China Golden Week 2026: Should You Avoid Traveling October 1–7?
For a first China trip built around famous sights, Golden Week is a difficult fit. Check the 2026 dates, historical crowd photos and your options before changing plans.
Read guide →Tutorials, news, and travel tips for staying connected in China.

For a first China trip built around famous sights, Golden Week is a difficult fit. Check the 2026 dates, historical crowd photos and your options before changing plans.
Read guide →
Keep the essentials, cut fragile connections and plan around confirmed bookings. A practical Golden Week plan for travelers who cannot change their China dates.
Read guide →
Distinguish sold out from not yet on sale, understand 12306 waitlists and passport checks, and choose a confirmed alternative when your China itinerary cannot wait.
Read guide →
Install and prepare your China travel eSIM before departure, then use this arrival checklist to select the right data line, enable roaming safely and fix common connection problems.
Read guide →
Set up Alipay and WeChat Pay before your China trip, understand what you can test from home, and prepare card and cash backups for payment failures.
Read guide →
You can still stay connected in China without eSIM. Compare international roaming, a physical travel SIM, a mainland Chinese SIM and pocket Wi-Fi for a short tourist trip.
Read guide →
Most short-term visitors can use an international number plus travel eSIM or roaming. Learn when a +86 number helps, how to get a local SIM, and how to keep payments, rides and SMS working.
Read guide →
A practical China setup uses eSIM or roaming for phone data, then adds hotspot, hotel Wi-Fi and a VPN only where laptops or work tools require them.
Read guide →
LetsVPN still operates globally, but its official notices say mainland China service was not restored. Check the current status, refund path and safer travel setup.
Read guide →
A practical China app checklist for payments, rides, maps, trains, translation, mobile data and verification—plus the limits foreign visitors should prepare for.
Read guide →
2026 edition · 3 guides
Decide when to travel, adjust an existing itinerary, or find alternatives when train tickets sell out.
Explore the collection →