Step-by-step China travel app guides for foreigners. Learn how to use Alipay, WeChat Pay, Didi, Amap, Meituan, metro, hotels, food delivery, airport transport and first-day essentials in China. Start with the exact task you need: pay, call a taxi, take the metro, order food or check in at a hotel.
Choose what you need right now and follow a practical guide for your first days in China.
Alipay, WeChat Pay, cash, foreign cards and payment failures.
Use Didi, show your destination and handle airport pickups.
Metro apps, QR codes, ticket machines and transfer tips.
Order to hotels, translate menus and understand delivery calls.
Amap, Baidu Maps, Google Maps limitations and Chinese addresses.
Book hotels, check in with a passport and solve front-desk issues.
eSIM, roaming, Chinese phone numbers and SMS verification.
Emergency numbers, embassy help, lost passport steps and useful Chinese phrases.
A practical checklist for visitors who want fewer surprises after landing in China.
Every app card shows where it helps, whether English support is limited, and what needs real-world verification.
支付宝
Often the easiest payment starting point for short-term visitors when an international card can be linked.
微信支付
Useful because WeChat is everywhere, but setup and account checks can vary by user and region.
滴滴出行
A practical way to call cars without negotiating in Chinese, especially in large cities.
高德地图
Very strong local map data in China, but Chinese interface knowledge is often needed.
美团
Powerful for food and local services, but visitors may need translation help and reliable payment.
大众点评
Useful for finding restaurants, but mostly Chinese and better as a discovery tool than a beginner app.
携程
A foreigner-friendly option for booking hotels and trains with English support.
铁路12306
The official train ticket platform; useful, but English UX and identity checks can be harder for first-time visitors.
Start with practical tutorials for payment, transport, apps, hotels, food and emergency help.
A practical payment overview for foreign visitors in China: Alipay, WeChat Pay, bank cards, cash, limits, setup tips and backup options.
A practical backup payment plan for foreigners in China when Alipay, WeChat Pay, cards, SMS or merchant payments fail.
A source-checked Alipay guide for foreign visitors in China: setup, international cards, payments, transport, limits, common failures and backup plans.
A field-oriented guide to using DiDi in China: download, foreign phone login, pickup pins, driver messages, airport rides, payments and common mistakes.
A practical hotel check-in guide for foreign visitors in China: passport, accommodation registration, payment, deposits, delivery and address help.
A practical guide to Amap / Gaode Map for foreigners in China: English mode, place search, walking, metro, taxi routes, Chinese addresses and common map mistakes.
Every important guide should show testing date, city, device, app version and whether Chinese phone or bank access is required.
