Heading to China soon? Before your China trip, make sure you download these 5 must-have China apps that really helped us during our travels. Since some international apps don’t work well there, having the right apps for your China trip will make a big difference especially for getting around, communicating, and making payments. These were super useful for us, and I hope they’ll make your trip just as smooth and fuss-free!
1. Communicate & Payment Using Wechat
When I was making arrangements for the photoshoot and checking out the hours of some food locations, I communicated a lot with the vendors using WeChat, which is their main mode of communication. The app also allows you to make payments, order discounted meals using MeiTuan and also DiDi for ride-hailing, which is similar to Grab in Singapore.
You can easily link up your credit or debit card to Wechat, you can check out the step-by-step guide here.
2. Payment With Alipay App
You can also set up Alipay for payments in case some vendors don’t accept WeChat. Alipay is another widely used payment method in China.
Like WeChat, the Alipay app also allows you to call DiDi for rides. It even has a translator function if you need help with understanding or communicating.
You can easily link up your credit or debit card to Alipay, you can check out the step-by-step guide here.
3. Navigating In China With Baidu Maps App
When I was doing my itinerary research for my Lijiang trip, I realized that Google Maps isn’t as informative and doesn’t work properly in China. Baidu Maps, on the other hand, is much more useful, whether you’re walking, taking public transport, or using DiDi.
We used Baidu Maps daily in Lijiang, and the app provides real-time information. It can even accurately calculate traffic light timings and the number of traffic lights you’ll pass by.
Even though the app is in Chinese, the icons and interface are very clear and easy to understand. You can also use the real-time navigation feature to help you get around.
One interesting feature is that it even calculates how many calories you can burn if you choose the walking mode.
Summary
I’m actually very amazed by how advanced and useful apps in China are. Most of them are interlinked, which means you don’t need to download too many separate apps, saving space on your phone!
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If you are flying with China Southern Airlines and have a layover in Guangzhou, check out how you can enjoy a free 1 night stay in the city.
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