Survive

Digital Survival Kit — fix your phone before you land

Maps, messaging, and mobile pay fail for many first-timers without a pre-flight stack. Set up VPN, data, payments, and local apps at home — then book the trip.

Open checklist Then book →

Illustration: tea cup and phone for China trip prep — Illustration — trip-prep still life, not a live field test.

Illustration: Survive process: VPN, eSIM, payments, apps — Illustration — editorial process diagram, not a live app screenshot or official flowchart.

Four tools

Guide first, tool second

One module per failure mode. Deep guides keep the full SEO detail; this hub is the decision layer.

VPN

Many familiar apps and sites are restricted on mainland networks. Install and test outside China.

VPN guide Get VPN

eSIM

Airport Wi-Fi alone is a weak plan. Install a China data eSIM before you board when your phone supports it.

eSIM guide Get eSIM

Alipay / WeChat Pay

Everyday purchases often expect mobile pay. Link a foreign card before departure when the app allows it.

Payments hub Alipay deep guide

Essential apps

Maps, translation, and ride-hailing lean on local tools. Uber does not run mainland rides — plan for DiDi.

Apps guide Uber vs DiDi

Deep guides

Cash and connectivity answers

Same locked URLs — clearer entry from this hub.

Connectivity

Buy a China eSIM before you fly

Timing and activation before boarding.

Payments

Alipay without a Chinese bank

Tourist setup path for foreign cards.

Transport

Does Uber work in China?

Mainland reality check and alternatives.

Apps

How this page was built: Editorial Decision-studio shell (not a live VPN/eSIM/payment test in this update). Setup claims are hedged and point to on-site guides; commercial relationships are disclosed sitewide on How we test and Affiliate disclosure.

Phone ready? Confirm entry, then book

Visa path first if you have not checked nationality rules. Then trains, hotels, and flights.

Enter hub Book hub