The Apps You Need To Download Before Landing In China (And How To Use Them)

Most people only realise they were underprepared for China after they land. The digital ecosystem here is completely different from what works everywhere else — and without the right apps set up in advance, simple things like paying for food, navigating a new city or finding a restaurant become unnecessarily difficult. Download these before your flight. Thank yourself later.

01. Alipay & WeChat 支付宝与微信

· Payments Everywhere — Restaurants, convenience stores, taxis, attractions and even street vendors accept Alipay and WeChat Pay.

· More Than Messaging — WeChat isn't just for texting. Tickets, restaurant ordering, mini-programs and travel bookings all happen inside the app.

· Why You Need Both — Most places accept both, but occasionally one works better than the other. Having both removes unnecessary friction.

· Set Up Before Landing — Foreign card linking has become much easier, but doing it before departure saves time and stress.

02. Taobao 淘宝

This is your About section. Every website has a story and users want to hear yours. This is a great opportunity to give a full background on who you are and what your site has to offer. Double click on the text box to edit the content and add all the information you want to share. You may like to talk about how you got started and share your professional journey. Explain your core values, your commitment to customers and how you stand out from the crowd. You can also add a photo, gallery or video for even more engagement.

03. Amap — Gaode Maps 高德地图

Why locals prefer it — More accurate public transit directions, better real-time traffic data, and far more complete coverage of smaller cities and rural destinations.
Navigation tips — Search for destinations in Chinese characters where possible for more accurate results. Screenshot your destination before leaving WiFi range.
Offline maps — Download the area you are visiting before heading out so navigation works even without a data connection.
Pro tip — Use Amap to find the nearest metro entrance, bus stop or taxi rank from any location rather than trying to orient yourself without local context.

04. Xiaohongshu — Little Red Book 小红书

My name is Alexa Young

Finding food — Search any city or neighbourhood to find what locals are actually eating, with photos, locations and honest reviews from real visitors.
Attractions — Discover lesser-known spots, photography locations and seasonal experiences that do not appear on standard travel blogs or Google searches.
Travel inspiration — Follow destinations you are planning to visit and build a saved collection of places before you arrive so you always have ideas on hand.
How to use it — Search in Chinese for more results. Most content is visual so even without strong Mandarin you can navigate it effectively.

05. Dianping and meituan

· Meituan — Food, groceries, flowers, medicine and thousands of other items delivered directly to your door.

· Dianping — China's version of Yelp and TripAdvisor combined, with reviews that locals actually trust.

· Finding The Good Stuff — Many of the best restaurants in China are discovered through Dianping rather than guidebooks.

· The Surprise — The hardest part isn't finding food. It's choosing between the hundreds of highly rated options around you.

Ready to travel onwards? Come experience it with us.

The right apps turn China from a logistical challenge into one of the most seamless travel experiences you will have anywhere. The wrong preparation turns small inconveniences into big ones.