A First-Time Traveler’s Guide to a Smooth International Departure You’ve figured out Alipay. You’ve survived the metro. You may have taken a high-speed train, scanned hundreds of QR codes and discovered that calling a DiDi isn’t nearly as frightening as it looked from home. 😂 Now there’s one final journey: Leaving mainland China. You may be flying home. Or you may be continuing to Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Europe—or somewhere else entirely. For travelers using China’s visa-free transit policy, that onward journey is especially important. Either way, leaving China is usually straightforward. The trick is avoiding a few very preventable mistakes. ⚡ Quick Answer The night before departure: Check DATE → Flight → Airport → Terminal → Next-country requirements → Pack → Arrange transport → Set alarm Before leaving your hotel: ✓ Passport✓ Phone✓ Wallet/cards✓ Medication✓ Onward ticket✓ Correct airport✓ Correct terminal✓ Some emergency cash And if your flight leaves just after midnight: Check the DATE twice. 🐞 ChinaTravelBUG Tip: Don’t think only: “My flight is at 2:00 AM.” Think: “What DATE is 2:00 AM—and what DATE must I leave my hotel?” Last verified: 29 August 2026 1. Check Your Flight — Especially the DATE The night before departure, open your actual airline booking. Check: ✓ Departure date✓ Departure time✓ Flight number✓ Airport✓ Terminal✓ Flight status Don’t rely on memory. ⚠️ The After-Midnight Trap Suppose your ticket says: 8 October — 02:00 Your flight leaves at 2:00 AM on 8 October. That means you’ll probably leave your hotel late on 7 October. Don’t wake up on 8 October thinking: “My flight is tonight.” Your plane has already gone. 😂 🐞 ChinaTravelBUG Tip Write it like this: FLIGHT: 8 Oct — 02:00LEAVE HOTEL: 7 Oct — ___ PM One tiny note can prevent one enormous mistake. 2. Not Flying Home? Check Your NEXT Country Too China may not be your final destination. Perhaps you’re traveling: London → Beijing → Seoul or: Sydney → Shanghai → Tokyo Before leaving China, make sure you meet the entry or transit requirements of wherever you’re going next. Keep easy access to: ✓ Passport✓ Confirmed onward ticket✓ Visa or other entry authorization if required✓ Accommodation details if required✓ Evidence of onward/return travel if required Your permission to enter China doesn’t automatically give you permission to enter your next destination. 🐞 ChinaTravelBUG Tip: Every international journey involves two questions: Can I leave here?Can I enter there? Check both. 3. If You Entered China Under Visa-Free Transit This deserves special attention. China’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy is based on eligible travelers transiting mainland China on their way to a third country or region. Think: A → Mainland China → B For example: United Kingdom → China → South Korea Your confirmed onward journey is therefore important. Keep your: Passport + confirmed onward ticket + next-destination information easy to access. And remember that you must also meet the entry requirements of Country/Region B. ⚠️ Don’t Casually Change Your Onward Journey If you entered China based on a particular transit itinerary, don’t assume you can simply cancel or substantially change that journey and still satisfy the conditions under which you entered. If a cancellation or disruption forces your plans to change, ask the airline and Chinese immigration authorities rather than guessing. China’s National Immigration Administration operates the 12367 immigration service hotline for immigration questions. 🐞 ChinaTravelBUG Tip: For a visa-free transit traveler, the onward ticket isn’t merely another booking. It’s part of your transit journey. 4. Make Sure You’re Going to the RIGHT Airport Several major Chinese cities have more than one passenger airport. Beijing PEK — Beijing Capital International Airport北京首都国际机场Běijīng Shǒudū Guójì Jīchǎng PKX — Beijing Daxing International Airport北京大兴国际机场Běijīng Dàxīng Guójì Jīchǎng Shanghai PVG — Shanghai Pudong International Airport上海浦东国际机场Shànghǎi Pǔdōng Guójì Jīchǎng SHA — Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport上海虹桥国际机场Shànghǎi Hóngqiáo Guójì Jīchǎng These are different airports. PEK ≠ PKX PVG ≠ SHA Going to the wrong one can leave you a very long way from your flight. ⚠️ Don’t just tell your driver “Beijing Airport.” Check: Airport code + Chinese airport name + terminal 5. Arrange Your Airport Transport the Day Before Depending on the city and airport, your choices may include: 🚇 Metro🚆 Airport rail🚕 Taxi🚗 DiDi🚐 Hotel/private transfer Check that your planned public transport is actually operating at the time you need it. The metro may be wonderful at 3:00 PM. It’s less useful when your flight leaves at 2:00 AM. 😂 Worried About Getting a Car? Ask your hotel reception the day before. The hotel may offer an airport-transfer service. If not, reception staff can often help arrange a taxi or other suitable transport. Show them your flight booking and say: 请帮我安排去机场的车。 