China do's and don'ts: 15 rules before you fly (2026)

Most China packing lists tell you to download a VPN and call it a day. These China do's and don'ts are the other stuff: what customs and airport security will actually take off you, the table habits that get you stares, and what to pack versus what to just buy when you land.

It is the written version of the Scratch & Roam short, in the same order. Three of the tips are mine from the trip, marked as Natali's tip; everything else was checked on 16 October 2026 against the sources at the bottom.

Quick answers

What can't you bring into China?

Fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and meat products, eggs, fresh milk, cheese, butter and cream, seeds and soil, and media that China Customs considers politically harmful. Drones cannot be brought into Beijing.

Can I bring a power bank to China?

Yes, into the country. But on domestic flights inside China it needs a clearly printed 3C mark, or security takes it.

Can you drink tap water in China?

No. Even in Beijing it is not considered safe straight from the tap. Boil it, drink tea, or buy bottled water.

Is it rude to stick chopsticks in rice in China?

Yes. Chopsticks standing upright in rice look like incense burned for the dead. Lay them across the bowl or on the rest.

Do I need a plug adapter for China from Ireland or the UK?

Yes. Irish and UK three-pin plugs fit no socket in mainland China, which uses Type A and Type I at 220V.

SCAN / ARRIVALS● 15 ITEMS FLAGGED

Customs will take it Security will take it Don't do this Do this instead

Round 01 / 04

Customs will take it

What you can't bring into China

CONFISCATED

#01Fruit, meat, dairy

Sealed, cooked, the airplane apple. All of it. Bin.

China's quarantine list bans fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and meat products (raw or cooked), eggs, fresh milk, cheese, butter and cream. Sealed packaging makes no difference. Eat the plane snack on the plane or drop it in the bins before customs. Packaged sweets, crisps and biscuits are generally fine.

SRC: China consulate list; Sanya Airport customs (official); Trip.com 2026

CONFISCATED

#02Sensitive media

Political books, prints, files. Customs decides what counts.

China Customs bans printed matter, films, photos, discs and computer storage media that it considers harmful to China's politics, economy, culture or morals. The wording is broad and the officer decides, so leave anything political at home.

SRC: China Customs (GACC) prohibited list, via Gulf News

CONFISCATED

#03A drone, in Beijing

Banned from entering the city. Soon you can't even own one there.

Bringing a drone into Beijing from outside the city is already prohibited, tourists included, and from 15 November 2026 owning or storing a drone inside the city limits is banned too. Drones can be confiscated and fines issued. Elsewhere in China you can still fly outdoors, but the drone needs real-name registration.

SRC: AP via The Star, 13 September 2026

Round 02 / 04

Security will take it

At airport security in China

CONFISCATED

#04Power bank with no 3C mark

Flying inside China? It stays at security.

Since 28 June 2025, power banks without a clearly printed 3C (CCC) mark are banned on domestic flights in mainland China and are taken at security. Most power banks bought in Ireland or the UK do not have it. On trains and in the city it is no problem; it only matters at the airport. If you fly between cities, buy a 3C power bank in China.

SRC: CAAC rule, via Techlicious 2026 and China Discovery

BINNED

#05Lighters and matches

Not in your pocket. Not in your suitcase.

Chinese authorities do not allow matches or lighters in the cabin or in checked bags, and you will be asked to throw them away at the security checkpoint. Buy a cheap one after you land if you need it.

SRC: JAL, Beijing Capital Airport page; Trip.com 2026

SECOND LOOK

#06Cold meds like Sudafed

Pseudoephedrine is controlled. Read the label first.

Pseudoephedrine, the decongestant in Sudafed and many cold and flu tablets, is strictly controlled in China. Check the ingredients of every cold medicine before you pack it, keep medicines in the original box, and carry the prescription and a doctor's letter for anything prescribed.

SRC: Travel China With Me; Trvlogue, August 2026

DECLARE IT

#07Cash over ¥20,000

Or US$5,000. Declare it, or explain it.

Carrying more than ¥20,000 in Chinese cash, or foreign cash worth more than US$5,000? It is not banned, but you must declare it in the red channel when you arrive.

SRC: Shanghai government customs guide (official)

Round 03 / 04

Don't do this

Table manners and habits that get stares

X-ray of a rice bowl with chopsticks standing in it

RUDE

#08Chopsticks upright in rice

In your rice they look like funeral incense. Lay them down.

Standing chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice looks like the incense burned for the dead, Beijing's official tourism site explains. Lay them across the bowl or on the chopstick rest instead.

SRC: Visit Beijing (official tourism site)

RUDE

#09Tapping your bowl

Old saying: tap your bowl, beg for life. Stop drumming.

The old saying goes tap your bowl and you'll be a beggar for life, because beggars once tapped their bowls for attention. Tapping the bowl or the table with your chopsticks is simply seen as rude.

SRC: Visit Beijing (official tourism site); China Highlights

X-ray of a person getting a head massage

DON'T

#10Hands off heads

In Tibetan areas the head is sacred. Everywhere else, it's just weird.

This one is less strict than people say. It is not a strong taboo across most of mainland China. The clear rule is in Tibetan areas, where the head is considered sacred, so do not touch a Tibetan person on the head. Everywhere else, touching a stranger's head is just personal space.

SRC: China Highlights etiquette guide; Chinese Forums

BOIL IT NATALI'S TIP

#11Drinking tap water

Locals don't. They boil it, or make tea.

Even in Beijing, where the tap water is among the cleanest in the country, it is not considered safe to drink straight from the tap. Locals boil it or drink tea. Use the kettle or bottled water.

SRC: Natali; Visit Beijing (official tourism site)

Round 04 / 04

Do this instead

What to pack, and what to just buy there

PACK IT

#12Bring a plug adapter

Irish and UK plugs fit zero sockets.

Mainland China runs on 220V with Type A and Type I sockets. Irish and UK three-pin plugs (Type G) fit none of them, and most European, Indian, South African and US three-pin plugs do not fit either. Australian plugs do. Phone and laptop chargers usually handle 220V; check single-voltage hair tools.

SRC: Chinavigators; Travel of China; Trip.com

PACK IT

#13Deodorant, SPF, tampons

The ones you trust are hard to find. Bring your own.

Strong antiperspirant is hard to find outside big cities, a lot of sunscreen sold in China adds skin whitener, and pads are far more common than tampons (Watsons in big cities stocks a few, often one brand). Bring the ones you trust.

SRC: The Culture Trip; Travel China Cheaper; Sara Jaaksola

BUY THERE NATALI'S TIP

#14Tissues? Buy them there

Toilets rarely have paper, but every corner shop sells pocket packs.

Most public toilets have no paper and often no soap, but don't fill your suitcase with rolls: pocket tissue packs are sold everywhere for very little. Keep two packs and a small hand sanitiser in your day bag. In older buildings the paper goes in the bin, not the toilet.

SRC: Natali; Chinavigators; Travel China Cheaper

STILL GOOD NATALI'S TIP

#15Not expired

That date is the day it was made. Add the shelf life.

Chinese packaging usually prints the production date (生产日期) and a shelf life (保质期), for example 12 months. The date you see is when it was made, so add the shelf life to get the expiry. The new national label standard GB 7718-2025 makes the expiry date compulsory from 16 March 2027.

SRC: Natali; SAMR 2024 via CIRS; GB 7718-2025 via REACH24H

Save this. Or learn it the hard way.

Send it to the friend who packs a drone. The same list as a carousel, to screenshot or save: