Practical tools

Answer a few questions about your passport, purpose, duration, and route. Get a recommendation for which visa or visa-free option applies, with links to the underlying rules.

Pick origin and destination on the major HSR corridors. Get typical journey time, seat-class prices in CNY, and links to the stations. Static data, no live API.

Multi-city trip planner. Pick cities, days per city, and tier (backpacker / mid-range / comfortable). Total in CNY plus USD, GBP, EUR and more. Shareable URL.

Personalised checklist for setting up WeChat Pay before you arrive — driven by your nationality, trip length, phone plan, and card type. Bookmarkable via URL.

Convert between Chinese yuan and 25 major currencies using a regularly updated rate table. Includes a daily budget mode showing how your budget compares across city tiers.

Generate a checklist tailored to your cities, travel months, and trip purpose — climate-specific clothing, essential documents, electronics, and health items.

Essential phrases by situation — airport, taxi, hotel, restaurant, emergencies — with Chinese characters, pinyin, and phonetic guides. Includes an allergy card generator.

Searchable database of common tourist scams in China by city and type. Know what to look for before you arrive.

A colour-coded grid of major cities by month — see the best travel windows at a glance, filter by month, or look up the best months for a specific city.

Chinese public holidays and major festivals for the current and next year — dates, travel impact, and what to expect at each. Check if your travel dates clash with Golden Week.

Detailed monthly budget estimate by city, district, lifestyle, household size, and schooling. Itemised breakdown in CNY.

Side-by-side comparison of up to four Chinese cities across cost, climate, English level, expat community, international schools, air quality, and more.

Track expiry dates for your passport, visa, residence permit, work permit, and other documents. Highlights anything expiring within 30/60/90 days. Data stays on your device.

Guidance framework for expat families navigating the school decision — curriculum types, fee ranges, application timelines, and what to ask when touring.

Personalised study plan based on your current level, target, weekly time, and budget. Includes HSK level requirements and common stuck points.

Illustrative day-counting check against the 90-day, 183-day, and 6-year rules. Comes with the site's strongest disclaimer — this is not tax advice.

Enter monthly gross RMB and get the annualised net after 2026 IIT brackets, standard deduction, and the six special additional deductions. Resident and non-resident modes.

For Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Chengdu — find a neighbourhood that matches your budget, household size, commute, and lifestyle preferences.