Qǐng bāng wǒ ānpái qù jīchǎng de chē.Please help me arrange a car to the airport. Confirm: Airport + Terminal + Pickup Time For your driver: 我要去机场。 Wǒ yào qù jīchǎng.I want to go to the airport. But showing the driver the actual Chinese airport name and terminal is safer than relying on pronunciation. 🐞 ChinaTravelBUG Tip: If you’re still nervous about DiDi, don’t make departure morning the day you decide to become an expert. Ask reception for help. 6. Set Your Alarm — And Get a Morning Call Early flight? Set an alarm on your phone. If you’re worried about oversleeping, ask hotel reception for a wake-up call too. 请给我安排叫醒服务。 Qǐng gěi wǒ ānpái jiàoxǐng fúwù.Please arrange a wake-up call for me. Tell them the time clearly. 🐞 Dad’s Early-Flight Formula Transport arranged + phone alarm + hotel wake-up call. Now go to sleep. 😴 7. How Early Should You Reach the Airport? There isn’t one magic number for every airport and airline. For an international departure, around three hours before departure is a useful planning handrail, unless your airline advises otherwise. Your airline’s actual: check-in deadline + baggage-drop deadline + boarding time + gate-closing time are what matter. Give yourself extra time if: 🐞 ChinaTravelBUG Tip: Thirty quiet minutes at the gate is boring. Missing an international flight is considerably more exciting. 😂 Boring is good. 8. Check Your Souvenirs BEFORE You Pack Something being sold legally in a shop doesn’t automatically mean you can:

A Practical Health Guide for Foreign Travelers Nobody wants to think about getting sick on holiday. But if you take regular medication—or you’re simply wondering what would happen if you needed a doctor in China—a little preparation can remove a lot of anxiety. The good news is that travelers can generally bring reasonable quantities of ordinary medication for their own personal use into China, subject to Customs supervision.  The important exception is medication containing narcotic or psychotropic substances, which is much more tightly controlled.  And if you do become seriously ill while traveling? China has hospitals throughout the country, and the national medical emergency number is: 🚑 120 — Medical Emergency / Ambulance ⚡ Quick Answer If you take regular medication, bring enough for your trip in a reasonable quantity for personal use and carry supporting documentation such as your prescription or medical records. For prescription medication, I would also keep it in its original labelled packaging where practical. It makes identifying the medicine much easier if anyone needs to check it. If your medicine contains a narcotic or psychotropic substance, don’t assume your normal prescription is enough. China applies additional controls, and the permitted quantity can depend on the drug’s classification. Check your specific medication before traveling.  Before you fly, save: ✓ Medication details✓ Prescription / doctor’s documentation✓ Travel-insurance information✓ Your insurer’s emergency number✓ 120 for medical emergencies 🐞 ChinaTravelBUG Tip: Don’t ask the internet, “Can I bring medicine to China?” Ask: “Can I bring this exact medicine and active ingredient into China?” That’s the question that matters. 1. Can I Bring My Medication Into China? For ordinary medication that does not contain narcotic or psychotropic substances, China’s rules allow travelers to carry small quantities for personal use, limited to a reasonable quantity for personal use and subject to Customs supervision.  Notice what that rule doesn’t say. It doesn’t give every traveler a universal: “You can bring exactly 30 days of medication.” That’s a common type of travel advice online, but China’s official guidance is framed around personal use and reasonable quantity.  For a normal trip, bring what you reasonably need rather than packing unusually large quantities. What I Would Carry Keep together: The active ingredient is particularly useful because brand names can differ between countries. 🐞 ChinaTravelBUG Tip: Take photos of your prescription and medication labels and keep them on your phone as a backup—but bring the actual supporting documents you may need too. 2. Controlled Medication Needs More Care This is where you should not guess. China separately regulates narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Travelers who medically require certain controlled medicines may need to present a medical diagnosis certificate and identification. The quantity permitted also depends on the drug’s classification and applicable prescription limits.  For example, Shanghai Customs specifically addresses methylphenidate—the active ingredient in some ADHD medications—as a Category I psychotropic substance in China.  That illustrates an important point: A medicine routinely prescribed in your home country may be regulated differently in China. So before traveling with medication for conditions such as ADHD, severe pain, anxiety, sleep disorders or other treatments that may involve controlled substances, check the specific active ingredient against China’s current rules. Don’t rely on another traveler’s experience with a different medicine. 