About ChinaUnlocked
Born in the heart of Sichuan, built for travelers worldwide — authentic China travel intelligence from those who live it every day.
From Sichuan to the World
I grew up in a small town near Chengdu, Sichuan — the land of pandas, fiery hotpot, and 3,000 years of uninterrupted civilization. My childhood was spent navigating the narrow alleys of ancient tea houses, hiking the misty trails of Mount Emei, and learning which street vendor makes the best dan dan noodles (it's the one with the longest queue, always).
After spending years helping foreign friends and colleagues navigate China — from setting up Alipay at 2 AM in a hotel lobby to explaining why you should never pour your own tea at a Cantonese dinner — I realized something: the gap between "tourist China" and "real China" is enormous. Guidebooks tell you where to go. They don't tell you how anything actually works.
ChinaUnlocked is my answer to that gap. Every guide, every tip, every restaurant recommendation comes from lived experience — not desk research. I've eaten at every restaurant I recommend, tested every payment method with foreign cards, and walked every metro route to make sure the directions actually make sense when you're standing at the station exit. This isn't a business built by a faceless corporation. It's built by someone who calls China home — and wants you to experience it the way locals do.
Li Wei (李伟)
Founder & Lead Guide Writer
Chengdu, Sichuan · China
Born and raised in Sichuan province. 10+ years helping international travelers navigate China. Has personally visited 120+ Chinese cities and tested every recommendation in our guides.
When not writing guides, you'll find me exploring new street food alleys in Chengdu, hiking in western Sichuan's Tibetan regions, or helping a friend's friend's friend figure out why their Alipay won't verify.
What We Do
City Guides
Detailed, continuously updated digital guides for 303 Chinese cities. Every guide includes attractions, food, transport, hotels, and local tips written specifically for foreign visitors.
Setup Guides
Step-by-step instructions for Alipay, VPN, eSIM, and essential apps. We test every setup process ourselves to make sure it works for foreigners with non-Chinese credit cards.
Emergency Help
Emergency numbers, embassy contacts for 15+ countries, essential phrases in Chinese with pronunciation, and offline phrase cards you can download before your trip.
Why Trust Us
We're not a faceless corporation. We're real people who live in China and test everything we recommend.
What Our Travelers Say
Don't just take our word for it. Here's what real travelers have to say about their experience with ChinaUnlocked.
I was terrified about payment in China — no one told me Alipay was basically the only way to buy anything. This guide walked me through setup in 10 minutes before my flight. Literally saved my trip. The Forbidden City tips about booking 7 days in advance were gold.
The Bund at night was everything the guide promised, but the real value was the food recommendations. Found a xiaolongbao place down a random alley that was life-changing. Would never have found it without the "where to eat" tips. Worth every penny.
Arrived at the panda base at 7:30am exactly as the guide suggested — pandas were active and playing! By 10am they were all sleeping and the crowds were insane. The hotpot advice about ordering "yuanyang" pot was a lifesaver for my spice tolerance.
The Muslim Quarter food guide was incredible — I ate my way through the entire street following the recommendations. The yangrou paomo at the suggested restaurant was the best meal of my 3-week China trip. Only wish the guide had more photos.
The Li River cruise was magical, but the guide's tip about booking the bamboo raft instead of the big boat made all the difference. So much more intimate and authentic. The Yangshuo cycling route they suggested through the karst countryside was unforgettable.
The altitude sickness warning for Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was critical. I bought oxygen canisters as suggested and took it slow — no problems at all. The Old Town at 6am tip was pure magic. Had the entire place to myself for photos.
Our Promise
Content That Actually Helps
Every tip, every restaurant recommendation, every transport hack comes from real experience. We don't copy-paste from other travel sites. If we haven't tested it ourselves or verified it with locals, it doesn't go in our guides.
Quarterly Updates
China changes fast — new subway lines open, restaurants close, visa rules shift. We update our guides every quarter to keep information current. When you buy a guide, you get lifetime access to all future updates.
Join Travelers Worldwide
From over 60 countries who've used ChinaUnlocked to travel China with confidence. Will you be next?