Planning a trip to China? Prepare for these five things that may surprise you

I moved to China in 2016 to teach English and explore the culture. I planned to live there for one year, but one year quickly turned into years. In the beginning, I experienced many surprises and cultural shocks.

Before moving to China, I was clueless about the world I was about to experience. After living there for years, marrying a local, and learning Chinese, I’ve grown to understand and appreciate the cultural differences.

Many things that confused me at first later captivated me during my time in China. I want to share 5 cultural surprises and tips that can help you prepare for a trip to The Middle Kingdom.

China is a largely cashless society that prefers paying with QR codes

For the most part, China is a cashless society. Cash still exists in China, but you will find that the majority of people use their phones to pay for practically everything. 

I traveled all over China and was amazed that even in the most remote places, vendors would have QR codes for cashless payment.

The first time I went hiking in Sichuan, which is in the West, I found it surprising that there were snack vendors along the trail selling water and snacks. Even these vendors in the mountains had QR codes to scan.

I still kept a card and a small amount of cash on me just in case, but I found paying by phone to be so convenient and efficient.

Tip: Alipay and WeChat Pay are the payment apps to download. They now both accept foreign bank cards, so I recommend downloading them before your trip. Of course, I still recommend having a card and a small amount of cash in case something happens to your phone.

China is a country of foodies with diverse styles of cuisine.

When first moving to China, the diversity and depth of Chinese cuisine captivated me. Here are 8 of the major styles: Sichuan, Hunan, Cantonese, Fujian, Shandong, Zhejiang, Anhui, and Jiangsu. Each of these styles have something unique and surprising to offer a curious foodie.

Westernized Chinese food, particularly in the US, is primarily an Americanized version of Cantonese food. Authentic Cantonese food is vastly different from crab rangoon and General Tso’s chicken. These dishes don’t hit the surface of authentic Cantonese food, much less the other 7 major styles.

The style that surprised me the most was Sichuan cuisine. Outside of China, you will often see it romanized as Szechuan. Sichuan food originates from the West of China in the Sichuan Province. 

Sichuanese cuisine is known for its spicy flavors, including the unique flavor of 麻辣 (málà). Málà is a numbing and spicy flavor that can make your mouth feel a little numb and tingly. While this may sound unpleasant to some, for many it is mouthwatering.

Tip: Get out of your comfort zone. If you can’t speak Chinese, look for restaurants with pictures. It is very common for restaurants to have photos on the wall or menu. However, I recommend learning some basic words that will help you to get by.

The Great Firewall blocks many Western apps and websites.

The Great Firewall blocks Google, Instagram, and other popular Western platforms. You can access blocked platforms by using a virtual private network (VPN). 

Since these websites are blocked in China, the majority of locals do not use many of the websites and apps that are familiar to you.

When first moving to China, I discovered that I needed to familiarize myself with so many new apps. While a VPN allows you to access banned platforms, you still need certain Chinese apps if you want to do certain things in China like take a ride-share.

Thus, it is highly important that you do research ahead of time to see which apps you may need to download. I recommend Alipay, WeChat, Didi, and AMap. Didi is China’s main ride-sharing app.

Tip: Download a VPN before you go to access certain websites and apps. Don’t rely on Google reviews to plan since it is among the blocked sites and mostly has reviews by expats and visitors. Locals use an app called 小红书 (Xiǎohóngshū / Little Red Book) to discover cool spots.

Queues… what’s that?

Queuing is a thing in China, but, considering the vast amount of people that live in the cities, it’s no surprise that queuing is more of a suggestion for some. As someone who comes from a culture with strict queuing rules, it took me a bit to adjust to this norm.

You will see queues at many locations, such as the metro and crowded stores. But there are two different things that could happen if you are not ready or not paying attention.

I’ll use the metro as an example for the first situation since it often happens at public transport locations and can be the most overwhelming for newcomers who are from cultures with strict queuing rules. 

You’ll see people queuing to a degree on the sides of the metro doors. I say “to a degree” because it is not a strict straight line. Once the doors open, people flood into the train all at once. This can be particularly overwhelming during peak hours. 

From my experience, it is best to not resist and go with the flow of the crowd. This may be an invasion of personal space for some, but it’s what happens when there are a large number of people in a small space. 

The second situation can happen in lines for food or even when checking in at the airport. While in line, some people may try to cut ahead of you. This can easily happen if you are not paying attention, as personal space doesn’t exist at times and people typically stand pretty close.

Tip: Pay attention and be ready to move when public transportation arrives or you may have to wait for the next one. You will find that this level of assertiveness is necessary at times. Also, be prepared for your personal space to be intruded on, and understand that this is not seen as rude. It is just a different norm to adjust to.

China’s massive population primarily resides in megacities.

China is the second most populous country in the world with a population of around 1,425,671,352 billion people. In contrast to countries like the US, the majority of Chinese live in megacities. 

China has a tier system for its cities, which classifies them as 1st-5th tier. This classification system divides up the cities based on GDP, politics, and population. 1st tier cities typically have a massive population. For example, Beijing, the capital of China, has over 22 million residents.

So it is no surprise that I was blown away by the sheer size/density of the cities and their populations. The density of the cities makes it a people watcher’s paradise. It is common to see people dancing in the streets, food vendors galore, and plenty of other activities.

For perspective, when my Chinese husband first moved to the US, he would often refer to the US cities we visited as towns. One of the only US cities that even feels like a true city to him is New York City. Which isn’t surprising, since China is home to a large number of megacities that are larger or as large as NYC.

While I was fascinated by the size of the cities and China’s population, it did come with some challenges. Particularly, traveling during peak times requires a ton of patience. With a population of its size, it is easy for places and destinations to become very crowded. So make sure to keep this in mind when planning your travels. 

Tip: Try to avoid traveling during National Holidays, especially the National Day Golden Week in October and Labor Day in May. There is a saying in Chinese 人山人海 (Rén shān rén hǎi). This directly translates to people mountain, people sea. You will experience this at any popular destination, especially during Chinese holidays.

🌈 Read Next: My Trip to China’s Rainbow Mountains

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Living in China was an enriching experience for me. It gave me the chance to learn and adapt to a culture that is vastly different from the one I grew up in. While I experienced many culture shocks when first moving to China, it was interesting to see how those shocks became normal to me after years of living there and learning about the culture.

As travelers, I think it is important to think about the perspective we use when looking at cultural differences. Something that is initially a culture shock can often become captivating if we choose to learn about the culture and why these norms exist. 

Have you ever been captivated by something that was initially a culture shock? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Next, read about Betty’s experience getting deported from China. It could help you avoid making the same mistake when you’re traveling abroad!