3. What Documents Should I Bring? For ordinary medication, China’s official guidance advises travelers to carry supporting material such as prescriptions, medical records or diagnostic certificates.  For medication subject to stricter controls, documentation becomes more important. I would prepare a small medication folder containing: 📄 Prescription📄 Doctor’s letter or diagnosis documentation where appropriate💊 Medication in clearly identifiable packaging🧪 Generic/active ingredient name📱 Digital copies on your phone If your medication is controlled, verify the requirements before departure, rather than discovering the issue at Customs. One more sensible precaution Split important information—not the medication itself unless medically appropriate—between physical and digital copies. If your phone disappears, you still have the paperwork. If your paperwork disappears, you still have the photographs. 4. Buying Medicine in China If you develop a headache, cold, stomach upset or another minor problem while traveling, you don’t necessarily need to find a hospital. China has pharmacies throughout its cities, and some larger pharmacies operate 24 hours. Licensed pharmacies sell over-the-counter medicines such as some cold and allergy remedies. Prescription medicines require a valid prescription reviewed by a pharmacist.  Look for: 药店 — yàodiàn Pharmacy / drugstore or: 药房 — yàofáng Pharmacy If you need a particular medicine, show the pharmacist the generic or active ingredient name, rather than relying only on the brand name you use at home. Brand names and formulations may differ in China. 🐞 ChinaTravelBUG Tip: Don’t buy an unfamiliar medicine simply because the packaging looks similar to something you use at home. Ask the pharmacist and check the active ingredient and dosage. For anything more serious—or if you’re unsure what’s wrong—skip the pharmacy and see a doctor. 5. What If You Get Sick in China? First, don’t panic. Foreign travelers can use China’s public and private hospitals. Major cities also have international medical departments and private facilities where English-speaking services may be easier to find.  For a non-emergency illness, contact your travel insurer first if practical. They may recommend a hospital, explain your coverage or arrange direct billing. If you’re going to a Chinese public hospital, the basic process is usually: Register → Wait → See the doctor → Tests if needed → Pay → Collect medicine Bring your passport. Official guidance for foreign patients says it may be needed for registration.  Many hospitals have their own pharmacy, so if the doctor prescribes medication, you can often collect it there after paying.  Don’t Speak Chinese? Save this on your phone: 医院 — yīyuàn Hospital 我需要看医生。 Wǒ xūyào kàn yīshēng.I need to see a doctor. Write down or translate your: If possible, your hotel can also be extremely useful. Ask reception to help identify an appropriate hospital, write down what you need in Chinese, or help arrange transport. 6. If It Is an Emergency For a medical emergency in mainland China: 🚑 Call 120 China’s official health guidance identifies 120 as the ambulance/emergency medical number.  If possible, have someone who speaks Chinese help with the call, particularly when explaining your location. Also contact your travel insurer

Vegetarian, Halal, Allergies & Special Diets for Foreign Travelers China is one of the world’s great food destinations. But if you’re vegetarian, vegan, Muslim, allergic to certain foods—or simply don’t eat pork—the first meal can feel more complicated than exciting. The good news? You can travel China with dietary restrictions. The important thing is knowing what your restriction actually means in a Chinese kitchen—and communicating it clearly. ⚡ Quick Answer If you have dietary restrictions in China: For ordinary preferences, translation apps can often solve the problem. For serious food allergies, be much more cautious. A translated sentence is helpful—but it cannot guarantee how a kitchen prepares your food. 1. The Most Important Rule: Don’t Assume Chinese cooking often contains ingredients that aren’t obvious from looking at the finished dish. A vegetable dish may have been cooked with: Likewise, asking: “Does this have pork?” only answers one question. It doesn’t necessarily mean the dish is vegetarian, halal or suitable for your allergy. So instead of trying to memorize dozens of Chinese food rules, remember this: 🐞 ChinaTravelBUG Tip: Tell the restaurant what you cannot eat, rather than assuming the name or appearance of a dish tells you what’s inside. 