The general rule: China manufactures most of the world's consumer goods and sells them to itself at low prices. Forgetting your shampoo, charger cable, umbrella or a warm layer is a ¥30 problem solved at any convenience store. Do not over-pack.
Nappies and formula follow that rule and need only be packed for the first two days. A car seat does not, and is the one bulky thing a family genuinely has to carry in.
A short list of exceptions genuinely matters.
The eight things to bring from home#
- Deodorant. East Asian populations have a low incidence of body odour and the domestic market barely exists. It is sold in expat supermarkets in Shanghai at a mark-up; assume you cannot find it elsewhere.
- Tampons. Pads are ubiquitous; tampons are stocked patchily and mostly online. Bring your own supply.
- Shoes above EU 44 / US men's 10.5. Chinese retail sizing runs small and larger sizes are hard to find outside dedicated sports stores.
- Prescription medication, in its original labelled packaging, with a copy of the prescription. Do not assume an equivalent exists or that a pharmacist can identify it from the generic name in English. Some routine Western prescriptions are controlled substances in China and need a diagnosis certificate as well — which regime your medicine falls under is worth settling before you book.
- Familiar over-the-counter medicine. Pharmacies are everywhere and cheap, but products are labelled in Chinese and formulations differ. Bring ibuprofen or paracetamol, an antihistamine, rehydration salts, loperamide and any motion-sickness tablets.
- A VPN, installed and tested. Provider websites and app-store listings are blocked from inside mainland China, so it must be working before you land. See internet, VPN and apps.
- A power bank you can carry in your hand luggage — Chinese trains and long sightseeing days drain phones fast, and your phone is your wallet, ticket, map and translator.
- Passport photocopies and a passport photo. Useful for hotel registration issues, permit applications and replacing a lost passport.
Documents and admin#
- Passport, valid at least six months beyond your entry date, with a blank page.
- Visa or proof of visa-free eligibility — for transit-based entry, print your onward ticket to a third country; you will be asked for it at check-in and at immigration.
- Travel insurance certificate with a 24-hour emergency number. Chinese public hospitals expect payment up front, and international clinics in Beijing and Shanghai charge Western prices.
- Hotel bookings printed or saved offline, with the address in Chinese characters.
- A photo of your passport stored offline on your phone and in your email.
- Emergency contacts, including your embassy in Beijing and the consulate nearest your route.
Electronics#
| Item | Note |
|---|---|
| Plug adaptor | China uses types A, C and I at 220 V. Most sockets accept flat two-pin (US) and Australian three-pin without an adaptor. The slim European Europlug (type C) fits, but the earthed German-style Schuko plug does not. UK three-pin does not either — bring an adaptor for both. |
| Phone | Unlocked, eSIM-capable if you plan to use a travel eSIM. A Chinese SIM needs your original passport and a face scan |
| Power bank | See the CCC warning above |
| Cables and a multi-port charger | One charger, three cables beats three chargers |
| Headphones | Trains, flights, and the noise-cancelling case for shared carriages |
On day trains there is a booking-side answer as well: D and G services offer an opt-in quiet coach at no extra fare, and choosing one at the point of purchase does more for a working journey than any headphone will.
Clothing by season#
Spring and autumn (Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov): layers. A light jacket, a fleece or jumper, long trousers, one warm layer for evenings. North China is 10°C colder than the south on any given day.
Summer (Jul–Aug): lightweight, breathable, quick-drying. Add a compact umbrella (doubles as sun shade — locals use them constantly), a sun hat and sandals you can walk in. Air conditioning indoors is aggressive, so carry a thin long-sleeve layer.
Winter (Dec–Mar): in the north, a properly insulated coat, thermal base layers, gloves, hat and scarf; Beijing sits around −5°C with a hard wind and Harbin reaches −25°C. In the south, damp cold with little indoor heating — buildings south of the Yangtze traditionally have no central heating, so a warm indoor layer is more important than a heavy coat.
Everywhere: genuinely comfortable walking shoes. A sightseeing day in Beijing routinely covers 15–20 km.
