Set up the basics before choosing every city.

These guides cover the practical setup every first-time China traveler needs: phone and apps, payment, arrival and entry, internet and maps, high-speed rail, attraction booking, luggage and flights, budget, holidays, tax refund, and visa-free transit. Read them in priority order before you start planning routes.

Key things to know upfront: Airbnb is not legal for foreign tourists (book hotels), tipping is not expected, major sites like the Forbidden City must be booked 7 days ahead online (no walk-up tickets), and power banks over 100Wh are not allowed on domestic flights.