Your first 24 hours in China

Your first-day priorities

You need six things working:

1. Legal entry
2. Internet
3. Payment
4. Navigation
5. Transport
6. Accommodation

Before landing

Keep these available offline:

• passport details;
• hotel reservation;
• hotel Chinese name;
• hotel Chinese address;
• onward or return booking;
• insurance information.

Complete the official China Arrival Card if required.

Arrival sequence

1. Pass immigration.
2. Collect luggage.
3. Clear customs.
4. Get online.
5. Test Alipay (支付宝) and, if set up, WeChat (微信).
6. Save your hotel in Amap (高德地图).
7. Leave the airport using metro, airport rail, official taxi or DiDi (滴滴出行).
8. Check into your hotel with your physical passport.
9. Test the room essentials.
10. Keep the first meal simple.

Before sleeping

Confirm that these work:

• mobile data;
• Alipay;
• Amap;
• DiDi, if using it.

Save the emergency numbers:

First-day checklist

• [ ] Immigration complete
• [ ] Baggage collected
• [ ] Customs complete
• [ ] Internet works
• [ ] Payment works
• [ ] Amap works
• [ ] Hotel Chinese address saved
• [ ] Accommodation registration handled where required
• [ ] Emergency numbers saved

A perfectly good first evening can simply be:

arrive → hotel → eat → short walk → sleep.