planning to travel to beijing since it is visa free, just wondering what are the things to note?
I am still at the stage of planning now.

Other than hotels/attractions, few points for my current draft:
1) Planning to use touch n go app as the main cashless app, and bring maybe RMB2k as emergency cash. Can i reload my touch n go cash in China using duitnow?
2) Download baidu as my main nav app for transportation guide and locations. Any other app required?
3) Planning to rent a internet data device while at KLIA. Or is there better option?
2) Want to purchase the beijing transportation pass, any idea where to get? (try to search on klook but not available, and found somewhere that it is an app but cant find where to dl?)

Appreciate if anyone can share your experience.

my update:


This post has been edited by gundamsp01: Dec 22 2024, 09:23 AM

hmm, recently just made two trips to Beijing and Guangzhou, shenzhen and HK.
1) better use Alipay international app, attach at least 2 CC to it incase one fails at random (rarely).
I feel alipay more convenient (all-in-one, transportation, payment, etc.).
I brought zero cash on both times, never needed them and if you bring large domination of cash, they also might not have change to give you, everything cashless

2) Amap is a good alternative also (can hail taxi, DiDi directly from app..probably baidu map can do it too)
if u plan to use the bicycle, having both meituan app and alipay would basically have u covered. for food, dianping

3) unless u need a mifi, just buy data e-sim more than enough. I tried airalo when i was in beijing and it was shit and unstable. so far I used 3HK data e-sim with china roaming, stable and fast connection, can access all website too

4) alipay app, set location to beijing, click the transport menu, and apply for a free metro card (aka QR code)

more details can check out my recent beijing and guangzhou/shenzhen thread
e.g.: https://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=5456981&hl=

This post has been edited by quadcube: Sep 8 2024, 09:39 AM

thanks! briefly went through your thread, got few questions (maybe more to add):
1) since you have Alipay but you faced issue to get a metro card? Is that resolved in the end?
2) tiananmen and forbidden city need reservation? how to do that?

You will be labeled primitive if you pay by cash

I kena scold by cab driver when I hand over RMB100 to pay him. This was back in 2018

1) yea, not sure why, I don't think I changed anything but I was able to apply for guangzhou shenzhen metro cards without a problem on a later trip.
and I am now also able to apply for Beijing metro card




2) yea, need reservation a couple days in advanced, otherwise you cannot even get a spot at all i remembered it was some QR code to scan, it then redirects to use wechat to reserve/pay. probably you can find the reservation online?
think you can find it by following the beijing12345 wechat acc
https://english.beijing.gov.cn/12345hotline/index.html?src=4

This post has been edited by quadcube: Sep 8 2024, 10:31 AM

You should learn how to use apps, as they are completely cashless. If you use cash, you'll receive a bad treatment. Haha

I've been there three times for work related reasons, and each time has been a terrible experience for me.

Here are some warnings to consider when traveling to Beijing:

1. In Beijing, 99% of the PRC does not speak English. You should learn to speak and read Chinese, or bring someone who does.

2. Stay at the tourist place! Do not stay far away from tourist places. To communicate with PRC is difficult, and they usually ignore requests for help. At least you'd get some help from the whites who stay as expats.

3. Do not speak Cantonese! The police have stopped me several times for speaking Cantonese, posing amusing questions such as "Why are we here?" , "Are you a Taiwanese?" Some have even made fun of us.

If you spoke Cantonese, some cashier would throw the receipt to the floor.

4. Be aware of your surroundings, PRC often move around without noticing you. People frequently push your shoulders without apologizing.

5. They have the worst public toilet. No bidet and dirty. You'd notice that the toilet was littered with tissues with poops. Every time I used the toilet, I would feel like vomiting. The smell is terrible. 

My advice to you, PRC, do not like HK-er and Taiwanese. They will treat you as one of them. Make yourself not look like one of them, or else you will receive terrible treatment. 

what if I look like Myanmar people?

Some forummer answered your question above.
To add on some list
Try pre book ( many days earlier) some famous entry ticket such as forbidden city and tiananmen visit etc. Normally they are fully book quite few days in advance especially when you visit during the Chinese holiday etc.

what kind of nonsense post is this with people liking it?

1. no shit, their native language is Mandarin and other chinese dialects. youll hardly find anyone capable to speak fluent English unless you frequent the business/tourist districts that are used to foreign languages

2. if you have zero language knowledge in any country youre travelling to, youre lost in translation regardless. ive talked to many PRC locals and while some couldnt be bothered to attend to me most are more than happy to help even if i dont know mandarin. theres also something you carry everyday called a SMARTPHONE that can help you translate too, what sorcery! gods be damned to not use such technology in 2024!

3. you do know cantonese is even used in other China's regions besides Hong Kong right? also taiwanese speaks hokkien which are also used in Fujian...

4. another pointless bullshit that occurs anywhere in the world. so if i bumped shoulders in Europe does that mean europeans also like to move around without noticing you? SMH

5. yes and no, ive been to rural villages/towns in Kunming and Guilin and while they do have really terrible toilets by modern standards (literal holes in the ground), modern places in cities have revamped their toilets and are more than acceptable in quality/condition even

Tum pang ask

Thanks for the info. I'm going to Chongqing/Chengdu. I tried using the baidu map, it was too difficult I can't read mandarin.

Any tips for these places?

Oh if can’t read Chinese, then Apple map would be best.
But I felt Apple map is complete shit compared to Chinese map apps

ok, still study in progress.
Firstly, Amap is good, tried it and i love it, thanks for recommending!
While for Alipay, saw there are link to other apps as well, nice! But it needs to tie to a visa credit card? If i link my Maybank visa to this app, what's the conversion rate like? follow Maybank rate or Alipay rate?
I saw that beijing is using 一卡通 （yikatong) as the transportation card? Is there anyway to get it physically?

Currently thinking to take cathay pacific which land in Bejing International Airport.

Follow Maybank rate, but dont use CC in Alipay for more than 200 rmb per transaction, because it will add 3% charge to it..

Best is Wise transfer to the Alipay acc, not possible for non-Chinese due to their restriction. I have a couple of Chinese friends so I used wise to convert JPY to RMB directly into their Alipay and they transfer it back to me.

Use the Alipay QR code better tbh, for the physical card, not only u need pay deposit to get the card, u might need other stuff also like ID, etc.
The first time I was there (Beijing), every train ride that I take I must go manual counter show my passport and pay using Alipay and they give me the token to ride the train, very tedious.

This post has been edited by quadcube: Sep 10 2024, 07:22 PM

but as someone without connection in China, seems like Alipay isn't a good choice? Since the Maybank CC is using Maybank rate.
can i know more about the physical card, pay deposit is fine, but what is it with the ID? Or passport is fine?

Typically CC isn’t a good rate for big value shopping but for public transportation, it’s insignificant, like rm2-4 for train rides.

U need your show ID pretty much everywhere, in tourist case is our passport

Another thing I did with the trader there is exchange Alipay -> rmb cash, like 1k RMB where I transfer over 150rmb like 6 times and another 100 rmb so that the trader doesn’t get surcharged by Alipay on their end.
Maybe you can do the reverse?

what's this? The merchant needs to pay a surcharge for you using Alipay? By the way, heard that some restaurant's menu can only view and paid using Alipay? Since there is conversion rate issue and the CC extra charge (i saw is 3%)

Is there any other way? think of just using touch n go app for all transactions and use Alipay when there is no other choice.

if you plan to use google services, enable data roaming on your malaysian sim
technically it's VPN that CCP can't block

Any difference between TouchNGo Alipay vs Alipay International app?

Anyone use this? Just launched