Going to China? The Great Firewall blocks Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and thousands of other services. Here's everything you need to know before you land.
China's internet censorship system uses deep packet inspection, IP blocking and DNS poisoning to cut off foreign services in real time — and it's been getting significantly more aggressive.
The GFW underwent major upgrades in 2022 and again in early 2024. Machine learning now identifies VPN traffic patterns in real time — even obfuscated protocols that used to work reliably.
International roaming (eSIM) has never been targeted — it routes through foreign networks before touching China's infrastructure.
A VPN-only plan is fragile for tourists. A travel eSIM or home roaming package is usually the most reliable phone setup, while VPN remains useful for laptops and hotel Wi-Fi when it still connects.
Install before departure, enable data roaming after landing, and use it for blocked foreign apps on mobile data.
Your existing carrier may route China data through its international roaming path, while keeping your normal number alive.
Useful for laptops and hotel Wi-Fi, but mainland networks actively disrupt many VPN protocols.
China runs on different apps. Sort these out before you land.
Several of these become impossible once you land in China.