I'm Sam.
I moved to Beijing in February 2025 with my wife, Chen, a Beijing native, who keeps me honest on the things only a local would know. Before China, I spent 15 years in institutional finance in London.
I've been travelling to China since 2016. Nearly a decade of navigating the apps, the payments, the language, the VPN. And I'm still learning every day. Last week I discovered a furniture shop in Beijing the size of a small UK town — and that's just one of them in Beijing. China never stops surprising you.
I have the same limited apps as you. Chinese people don't experience the foreigner friction, they get the full suite of services. I know your pain because I live it. Every day.
My wife didn't even realise my Amap was a limited version until the other day.
Why does this website and guide exist?
China works differently, and everyone knows it. The visa rules, the apps, the payments, the language, the speed at which things change. It's enough to send anyone down a four-hour rabbit hole before they've even booked a flight.
The information is out there — scattered across Reddit threads, YouTube videos, travel blogs, and forums. Most of it is fragmented. Much of it is stale. Almost all of it was written by someone who visited once, not someone who lives here.
I got tired of watching friends and family land in China with broken phones, blocked apps, and no way to pay for dinner. So I wrote it down. All of it. Tested on the ground, updated as China changes — which is often.
You can't get this level of information from outside China. The Great Firewall makes sure of that. You're fighting a losing battle trying to research Chinese apps from a Western internet connection. I'm on the inside, and I'm passing it to you.
And most importantly — China is an amazing country with so much to offer. I get to experience that daily, and I want to share it with others.
My wife runs the real thing
While I'm mapping the digital ecosystem, my wife is running the real thing — cultural experiences on the ground in Beijing. A Day In Beijing shares the city most visitors never see.
Her current experiences
Hutongs & Craft Beer — A Curated Insider Experience
"Step inside Beijing's underground craft beer scene — hidden hutong breweries, evolving culture, and a side of the city most travellers never access."See the tour on GetYourGuide →
Real Beijing — Chinese Coffee & Hutong Breakfast Experience
"Most people come to Beijing expecting tea, few discover its hidden coffee scene. Taste Chinese beans in independent hutong cafés, try classic Beijing breakfast food, and see the city beyond the landmarks."See the tour on GetYourGuide →
What I actually do every day
I use a VPN daily. I pay with Alipay and WeChat. I ride the Beijing metro with a transport QR code. I order food on Meituan. I search for restaurants on Dianping. I book trains on 12306. I navigate with Amap. I translate with DeepL.
When something breaks — and it does, regularly — I troubleshoot it, find the fix, and put it in the guide. When China changes a policy, updates an app, or shifts a payment rule, I notice because it affects my daily life. Not because I read about it on a blog six months later.
I sit between two digital ecosystems. I understand both. And I translate one to the other so you don't have to spend weeks figuring it out yourself.
Yes, we use AI. It's 2026.
Of course we do. But AI doesn't write the content. Every piece of information in this guide is based on real-life experience — tested on the ground, in China, by me. AI helps me write faster and organise better. It doesn't tell me which VPN works this week or whether Alipay's latest update broke foreign card linking. I find that out by living here.
Lived experience, not virtual.
What's coming next
- — Travel recommendations and routes — based on lived experience, not AI-generated itineraries. We'll review your trip plan and give honest feedback.
- — Live chat — real-time help for paid guide buyers.
- — An app — everything in the guide, in your pocket, offline.
- — Live recommendations — not from the Western digital ecosystem with a limited view into China. From someone inside the Firewall.