Things you should know before you move to China

Welcome to China, we are an IT company based in Shanghai, serving the Expat Community in the last decade for all range tech needs.

Here are things we think can be helpful to know before moving to a new country with complete different language.

• Thing you should / should not take to China
• Internet in China
• How about TV / Movies
• Mobile network / SIM Card
• Communications / Language / Translations
• Online Shopping
• About WeChat
• Daily Transportation
• Internet Censorship

4. Internet Speed

• • Internet speed you sign up for can be up to 2,000 Mbps , but somehow those are for China only.
  • International speed may change from time to time, specially lower at the rush hour
    (speed test from fast.com vary from 10-100 Mbps)
  • 10Mbps speed can allow you stream a 1080p video from youtube.com

Overseas Channels are not available in China, try get box like Apple TV, Amazon fire TV

1. With the right setup of the WiFi / VeePeeN softwares, contents can be accessed.
2. TV set can be cheap to buy in China, but make sure the one has English settings
3. Live channels can be hard to get, but theres always a way

1. ESIM is not available in China yet
2. Physical SIM can be applied from China Telecom. Unicom and Mobile
3. You need to get a Plan like how many mins call / GB for data downloading.
4. Ensure you have enough balance in your account for monthly plan at end of every month.
5. Popular package:
   China Telecom:  30G data / 100 mins calling / 59 RMB/month
   China Unicom: 29G data /300 mins calling / 59 RMB /month
6. You can apply max 2 family SIM cards that associated with the same package, so it save pay bill separately.

1. Get around in Big City like Beijing and Shanghai can easy with the default Apple Build in Maps / English Street Signs
2. Google translate is the most recommended app as the accuracy.
   It does support camera, and live audio /txt translation
3. With the coming Apple iOS 26, live phone call translation will be applied, getting calls can be easier.
4. Android phone may having hard time get fully English Navigation apps in China, Google Maps info are highly delayed as they dont have license to run biz in China.

Online shopping

1. How to shop online
   • Biggest websites are taobao.com and JD.com
   • By default their phone apps are in Chinese UI, but you can change taobao app to English.(click me to learn more)
   • Get online shopping fast will be find what you looking for from English to China and input in the search bar.
   • Use Google Chrome as the browser, while your VeePeeN is turned on, shopping sites will be translate to the desired language.
   • To get fast words translated, in the Google chrome extension, search Linguist – web pages translator. this allows you quick get the words u need and copy past to the shopping site.
   • Online shopping sites have their online customer support from 10-7 most likely, you can use the Linguist plugin get words you need to translate, and past in the chat window to ensure get answers you need.
2. Attentions of buying online
   1. Warranty difference
      1. Most items can be returned in 7 days with dislike
      2. Somehow most electronics can not
      3. You need to keep the original package and ensure theres no mark of usage.
      4. Electronic devices won’t get International warranty beside Apple brand.
   2. Delivery
      1. Delivery can be super fast in China, mostly 1-3 days
      2. Delivery will be left at the front door most case, or at a pickup spot / storage box.
      3. To track delivery, use Chrome browser, with the website of kuaidi100.com.
   3. Can I get a fake item?
      1. Yes, the items copied most are the phones and luxury stuff, so be aware of where you buy it from and if the price with big discount.
   4. Windows computer are all pre-installed with Chinese, but MacBook has all languages.
   5. About payment
      1. Taobao payment can associate with your international card, but 3% processing fee will be charged.
      2. Alipay is recommend to setup, as that is a default payment method.  You can associate your International card, local card to Alipay.  Alipay app offers fully English support.

About WeChat

1. The communication software has the biggest user base in China
2. You can set up WeChat from overseas phone number
   1. Change the phone number in WeChat settings that allows u set up WeChat wallet
   2. WeChat wallet settings can be tricky as its need to match your Bank Card Info, we suggest you bring the phone with you ask help from your Bank.
   3. WeChat pay can be setup with same Chinese Bank Card as its hard to get.
3. Add people on WeChat
   1. From their phone number
   2. From the WeChat ID (setup in the settings)
   3. From a QR code you can save from settings (super useful for events which you can print it out)
4. What you can do beside chatting
   1. Pay anyone, receive money, share bill
   2. Pay utility bill
   3. take photo and translate
   4. share your daily life through WeChat moments

Daily Transportation

1. DIDI (like UBER)
   1. App display in English
   2. Support International card without extra charges
2. Subways
   1. Get physical card
   2. Use Alipay App, and find your local city transportation that can be scanned and pay.
   3. Get Apple wallet and apply the digital subway card, your iPhone turn into a subway card.
3. Meituan, QingJu shared bikes
   1. Use WeChat to scan the code on the bike to ride
   2. It charges 6RMB / hour to ride

Internet censorship 

1. Whole network are managed more than what you think, so please DO NOT share or comments on anything about the authorities including WeChat, FB or Instagram.
2. Daily life with google search, video from Netflix are all fine.