China

Most international travelers need a visa to visit China, and the application process requires some advance planning. Citizens of a growing number of countries — including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, and several others — have benefited from China's expanding visa-free access policies in recent years, so it's worth checking the current list for your nationality before assuming you need to apply. For those who do need a visa, the standard tourist visa (L visa) is applied for through the Chinese embassy or consulate in your home country, requires supporting documents including hotel bookings and a travel itinerary, and typically takes around four to seven business days to process. China also offers 72-hour and 144-hour transit visa-free policies at many major airports, which can be useful for short stopovers. Always check the most current requirements well before your travel dates.

This is one of the most practical questions for first-time visitors to China, and the answer requires a little preparation before you arrive. Google Maps, Google Search, Gmail, Instagram, WhatsApp, and most Western social media platforms are blocked in China — a VPN is the standard workaround, and downloading and testing one before you arrive is strongly recommended, as VPN apps themselves can be difficult to download from within China. For navigation, Baidu Maps and Amap (Gaode) are the local equivalents and work well, though they're primarily in Chinese. Apple Maps works in China without a VPN and is a useful backup. For payments, China has moved heavily toward mobile payments via WeChat Pay and Alipay — setting up one of these apps before you go, or linking a foreign card, makes daily transactions much smoother. A local SIM card with data is worth getting at the airport on arrival.

China is vast enough that no single trip can cover it comprehensively, and the key is choosing a focus rather than trying to see everything. Two weeks is the minimum for a meaningful first trip — enough for Beijing (the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven), a bullet train to Xi'an for the terracotta warriors, and then on to Shanghai. Three weeks lets you add Guilin and Yangshuo for the karst landscape, or Chengdu for the giant panda base and Sichuan food. A month opens up Yunnan province, Tibet (which requires a special permit), or the ancient water towns near Shanghai. China's high-speed rail network is extraordinary — fast, affordable, and comfortable — and makes moving between cities much easier than you might expect for a country of this size.

China rewards travelers who prepare, and a few things make a significant difference. Download a VPN before you leave home — it's the most important practical step for maintaining access to the apps and services you rely on. Set up WeChat Pay or Alipay if possible, as cash is increasingly uncommon in Chinese cities and many vendors don't accept foreign cards. Learn a handful of Mandarin phrases — even basic greetings and numbers are appreciated and genuinely useful outside of tourist areas. Air quality in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai can be poor, particularly in winter — checking the AQI before outdoor activities is worth doing. The Great Wall has many sections in varying states of preservation and accessibility; Mutianyu is generally recommended for first-timers as it's well-restored, less crowded than Badaling, and offers a cable car option. Finally, book major attractions in advance — the Forbidden City requires timed entry tickets that sell out.

Beijing and Shanghai are both essential China, but they represent very different faces of the country. Beijing is the political and historical capital — ancient, monumental, and steeped in imperial history. The Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, and the nearby Great Wall give it a weight and grandeur that no other Chinese city can match. It's a city where history is physically present in a way that's genuinely moving. Shanghai is China's commercial and cultural capital — faster, more international, and architecturally extraordinary, with the colonial-era Bund on one side of the Huangpu River and the futuristic Pudong skyline on the other. Shanghai's food scene, nightlife, and contemporary art culture are among the best in Asia. Most first-timers visit both, and the contrast between them — ancient capital versus global metropolis — is one of the most interesting things about a China trip.

China is generally a very safe destination for tourists in terms of street crime — violent crime against visitors is rare, and the country has extensive public security infrastructure. Petty theft can occur in crowded tourist areas and on public transport, as it does anywhere, so standard precautions apply. The more significant considerations for travelers to China are political and digital rather than physical: internet censorship means you'll need a VPN to access many familiar services, and it's worth being aware of local laws and customs, particularly around photography of government buildings and military installations. Travel insurance is strongly recommended, as healthcare costs for foreigners can be significant. Overall, China is a safe and welcoming destination for tourists, and millions of international visitors travel there without incident each year.