Your first time in China feels a bit like being dropped into a movie that's moving way too fast. Everyone's on their phones, scanning QR codes to pay for things. Electric bikes zip past so quietly you almost don't hear them. And there you are, staring down at the guide on your phone.
You're not sure what to do first. Get Wi-Fi? Or buy a SIM card? Will your foreign bank card even work with Alipay? Can you still wave down a taxi, or is it all apps now?
I know that feeling — like you've prepared for everything, and also for nothing.
I live here. I walk these roads.
I'm Stella Guo, and I live in Shenyang. I love to travel, and I'm good at planning trips. For the past few years, I've spent most of my weekends and vacation days doing one thing: wandering around China.
I like slipping into the restaurants locals actually go to, skipping the streets packed with tourists, and figuring out a city's transport, food, and rhythm one step at a time. For me, travel isn't a checklist of sights — it's about understanding how people here really live.
It started with a friend's three-page message
Because I'm good at planning, my foreign friends always hit me up before they come to China: how do I get a visa? how do I get online? which apps do I absolutely need?
"Why did nobody tell me you can solve most things with one QR scan?" — my friend Jake, day two in Chengdu
Last year Jake messaged me three full pages of questions before his first trip. Then on day two in Chengdu he texted that. That's when it hit me: there's a ton of info about China online, but hardly any of it actually catches that "first time" panic. So I built FirstTimeChinaGuide — to write down, honestly, what I see as a local who actually lives here and has walked these roads myself.
Here's what I promise you
No jargon, no sugar-coating. Just straight answers from someone who actually lives here.
I'll be honest
I tell you when I mess up. If a place is overpriced or a tip no longer works, I say so — no "everything is amazing" fluff.
I stay independent
I'm not a tour company and I don't sell packages. I use affiliate links, but only for things I'd hand to a friend.
I'm actually local
I live in China and walk these roads myself. Everything here comes from real, on-the-ground experience.
Everything a first-timer needs, in clear sections
From visas and SIM cards to high-speed trains, cities, and late-night street food.
Visas, what to pack, what to expect at the border.
eSIM, VPN, Alipay, WeChat — set up before you land.
Trains, metro, taxis, and travel insurance.
Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Chengdu and more — real routes.
The stuff most guides skip: what to do when it all falls apart.
Card linked but payment fails? VPN on and now you can't pay? I've been there.
Pick where you want to begin
— Stella
Last updated: August 2026