China first-time visitor guide
15-day visa-free entry from May 2024 for many Western passports (including US, UK, EU, Japan, South Korea). WeChat Pay/Alipay essential; cash rarely accepted.
🛬Entry & visa-free
Since May 2024, China grants 15 days visa-free entry to passport holders of: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Greece, Slovakia, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Cyprus, the UK, Canada, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Georgia. Additional countries may be added — check the latest list.
🏛️Must-visit highlights
Beijing (3-4 days): Forbidden City (¥60, book online 1 week ahead), Great Wall (Mutianyu section recommended — ¥45 entry + ¥120 cable car, 1.5 hrs drive from Beijing), Temple of Heaven (¥15), Summer Palace (¥30), hutong alleyways. Acrobatics show ¥180-300.
🍜Must-try foods
Beijing Duck: Roasted whole duck, carved tableside, skin served with scallions, cucumber, hoisin sauce, pancakes. ¥220-380 for half duck, ¥400-680 for whole. Quanjude is the original chain but local restaurants are often better.
Hot Pot: Sichuan style (spicy numbing broth) or Beijing style (mild lamb broth). ¥150-300 per person. Chengdu is the hot pot capital.
Dumplings: Pork, chive & egg, seafood. ¥30-80 for 20-30 dumplings. Din Tai Fung (Taiwanese) and local shops both great.
Regional specialties: Xi'an roujiamo (meat burger ¥15-25), Yangrou paomo (lamb soup with bread), Chengdu mapo tofu (spicy ¥30-50), Shanghai xiaolongbao (soup dumplings ¥25-50).
Noodles: Lanzhou beef noodles (¥15-25), Beijing zha jiang mian, Sichuan dan dan mian. Every city has its noodle specialty.
Street food: Jianbing (egg crepe ¥8-15), roujiamo (¥15-25), skewered grilled meat (¥5-10 per skewer). Night markets everywhere after dark.
Tea: Longjing (green, Hangzhou), Pu'er (Yunnan black tea), Jasmine (Beijing). Visit a tea house in Hangzhou or Shanghai.
Alcohol: Tsingtao beer ¥5-10 per bottle, local baijiu (sorghum liquor) very strong — try a small shot at a meal.
🚇Getting around
High-speed rail is the backbone — 250-350 km/h, punctual, cheap. Book tickets on 12306.cn or Trip.com. Beijing→Xi'an 4.5 hrs ¥515, Beijing→Shanghai 5 hrs ¥626, Shanghai→Chengdu 10 hrs ¥870. Business class is comfortable.
💰Money-saving tips
Exchange RMB at your home bank or major airport. Don't use hotel exchange — terrible rates.
⚠️Common pitfalls
VPN: Download and set up BEFORE entering China. ExpressVPN, Astrill, NordVPN work reliably for most. Without VPN, you can't use Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, or Facebook.
Payment: Can't pay with foreign credit cards in most shops. Set up Alipay/WeChat Pay. Keep cash as backup.
Language: Few people speak English outside major hotels and tourist attractions. Download Baidu Translate offline pack. Google Translate needs VPN.
Great Wall: Most touristy Badaling section is crowded. Mutianyu (2 hrs from Beijing) is less crowded. Simatai (Gubeikou) is authentic but requires hike.
Forbidden City: Must book online in advance. No same-day tickets. Arrive early (8:30am) or late (4pm) to avoid crowds.
Pickpockets: Especially in Beijing metro, Xi'an Muslim Quarter, Shanghai Nanjing Road. Keep bags zipped.
Scams: "Tea house" scam in Shanghai (fake art students befriend you, take you to overpriced tea shop), fake money at markets — check ¥100 notes carefully. Use mobile payment to avoid this.
Cycling: Don't ride against traffic — Chinese drivers don't expect it.
🛍️Shopping tips
Beijing: Nanluoguxiang for trendy souvenirs and snacks, Panjiayuan weekend flea market for antiques (arrive early Sat, haggle hard, most "antiques" are repro — fine as souvenirs), Silk Street (Xiushui) for tailored clothing and pearls (verify pearl authenticity by rubbing two together). Wangfujing for big malls.
🏨Where to stay
Beijing: Dongcheng (Wangfujing area) for first-timers near Forbidden City, Sanlitun for nightlife and expat vibe, Gulou hutong area for character. Mid-range ¥400-800/night; hostels ¥80-150/bed.
🎉Festivals & events
Chinese New Year (Spring Festival, Jan/Feb): The biggest holiday — 7-day official break, 1.4 billion people on the move. Avoid travelling domestically if possible — trains sell out, attractions are packed. Cities empty out (Beijing/Shanghai become quiet), so it's a great time for urban sightseeing. Fireworks bans now common in city centres.
📚Content sources
This guide was curated by editors from the sources below, then condensed after AI cross-verification. Each source keeps its original link and author attribution.
- OfficialChina MFA·2026-08-29
"Updated 15-day visa-free country list 2026."
https://cs.mfa.gov.cn/ - Redditr/China·2026-08-20
"2026 first-timer: VPN setup guide, Alipay for foreigners, metro tips."
https://www.reddit.com/r/China/
Last verified: 2026-09-02
Sources may have changed; please verify independently.
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