shared 14 insights from their two-month journey across China. This was their second visit to the country: the first time, they spent just a few days on a 144-hour transit visa, but the experience left such a strong impression that they returned with a 10-year multiple-entry visa and explored a wide range of Chinese cities.

In addition, I’ve invited Yifei, who belongs to China’s Gen Z generation, to reflect on some of the couple’s observations and share her thoughts from a local perspective.

Tip 1: Chinese cities have developed to the next level

Mike and Ashley said many Westerners think of China as a developing country. So they were rather amazed by how developed some Chinese cities are. Due to negative media coverage about China, they expected it to be somewhat like Vietnam, largely dominated by small villages and rural landscapes.

So when they told their friends and family back home about the highly developed Chinese cities they witnessed, they were all "shocked" and "surprised." They believe many Westerners' impressions of China are still stuck in the 1980s, but China has long since transformed. This was what shocked them on their first visit to China, but they think many Westerners still haven't realized this. Overall, they consider Chinese cities among the most developed they've ever visited.

When expressing these views, they specifically displayed this text at the bottom of the video: "This video is not sponsored; all opinions are their own." Also, they only mentioned that Chinese cities are very developed, not the rural areas.

Yifei:

This point seems valid to me. For many Westerners who have not visited China, the initial impression is often that the country is far more developed than expected. This is primarily due to China’s strong infrastructure, effective implementation, and efficiency. Since becoming the world’s second-largest economy in 2010, China has experienced significant and consistent economic growth. While cities like Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing are highly developed, China’s large geographical area offers a range of experiences. For those interested in a more serene, nature-oriented setting, Yunnan Province in southern China is surely worth considering.

Tip 2: China is HUGE

They mentioned that China is even bigger than the United States.

This couple comes from a small town in Alaska with only 1,000 people, so imagine their shock when arriving in Beijing and Shanghai with populations over 20 million -- each city felt like a different country.

For example, Shanghai gave them a very modern, fashionable vibe, while Beijing felt more traditional and down-to-earth. Guangzhou reminded them of Southeast Asian cities with probably their similar climate and relatively cheaper prices, as well as more third-world foreigners travelling around. And Chengdu and Chongqing had yet another different scenery. They discovered that in China, just traveling a few hundred miles could mean completely different food, culture, and architecture.

Yifei:

To put it in perspective, China spans 9.6 million square kilometers, over twice the size of the European Union, which covers 4.37 million square kilometers. The country offers a wide range of landscapes, climates, cuisines, and customs, varying from the north to the south and from coastal areas to the interior. Traveling across China provides a unique opportunity to experience a diverse range of environments and cultures within one nation. This is especially true during traditional festivals like the Spring Festival or the Dragon Boat Festival, when visitors can observe a variety of regional customs and cultural practices in a relatively short period.

Tip 3: China's transportation is extremely convenient

They mentioned that high-speed rail is the best way to travel in China -- very convenient and fast, and that China's business class of high-speed rail is better than first class, which is the opposite case to the U.S. They felt first class was the worst option -- either go cheap with second class or comfortable with business class. They found Chinese high-speed rail prices more expensive than expected, but considering the long distances, frequent departures, and time saved by not having airport-style security, this transportation remains the best choice. They also mentioned that China's sleeper trains can save on accommodation costs, though they wouldn't choose this option, and preferred a good night's sleep in a hotel. They especially recommended the Trip app. The couple emphasized it wasn't an ad -- they just genuinely found it helpful. I checked, and it's under Ctrip, so it seems their English version is well done. Overall, they find China to be a vast country. However, its transportation system is fast and convenient. You can travel hundreds of kilometers in just a few hours. High-speed rail requires no luggage check-in, only simple security checks. There are no complicated boarding procedures. It's incredibly convenient.

Yifei:

The development of high-speed rail in China has been incredibly fast. I still remember twenty years ago, when long trips meant taking regular trains or even sleeper trains. The carriages were crowded, and the travel time was much longer compared to today’s high-speed rail. For instance, a trip from Beijing to Shanghai (about 1,318 kilometers) used to take 12 hours. Now, the fastest high-speed train on the Beijing-Shanghai route covers the same distance in just four and a half hours. To give you an idea, 1,318 kilometers in Europe would take you across five or six countries, from the Baltic to the Mediterranean.

Tip 4: Remember to always carry your passport

Having traveled globally for the past three years, they feel China stands out in the extremely high frequency of passport use. From buying SIM cards and booking attraction tickets to entering train stations and visiting places like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, a passport is often required. It's not just for booking -- passport checks are also needed when entering train stations and some attractions. So remember to always carry your passport to avoid unnecessary troubles.

Tip 5: The language barrier is significant

They believe among all countries they've visited, China has the smallest proportion of English speakers.

Young Chinese people use translation apps, but the elderly don't use them as much. However, they're all very friendly and eager to help. No need to worry too much about the language barrier. Taking public transportation in China is relatively easy because high-speed rail, subway, and bus station names generally have English translations, so you won't get lost. They found the most difficult and frustrating times in China were when they were very hungry and entered a restaurant with no food pictures on the menu, and Apple's translation app didn't work well, so they didn't know what they were ordering. They also remind that Google Translate doesn't work in China. Of course, the best approach at such times is to ask the staff and owners for help—they'll all be very friendly in helping solve the problem. So they said they hadn't had one thing that wasn't good in China.

