Twelve things Australians get wrong about travelling in China
The myths we hear in almost every first enquiry, and the reality on the ground: that it is dangerous, that you need a visa, that nobody speaks English, that your phone will not work, that you need cash, that the food is like Australian Chinese food, that everything is fake, that it is cheap, that it is all cities and smog, that you will be watched, that it is hard to get around, and that it is not for children.
We read a lot of first enquiries, and the same dozen worries appear in most of them, often in the first paragraph, often as reasons the family has put the trip off for years. Some are half true, most are out of date, and a few are the opposite of the truth. Here they are, in the order we hear them, with what we actually tell people.
1. “China is dangerous for tourists”
Smartraveller rates mainland China at “exercise a high degree of caution”, the same level as France and Thailand. Violent crime against visitors is rare; the practical risks are traffic and scooters on the footpath, which the safety guide covers. Women travelling alone and families with children consistently report Chinese cities as easier than European ones. What is true: the legal system is different, dual nationals and people with business disputes should read the Smartraveller page carefully, and travel insurance is essential.
2. “I’ll need a visa, and it’s complicated”
At the time of writing, Australian passport holders enter China visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, business and family visits. No application, no fee, no appointment at the consulate. The policy has an end date that keeps being extended, so check before booking flights; the visa guide tracks it. The one wrinkle: children born in Australia to a parent who was still a Chinese citizen at the time may need a different document, as the visiting relatives guide explains.
3. “Nobody speaks English”
Partly true, and it matters less than you think. Hotels, airports, high-speed stations and the big sights are signed and staffed in English; taxi drivers and small restaurants are not. Menus have pictures or QR codes; the metro is bilingual; a translation app does the rest. A guide for the first day removes the friction entirely, and after that most visitors manage with Alipay and pointing. The etiquette guide has the few phrases that help.
4. “My phone won’t work and I’ll lose Google, WhatsApp and Gmail”
Your phone works; it is the Chinese networks that block those services. An Australian SIM on international roaming or an eSIM bought before you fly keeps every app working as at home, because the traffic routes through your home carrier. Hotel Wi-Fi does not. Set it up before departure and the problem does not exist.
5. “I’ll need lots of cash”
The opposite. China is nearly cashless; even market stalls and temple donation boxes take Alipay or WeChat Pay, both of which link to an Australian Visa or Mastercard in ten minutes, as the Alipay guide walks through. Carry a little cash for the rare holdout; you will probably bring most of it home.
6. “The food is like the Chinese food at home”
Australian Chinese food is mostly Cantonese and mostly adapted. Shanghai’s is sweeter and soy-dark, Sichuan’s is numbing and hot, Beijing’s is wheat and lamb, Xi’an’s is Central Asian; the food guide is a start. Nothing comes in a foil tray. Allergies and dietary needs are manageable with a card in Chinese; children eat well on noodles, dumplings and steamed egg.
7. “Everything is fake and I’ll be ripped off”
The fake markets sell fakes openly and are your choice; the department stores, the brand shops and the restaurants sell what they say and charge what they display. Taxis are metered, DiDi shows the fare, and prices in malls are fixed. The handful of old scams aimed at tourists (the tea house invitation, the airport “taxi”) are listed in the scams guide and are avoided by knowing they exist. Markets expect bargaining, which is a game rather than a fraud.
8. “China is cheap”
Food, transport, hotels below five-star, tailoring, tea and most shopping are cheaper than Australia, sometimes much cheaper. Luxury goods, international hotels in peak weeks, Disneyland, and the big observation decks are not. A private guide and car cost real money and are the thing that makes the trip; our pricing page shows what. The honest summary: a comfortable China trip costs less than the equivalent in Japan or Europe and more than Thailand.
9. “It’s all cities, crowds and smog”
Shanghai and Beijing are big and busy, and the Forbidden City at noon on a holiday is a crowd. The same cities at seven in the morning are parks full of tai chi (the parks guide); Suzhou’s gardens at opening are silent; the Wall at Mutianyu midweek is empty beyond the second tower; and the Guilin, Zhangjiajie and Huangshan landscapes are among the most beautiful on earth. Air quality in Shanghai is usually moderate; Beijing’s varies with the season and is checked each morning. Timing, which is what a guide is for, is the whole difference.
10. “I’ll be watched, followed or stopped from going places”
Tourists are not followed. There are cameras everywhere, as in London; there are passport checks at stations and some sights, which take seconds; and hotels register foreign guests, which is a form at check-in. Nobody will stop you going anywhere on an ordinary itinerary. Political conversation with strangers is best left alone, as the etiquette guide says, for your host’s sake more than yours.
11. “It’s hard to get around”
China has the best high-speed rail network in the world (the train guide), metros in every big city that are cleaner and more frequent than Melbourne’s (the metro guide), and ride-hailing that arrives in three minutes and costs a fraction of a taxi at home. The hard part is booking the trains and the sights under your passport, which is the part we do, and which Trip.com does for the independent.
12. “It’s not a place for children”
It is one of the best. Strangers help with prams, restaurants bring high chairs unasked, children are fussed over, the metro has lifts, Disneyland is an hour away, the water towns have boats, the Wall has a toboggan, and the baby and toddler, Shanghai with kids and Disneyland guides exist because so many of our bookings are families. The things to plan around are heat, crowds at the big sights and car seats, all of which have answers.
What is actually true
Tap water is not for drinking. Squat toilets exist and the toilets guide is honest about them. The big sights need passport-linked bookings days ahead. English is thin outside the tourist layer. Summers are hot, Chinese holidays are crowded, and the Forbidden City is closed on Mondays. Travel insurance that covers China is non-negotiable. None of these is a reason not to go; all of them are reasons to plan, which is where we come in, on the contact page, with a reply from someone who has made every one of these mistakes himself.
