Line 01 · China Policy Watch
China Policy Watch
Can you enter visa-free? How do you pay without a Chinese bank account? How do you get online and get around? Start here — every page is verified against the official Chinese source, with the original text quoted.
Can I enter without a visa?
240-Hour Visa-Free Transit
57 countries, 65 entry ports, 10 days — the live rulebook with change history. Start here before booking anything.
check your nationality →
How do I pay?
Paying With Foreign Cards
Add your Visa/Mastercard to Alipay (China's main payment app) in 5 minutes — limits, fees, and the decline fixes.
set up payments on day one →
How do I get online?
eSIM & SIM Cards Compared
Airalo vs Holafly vs a local SIM — what works the moment you land, what needs a passport, what costs what.
pick your data plan →
How do I get around?
Train Tickets (12306 = China Railway's booking site)
Bullet trains between cities: the easiest way to book in English, and the cheap official way. Passport = ticket at the gate.
book your first train →
Ready-made plan
10 Days Visa-Free: Shanghai → Xi'an → Hong Kong
A complete route we walked ourselves — real costs in USD, four pitfalls we hit, day-by-day with the visa clock mapped out.
see the itinerary →
Or 30 days, no transit needed
30-Day Visa-Free Countries
42 nationalities — most of the EU, UK, Canada, Japan, Australia — enter for 30 days with no onward ticket. Check the list vs your passport.
check the 30-day list →
The rule everyone misses
Accommodation Registration
Hotels register you automatically — Airbnb and friend-stays do NOT. 24h deadline in cities, ¥2,000 fine ceiling, 15-minute fix.
know the rule →
Coming by land?
Land Border Crossings
HK–Shenzhen (4 crossings), Macau, Vietnam→Yunnan: hours, queues, which port fits your route — most are 240h-eligible.
pick your crossing →