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The short list
What gear to buy before you fly
These are the six categories first-timers actually pack, not a generic packing checklist. We focus on the tech and small items that are hard to replace once you’re on the road in China — seasonal clothing is covered in our what to pack for China guide.
Power & plugs
China runs 220V, 50Hz. Wall sockets accept Type A (two flat pins, like North America/Japan), Type I (three flat pins, like Australia) and Type C (two round pins) — most hotels use a hybrid socket that takes all three. One universal travel adapter with built-in USB-C covers the whole trip and charges phone and laptop from a single brick.
Pack a power bank around 20,000mAh (under 100Wh) — it clears airport security on international flights. 2026 update: China’s domestic flights now require a visible 3C certification mark on the power bank. If you bought yours overseas, you’re fine on international legs; if you’re connecting onto a China-domestic flight, double-check the mark before you pack.
Stay connected
A travel eSIM gives you data the moment you land — no SIM swap, no shop visit. It works on iPhone XS and newer (international models), recent Pixel, and most Samsung flagships.
Compatibility check: if your iPhone is a mainland China 15 or 16, eSIM is disabled on those models — mainland 17 added it back. Bring a physical SIM or a portable router instead. Quick test: open the phone dialer and type *#06# — if you see an EID number, eSIM is supported.
Some travellers also carry a portable VPN router if they need to reach blocked services (Gmail, Google Maps, WhatsApp, Instagram) on the road.
Money backup
Alipay and WeChat Pay now accept foreign Visa/Mastercard and cover almost everything from a 5 RMB street snack to a 5,000 RMB hotel. Still carry one international Visa/Mastercard as a backup (some hotels and ticket sites ask for it directly) and a small amount of CNY cash for tiny street vendors and rural areas where signals are weak.
Set up Alipay or WeChat before you fly — identity verification sometimes needs your passport scanned in good light, and it’s hard to do on a hotel Wi-Fi that won’t load international sites.
Phone & apps
Leave at least 8–10 GB free for offline maps (Maps.me or Apple Maps), a translation pack, and the China apps. Install Alipay, WeChat, DiDi, Trip.com, Maps.me, Pleco, and a VPN client before you board — once you’re on Chinese networks, Google Play and the App Store can be slow or unreachable.
Health & comfort
Bring a small meds kit from home — stomach, cold, pain, antihistamine, plasters. Chinese pharmacies can be hard to navigate without Chinese, and many common Western medicines (stronger painkillers, certain antibiotics) are prescription-only. Customs note: keep meds in original packaging with the label visible, and don’t carry more than a personal-use amount.
Also pack a reusable water bottle (tap water isn’t drinkable), hand sanitizer, and your own toilet paper for public restrooms.
Luggage
A carry-on plus one checked bag covers most two-week trips. China’s high-speed rail (动车) rule is strict: each bag must be 130cm or less in length+width+height combined, and under 20kg. Anything larger has to be checked at the luggage point before boarding. A mid-size roller (20″ or so) slips into the overhead rack; a giant 28″ case means an extra step at every station.
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A starter kit we’d actually pack
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Quick questions
Yes — convenience stores and metro-station shops in any city sell them. But bring one from home; you’ll need it the moment you charge at the airport, and the ones sold in China sometimes only fit Chinese-style plugs (no Type G for UK travellers).
If you’re running maps, translation, and DiDi through a 12-hour day of sightseeing, yes — phone batteries drain fast with constant GPS and mobile data. A 10,000mAh model is enough for a day; 20,000mAh covers two.
Most travellers don’t need one. Google Maps and Gmail are the two services that hurt most when blocked — Apple Maps and a VPN client cover most of what you need. A portable router only makes sense if you travel with multiple devices and rely on Google services daily. Use reputable paid services; free VPN apps are unreliable and often leak data.
Yes on international iPhone XS and newer. The exception: a mainland-China 15 or 16 — eSIM is disabled on those models (it came back on the 17). Quick check: open the phone dialer, type *#06#, and look for an EID number. No EID → no eSIM.
Yes — the power-bank rule. China-domestic flights now require a visible 3C certification mark on lithium power banks; without it, security will pull it. Power banks bought overseas are usually fine on the international leg in, but for the domestic connection, use one with a clear 3C mark, or charge up before you go.
Want the printable packing list?
Our free one-page checklist covers gear, documents, and the first 24 hours. Tick boxes as you pack.
From the Resources guide
Plan other regions of China
Practical first-trip China guides — visas, VPN, eSIM, Alipay, trains, and city routes.