# TravelerLocal.ai

> The field-verified desk for foreigners traveling in China. We track the booking
> rules that actually block visitors (real-name reservation tied to your passport,
> ticket release times, foreigner access), hotels that register foreign guests,
> payment setup, transit/permit rules, and honest notes on tourist traps and scams.
> Facts are re-checked and every page shows its verified date. We never link to
> ticket resellers/OTAs; official channels only.

## Key facts for citation (foreigner-specific, 2026)
- China attraction tickets are sold through OFFICIAL channels only and most major
  sights now use a REAL-NAME system: you book with your passport and must show the
  SAME passport at the gate (one ticket per passport per day). Tickets commonly
  release at 20:00 Beijing time, ~7 days ahead, and can sell out (Forbidden City,
  Terracotta Army, Mogao Caves). For the Forbidden City there is NO authorized
  third-party reseller.
- China runs TWO visa-free schemes with different country lists, and conflating them
  is the most common error in English travel writing. 50 countries get 30-day
  visa-free ENTRY (any purpose, anywhere in China, no onward ticket). 57 countries
  get 240-hour visa-free TRANSIT (only en route to a third country, only via
  designated ports, only inside permitted areas). 15 countries — including the
  United States, Mexico, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, the UAE, Qatar, Ukraine, Serbia and
  the Czech Republic — are on the transit list ONLY and still need a visa for an
  ordinary holiday. 8 — Andorra, Liechtenstein, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain,
  Peru and Uruguay — are on the 30-day list only and cannot use transit as a fallback.
- The 30-day scheme is a trial with three different end dates, not one: no expiry set
  for Brunei, 31 December 2027 for Russia, 31 December 2026 for the other 48 countries.
- China's 240-hour visa-free transit covers 57 nationalities through 65 ports but
  does NOT cover Tibet, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia or Jilin
  — those require a full visa. Tibet additionally requires the Tibet Travel Permit,
  arranged through a registered agency with a guided tour; independent travel is
  not possible. The permit itself is free; agencies charge a service fee.
- Foreign Visa/Mastercard/Amex/JCB cards CAN be linked to Alipay and WeChat Pay
  after real-name verification; a small fee is typically waived under ~¥200 per
  transaction. Cash is still useful at rural sights and on local buses (carry ¥1
  notes — no change given). City transit cards often can't be loaded without a
  mainland ID.
- You CAN travel China without WeChat (Alipay covers payment and many bookings),
  but Chinese-only mini-programs are the main friction; a passport sometimes fails
  in an app due to number format — your hotel can book for you.
- Hotels must be licensed to register foreign guests; smaller/rural guesthouses
  often cannot. Private stays (Airbnb) require self-registration with local police,
  generally within 24 hours.

