What are the 'lifesaver' apps for traveling in China?
6.2 What are the "lifesaver" apps for traveling in China?
When traveling in China, you may find that many of your usual international apps don't work or have limited functionality. However, by pre-installing a few key local apps on your smartphone, your China trip will become much smoother and more convenient. This carefully curated "China survival kit" app list is designed to help you explore the country as easily as a local.
1. Seamless payments
Mobile payments have become the absolute mainstream in Chinese society. Fortunately, the following three major payment apps now fully support linking international bank cards, providing great convenience for international travelers.
WeChat Pay is deeply integrated into WeChat, China's most popular social app, and is one of the two major payment platforms. Alipay is an independent payment giant with powerful features and wide acceptance. Additionally, UnionPay (Cloud QuickPass), the official app launched by China UnionPay, also provides convenient payment services.
To use these services, first download WeChat, Alipay or UnionPay from your phone's app store. After installation, follow the in-app instructions to find the function to add a bank card, and link your Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club or Discover international bank card. In stores, restaurants or when taking transportation, simply open the scanning function in the corresponding app and scan the QR code provided by the merchant to easily complete payment.
2. Convenient transport
From city navigation to buying train tickets, the following apps are indispensable tools for getting around in China.
AutoNavi Map (Amap) is China's leading map app, providing extremely accurate real-time traffic information, diverse route planning (including driving, public transit/metro and walking), and rich point-of-interest search functionality. An English version is available.
DiDi is China's version of Uber/Lyft and the country's main ride-hailing platform. It has a complete English interface, supports international credit card payments, and has built-in translation features, greatly facilitating communication between passengers and drivers.
For long-distance travel, Railway 12306 is the official China Railway ticket booking app and the most authoritative channel for buying train tickets. It also provides an English version and supports registration and ticket purchase using foreign passports.
In major cities, you can choose metro travel. For example, in Shanghai, you can download the official metro app Metro Daduhui (Shanghai Metro). After linking a payment method, you can use a QR code to directly enter and exit metro stations, eliminating the need to buy physical tickets. Similar apps are available in Beijing, Guangzhou and other cities.
3. Smooth communication
Overcoming language barriers and staying in touch with people are key to a successful trip.
WeChat is not just China's WhatsApp – it's a "super app" that integrates messaging, social networking, payments and mini-programs. It's the most basic and important way to stay in touch with people in China.
Additionally, to effectively address language communication issues, Baidu Translate and Youdao Dictionary provide powerful instant translation services. Their core features include voice conversation translation, text input translation, and the especially practical photo translation function, which can instantly translate menus, road signs or any printed text.
4. One-stop services
From booking travel to daily dining and exploring local life, the following apps provide one-stop services.
Trip.com is China's leading online travel agency. Its international version, Trip.com, provides a full range of travel services including flights, hotels, train tickets and attraction tickets, with multi-language interfaces and international payment support.
For local life and food exploration, Meituan and Dianping are the ultimate tools. They not only allow you to order food delivery from a huge selection of restaurants to your hotel, but are also known as "China's Yelp," providing rich restaurant information, user reviews and recommended dishes. You can also purchase various coupons and group-buying packages, and even book attraction tickets and movie tickets.
Essential app checklist
Before your trip, make sure to download:
Payments:
- WeChat (with WeChat Pay)
- Alipay
- UnionPay (Cloud QuickPass)
Transport:
- Amap (AutoNavi Map)
- DiDi
- Railway 12306
- Local metro app (e.g., Metro Daduhui for Shanghai)
Communication:
- Baidu Translate or Youdao Dictionary
Travel & lifestyle:
- Trip.com
- Meituan
- Dianping
With these apps installed, you'll be well-equipped to navigate China like a local.