Install a VPN BEFORE You Arrive in China
This is not optional advice. Once you are inside China, VPN download websites are also blocked. 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
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.
Messaging
Text, voice, video calls. Your professors, classmates, and university admin all use WeChat.
Payments
WeChat Pay works everywhere: restaurants, taxis, hospitals, vending machines, rent.
Everything Else
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 backup (Outlook.com works without VPN).
Using 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/server. Japanese and Singapore servers typically have the best speeds from China.
What Works Without VPN
Microsoft services (Outlook, Teams, Bing), Apple services (iCloud, iMessage), Wikipedia (in most languages), most academic journal databases through university networks, Baidu (Chinese Google), Taobao/JD (online shopping), Bilibili (Chinese YouTube), and Douyin (Chinese TikTok).
Prepared for the Firewall?
Next: visa requirements and what to do after getting selected.