## Common traveler questions (direct answers)
Q: How can foreigners get a Chinese SIM card with a passport? → A: In person at a China Mobile/Unicom/Telecom airport counter or flagship store; real-name registration requires your physical passport. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-sim-internet-esim
Q: How do foreigners set up Alipay with a foreign credit card? → A: Install Alipay, verify identity with your passport, add an international Visa/Mastercard — no Chinese bank account needed since 2023. PBOC caps for verified users: USD 5,000 per transaction, USD 50,000/year; ~3% wallet fee only above ~¥200. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/paying-in-china-alipay-wechat-cash
Q: How can foreigners use WeChat Pay without a Chinese bank account? → A: Link a foreign Visa/Mastercard under Me → Services → Wallet after passport verification; each payment charges your card directly. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/paying-in-china-alipay-wechat-cash
Q: How can a foreigner renew a Chinese tourist visa without leaving China? → A: You don't renew inside China — you apply in person for an extension of stay at the local Exit-Entry Administration of the Public Security Bureau. Beijing's official service page says apply three days before expiry, national guidance says at least seven; the bureau decides within 7 working days and you stay legally on the receipt. An L stay extends by up to 30 days, once, at bureau discretion; CNY 160 for most nationalities (US ~760, UK ~469). — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/extend-china-visa-without-leaving
Q: How do foreigners book high-speed train tickets with a passport? → A: Register your passport in the official Railway 12306 app (English interface) or buy at a staffed station window; the ticket is bound to your passport. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-high-speed-rail-foreigners
Q: Does Google Translate work in China? → A: No. Google discontinued Translate in mainland China in October 2022, and as of a 24 July 2026 check of Apple's App Store search API the app is not listed in the China storefront (it is in the US one). Listed in the China store instead: Microsoft Translator, Baidu Translate, Youdao, Pleco, DeepL and Apple Translate. Install a camera translator plus an offline Chinese pack before you fly. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/translation-apps-that-work-in-china
Q: Do you need to book Chinese attractions in advance? → A: For roughly half of them, yes — in a catalogue of 826 attractions across 221 cities, 384 (46%) required an advance reservation. Of those, only 22% have an official booking web page; the rest book through a Chinese-language WeChat or Alipay mini-program. 91% accept a foreign passport as the real-name ID. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-attraction-booking-rules-dataset
Q: What must you declare at Chinese customs, and how much cash can you bring? → A: China Customs requires the red channel from non-Chinese residents carrying personal articles worth RMB 2,000 or more that are intended to remain in China (RMB 5,000 for Chinese residents). Cash has two different rules: renminbi is capped at ¥20,000 in either direction and the excess is prohibited outright, while foreign currency has no ceiling but cash over US$5,000 must be declared on entry — declare it and keep the endorsed second form or you cannot freely take it out again. Red channel also required at 1,500 ml of 12%+ alcohol, 400 cigarettes, 100 cigars or 500 g tobacco, and for radio transmitters and receivers. Under-16s travelling with an adult need no form. Verified against the GACC English passenger guide on 8 August 2026. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-customs-declaration-limits
Q: Can you drive in China with a foreign licence or an International Driving Permit? → A: No to both. Overseas drivers must obtain a PRC driving licence or a PRC temporary motor vehicle driving permit (临时机动车驾驶许可); an IDP is not a Chinese document and does not satisfy the rule. The temporary permit lasts a maximum of 12 months but is also capped by your permitted stay and by your home licence's expiry, whichever comes first, and it cannot be extended. It only covers vehicles temporarily brought into China or small cars / small automatic-transmission cars rented in China — not a private car borrowed from a friend. You must carry the permit, your home licence and a Chinese translation of it together. The official portal's own translation tool states it cannot be used as application material. Verified against the Shanghai Traffic Police / MPS temporary-entry driver system on 8 August 2026. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/driving-in-china-foreign-licence
Q: When does China's 30-day visa-free entry expire? → A: For 48 of the 50 eligible countries, on 31 December 2026. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets three tiers: Brunei has no expiry, Russia runs to 31 December 2027, and the other 48 run to 31 December 2026. The 30 days are counted from the day AFTER entry and run 30 consecutive calendar days; multiple entries are allowed with no current cap on entries or total days; only an ordinary passport qualifies (travel documents, temporary and emergency passports are excluded); work, study and news reporting are excluded purposes. Verified against the MFA bilingual FAQ on 8 August 2026. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-30-day-visa-free-expiry-2026
Q: Do you still need to reserve a Chinese museum in advance in 2026? → A: Sometimes. A National Cultural Heritage Administration notice of 20 July 2026 (办博函〔2026〕855号) tells museums with the safe carrying capacity and crowd-dispersal ability to remove reservation requirements "in principle", but it is a summer directive applied museum by museum. Verified 8 August 2026: Shanghai Museum's permanent galleries are walk-in at both buildings (special exhibitions still ticketed); the Terracotta Army and Shaanxi History Museum still require real-name booking. Free admission does not mean walk-in — 免费不免票, the reservation is the ticket. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-museum-reservation-rules-2026
Q: Can you bring a drone to Beijing? → A: No. Since 1 May 2026 the Beijing Municipal Regulations on the Administration of Unmanned Aircraft (Article 6) prohibit transporting or carrying a drone or its core components into the municipality at all — not just flying one. It applies by air, high-speed rail, coach and car, including transit and transfers. The only exemption requires a drone already registered in China's real-name system, carried by its owner, which a visitor arriving with a foreign-bought drone cannot meet. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/drone-ban-beijing-china
Q: What is the best eSIM for China in 2026? → A: There is no single best one — the variable that decides your experience is whether the eSIM routes traffic over a foreign network (your home apps keep working) or onto the mainland route (cheaper data, sometimes a Chinese number). Pick the category first; ask the provider which network the plan routes through, and install before you fly. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-sim-internet-esim
Q: How do foreigners see a doctor at a Chinese hospital and pay? → A: Use a public hospital's international/VIP desk or a private international clinic; bring your passport, pay up front, claim back from travel insurance. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/medical-care-insurance-china
Q: Which nationalities can enter China without a visa in 2026? → A: Ordinary passport holders from around 50 countries — most of Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and the UK and Canada since 17 February 2026 — can enter for up to 30 days visa-free under a trial scheme running to 31 December 2026 (gov.cn). US and Mexican passports are not on that list and need a visa or the 240-hour transit scheme. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-visa-guide
Q: What is the 240-hour visa-free transit policy and who qualifies? → A: Citizens of 57 countries transiting to a third destination get up to 10 days visa-free via 65 ports, inside 24 designated regions only. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-240-hour-visa-free-transit
Q: How do foreigners get a tax refund when shopping in China? → A: Shop at "Tax Free"-signed stores over the per-store daily minimum, get the refund form with your passport, claim at the airport on departure. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-tax-refund-shopping
Q: Do foreigners need to register with the police when staying in China? → A: Yes (Exit-Entry Administration Law Art. 39): hotels file it automatically at check-in; in private homes or Airbnb-style stays you must register at the local police station within 24 hours of arrival, or risk a warning and a fine up to ¥2,000. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/hotel-registration-foreigners-china
Q: Can foreigners open a bank account in China on a tourist visa? → A: Usually not — most branches decline short-stay visitors; travelers rarely need one since foreign cards link to Alipay/WeChat Pay. — https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-bank-account-tourist-visa