2. Vegetarian & Vegan Travelers Being vegetarian in China is certainly possible—but the word “vegetarian” can mean different things to different people. The useful Chinese word to recognize is: 素食 — sùshí — vegetarian food You may also see restaurants specializing in: 素食餐厅 — sùshí cāntīng — vegetarian restaurant But in an ordinary restaurant, simply pointing at a plate of vegetables isn’t enough. A vegetable dish may still contain meat stock, oyster sauce or small pieces of meat used for flavour. If you don’t eat any meat, you can show: 我不吃肉。 Wǒ bù chī ròu.I don’t eat meat. For a vegan traveler, the requirements are broader because eggs, dairy and other animal-derived ingredients may also matter. Don’t worry about speaking perfect Mandarin. Showing clear Chinese text on your phone is often more useful than trying to pronounce a sentence nobody understands. 😂 And when you’re uncertain? Choose something simpler—or choose another restaurant. China Usually Has Another Way. 🐞 3. Halal Food in China — Look for 清真 For Muslim travelers, one of the most useful Chinese words to recognize is: 清真 — qīngzhēn — halal You’ll often see 清真 displayed prominently on restaurants serving Muslim communities in China. Depending on the city, you may find halal restaurants serving dishes such as beef and lamb noodles, dumplings, grilled meat and regional cuisines from northwest China. Look for: 清真餐厅 — qīngzhēn cāntīngHalal restaurant 清真食品 — qīngzhēn shípǐnHalal food In parts of China, the use of 清真 by food businesses is specifically regulated, including requirements concerning ingredients, preparation, equipment and separation from prohibited foods. But there is an important distinction: “No pork” does NOT automatically mean halal. A restaurant may serve beef or chicken and still not meet your halal requirements. So if halal preparation matters to you, look for a restaurant clearly identifying itself as 清真, rather than simply asking a normal restaurant to leave the pork out. 🐞 ChinaTravelBUG Tip: Save 清真 on your phone before traveling. Those two Chinese characters can be far more useful than trying to explain “halal” in English. And if you have particularly strict requirements, ask the restaurant directly rather than assuming that every place recommended online follows exactly the same standards you do. China is huge, and practices can vary from place to place. The safest principle is simple: Look for 清真. Ask when unsure. Don’t equate “no pork” with halal. 4. Food Allergies — Take This More Seriously A food preference and a serious food allergy are not the same thing. If eating an ingredient could cause a serious allergic reaction, don’t rely only on pointing at a menu or using a quick translation app. Chinese cooking can involve ingredients that aren’t obvious in the finished dish—such as peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, eggs or sauces containing several ingredients. There is also the issue of cross-contact: the food you order may not contain your allergen as an ingredient, but the same wok, utensils, oil or preparation surface may have been used for other foods. Chinese food-safety guidance itself recognizes cross-contact as an allergen-management issue. Prepare Before You Travel If you have a serious food allergy: Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) specifically recommends translated chef cards for international travel and provides one in Simplified Chinese. 🐞 ChinaTravelBUG Tip: For a serious allergy, “I showed them Google Translate” isn’t enough reassurance. You need confidence that the restaurant understands both the ingredient and how the food is prepared. And if you’re not confident? Don’t eat it. Finding another restaurant—or eating one of the safe foods you’ve brought with you—is much better than taking a risk simply because you’re hungry. 5. “I Don’t Eat Pork” and “I Can’t Eat Spicy Food” Not every dietary restriction is complicated. Sometimes you simply need to tell the restaurant: 我不吃猪肉。 Wǒ bù chī zhūròu.I don’t eat pork. Or: 我不吃辣。 Wǒ bù chī là.I don’t eat spicy food. You can also ask: 不要辣。 Bú yào là.No chilli / not spicy, please. These are useful phrases to save on your phone and show restaurant staff. They are commonly recommended in traveler-oriented Chinese phrase guides. 🌶️ A Small Warning About “Not Spicy” China has enormous regional differences in food. In places such as Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan and Guizhou, chilli can be an important part of the cuisine. If you genuinely cannot tolerate spicy food, don’t assume that: 微辣 — wēi là — “mildly spicy” will feel mild to you. 😂 Ask for 不要辣 (bú yào là) instead. And remember: Sichuan peppercorn 花椒 (huājiāo) produces the famous numbing sensation and is different from chilli heat. If you dislike that too, you can show: 不要花椒。 Bú yào huājiāo.No Sichuan peppercorn, please. 🐞 ChinaTravelBUG Tip: Don’t worry about perfect pronunciation. Save the Chinese characters and show them on your phone. Clear communication matters more than performing Mandarin at the dinner table. And if the restaurant tells you a particular dish can’t really be made without chilli, choose another dish. Sometimes changing the order is easier than changing