The Terracotta Army in Xi’an. Photograph of the real museum, not its luggage-storage counter. Photo: Maros Mraz / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5. Yes—you can arrive at Xi’an’s Terracotta Army with a suitcase. The museum provides an official, free luggage-storage service near its ticket hall. According to the Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum, the storage…
Landing at Xi’an Xianyang International Airport (XIY) after midnight and staying near the Bell Tower? You have three practical ways to reach your hotel: a late-night airport shuttle bus, an official metered taxi, or a ride booked through DiDi. The airport shuttle is usually the cheapest choice for solo travelers, while a taxi or ride-hailing…
You can order food in Chinese restaurants even if you don’t speak a word of Mandarin. Many restaurants let you scan a QR code, choose dishes from photos, or order directly from a cashier or server. Alipay and WeChat Pay are widely used, some larger restaurants accept international cards, and renminbi (RMB) cash remains a…
The easiest way for most first-time visitors to get a taxi in China is to use DiDi, the country’s widely used ride-hailing app. You can enter your destination before getting in, see a fare estimate, and check your driver’s license plate. Many overseas visitors can register with an international phone number and use an eligible…
If you’re visiting mainland China for the first time, Amap (高德地图, also called Gaode Maps) is my top recommendation. It offers English-language navigation, public transport routes, walking directions, and detailed listings for restaurants and attractions. If you have an iPhone, Apple Maps is another convenient choice. Baidu Maps makes a useful backup, while I wouldn’t…
There are four main ways to get online while traveling in mainland China: a travel eSIM, a local Chinese SIM card, international roaming, or public Wi-Fi. For a first trip lasting 7–14 days, I’d usually start by comparing travel eSIMs that explicitly cover mainland China. If you need a Chinese phone number, a local SIM…
Visitors to China can pay using Alipay, WeChat Pay, supported international bank cards, and Chinese yuan (RMB) cash. For a first trip, my recommendation is simple: set up Alipay with your own Visa or Mastercard before you leave home, prepare WeChat Pay as a backup, and keep about ¥300–500 in cash for emergencies. You usually…