Yifei:

In fact, most of China’s Gen Z have been learning English since elementary school, with English being a key subject in the Gaokao, the national college entrance exam. While students tend to excel in listening, reading, and writing, speaking is often their weak point, especially in inland cities. So, if you speak to them on the street, their English might seem limited, but it's likely just because their speaking skills aren’t as developed. The situation is likely different in cities like Shanghai, Beijing, or Shenzhen.

Tip 6: There's no great map app

They said Google Maps doesn't work in China. Apple Maps can find places, but it's not very user-friendly and can't search for nearby restaurants like Google Maps. They know China's "Dianping" app is very useful, but because it's all in Chinese, they could only take lots of screenshots and use Apple's translation to translate the screenshot pages, very inefficient and the translations weren't always accurate.

Point 7: China has many electric vehicles; be careful crossing streets

China drives on the right, so if you're from a country where driving is on the left, be cautious when crossing streets. They mention this because China has more electric vehicles than any country they’ve visited, and electric cars are very quiet. There have been times when cars approached without them hearing anything, so they remind everyone to stay alert.

Yifei:

Another helpful tip for navigating the streets: with the rise of food delivery services in China these years, electric bike riders can often be seen zipping around. It's a good idea to stay alert as you walk, just to stay safe!

Tip 8: China's popular attractions are definitely worth visiting, but it's important to plan ahead

They initially wondered if China's famous attractions were overhyped and not as impressive as claimed, but they turned out to be just as good as advertised. For example, their experience at the Great Wall was excellent -- despite being one of China’s most popular sites, it ended up being one of their best experiences, especially with the cable car ride up and down. They advise travelers to better estimate the vast scale of China’s cities. They didn’t plan their time well enough in advance, and at times, the cold weather caused them to miss out on some attractions.

Yifei:

I agree with what the couple said. Another point to note is that many of my friends from other parts of China also complain when they visit Beijing for the first time -- they always say you have to plan ahead because many attractions require reservations in advance.

Tip 9: No cash needed for any transactions

They recommend using Alipay and WeChat Pay for payments, but they also mention two instances where they couldn't pay street vendors because the QR codes didn’t accept international credit cards. As a backup, it’s a good idea to withdraw some cash in advance. They recalled withdrawing 1,000 yuan (about 139 U.S. dollars) in cash when arriving in China, and two months later, when leaving, they still had 750 yuan left. You don't need to worry about phone battery either—power banks for rent are everywhere on Chinese streets. They found power banks literally everywhere -- hotel lobbies, Lawson convenience stores, gas stations, small shops, very convenient. They wished other countries had this too. In summary, they emphasize spending some time setting up Alipay and WeChat Pay before coming to China -- it doesn’t take much time and is well worth the effort.

Tip 10: Chinese food is INCREDIBLE

They said one of their favorite things in China was the food, and they loved it maybe a little too much. Before coming to China, they'd only ever had Chinese food at restaurants back home and worried they'd be stuck eating just fried rice and noodles. But once they arrived, their eyes were opened. Their favorite part of the trip became discovering all the unique Chinese foods and trying dishes they’d never experienced before. They were impressed by visiting the world’s largest hotpot restaurant and even made a special video about it while in Chongqing. Another standout memory was eating dim sum at a restaurant in Guangzhou -- they found it incredibly delicious, especially since they love dumplings, and this place had some of the best. They still remember the restaurant's name: Taotaoju 陶陶居. Additionally, this American couple was impressed by another restaurant in Nanjing called Nanjing Impressions and found it delicious and thought all of Nanjing's restaurants were good and cheap, remembering a full table of food for less than 30 dollars. They gained weight in China. Finally, they say to be brave about trying Chinese street food, but remember not to eat at places with lots of flies -- instead, go to high-traffic locations where food turnover is fast and there won't be hygiene issues. They care about hygiene -- they mentioned often getting food poisoning, presumably from unclean food, when traveling to various other countries, but during their two months in China, they didn't get food poisoning even once. So they feel Chinese food is very clean with high hygiene standards, which is why they recommend trying street food.

Tip 11: Prepare a VPN

Tip 12: China is very affordable

They said the reason they hadn't traveled to China before was thinking it would be expensive like other East Asian countries, and they wish someone had told them earlier how affordable China is. Except for intercity transportation costs being relatively expensive, once you're in a city's downtown area, overall prices are very cheap. Their hotel prices generally ranged from 35 to 50 dollars (the cheapest was about 22 dollars), but they found them surprisingly good, even with robots delivering food to the door and one-button curtains -- such advanced rooms for less than 50 dollars a night.

Tip 13: There are many different visa options available

They've been to China twice. The first time was to Beijing using the 144-hour visa-free transit policy, which has now been extended to 240 hours. The second time, feeling 10 days wasn't enough, they applied for a 10-year multiple-entry visa. As American citizens, these are currently the only two tourist visa options available.

Tip 14: China is worth visiting

They particularly emphasized: First, don't listen to what your friends and family say -- just come to China and experience it yourself. China is absolutely worth visiting. Also, the relationship between governments is different from people; Chinese people treat Americans very friendly and warmly. It's worth visiting.