1. Trip.com: Trip.com is the international version of Ctrip, offering a one-stop travel service for foreign tourists including flights, hotels, attraction tickets, and guided tours. It is recommended by the Ministry of Commerce of China and other related departments in the "A Guide to Working and Living in China as Business Expatriates" Trip.com serves 39 countries and regions globally, supports 24 languages, accepts over 30 foreign currencies, and integrates major payment methods such as Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, and PayPal. This app is highly user-friendly for first-time visitors to China, providing comprehensive answers to travel-related questions.
How to Use: Download and register on Trip.com in advance, input your passport and other relevant information, and you can book flights, high-speed trains, attraction tickets, and other travel-related services through the app.
2. Alipay: QR code payments are extremely popular in China. Through Alipay, you can cover almost all money transaction scenarios within the country. With the app's built-in features, foreign tourists can seamlessly experience convenient services unique to China, such as bike-sharing, power bank rentals, mobile food ordering, and delivery services.
How to Use: Alipay supports two methods for foreign tourists: "foreign card binding" (linking an overseas bank card after downloading the app) and "foreign wallet usage" (using an overseas e-wallet to scan QR codes). Foreign visitors can download and register Alipay in advance, bind an overseas bank card, or use their national e-wallets (such as from Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand) which can directly interact with Alipay's offline QR codes for payments.
3. WeChat: In China, WeChat can handle almost all online communication needs. As the most popular social app in mainland China, WeChat is widely used. During your travel in China, you can use WeChat for various online interactions such as communicating with airport pickup drivers, hotel or guesthouse staff, tour guides, and more. WeChat also includes a chat translation tool that supports translation between 18 languages. Additionally, WeChat has e-wallet functionality similar to Alipay, covering most payment scenarios.
How to Use: Download and register on WeChat from your phone's app store. For mobile payments, you can use either "foreign card binding" (linking an overseas bank card after downloading the app) or "foreign wallet usage" (scanning QR codes with an overseas e-wallet).
4. U Dictionary: A useful translation tool that helps turn Chinese into your native language. This app is the international version of Youdao Dictionary. It significantly lowers the barriers of communication during travel, assisting foreign visitors in understanding signs, place names, menus, and facilitating better interaction with locals. Youdao Dictionary, as a Chinese-native tool, offers accurate translations and has camera translation and voice translation features. By using your phone's camera to capture text (e.g., menus), the app can automatically recognize and translate the text into the desired language. It also supports real-time voice translation between languages, with current support for 35 languages and 49 different accents.
How to Use: Download U Dictionary from your phone’s App Store or Google Play Store.
