China trip questions

We visited China last year on an eight day trip and had a wonderful time. To respond to some of your points:

-No one examined our phones at customs, and I didn't observe this happening to anyone else in the queue to enter the country. That's not to say they can't search your phones- but this is true when you enter any country.
-I recommend getting an eSIM. We used Nomad and that worked very well. You want to get an eSIM that lets you access all the websites that are blocked in China (which is all the big ones- including Google). If you try to use wifi, you will find a lot of websites blocked, so buy more data than you think you'll need for the eSIM since you won't be able to rely on wifi. You also can't top up the eSIM that allows you to bypass the Great Firewall once you are in China, so again, get more data than you think you'll need.
-You can't use Google maps in China- even if you can access it in China, none of the information is up to date. The best alternative is Amap.
-You will want to download WeChat if you need to communicate e.g. with your hotel, tour company (if you sign up for any guided tours), etc. I can't comment on whether the government can/will spy on your messages.
-You definitely also need to download Alipay, that's often the only way to pay for things (including the Beijing metro). Many places also take WeChat Pay which is part of WeChat.
-I can't comment on the military zones. But I can confirm that eight days was a good amount of time for us to see the highlights of Beijing (Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, 798 Art Zone), the Great Wall, and Xi'an (Terracotta Warriors and other sites of Xi'an). Taking the train between Beijing and Xi'an is very easy but you need to book your train in advance as they do sell out.

We loved our time in China and can't wait to go back. I am happy to answer more questions on our trip and how we managed all the apps etc.

We did China on a 3 1/2 week tour in 2012. You need WAY more than 10 days to see that country.
We did the pain in the butt visa twice, since we returned a few years later on a cruise. It wasn't that bad,

Like with any foreign country, immigration can take your phone to check it. Once the phone is out of your sight there’s no telling what is done with it. Everything on it could be copied including saved passwords, or spyware could be installed.

Likewise, in many foreign countries, while you may not be spied on, all telecom companies must turn over any communications records if the government requests them. If using a Chinese app, you can be guaranteed you can be spied on.

Also, if you work or ever worked with any information where a security clearance was needed and that information is online someplace, or was stolen in a security breach, there’s a good likelihood you will be monitored.

If I was going to visit China, I wouldn’t take any electronic devices. I’d be off the grid if visiting that country.

You absolutely need to have a (smart)phone to visit China- literally everything, including most payments, is done via apps. You couldn't even enter the metro without one. If you are that worried you could buy an inexpensive "burner" smartphone but the likelihood they are going to take your phone and install spyware on it is pretty low if you are just visiting as an average tourist. China is trying to attract more tourists by e.g. removing many visa requirements and they are not going to try to scare people away by doing things to their devices on a mass scale. That said, there is always that possibility, but that is also a possibility entering the US.

I have been to China seven times. I have never been asked for my phone when entering the country, but I suppose it could happen.

Be sure you understand how the 10-day visa-free transit policy works. You have to be flying out of China to a third country, not round-trip to wherever you came from. So, for instance, if you fly IN from Seoul, you would need to fly OUT to somewhere else, say Hong Kong or Singapore or Tokyo. In other words, you are “transiting.” Yes, the 10-year visa is expensive, but China is a huge and fascinating place. You may want to go back within the next ten years. When I first started traveling to China, visas were only good for one year, so I spent a lot of money on them! The 10-years visa is a big improvement. Here is an excellent website that explains the 10-day visa-free transit policy:

https://www.visaforchina.cn/YYC3_EN/qianzhengyewu/jichuzhishi/changjianwenti/362332771198308352.html

It’s a good idea to have paper copies of your travel documents such as your air itinerary, your land itinerary and your hotel reservations. They may ask for this documentation when you enter the country as proof of your eligibility for the 10-day waiver. You can’t count on your phone working to show these documents.

Most of the apps, search engines and websites we are used to using in the U.S. do not work very well (or at all) in China. A VPN will help with this. Be sure to install the VPN while still outside China.

Google Maps doesn’t work very well in China. There are several good alternatives in English. Search the web and you will find one.

I highly recommend you download WeChat which is used by virtually every person and business in China. You can do almost everything with it - chat with others (WhatsApp won’t work in China), order rides through Didi (equivalent to Uber), pay for things, etc. Yes, it’s likely that the Chinese government is spying, but you might as well get used to that idea. You will be spyed on everywhere! There are more surveillance cameras in China than anywhere in the world, hotels must register foreign guests with local authorities, and more. You can delete WeChat when you return home (although I have kept it because I still hear from people I know in China). It’s also a good idea to download this app before you leave the U.S. Those in,our group who waited until they arrived in China had some difficulty in getting it downloaded. Alipay is also extremely useful to pay for things.