Packing light only works if you can wash things, and quick-drying fabrics earn their place because tumble dryers are not something to count on in China — clothes are hung out, not heated dry.
Modesty: China is relaxed about dress in cities. Shorts, vests and short skirts are unremarkable in Shanghai and Guangzhou. Cover shoulders and knees when visiting active Buddhist or Taoist temples, and dress conservatively in Xinjiang and rural Tibetan areas.
Health kit#
- Prescription medicines with documentation
- Painkillers, antihistamine, anti-diarrhoeal, rehydration salts
- Plasters and blister treatment (long walking days)
- Hand sanitiser — public toilets frequently have no soap
- Tissue packs — public toilets frequently have no paper either
- Sunscreen: available but often bundled with skin-whitening agents; bring your own if particular. The bundling is a legal artefact rather than a marketing one — sun protection and whitening sit on the same short list of specially regulated claims
- Mosquito repellent for the south in summer
- A spare pair of glasses and a copy of your prescription — replacements are cheap and quick to have made, though the standard behind a dispensed pair stopped being compulsory in March 2026
- A reusable insulated bottle — boiling water is free and available everywhere
What not to bring#
- Towels — every hotel provides them
- Toiletries in bulk — shampoo, soap and toothpaste cost a few yuan anywhere
- Heavy guidebooks — download offline maps instead
- A lot of cash in USD — exchanging is bureaucratic; use ATMs and Alipay
- Anything politically sensitive in print — material on Tibetan independence, Taiwan independence, Falun Gong or religious proselytising literature can be confiscated at customs
- More than 1 kg of loose-leaf tea or excessive quantities of any single product, which can attract customs attention on the way out — the test is whether the quantity is reasonable for your own use, and beyond it your luggage is handled as cargo
- A case you cannot lift over your head — Chinese trains have no baggage hold, so it goes in the overhead rack yourself, and the weight and size limits are real numbers even if they are loosely enforced
The pre-departure phone setup#
This is the most important "packing" you will do. Install and test all of it before you fly:
| App | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Alipay | Payments, transport QR, mini-programs for tickets |
| Payments, messaging, everything social | |
| Amap (高德地图) or Apple Maps | Navigation that works in China |
| DiDi | Ride-hailing, has an English mode |
| Trip.com | Hotels, flights, and simplified rail booking |
| 12306 | Official rail booking, English interface |
| Google Translate + offline Chinese pack | Translation, offline |
| Pleco | The best Chinese dictionary, works offline |
| Your VPN | Only needed on a Chinese SIM or hotel Wi-Fi |
Verify Alipay with your passport and bind a card at home, because verification steps can require an SMS code delivered to a working number.
Frequently asked questions#
What kind of power plug does China use?#
220 V at 50 Hz, through sockets that usually take several plug shapes at once — types A, C and I. Whether you need an adapter therefore depends on where you are from rather than on China: Americans and Australians mostly plug straight in, British and Schuko-using European travellers do not. Check the voltage rating on anything with a heating element before you pack it. Which adapter you actually need.
Can I bring a power bank to China?#
Yes in hand luggage, never in checked baggage. Since 2025 Chinese airlines require power banks on domestic flights to carry a valid CCC certification mark, and uncertified units are confiscated at security. Check your unit before flying domestically. The airline capacity rules are stricter than most travellers expect.
What should I not bring to China?#
Politically sensitive printed material, drones you intend to fly casually, large amounts of foreign cash, and bulk toiletries. Also skip towels, guidebooks and umbrellas — all cheap and available everywhere. Drones are the common surprise — what the rules are.
Do I need to bring cash to China?#
Bring ¥500–1,000 as a backup for rural buses, temple donations and the occasional cash-only ticket window — where cash is still genuinely needed is a short and specific list. Everything else should run through Alipay or WeChat Pay with a bound foreign card.
Is toilet paper provided in China?#
Often not, in public toilets and at many tourist sites. Carry a pack of tissues at all times, and expect squat toilets outside hotels and modern shopping malls. Where paper is and is not provided, and why it often goes in the bin covers the rest of it.