It's a great time
to visit China.
Visa-free for 38+ countries. Tap-to-pay with the cards in your wallet. eSIMs that ignore the firewall. The China you've heard about — the bureaucratic, cash-only, walled-off China — has quietly stopped existing.
Eight worries we hear, eight short answers.
China is not just open. It is the cheapest of the three.
| 2025–26 | China | Japan | South Korea |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-star hotel / night | $65–110 | $160–260 | $110–170 |
| Taxi (base + per km) | $1.80 + $0.40 | $3.30 + $2.70 | $3.50 + $0.70 |
| High-speed rail (long route) | $77 | $98 | $44 |
| Mid-range meal | $8–18 | $20–40 | $15–30 |
| Domestic flight | $60–110 | $70–130 | $50–90 |
Sources: Trip.com, Numbeo Cost of Living Index 2025, OAG (2025), Hootling Beijing Taxi Guide, Seoul Metropolitan Government, YouTrip Shinkansen Guide.
Itineraries, city guides, and the questions everyone asks.
China in 7 daysBeijing + Shanghai, the classic first trip.China in 14 daysBeijing → Xi'an → Chengdu → Guilin → Shanghai.The best months to visitMonth-by-month weather, crowds, and prices.BeijingForbidden City, hutongs, the right Great Wall.ShanghaiBund, French Concession, 240-hour transit.ChengduPandas, hot pot, tea houses.China vs JapanPick Japan for ease. Pick China for value.Is China safe?Statistically, safer than home.Top 10 worries, answeredPower plugs to firewall to tea-house scams.Xi'anTerracotta Warriors, city wall, Muslim Quarter.Guilin & YangshuoKarst peaks, Li River, rice terraces.High-speed railBook on Trip.com, board with your passport.eSIM for ChinaSkip the firewall without a VPN.240-hour transit10 days, 55 countries, no application.What to packEight things everyone forgets.China vs KoreaKorea for ease, China for scale and value.Hong KongThree days, then HSR into the mainland.HangzhouWest Lake and Longjing tea, hour from Shanghai.Alipay for foreignersBind a foreign Visa card in 5 minutes.Travel budgetWhat a week actually costs, three tiers.Regional food guideWhat to order in each cuisine.Is China safe?The numbers and the 5 scams to know.Great Wall sectionsMutianyu, Jinshanling — skip Badaling.Yunnan loopDali, Lijiang, Shangri-La in 8 days.ShenzhenThe city that became the future.China with kidsSurprisingly easy. Here's how.12 photo spotsWhere, when, and the right light.