I worked in China for about two years before moving back to the US and this summer I went back to China with my family for vacation and one thing that really surprised me was how much easier traveling around felt compared with a few years ago When I lived there China was already very app based but if you could not read much Chinese it could still be pretty frustrating because I often had to take screenshots open a translation app and figure out which button to press just to do something simple This time it felt much easier and I noticed that many apps and WeChat Mini Programs have become much more foreigner friendly partly because of AI Some of them now have built in translation which made things like ordering food buying attraction tickets and booking local services much easier The translation was not always perfect and sometimes it was just nonsense but most of the time it was good enough to get things done Paying was also much easier this time I linked my credit card to WeChat Pay and used QR codes for most everyday purchases I still carried some cash and a physical card just in case but I barely needed them A friend also told me that PayPal can now be connected somehow but I could not try it because I was already in China and could not receive the verification message Mobile data was another thing that made the trip much easier In the past I had to spend a lot of time looking for a VPN that actually worked in China but this time I used an eSIM with international data and could access Facebook YouTube Instagram and other apps without much trouble If you are visiting China for the first time I would definitely recommend setting up your mobile data before the trip and downloading the apps you might need and adding your payment method in advance You should also keep your passport with you because you may need it for trains hotels and some attractions and give yourself a little extra time for check in or ticket verification because foreign passports can sometimes take longer to process If you are traveling with kids you should also know that car seat rules in China are different from the US so if you are concerned about safety you may want to bring your own or buy one locally Overall China is still a place where a little preparation goes a long way especially if you do not speak Chinese but compared with my previous experience this trip felt much smoother and less stressful and I was honestly surprised by how much easier things have become for foreign visitors in just a few years