Hello from Terminal 1 Departures Hall of Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport (PVG)! I was supposed to use my 10-hr layover as an opportunity to explore Shanghai, but I’m unfortunately still sitting at the Starbucks, not even checked into my flight to London, because I’m a dumb procrastinator who procrastinated.
Apparently, as of this year, the UK rolled out their “Electronic Travel Authorization” or “ETA” requirement for travelers who do not require a visa for entry. This includes those who hold US or Canadian passports. It’s something that could take anywhere between 1 hour to 3 weeks for processing/approval and costs £16 to apply. From everything I’ve read so far, they recommend getting the ETA as far in advance as possible, as it remains usable for 2 years.
Nope, I did not do that in advance.
I didn’t apply for it until the morning of my flight to London from Beijing (via Shanghai layover), thinking that it’ll be a quick registration process that I can get around to doing while I’m waiting at my gate. But as I have come to learn, (1) the airline will not let you check-in or board a flight to the UK without an approved ETA, and (2) I might not get my ETA in time to check into this flight to London. Fucking classic.
So, here I am, sitting at the Starbucks in the departures hall of PVG, hoping that I get approved before the end of the UK business day while killing time by writing this blog post. I suppose I’ll have to learn from my mistakes one day.
Cheers to another adventure 🥲
A crash course in visiting China
The last time I was in Mainland China was December 2014. It was cold, I was going through a pretty shit time in my life, and I was always with a family member who took care of the logistics of daily living. Since that visit over 10 years ago, China has changed dramatically. This time, I was determined to become familiar enough with getting around that I can function independently without a chaperone. I am happy to report that I have achieved this goal. Below is what I’ve learned.
(Note: none of this may be relevant in a few more years, considering the rate of change in this country.)
Your smartphone is your lifeline
Want to make a restaurant reservation? Order coffee? Pay for groceries? Buy a drink from a vending machine? Rent a bike? Call for a ride share? Better make sure your phone is with you and has plenty of data. Cash is no longer king, and China is now a mostly-cashless economy that runs on the services of AliPay (支付宝) and WeChat (微信). Instead of asking shops/vendors if they accept card as payment, I’ve had to ask if they accept cash. The answer is, technically yes, but actually no.
Some things to do in advance of getting to the Mainland:
- Download Alipay and WeChat; create accounts accordingly.
- On WeChat, go through the steps of verifying your identity, which takes up to 1 day. Then, you can add credit/debit cards for use.
- On Alipay, simply add credit/debit cards for use.
I personally preferred using WeChat for transactions that require me to scan a QR code, such as ordering from a restaurant’s menu. This is because WeChat seems to support all the “mini programs” that businesses operate from. I liked AliPay for quick transactions, such as at a store check-out and buying metro tickets. I believe everything AliPay can do, WeChat can as well. However, it was easier for me to whip out AliPay when paying at a POS counter. This is because WeChat is also a messaging and social media app, somewhat similar to WhatsApp, so it’s a bit overloaded with other functionality when I just want to pay for a bottle of water.
Oh yeah, what in the world are “mini programs”? They are basically apps within the WeChat ecosystem. Establishments like restaurants and cafes use them so that customers can make reservations, view the menu, order from the menu, and even pay the bill. When I went to karaoke (aka KTV), the establishment I was at also uses a mini program for controlling the karaoke system, managing the song queue, and ordering refreshments. It felt like I was living in a reality where technology is augmented with human interaction instead of human interaction being augmented with technology.
Lastly, there’s the “Meituan” app. I wasn’t able to get past the account creation screen after over an hour of trying, so I couldn’t personally use it. All I know is that it’s the go-to app for ordering things for delivery/couriers and accessing shared things such as bicycles, portable chargers, etc.
Life beyond the Google ecosystem
This was probably one of the hardest parts of navigating daily life in China. As a North American, I am completely dependent upon Google and all its products.
- Need to find the answer to a question? Google it.
- Need to book a flight? Google Flights.
