Visiting the Great Wall is high on the list for many first-time Beijing travelers. But once you’ve decided to visit Mutianyu Great Wall (慕田峪长城, Mùtiányù Chángchéng), another practical question appears: What’s the best way to actually get there? For a family, the...

China’s metro systems are often one of the easiest ways for international visitors to get around. But the payment side can become confusing surprisingly quickly. One traveler had already opened Alipay (支付宝, Zhīfùbǎo) and tried to activate the Transport function, only to reach...

Setting up payments is one of the biggest sources of uncertainty for first-time visitors to China. Even after successfully linking an international card to Alipay (支付宝, Zhīfùbǎo), travelers often wonder: How do I actually know I’ve done everything correctly? Then Hong Kong...

Setting up Alipay (支付宝, Zhīfùbǎo) before traveling to China can make everyday payments much easier. But what happens when you’ve followed the instructions, uploaded your passport—and Alipay still can’t verify your identity? Worse, what should you do when repeated verification attempts...

Getting around Chinese cities is relatively straightforward once you know which tools to use. But for first-time international visitors, the number of apps involved can make something as simple as calling a car feel unnecessarily complicated. One Western traveler had already...

For many first-time visitors to China, setting up Alipay (支付宝, Zhīfùbǎo) raises an immediate concern: why is a payment app asking for my passport? Then comes another question. If you register Alipay using your passport and an international bank card, does it...

One of the hardest decisions when planning a first trip to China isn’t where to go. It’s knowing when you already have enough. With 11–12 nights available, is spending the entire trip between Beijing and Shanghai too slow? Or is adding another...

Early-morning flights can be stressful anywhere. Add six travelers, luggage, an unfamiliar city and one of Beijing’s enormous airports, and a simple question—“What time should we leave?”—suddenly matters quite a lot. A Western traveler was flying from Beijing to Zhangjiajie on a...

Planning a first trip to China can be difficult enough. Planning one with two families, a 7-year-old and a 2-year-oldchanges the equation completely. The challenge isn’t finding enough interesting places to visit. It’s deciding which ones to leave out. One Western traveler...

Planning a first trip to China can quickly become overwhelming. Do you need a private driver? Should you hire guides? Where should foreigners buy attraction tickets? Which hotels should you choose? And which apps need to be working before you arrive?...