Hand-rowed boats on West Lake, Hangzhou, with mist on the hills behind

Voyage East · China Ready

Your China
Ready Kit

Use this before you leave, then keep it handy for the details you need on the trip. Your confirmed itinerary contains your actual bookings, meeting points and host contacts.

行裝

Checklist

Before you leave

Start with your documents

Check the entry requirements for your passport, purpose of travel and route with the relevant Chinese embassy or consulate. For transit arrangements, also consult the National Immigration Administration.
Use the correct passport details for your travel bookings and carry the document used to book.
Save your itinerary, first-night hotel details and travel insurance contact information offline.
Check any rules that apply to medicines you need to carry through the relevant official channels.

Set up your phone

Confirm your phone and chosen data plan work for mainland China.
Check when the plan activates and whether it includes a phone number, calls or SMS.
Install the payment and messaging apps you plan to use and complete the available verification steps.
Save logins and make sure you can access any verification messages you need while away.
Download Chinese for offline translation where your chosen app supports it.

Save your arrival details

The hotel's Chinese name, address, phone number and map pin.
Your arrival airport or station and the onward meeting point.
Your host's contact details, if included in your booking.
A payment backup: a physical card and some RMB cash, alongside the apps.

Payments

Most people in China pay by QR code with Alipay or WeChat Pay, and you can link a Visa or Mastercard to both. Payments of ¥200 or less carry no foreign-card fee; above that, the apps add 3% to the whole amount.

Install Alipay and WeChat, and register with the phone number you will have in China.
Add your card and complete the identity check (usually a photo of your passport).
Find the Pay and Scan buttons before you need them.
Carry a second card and a few hundred yuan in cash.

If a payment fails, try the other app, then a card, then cash. A first overseas payment is often stopped by your own bank's fraud check, so keep your bank's app on your phone to approve it.

Apps

Five apps, set up before you fly

Task	Options	What to prepare
Messaging	WeChat	Sign in and add your host
Payments	Alipay, with WeChat Pay as a second option	Add a card and pass the identity check
Maps	AMap Global	Save hotels and meeting points, checked against the Chinese address
Rail bookings	China Railway 12306 (or Trip.com)	Register with the passport you will travel on
Translation	Google Translate	Download English and Chinese for offline use
Optional	DiDi for taxis, Dianping for restaurants	Useful once the five above work

Set up the first five before you fly and test each one at home. Add the optional ones once those work. Our apps guide has the step-by-step setup.

View from under the canopy of a hand-rowed boat passing a stone bridge on West Lake

Rail

Getting around

For a train journey, check the full station name in both languages. Cities can have several stations, and the nearest one may not be the one on your booking.

Keep the train number, date, departure time, carriage and seat details together. Carry the passport used for the booking and follow the carrier's advice on arrival time and document checks.

For a taxi or ride-hailing pickup, choose a clear entrance and save its Chinese name or map pin. For a flight, allow for the time needed to reach the airport as well as check-in and baggage requirements.

An address card to fill in

Detail	Save this information
Place	English and Chinese name
Address	Full Chinese address
Entrance	Gate or entrance specified in your booking
Map	Saved pin or screenshot
Contact	Hotel, venue or host phone number

Example station name: 杭州东站 (Hangzhou East Railway Station). Use the station printed on your own booking.

Food

Food and useful phrases

Meals often involve shared dishes. If you have an allergy or strict dietary requirement, prepare a clear Chinese note and confirm ingredients with the person preparing the food. A translation app or a general phrase cannot establish that a dish is suitable.

Chinese	Meaning
你好	Hello
谢谢	Thank you
请问，洗手间在哪里？	Excuse me, where is the toilet?
请帮我点菜	Please help me order
买单，谢谢	The bill, please
不要辣	No spicy seasoning, please
我不吃肉	I don't eat meat
我对花生过敏	I am allergic to peanuts (swap in your allergen)
多少钱？	How much is it?
请带我去这个地址	Please take me to this address
我需要看医生	I need a doctor

"No spicy" and "no meat" are preferences, not full allergy or vegetarian instructions: stocks, oils and sauces are often shared between dishes. For a real allergy, carry a written note in Chinese and ask the person cooking.

Support

Who to contact

Before the trip: email hello@voyageeastchina.com about arrangements included in your booking.

During the planned programme: use the local host contact provided for meeting points, timing and coordination. Support hours and channels are set out in your booking information.

In an emergency: call 110 for police, 120 for an ambulance or 119 for fire. Then call your insurer's emergency line and let your host know. For a lost passport or a consular problem, contact your embassy or consulate.

Contacts to save offline

Your local host · Hotel reception · Insurer's emergency assistance · Your embassy or consulate · Police 110 · Ambulance 120 · Fire 119

A round moon window framing trees in Hangzhou

Quick reference

If something goes wrong

Situation	First step
Payment is declined	Read the app message and ask which alternative the merchant accepts
You can't find the entrance	Show the Chinese address and call the hotel, venue or host
Your train details are unclear	Show station staff your booking and passport
A delay affects the programme	Contact the local host using the number in your itinerary
You need urgent help	Call 110 (police), 120 (ambulance) or 119 (fire)

Official information

Check current requirements with the relevant Chinese embassy or consulate, the National Immigration Administration, China Railway 12306 and your payment or mobile provider. Travellers based in the UK can also consult FCDO China travel advice; other travellers should check their government's travel advice.

Ready for the journey

Before departure, revisit any unfinished items and keep your arrival details somewhere you can reach without an internet connection.

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