Maps and Navigation in Beijing Without Google
Why Google Maps puts you in the lake at Houhai, which map apps to use instead, how to read a Beijing address, pick the…
Category · 10 guides
Beijing Money & Internet
Paying for things in Beijing with a foreign card, what everything costs, and getting a phone online in a country where most of the services on it are blocked.
Apps to Download Before You Fly to Beijing
The shortlist of apps that make Beijing work, from payments and maps to trains, taxis, translation and food, with honest notes on the English…
VPNs for China Travel: What Still Works and What Does Not
An honest look at VPNs in China in 2026: whether you need one at all, the legal position, why they fail, how to set…
Buying a SIM Card in Beijing: Airport Counters and City Shops
Who actually needs a Chinese SIM, where to buy one at Capital, Daxing and in the city, what registration involves, 2026 package prices, and…
China eSIM Guide: Data That Works From the Moment You Land
How a roaming eSIM gets round China's firewall, what one costs in 2026, how much data a Beijing trip uses, which phones work, and…
Using Credit and Debit Cards in Beijing: Where They Actually Work
Where a foreign Visa, Mastercard or Amex works on its own in Beijing, where it doesn't, which card to bring, PINs and pre-authorisations, and…
Cash and ATMs in Beijing: Getting Yuan and Where You Still Need It
How much cash a Beijing trip really needs, which ATMs take foreign cards and what a withdrawal costs, exchanging money, breaking ¥100 notes, and…
WeChat Pay for Visitors: How to Set It Up and When You Need It
Why Beijing's biggest sights are booked inside WeChat, how to add a foreign card to WeChat Pay, the vouching step and account freezes that…
Alipay for Tourists: Setting It Up Before You Fly
How to set up Alipay with a foreign card before you fly, how paying at a Beijing counter actually works, the 3% fee over…
Money and the Internet in Beijing: Paying and Getting Online
Setting up Alipay and WeChat Pay with a foreign card, what cash is still for, what things cost, and the eSIM decision that determines…