China unicom jing an temple8/16/2023 ![]() Everyone takes WeChat pay in China, from the local fruit vendor to the convenience store. They take Chinese cc/debits, and WeChat or Alipay. Money: Very few vendors (except large international ones) will accept credit cards here.Take your passport and they should be able to set you up.This does not include VPN, you will have to set up VPN independently. Mobile Internet: Go to any China Mobile (blue) or China Unicom (orange with the “w” looking logo) pop up shop or store.FYI: fastest servers from my experience: Hong Kong 3, Tokyo 2, LA 3, Seattle.Accessing Normal Internet: Need a VPN? Download ExpressVPN here!. ![]() ![]() Your alternative to Google Maps is Baidu, but it’s only in Chinese.A good workaround is to get the actual address of the place, streets do not change as quickly in Shanghai so GMaps and Apple Maps will be more reliable this way.Google maps and Apple Maps tends to be hit-or-miss with accuracy, and if you are searching for specific places, you will usually not find it (especially if it’s new and is known by its Chinese name).Get your VPN and WeChat BEFORE you get to China. This is a terrible idea since WeChat does random security checks and locks you out of your account for suspicious activity, and all VPN downloads are removed from the app store here (and their websites blocked). I’ve had friends delay getting a VPN or WeChat until they are in China.You need a VPN to access Gmail, Google Maps, Google Translate, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. Apps and Content: Everything except WeChat is blocked in China.If you see something incorrect, please let me know by commenting!.Everything in this guide is based on personal experience and preference, all recommendations in each category are ordered by preference level.If this is a case, please do me a huge favor and leave a comment so I can keep the list up-to-date for other travelers. Shanghai changes super quickly, so it’s highly likely that places listed here will be closed or renovating. These recommendations lived as a Google Doc for a few years and have been shared with hundreds of friends and Airbnb guests–so I’m glad they’re now a bit more accessible to those venturing to China! It’s such a special place to me, so I put together this guide for others to experience a bit of the magic Shanghai showed me. If you want the absolute best food scene in the whole world (not exaggerating), the craziest nightlife, and a glimpse of what the future will look like, I highly recommend paying a visit, or even better–spending a few months to one year in the city. I’ve lived there twice in my life, the second time for three years. Shanghai is my favorite city in the world (tied with San Francisco).
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