There ARE many beautiful places in China, and they are not all “military zones.” For instance, I have spent time in various locations in Yunnan Province and also near Guilin that are stunning. I would not count on YouTube videos for information. Go to a library and check out several good guidebooks such as Lonely Planet, Frommer’s, Rough Guide, etc. for better information. You might want to hire a private guide. This is usually quite affordable in China. I used a guide named Wendy Wei when I toured the Guilin area (rice paddies up mountainsides, a river boat ride through karst formations, a cooking class). Her company has expanded, offering tours in a variety of places and you might want to check it out: https://www.wendyweitours.com/

That being said, China is HUGE and you are talking about only ten days (really only eight full days, since the first and last will likely include travel in and out of China). With good planning (and maybe the help of local private guides), you could probably manage Beijing and Xian, and maybe Shanghai. China has an amazing network of fast trains (puts the U.S. to shame) that will help get you there. Fly into one city and out of another to keep from backtracking. I would not waste a day at Disney on such a short trip - you can see Disney characters at home! Spend your limited time experiencing China.

China is amazing and fascinating. Enjoy!

Not been since 2019 afraid something cancelled the next planned trip.
The visa's have changed a lot so a lot of countries not get it free.
We had no issues going through customs etc and never asked for phone etc. It was really easy actually.
WeChat is a must and i believe is so much easier now as you no longer get stuck in the loop of no chinese bank account.
We could have survived without phone as you could use cash or card but was uncommon then but i believe more so now.
we did all self trips etc and used sleeper train to get to Xian - it will simple. We used translation apps etc as well which were pretty good.
I wouldn't be put off by youtube - we found it easier to get the train and underground there than it is for me to use at home where i speak and read the language.
Its now firmly back on my list

I visited China (alone) in 2019 right before COVID hit. Fascinating country. I remember getting a visa thought I stayed 8 days only and primarily Beijing. I know rules have changed a bit. Nobody touched by phone at immigration.
I hiked a remote section of the Great Wall and booked a small group tour that picked me up at the hotel and dropped off. Small van, we were 6 total, and this section of the wall was not very touristy. But challenging to go up and during few segments.
These are the apps I downloaded: Maps.Me (Google map doesn't work); WeChat (what's app doesn't work); I also installed VPN before departure. Back then, my phone did not have eSIM capability but these days I use Nomad. I agree to download Alipay - my BFF was there recently and said it's the only thing she used to pay.
Carry your passport with you at all times. I had to scan it during "check points" around Forbidden City. I felt very safe as a female traveling alone.

I just remembered that when I traveled, a friend warned me that her Gmail didn't work so well. So I had a temporary forward to my Yahoo (that mostly get spam and rarely used). I didn't have issues with the Yahoo email.

I found the link for the tour company I used for my Great Wall hiking day trip. It seems the tour changed slightly and they do have other options, but this is similar to the small group tour I joined: https://www.chinahighlights.com/beijing/tours/jinshanling-great-wall-hiking.htm It appears this tour is now private. I paid much less and was in a group of 6 total.

Again, this was in 2019 and no issues using this company for that day trip. Everything else I did on my own.

100% guaranteed you will need WeChat and AliPay. As others have pointed our, don't assume you can use your familiar American apps. I do use WeChat occasionally even outside China.

We Australians now get 15 days visa free entry to China, which is great.

My cousin, whose wife is Chinese, came back from a trip to China last month.
He hadn’t been back for a few years and he said the use of surveillance had really increased since his previous trips, cameras everywhere and having to scan in when entering places, including public transport. I’m not sure what he was scanning, his passport as an ID document I presume?
He said that the cameras and tracking meant that most ‘traditional’ crime was non existent because it was simply impossible to get away with.
He didn’t mention having his phone taken off him at the airport to be examined,, and if it had I think he would have mentioned it.

Regarding being spied on and it being ‘communistic’. Have a look at what you have signed up for in all the apps you already use at home, I think they are probably more of a worry! Unless you work in particular government/technology industries I don’t think you have much to be concerned about.

China is an amazing country, friendly people and great food. I would go back tomorrow. 10days is a really short time to be there. Don’t underestimate how long it takes to travel between places. That will really eat into your time. Have you thought about doing an organised tour? It might be more expensive but it will take away the stress of the logistics.

My brother told me tickets for trains are stored on your passport somehow. You scan your passport to open the barriers. He was amazed it worked because if you’re Chinese you would use your identity card. I would absolutely love to visit China.

That is correct for the trains- you don't actually get a ticket, your passport (or if you're a resident of China, your ID card) is your ticket. You just scan it and go! And yes you do have to carry your passport everywhere- we also needed it for things like entering the Forbidden City.

I wanted to add to my post above:

Definitely carry your passport while in China. I needed to show mine at the Terracotta Warriors and even to get up on the Xi’an City Walls.

In Xi’an I took a small group, full day tour to see the warriors and Xian’s city walls. This company included a delicious food tour. I see on their website that they also have a full day tour in Beijing, as well as some multi-day tours that might suit you. Here is the link: https://lostplate.com/