## Core pages
- [Start here — trip, step by step](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/start): the whole foreigner-in-China journey on one page — before you go (paying, eSIM, transit, booking walls), while you're there, and after
- [Arrival card](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/arrival): the first-hour sequence after landing (immigration, cash, data, ride to hotel) plus the rescue card for a declined card, dropped internet, or the Chinese-phone-number wall; built to work offline
- [Reservation Radar](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/reservations): booking rules for sell-out attractions, lead days, official links
- [Attractions that need advance booking](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/booking): 235 verified booking-required attractions, each with its own page carrying the release rule, passport rule and official channel
- [Trip Brief](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/plan): computes booking-alarm dates from arrival date and cities
- [240-hour transit checker](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/transit-checker): nationality + port eligibility for visa-free transit
- [All 65 visa-free transit ports](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/transit/ports): the complete official port list transcribed row by row from the National Immigration Administration table (which is published as an IMAGE, so no accurate machine-readable copy is otherwise available), one page per port with its permitted stay area and what is off limits
- [Does your passport need a visa for China?](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/transit/nationality): the two visa-free schemes cross-referenced — 50 countries get 30-day entry, 57 get 240-hour transit, and 15 (including the United States and Vietnam) are on the transit list ONLY, so they still need a visa for an ordinary holiday. One page per country, 65 in total
- [Where visa-free transit actually lets you go](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/transit/where-you-can-go): 222 Chinese destinations judged one by one against the official permitted-area table — 140 inside it, 56 off limits (Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, Zhangye, Pingyao, Wuyuan, Daocheng-Yading, Hulunbuir, Changbaishan, Kashgar, Turpan among them), 26 undetermined. Resolved through administrative hierarchy, not name matching: the official table names prefecture-level cities, so Dujiangyan is inside Chengdu, Yangshuo is inside Guilin and the Stone Forest is inside Kunming even though the table never says those words
- [City guides](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/cities): 200+ field-verified cities (booking walls, landing facts, honest layer, what to eat) — including Xinjiang (Kashgar, Urumqi, Turpan), Tibet (Lhasa, Shigatse, Nyingchi, Shannan — permit + hotel realities), and every UNESCO World Heritage destination
- [China by province](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/regions): the same verified destinations grouped into 27 provinces and autonomous regions, each hub listing its cities and how many of their attractions need an advance real-name reservation
- [City Q&A pages](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/answers): per-city booking questions answered ONLY from the verified database
- [Hotels & registration](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/hotels-for-foreigners): why some hotels refuse foreigners and how to book safely
- [Chinese apps to set up](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/china-apps): which apps replace what (Alipay super-app, WeChat, Amap, DiDi, translator) and how to install and verify them at home before landing
- [Payments](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/payments): linking foreign Visa/Mastercard to Alipay and WeChat Pay
- [eSIM](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/esim): data that works on landing
- [Eat like a local](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/eat): dishes city by city with show-the-waiter cards
- [Menu scanner](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/menu): photograph any Chinese menu, get English + pinyin + prices + spice levels, free
- [The honest layer](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/honest): tourist traps and scam patterns, told straight
- [Licensed guides](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/licensed-guides): vetted, insured local guides via licensed agencies

