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Travel Basics

What should I pack for China?

Pack around your phone, documents, payments, medicine, weather, and long walking days: power, adapter, backups, shoes, and prescriptions.

packingdocumentspower bankmedicinetravel checklistUpdated 2026-04-29

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Travel Basics
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Reviewed byWaytoEastLast reviewed April 2026See our editorial method

Practical answer, not legal advice.

Payment, telecom, app, and platform rules can change. Verify policy-sensitive details with the provider or official source before making expensive plans.

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Pack for phone-first travel

Your phone will handle payments, maps, tickets, translation, ride-hailing, messaging, and hotel details. Bring a reliable charger, cable, power bank, and any plug adapter your devices need.

Download offline copies of bookings, addresses, translation packs, and key documents before departure. A second storage location outside your main phone is useful if the phone is lost or locked.

Prepare medicine details offline

Turn this medicine context into a portable card for arrival-day use.

Prepare an Offline Card

Documents and payments

Pack your passport, visa or visa-free proof, hotel details, onward-travel details, insurance, bank cards, and a small cash backup. Keep the most important items in your carry-on, not checked luggage.

If you use medicine, keep it in original packaging where possible and carry documentation for prescriptions. Check customs and destination rules before traveling with controlled or unusual items.

Daily comfort

Expect long walking days in stations, malls, museums, and old neighborhoods. Comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate layers, and a small day bag matter more than formal travel gear.

Leave room for regional differences. Northern winter, southern humidity, high-altitude areas, and long train days need different packing choices.

Sources

Prepare medicine details offline

Turn this medicine context into a portable card for arrival-day use.

Prepare an Offline Card

Free medicine card

Chinese Medicine Card

Carry concise Chinese medicine details and practical prompts for travel-day checks and backups.

  • Chinese medicine detail prompts
  • Packing and document reminders
  • Offline backup steps for care