China is likely one of the world’s most fascinating – and regularly misunderstood – nations. Stretching almost 5,000km – from the frostbitten ice festivals of Harbin within the north to the breezy, coconut-fringed beaches of Hainan within the south – the nation encompasses snow-capped Himalayan ridges, huge deserts, subtropical jungles dripping with monsoon rain, limestone peaks, and rice terraces that ripple throughout whole mountainsides.
Layered over this are a network of megacities whose populations outstrip these of many European nations, with the nation’s 1.5 billion inhabitants forming a patchwork of 56 recognised ethnic teams, dozens of languages and dialects, and meals traditions so different that the catch-all “Chinese cuisine” barely grazes the floor.
Visiting generally is a thrilling and bewildering expertise. The scale is overwhelming (one time zone spans 5 pure ones), the tempo of change dizzying (high-speed trains now cowl 40,000km of monitor), and the tradition not all the time really easy to decode.
From navigating a near-cashless society with its personal ecosystem of apps and boarding bullet trains, to understanding why noodles (however not dim sum) make a wonderfully regular breakfast, listed below are all of the unwritten rules to bear in mind when visiting China.
Google, Facebook and WhatsApp received’t work
Nicknamed the ‘Great Firewall’, China’s web restrictions block entry to a swathe of overseas web sites and platforms, together with Google, Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, YouTube and WhatsApp — even on lodge WiFi. Although not formally permitted, many travellers obtain VPNs before travelling. It’s additionally effectively value putting in the Chinese alternate options, that are all usefully accessible in English: Amap Global for navigation, WeChat for messaging and funds, and DiDi for experience hailing.