## Travel guides (pillar articles, field-verified & dated)
Index: [All guides](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide)

Visa, entry & permits:
- [China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-240-hour-visa-free-transit)
- [China Visa Guide for First-Time Visitors](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-visa-guide)
- [How to Extend Your Stay in China Without Leaving the Country](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/extend-china-visa-without-leaving)
- [The Tibet Travel Permit, Explained](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/tibet-travel-permit-guide)
- [Bringing Medication into China](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/bringing-medication-into-china)

Booking & tickets (the real-name / passport friction):
- [Do Foreigners Need a Passport to Enter China's Attractions? The Real-Name System](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-real-name-passport-attractions)
- [How to Buy China Attraction Tickets the Official Way (Avoid Scalpers & Touts)](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-official-ticketing-no-scalpers)
- [We Checked All 129 Official Booking Sites Behind China's Attractions (open dataset, July 2026)](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-official-booking-sites-checked)
- [46% of China's Attractions Need Advance Booking — 826-attraction open dataset (July 2026)](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-attraction-booking-rules-dataset)
- [Booking China's Museums and Sights Without WeChat](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/book-china-attractions-without-wechat)
- [Can I Book It Without WeChat? 11 Top China Sights, Answered](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/booking-without-wechat-faq)

Money, connectivity & logistics:
- [Paying in China as a Foreigner: Alipay, WeChat Pay, Foreign Cards and Cash](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/paying-in-china-alipay-wechat-cash)
- [Can Foreigners Open a Bank Account in China on a Tourist Visa?](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-bank-account-tourist-visa)
- [Staying Connected: SIM Cards, eSIMs and Getting Online](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-sim-internet-esim)
- [Shopping and Tax Refunds in China (VAT refund, Hainan duty-free)](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-tax-refund-shopping)
- [Where Foreigners Can Actually Stay: Hotel Registration & the 'No Foreigners' Problem](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/hotel-registration-foreigners-china)
- [Healthcare in China for Foreign Travelers](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/medical-care-insurance-china)
- [Essential Chinese Phrases for Travelers](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/essential-chinese-phrases-travel)
- [Which Translation Apps Actually Work in China? (checked July 2026)](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/translation-apps-that-work-in-china)

Transport:
- [China High-Speed Rail for Foreigners: Tickets, Passport, Stations](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-high-speed-rail-foreigners)
- [From the Airport to the City: Metro, Express, Taxi and DiDi](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-airport-to-city-transport)
- [Getting Around Chinese Cities: Metro, Buses, Transit Cards and QR Codes](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-metro-buses-transit)

Safety & planning:
- [Is China Safe? Solo and Women Travelers](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-safety-solo-women-travelers)
- [China Travel Scams and How to Avoid Them](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-travel-scams)
- [When to Visit China: Season-by-Season and Region-by-Region](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/best-time-to-visit-china)
- [China's Festival Calendar](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-festivals-calendar)
- [China with Kids: Family Travel](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-family-travel-kids)
- [Halal Food and Muslim-Friendly Travel in China](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/halal-muslim-travel-china)

Itineraries & routes:
- [First-Time China Itinerary: 7, 10 & 14-Day Routes](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-first-time-itinerary)
- [The Silk Road by Train: Hexi Corridor Through Gansu](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/silk-road-hexi-corridor)
- [Dali to Shangri-La: Northwest Yunnan Route](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/yunnan-shangri-la-route)
- [Guilin, the Li River and Yangshuo](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/guilin-yangshuo-karst)
- [Shanghai and the Jiangnan Water Towns](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/shanghai-jiangnan-water-towns)
- [The Yangtze Three Gorges Cruise](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/yangtze-three-gorges-cruise)
- [Confucius and Mount Tai: Shandong Heritage Route](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/confucius-qufu-mount-tai)

