TIPS before you travel to China! 👉🏼
🔹 Download Amaps
Google map is not reliable. Even when researching for the trip beforehand, I wasn’t able to find many places on Google maps. When using Amaps, you can type in English & also read reviews of places of interest!
🔹 Download Alipay
On the same app, you can use their food delivery service (meituan), book a DiDi ride, and make payment to merchants etc.
Link your credit card, your local number and set your pin.
I linked my citi rewards card with amaze onto Alipay (no transaction fees + earn 4mpd!)
When scanning any QR codes in China, use the Alipay app to scan. I made the mistake of scanning through my iPhone camera app a few times and wondered why the website isn’t working 😅
🔹 Get a data roaming plan from your local telco
Use data from your own sim card instead of connecting to WiFi. No issues using Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, IG or TT!
🔹 Book a premium XL DiDi if you’re traveling in a group!
A normal DiDi car in Shanghai is quite small. We had big luggages with us and booked an economy ride which we had to squeeze our luggage in. We ended up booking the premium XL ride for the rest of the trip. Costs 3x more than the economy ride, but worth it for comfort & space especially if you’re traveling with kids & have multiple bags! We had a chance to take their local EV cars which was quite impressive!
#chinatips #traveltips #chinatiktok #Shanghai #shanghaitravel
When it comes to uploading pictures on popular Chinese apps like Meituan or Ele.me, it can be tricky if you’re not familiar with the process. Both apps support photo uploads mainly through their respective servers connected to Alipay accounts or WeChat, but the interfaces are in Chinese, which may be challenging. From my experience, the best way to upload images on Meituan or Ele.me is to first ensure that your Alipay app is fully set up and linked with your local number and credit card, as this enables smoother authentication. Next, whenever you’re submitting a review or placing an order, look for a camera icon or a button labeled 上传图片 (upload picture). Tapping this will open your phone’s photo gallery or camera, allowing you to select or take photos. If it’s your first time, using Google Lens or translation apps can guide you through the steps with the Chinese interface. Also, since these apps are frequently updated, keeping your apps and data roaming active helps avoid interruptions while uploading or browsing. I recommend taking a few test uploads when connected to good internet to gain confidence. Finally, remember that using Alipay’s scanning feature instead of your phone’s default camera for QR codes ensures navigation to the right services, which also applies when interacting with these delivery apps. These little extra steps helped me upload photos easily and enjoy local food deliveries during my trip without hassle!
