China 2025: Complete Guide for Tourists in the Middle Kingdom

Traveling to China 2025 opens unique opportunities to explore the rich history, modern culture, and rapidly developing economy of the country. Whether you are planning a business trip, participating in exhibitions, studying Chinese cuisine, or a tourist route through famous landmarks, it is important to familiarize yourself in advance with the current entry rules, visa requirements, transportation systems, weather conditions, and local cultural features. This guide will help you prepare for your trip as effectively as possible, avoid common mistakes, choose optimal routes, and learn about major events, festivals, and trends that make China in 2025 especially attractive for tourists and business travelers.

Direct flights from Russia to China 2025 are becoming increasingly available. For example, since September last year, a direct flight from Kazan to Shanghai has been launched. Previously, Moscow and St. Petersburg were the only cities with direct flights.

• Hong Kong allows Russians in without a visa for 14 days.

• Mainland China requires a visa, even for transit.

• Popular cities with visa-free transit: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi’an. Stay duration varies from 72 to 144 hours depending on the city.

🔑 Tip: For your first visit, it’s better to choose an organized tour — this saves time and reduces the stress associated with bureaucracy and language barriers.

The best time to travel is spring and autumn.

• March–April: warm, nature blooms.

• October: especially beautiful in the mountains and national parks.

• Summer: hot and humid, perfect for the beaches of Hainan.

• Winter: northern regions down to −20°C, ice festival season and low prices.

❗ Note that in major cities, the summer heat is easier to bear thanks to air conditioning in the metro and shopping malls.

China is a world leader in digitalization, but this creates difficulties for tourists:

• Vending machines only operate with QR codes from Chinese banks.

• Taxis through Didi and WeChat: cash is not accepted, Latin addresses are not always recognized.

• Online maps and navigation work effectively only with Chinese characters.

🔑 Tip: Save all addresses in Chinese and install local applications that support WeChat, Alipay, and Didi in advance.

International booking services like Booking work inconsistently. It is better to use Trip.com or local analogs.

• Some hotels do not accept foreigners — check the conditions.

• Payment is possible through local cards, WeChat Pay or on-site.

• Resort islands, like Hainan, are convenient for relaxation without knowledge of Chinese.

Chinese cuisine is a culture of gastronomy:

• Street food is safe in tourist areas.

• Prices: lunch in a cafe from ~150 ₽, dinner with Peking duck from ~800 ₽.

• Be sure to try regional dishes — each area is unique.

• Attention: in summer, avoid raw seafood.

• Large shopping centers and marketplaces are the best choice for clothing and electronics.

• Popular streets: Nanjing Road in Shanghai — shopping and urban atmosphere at the same time.

• Bargaining is accepted in markets, in shopping centers prices are fixed.

🔑 Tip: use WeChat and Alipay for payments — foreign cards do not always work.

• Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou: adapted for foreigners, there are English signs and international hotels.

• Hong Kong: an international city, but not typical China.

• Hainan: a resort island, without vivid Chinese exoticism.

• Interior provinces and mountainous areas — for experienced tourists familiar with the nuances of Chinese culture.

• VPNs are mandatory: Google, WhatsApp, and familiar messengers are blocked.

• SIM cards: buy at the airport from China Mobile with a large amount of internet.

• Language: English is not widely spoken, carry addresses in Chinese.

• Visa and transit: arrange in advance, considering regional restrictions.

• Planning: it’s better to travel with an organized group to avoid bureaucracy.