Foreigners in China. 15 Things you have to know

I am an English Teacher in China and  I am Originally from South Africa.
I am Based in Nanning China.
My first week was the worst because I think I panicked a lot. I was in a Foreign Country for the first time ever and not many People spoke English and going to a shop to get a bottle of still water was a nightmare, if you know what I mean.
I had my Samsung phone and Internet is not an issue in China because there is free WIFI everywhere. However that did not seem to be an advantage because every exciting site and app I knew was blocked, which was a real nightmare.
 I didn’t know anyone at the time , it was my first week but I later discovered that I could access one website; www.bing.com Hooraaay!
A local told me about VPN , an App that could help me get access to all blocked sites and apps in China ; but I couldn’t download VPN because my Samsung phone operated on 3G and all phones operate on 4G in China, Do you get my frustration?
I had not really spoken to my Family at the time, there was just no way, so my family did not know if I had a safe journey ,but luckily when I was in South Africa I used Wechat to communicate with my employers, that is the app everyone uses in China, and I was smart enough  to write down my Wechat ID for my sister before I left.
Four days later my sister had dropped me a message on Wechat  because she was worried about me and she was smart enough to remember to download the app and check on me. I remember being so happy and emotional because I finally spoke to my Sister.
After weeks of trying to download VPN with no success, I did some research and discovered I could download turboVPN the APK version. That was the best day of my life because I finally got my life back! I could access all the apps, especially Whatsapp, because that is the most convenient social app in South Africa.
I got my first pay and I bought myself a good phone, and Chucked my Samsung galaxy grand prime + away.
After a few months I learnt that using VPN is prohibited in China, its not allowed, its Illegal so I do not condone it.

Here are 15 things you need to know when traveling to China or If you currently live in China and  are new in the Country.

1. Use A translator App to communicate
You can download a translator app or simply use Bing translator. Go to www.bing.com and on the search bar ;type “translate”,  type out whatever you need to say and give the person you are trying to communicate with to read. Chinese People are very freindly and they offer help at no cost.

2. Do not Tip/ Give money after Chinese People help you.
In the western Culture that might be a great and considerate thing to do but not in China. They will help you for free all you need to say is Xie Xie “Thank You”. Even after dining in a fine restaurant, pay what you owe and do not give extra, Some get really offended when you try to give them a tip, maybe its a cultural thing, I'm not too sure.

3.  Download Didi App 
Didi is like Uber in China, it works exactly the same as the Uber taxi service.
Download the English Version, you can type in English, it automatically translates in Chinese to the driver. Before requesting the Didi taxi, look at your map  and drag the blue pin to exactly where you are (a blue dot) and the taxi will pick you up wherever, you just need to know where you are going and you can type the address in English it will automatically translate to Chinese to the driver.

4. Do not be afraid to use the train/bus.
I take the bus all the time, its very cheap compared to Didi, u can travel a 1 hour distance via train or bus in China for so less, as little as 3¥. Ask People, Show them the Address or type it out on your translator app and it will translate in Chinese and ask the Bus driver or fellow passengers, JUST ASK BEFORE YOU HOP IN!! Same applies when taking a train, ask security or find the information desk.

5.Join a Wechat Group with Foreigners 
You have to join a group especially with People from your Country, that will be very helpful.
I remember my hair was a disaster because I'm an African girl and there aren’t  hair salons that catered for my hair type in China. It helped that I joined a group with fellow foreigners and found an African Hair stylist. You will not find a hair relaxer or Dark and lovely moisturizer sorry, All you will get in grocery stores is  shampoo and conditioner.

6. Bring your own Medication
There is a very big chance that you might not get the medicine you are used to. I had severe period pains this is one time and I just didn't know what to buy, I asked the pharmacist for some pain killers
and she gave me something herbal and it did not stop the pain. I went to the Wechat group and I asked the women what they used and they sent me pictures of the medicine so I went back to the pharmacy and showed them the picture and got the medicine. It did not  work instantly like nurofens but it surely did numb the pain after a few hours. I really encourage you to bring your own medicine from your country, but you are limited to 3 months supply, that was the law the last time I checked, so you cannot bring bags and bags of meds.

7.Use Wechat as Product translator.
So all the Product descriptions will be written in Chinese and sometimes you cannot tell if you are buying a face wash or a face cream. So when you go to your wechat app, you will see  a plus sign  ➕ at the top right of your screen, click on it and the click SCAN, then align the writing of the product details as though you are taking a picture and it will translate in a few seconds. This made my life a Breeze! Thank you Wechat for this feature.

8. Go to the Bank to Change your money to the Chinese Currency
IF you have cash and never got a chance to do that at the airport. I went to the Bank Of China, in my Opinion; the best bank Ever with really friendly Staff. Some Staff members speak English so do not worry about a thing they will help you.

9.Buy A sim Card,
All you need is Your passport, NB keep your Receipt safe, You will need it  when opening a bank account.
Monthly plans are very cheap, you can get unlimited data and calls at a very cheap monthly plan around 100¥.

10.Open a Bank account.

I opened my Bank account with The Bank of China, as I mentioned above, the best bank ever! Here
is what you will need as a foreigner when opening an account:
A.Your Passports
B.Your Contract (If on a work visa)
C.Phone number and proof that the phone number is yours ( you get a receipt after purchasing a sim card)
D.Proof of Residence (Bill)
E. Residence Permit (Its attached to your passport)

11.Activate Wechat Pay or Download Alipay 
The best Option for me was Alipay, because it was just very simple, all I needed was my banking information. On the other end, I couldn’t activate Wechat pay I don't know why.
You will need both Wechat pay/ Alipay to pay for everything in China, life just better this way because very few people use cash. You will link your bank card with your Wechat or Alipay to be able to use the services and you will scan your QR code and insert your pin whenever you make payment. You can even leave a small balance so you can monitor your spending, I always kept my balance at 100¥. Remember to keep your password or pin private.

12.Get used to buying Online
For many things you wont find in the Grocery store, you will be able to find online. A famous online shop in China is www.taobao.com. , its in Chinese but you can ask a freind to help you buy online, you will love your life! Stuff will be delivered to your door, life is just easier.

13. Go out and Have Fun! 
China has very beautiful Restaurants and many Attractions. If you Love food, you will love China,
their Sea food Dishes especially are Mouthwatering and you will be surprised at how little you will spend. In my opinion, its cheaper to eat out in China than to buy Groceries and there are very few imported foods and are very expensive, A Box of Kellogg's Cornflakes will hurt your pocket.
Vegetables are so cheap, basically fresh produce is a good option because they have a variety and you will spend very less.
If you are a beer Drinker, you will love China! Their beer is amazing! trust me I was not a beer drinker but I became one, their beer is life! Its also ridiculously cheap! You can buy a beer for as little as 3¥.


14. Travel and see China’s Beauty.

There is something for Every one. Many Beaches and Islands and great Tourist Attractions.
15. Learn Chinese
It will make your experience better! Use apps , or attend classes, whatever works for you! Chinese is a beautiful language and I am so Proud of myself because I can now have Small conversations in Chinese and I am improving daily.


Welcome to China, do not miss a thing I mentioned on this Article and your stay in China will be Pleasant.

Xie Xie www.bing.com