The Full Guide
Everything. Setup to troubleshooting.
55 pages. Updated monthly. Plus message me directly with any question — I respond personally from Beijing.
£9.99
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What's inside
Getting into China
Visa options explained, digital arrival card walkthrough, airport timing reality
eSIM, VPN, or Both
Three setups compared side-by-side, which VPNs work in April 2026, my setup and why, what to test before you fly
Alipay Setup
Full KYC walkthrough, which cards link and which don't, Tour Card fallback, transport card activation per city
WeChat Setup
The 8-step install, which steps silently fail from abroad, friend-verification and real-name workarounds, what to retry on a Chinese IP
Fees, Limits & Refunds
Per-transaction and annual caps for foreign cards, the screenshot-first dispute playbook, the receive-code trick for instant refunds
The Wise Hack
How I route RMB into WeChat without bleeding foreign-card fees — and when it won't work for you
Essential Apps + How to Use Them
Which of the 10 apps to open for what, daily workflow, the Pinyin keyboard setup that unlocks Dianping
Getting Around
12306 verification lead time, CCC power-bank rules, why Didi keeps cancelling and how to fix it
Navigating the Language
Place-name pronunciation, show-don't-speak toolkit, the 12 phrases that work and the ones that don't
Accommodation
The Trip.com filter that stops hotels refusing foreigners on arrival, what to do if they still say no
Eating, Shopping & Discounts
Dianping voucher sequence, Meituan stacking traps, allergy screenshots, bargaining rules
What Nobody Tells You
18 cultural insights + the 2026–27 public holiday crowd calendar
When It Breaks
Fixes for 7 common failures: Alipay declined, SMS not arriving, Didi cancellations, VPN drops, attraction bookings, scam signs, WeChat dead-ends
Just-in-Case + Pre-Flight Checklist
Emergency numbers and phrases to screenshot, printable checklist for the night before departure
Plus: ask me anything
Every buyer can message me directly. Visas, payments, routes, restaurants, what's broken, what I missed. Your question is private. My answer is personal.
If it helps others, it goes into the next update — with your permission.