The Great Firewall – Internet Survival Guide
No Google. No WhatsApp. No Instagram. No YouTube. This is the single most important thing to prepare BEFORE you board the plane.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
2 min read
Updated Oct 5, 2026
Install a VPN BEFORE You Arrive in China
This is not optional advice. Once you are inside China, VPN download websites are also blocked, and you cannot download VPN apps from the Chinese App Store. If you arrive without a VPN already installed, you will be cut off from Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter/X and most Western services immediately.
Install and test your VPN before boarding your flight.
What's Blocked in China
| Service | What you lose |
|---|---|
| Search, Gmail, Maps, Drive, Docs | |
| Messaging & calls | |
| YouTube | All video content |
| Photos & stories | |
| Social networking | |
| Twitter/X | Microblogging |
| Telegram | Encrypted messaging |
| Wikipedia | All language editions |
| Many news sites | BBC, NYT, Reuters (varies) |
Also blocked: Dropbox, Slack, Discord, many academic databases (some available through university VPNs), Netflix, Spotify, and periodically many other services without warning.
WeChat Replaces Everything
WeChat (Weixin) is not just a messaging app. It is the operating system of daily life in China.
Text, voice and video calls. Your professors, classmates and university admin all use WeChat.
WeChat Pay works everywhere: restaurants, taxis, hospitals, vending machines, rent.
Food delivery, taxi hailing, flight booking, government services, utility bills, even making friends.
VPN Practical Guide
Before you leave home
Subscribe to a VPN service (paid — free VPNs don't work reliably in China). Install the app on ALL your devices: phone, laptop, tablet. Test it. Download any apps you'll need (Google Maps offline maps, WhatsApp, etc.). Set up a non-Gmail email as a backup (Outlook.com works without a VPN).
Using a VPN in China
VPN speeds vary. Some days are fast, others are frustratingly slow — especially around sensitive dates when the government tightens controls. Always keep your VPN subscription active. If one server doesn't work, try another country or server. Japanese and Singapore servers typically have the best speeds from China.
What works without a VPN
Microsoft services (Outlook, Teams, Bing), Apple services (iCloud, iMessage), most academic journal databases through university networks, Baidu (the Chinese Google), Taobao/JD (online shopping), Bilibili (the Chinese YouTube) and Douyin (the Chinese TikTok). Wikipedia is not on this list: it has been blocked in China in every language since 2019.
Prepared for the firewall? Next: visa requirements and what to do after getting selected.