Phones, Esims, Sims and VPN's - On My Way to China

You will be using your phone extensively for payments, maps, communicating, booking tickets and trains etc, so it’s important to make sure everything will work. Fortunately is easy to get your phone working in China!

The network in China is one of the most advanced in the world with true 5G coverage even in remote places. The main cell networks in China are China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom.

Your options for cell service are:

Use your home provider’s international roaming (check the cost to see if it is viable)
Purchase an ESIM – an esim is a data plan only. You do not get a local Chinese number.
Purchase a Chinese Sim card in advance of your trip. Also data only, may need a vpn to access social media etc)
Purchase a sim card on arrival in China. You get a Chinese number but need a vpn to access social media etc)

Note: with roaming, e-sims and data only sims, you need a vpn when connecting your device to hotel WIFI.

What is an Esim?

An esim is a newer technology on newer phones. It is a chip on your phone that can store the data that is normally stored on a Sim card. When you purchase an ESIM, you download it onto your phone, activate it and then have access to the network just as though you had a physical Sim card. The ESIM companies have agreements with Chinese telecom providers to allow you to connect to their network.

To check to see if your phone supports esims, check here: https://www.airalo.com/help/about-airalo/NFHQSUXFCZOM/what-devices-support-esim/D2N6OZSVVM9W

Do You Need A Chinese Number?

You can easily navigate around China without a local Chinese number.

If you purchase a Sim card in China you will be given a telephone number that will work throughout China. The advantage of having a local Chinese number is that you will be able to

use the number to purchase local attraction tickets and
register for wifi on high speed trains, and
sign up for queues at busy restaurants.

If you are purchasing local attraction tickets and don’t have a local phone number, just ask for help at the ticket booth and they will likely help you.

China now allows your Roaming plans, Sims purchased outside of China for tourism, and ESims to access social media sites like Google, Facebook, X (Twitter) and instagram without a VPN. However, if you connect your device to hotel or other WiFi, you would need a VPN to access these social media sites.

Recommended SIMS and ESIMS:

Recommended E-Sims are:

Airalo,
Holafly,
Bytesim,
JetpacGlobal

Save 10% on eSIMs at Airalo.com. Use Code: AIRALOESIM10

Using your Home Roaming Plan

Another way to gain access to cell phone service is to arrange for international Roaming on your home cell phone plan. Some providers used to charge exorbitant fees or roaming but recently prices have dropped. Check with your service provider to determine the cost of roaming. Sometimes purchasing an roaming plan is the most cost efficient way to connect to the Chinese cellphone network.

VPNS

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a piece of software that keeps your internet activity private and secure. In China, a VPN will allow you to access sites by creating an encrypted connection to the VPN server that gets your data from a blocked site and sends it back to you through the encrypted VPN.

With an e-sim or data roaming plan you do not need a vpn. This has changed from previous years. If you get a Chinese sim card and want to access Facebook or anything google, you would need a VPN.

When the VPN application is running, it creates a secure connection (tunnel) between your device and a private VPN server before forwarding your web traffic on to the website or application you’re trying to reach.

Note: NordVPN and ExpressVPN are not currently working in China.

The best VPN’s are Astrill or Letsvpn as they are recommended by travelers in China. See also the page on “Apps you need for China” from the main menu!

Other vpns that people have recommended are Shadowrocket, PureVPN, and Surfshark.

Additional Info

All VPNs usually stop working when the National Congress is taking place, if there are high level CCP meetings, or if there are parades taking place. If a VPN becomes very popular it often eventually gets shut down. You need to download and install your VPN BEFORE you enter China as you wont be able to download from within China.