5 Surprising Things About China for First-Time Visitors
5 Surprising Things About China for First-Time Visitors China is a country full of history, culture, and modern marvels. But for first-time visitors, some things might be quite unexpected! Here are five surprising facts that might amaze you when visiting China: 1. Mobile Payments Are Everywhere Forget about cash or credit cards— WeChat Pay and Alipay dominate daily life in China. From street food vendors to high-end malls, almost everything is paid using QR codes. Even beggars and buskers sometimes have QR codes for digital donations! 2. The Internet Is Different (No Google, Facebook, or WhatsApp) China has its own internet ecosystem, meaning that Google, YouTube, Facebook, and WhatsApp are blocked. Instead, people use WeChat for messaging, Baidu for search, and Bilibili for videos. If you need access to Western websites, you’ll need a VPN . 3. Personal Space? Not Always! With a population of over 1.4 billion , China’s cities can feel very crowded. In busy places like metro st...