https://scratchandroam.com/China first-timer guides and travel answers from Natali.enhttps://scratchandroam.com/guides/top-25-china-apps/https://scratchandroam.com/guides/top-25-china-apps/Sun, 18 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000The 25 apps worth having for a trip to China, ranked from critical to optional: what each does, how to set it up, what you lose without it. Checked October 2026.https://scratchandroam.com/guides/alipay-metro-qr-code-china/https://scratchandroam.com/guides/alipay-metro-qr-code-china/Sun, 18 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000How to add the Alipay metro and bus QR code for China: pick the city, claim the free card, enter your payment password, and fix the wrong-city code.https://scratchandroam.com/guides/china-visa-free-30-days/https://scratchandroam.com/guides/china-visa-free-30-days/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000Who gets 30 days visa free in China right now, until when, what to show at the border, and whether you can extend or leave and come back. Checked 17 October 2026.https://scratchandroam.com/guides/taobao-for-foreigners/https://scratchandroam.com/guides/taobao-for-foreigners/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000How to order on Taobao without speaking Chinese: language and currency settings, searching in English, hotel delivery, the Chinese note, and paying with Alipay.https://scratchandroam.com/guides/china-travel-apps/https://scratchandroam.com/guides/china-travel-apps/Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000The China travel apps to set up before you fly: paying, maps, taxis and trains, what must be done at home, the hidden gems inside Alipay, and what to skip.https://scratchandroam.com/guides/china-dos-and-donts/https://scratchandroam.com/guides/china-dos-and-donts/Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000China do's and don'ts for first-timers: what customs and airport security take off you, the table manners that get stares, and what to pack or just buy there.https://scratchandroam.com/guides/china-arrival-card-pc/https://scratchandroam.com/guides/china-arrival-card-pc/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000Filling in the China arrival card online on a computer? Here is the whole form step by step, with the real form enlarged. Upload your passport and most of the details fill in for you.https://scratchandroam.com/guides/china-arrival-card-alipay/https://scratchandroam.com/guides/china-arrival-card-alipay/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000Filling in the China arrival card online with Alipay on your phone? Here is the whole form step by step. Upload your passport and most of the details fill in for you.https://scratchandroam.com/guides/first-time-in-china/https://scratchandroam.com/guides/first-time-in-china/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000Going to China for the first time? The 13 things we set up before flying: entry rules, the arrival card, Alipay and WeChat, cards, cash, flights, trains, maps and packing.https://scratchandroam.com/guides/the-bund-shanghai-at-night/https://scratchandroam.com/guides/the-bund-shanghai-at-night/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000How to get to the Bund by metro (East Nanjing Road, exit 2 or 7), the best time for the lights, when they switch off, and a simple route along the river. Free, no ticket.https://scratchandroam.com/guides/nanjing-road-shanghai/https://scratchandroam.com/guides/nanjing-road-shanghai/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000Nanjing Road pedestrian street: 1.6 km from People's Square to the Bund, metro exits at each end, neon on from 18:00 or 19:00 until 22:00, and the walk that ends at the river.https://scratchandroam.com/guides/huangpu-river-night-cruise/https://scratchandroam.com/guides/huangpu-river-night-cruise/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000Three piers, three cruise lengths, about 120 to 150 RMB for the standard night cruise. How to book as a foreigner, why your passport matters, and which side of the boat to stand on.https://scratchandroam.com/guides/shanghai-circus-world-era-show/https://scratchandroam.com/guides/shanghai-circus-world-era-show/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000ERA at Shanghai Circus World: metro Line 1 to Shanghai Circus World station exit 3, shows at 19:30 Tuesday to Sunday, ticket zones from about 280 to 880 RMB, and where foreigners can book.