esim & vpn

okay, real talk: the internet thing is the #1 thing that catches first-timers off guard. you land, open instagram to post the skyline, and… nothing. google maps won’t load. whatsapp shows “connecting…” forever. (this exact thing happened to us — it’s mistake #1 in my first 48 hours in china.)

that’s the great firewall, china’s system that blocks a lot of foreign websites and apps on domestic networks. it’s annoying, but it’s also easy to plan around if you sort it before you fly.

what’s blocked in china (and what works)

as of late 2026, here’s the rough picture on a normal chinese connection (local sim or hotel wifi):

this list moves around. some things work slowly or on and off. anything owned by google or meta should be treated as blocked.

your three options, compared

option 1: roaming esim (the move for most travelers)

a travel esim from a company like airalo or holafly connects to china mobile, china unicom or china telecom towers, but your data gets routed through a server outside mainland china (often in hong kong or singapore). so the firewall mostly doesn’t apply, and google, instagram and whatsapp just work, like they do when you roam with your home sim.

• buy and install it at home, then switch it on when you land
• keep your home sim active for bank verification texts (you’ll need them for alipay)
• downsides: a little extra lag, no chinese phone number, and some chinese apps occasionally act weird with a foreign ip

if you post a lot of stories or video call home every night, get an unlimited plan so you don’t have to think about data.

your home carrier’s roaming works the same way (it’s also routed abroad). it’s just usually much more expensive. check your plan. some us and uk carriers include china in their international packages.

option 2: local chinese sim

you can buy a prepaid sim from china mobile, china unicom or china telecom at the airport or an official store. bring your passport, since real-name registration is required.

• pros: fast, cheap, a real chinese number (handy for some apps, deliveries, and train wifi)
• cons: it’s a domestic connection, so the firewall applies. no google or instagram unless you also use a vpn. setup can take a while and the staff might not speak english

for most short trips, a roaming esim is less hassle. a local sim makes more sense if you’re staying for a month or more.

option 3: a vpn

a vpn encrypts your traffic and routes it abroad, which is how a lot of expats and business travelers reach blocked services on local wifi or a local sim.

the legal side, kept neutral and factual: china’s regulations only allow government-approved vpn services. unapproved consumer vpns aren’t officially permitted. in practice, plenty of foreign visitors and residents use them, and enforcement against short-term tourists has rarely been reported, but that’s not a guarantee and it’s your call. this isn’t legal advice.

practical notes if you go this route:

• install and log in before you arrive. vpn websites and many app store listings can’t be reached from inside china
• not every vpn works in china. many mainstream ones get blocked. people who live there tend to stick with a few providers that put money into staying reachable
• expect drop-outs, especially around big national events and holidays
• a vpn is mostly useful as a backup for hotel wifi. if you’ve got a roaming esim, you might never open it

hotel wifi, cafe wifi, train wifi

• hotel wifi is a local connection, so blocked apps stay blocked. some international hotel chains offer workarounds for business guests, but don’t count on it
• public wifi (cafes, malls, airports) often needs a chinese phone number to get an sms login code. a roaming esim doesn’t give you one
• bullet train wifi exists on many trains but also needs a chinese number and is slow. just use mobile data (see our train guide)

what to do before you fly (checklist)

1. buy and install your esim. don’t activate it until you land if the plan starts at first connection
2. download offline stuff: apple translate languages, a chinese offline dictionary (pleco), any playlists or shows
3. install every app you’ll need, because app stores can be slow or limited in china. our china travel apps list has the full set
4. set up alipay and wechat while you can still get sms codes easily
5. save key info offline: hotel addresses in chinese, booking confirmations, passport scan
6. tell your contacts you might be on imessage or wechat instead of whatsapp, just in case

faq

will google maps work with a roaming esim? it’ll load, but google’s china map data is often off by a couple hundred meters and pretty outdated. use apple maps or amap for actually getting around.

can i use chatgpt in china? not on a local connection. on a roaming esim it depends where the esim exits: lots of cheap china esims route through hong kong, and openai and anthropic don’t serve hong kong, so chatgpt and claude can fail even while google loads fine. your home carrier’s roaming usually works. full rundown in which apps work in china.

does imessage work? generally yes, on any connection.

will my esim work everywhere? coverage is excellent in cities and along train lines. in remote mountains and some rural areas you’ll see weaker signal, same as anywhere.

the vibe check

• roaming esim = the easiest way to keep google, insta and whatsapp. get it before you fly
• local sim = cheap and fast, but behind the firewall
• vpn = the usual backup for wifi, officially restricted, install before you land if you choose to use one
• download everything at home. no cap, future you will be so grateful. (and pack a power bank — see what i packed for china for the 3c rules)

once you’re online, sort your money next: alipay + wechat pay setup.

heads up: some links above are affiliate links. if you book through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — it keeps this guide free. more on that.