- Need to collaborate with friends on travel plans? Google docs.
- Need to know how to get from point A to B? Google map it.
- Need to know how to do something? Watch a quick tutorial on Youtube.
- Waiting on an important email? Damn it, my email is hosted by Gmail.
I imagine it’d be even more challenging if I had a Google phone and therefore didn’t have access to Apple products like Apple Maps or iCloud.
VPNs theoretically open up the web within China so that you can access blocked sites. From my experience however, it’s never reliable; local wifi networks seem to block connection to VPNs, some WeChat mini programs stop functioning if connected to VPN, and the service (when successfully connected) is almost always terrifyingly slow. My phone’s cellular roaming data from AT&T seems to function fine without limiting my web access, but service access isn’t always reliable either. So, I’ve had to work around these limitations by doing the following:
- Need to find the answer to a question? Bing it.
- Need to book a flight? Booking.com or Expedia.com.
- Need to collaborate with friends on travel plans? Apple Notes or Notion. Or good old texting back and forth.
- Need to know how to get from point A to B? Use Amap (高德地图) or Apple Maps (much more limited).
- Need to know how to do something? Just figure it out lol.
- Waiting on an important email? Try to use VPN for Gmail or use my iCloud email.
Side note: eSims that offer data in China haven’t been very helpful for me. Sure, it’s cheaper than using my roaming data from AT&T. But when I switch over to using the eSim, I can’t simultaneously use my US phone number, meaning if I get verification codes for any 2-factor authentication processes, I am not able to get these codes unless I switch back to my regular AT&T eSim. Do not recommend.
In addition to Google, the following are also blocked in China:
- Instagram / Facebook
- Signal
- Capital One Travel – I assume it’s blocked, as it would spin forever and never load
Be a mall rat
Mall culture may be dead in the States, but it is alive and thriving here apparently. I’m sure there are more qualified and eloquent people writing about this, but I suspect it’s because malls provide free access to climate control (i.e. air conditioning) and restrooms. Additionally, there are affordable massage chairs (which are amazing btw), food, beverages, and entertainment.
Some of the malls here also have everything. In addition to shops that sell things, there are hair salons, nail salons, med spas, massage therapists, and other spa services vying for business. Hell, there was one with a skating rink and water park in it. Although, I suppose it’s not a mall in the strict sense, as it is more of a massive building with shops in it but includes other services/amenities/functions as well. If you’re curious, this monstrosity is the Global Center (环球中心) in Chengdu.
I have spent a slightly embarrassing amount of time at the Raffles mall in Chengdu, but I can’t say I regret any of it. Most of this time was spent in massage chairs getting the knots kneaded out of my back.
Miscellaneous observations
- It’s generally very safe, even late at night. I haven’t encountered any issues with petty crime or theft despite looking like the epitome of a dumb tourist. However, this seems to be at the cost of constant surveillance and safety check points in day-to-day life. Even at metro stations, you have to get your bags scanned/searched and liquids checked for dangerous substances upon entry. At one metro station in Beijing, they implemented an enhanced checkpoint where residents had to scan their IDs and foreigners like me had to scan our passports. This enhanced security may be due to an upcoming military demonstration/parade, but it was jarring to experience nonetheless.
- My passport was required for a lot more than just air travel and hotel bookings. I also needed it for travel by rail and entry into various tourist attractions.
- Delivery/courier services are insanely convenient and affordable. My cousin ordered a knife and a spoon to be delivered to our hotel in Beijing within 15 mins so we could cut open and eat the watermelon our great aunt insisted on giving us. It feels so wrong to be able to do that.
- You still can’t drink the tap water here.
- Cold beverages and the AC are almost always never cold enough.
- When shopping, store associates will diligently follow you around at an uncomfortable distance as you shop.
Update: As of 8:23pm local time, my ETA was approved. Hallelujah, god bless, namaste 😭 I swear to all that is divine that I will never procrastinate again… at least not for the remainder of 2025.