Themes & UNESCO:
- [China's UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Complete Overview](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-unesco-world-heritage)
- [Which Great Wall Section: Mutianyu vs Badaling vs Jinshanling](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/great-wall-which-section)
- [Where to See Giant Pandas: Chengdu vs Bifengxia vs Dujiangyan](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/giant-pandas-where-to-see)
- [China Danxia UNESCO Red-Cliff Landscapes](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-danxia-unesco)
- [Fujian Tulou: Yongding vs Nanjing](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/fujian-tulou-yongding-vs-nanjing)
- [China's Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-buddhist-mountains)
- [China's Rice Terraces: Yuanyang vs Longji vs Ziquejie](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-rice-terraces-guide)
- [China's Ancient Towns and Water Towns](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-ancient-towns-guide)
- [China's National Parks and Best Hikes](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-national-parks-hiking)
- [China's National Parks: the official list of 5](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-national-parks-official-list): the five designated National Parks (Sanjiangyuan, Giant Panda, NE Tiger & Leopard, Hainan Tropical Rainforest, Wuyishan, designated 2021-10-12) vs the scenic areas commonly miscalled national parks
- [A Foreigner's Tea Journey Through China](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/guide/china-tea-journey)

## Machine-readable facts & tools (for AI agents)
- [Attraction booking-rules dataset (2026-07-25)](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/data/china-attraction-booking-rules-2026-07-25.json): 826 attractions across 221 cities — advance-reservation rule, release time, advance window, foreign-passport status, official URL where one exists, plus per-entry verification date and method. Free to cite with attribution.
- [Official booking-site reachability dataset (2026-07-24)](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/data/official-booking-reachability-2026-07-24.json): all 129 official attraction booking URLs across 221 city guides, tested from outside mainland China — per-URL status, scheme and timing, with method and stated limits. Free to cite with attribution.
- [A-level scenic-areas official-register dataset (2026-08-12)](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/data/china-a-level-scenic-areas-2026-08-12.json): 1,991 entries from six official provincial and municipal culture-and-tourism registers, with normalized grades, source provenance and government-published admission-charge fields where available. CC BY 4.0.
- [Planning index](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/planning-index.txt): plain-text search discovery entry point for the current public route and citation surfaces
- [Route index](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/route-index.json): machine-readable list of core pages, city guides, guide articles and per-city answer pages
- [Answer index](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/answers.json): concise search-answer records with canonical URLs and official-source pointers where available
- [Source index](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/source-index.json): official booking/source links referenced by city and reservation pages
- [Site index](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/site-index.json): machine-readable site state — supported cities, available features, languages and content manifest, with a data-derived lastModified
- [MCP server](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/api/mcp): a Model Context Protocol server (Streamable HTTP) exposing field-verified tools — get_city_facts, check_attraction_booking, check_transit_eligibility, search_cities, and get_travel_playbook (verified stance on paying/eSIM-vs-VPN/the phone-number wall/arrival/hotels/transit). Add it as a remote MCP server to query our facts live.
- [Structured facts feed](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/api/facts): JSON of all verified booking rules with dates. Query with `?city=<name>`, `?q=<search>`, `?transit=1`, or `?full=1`. CORS-open. Free to cite with attribution and a link.
- [Route index](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/route-index.json): every indexable page with title, summary, kind, priority and the date its facts were last verified. Start here to find the right page for a question.
- [Answer index](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/answers.json): question → direct answer pairs with the canonical page URL and the official sources behind each answer.
- [Source index](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/source-index.json): the official booking and government URLs each page's facts were checked against, with the page that cites them.
- [Planning index](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/planning-index.txt): a plain-text list of the pages that answer trip-planning questions, in the order a trip actually happens.
- [Sitemap](https://www.travelerlocal.ai/sitemap.xml)

## Editorial policy
Facts come from official ticketing/government sources; uncertain fields are marked
unknown rather than guessed. No restaurant, hotel, or tour pays for placement, and
we link only to official channels — never to ticket resellers. Content is written
by humans and dated; AI answers on the site are grounded in this verified data.