https://17talk.org/guides Practical, source-cited guides on paying, travelling and settling in China. en Mon, 21 Sep 2026 13:44:53 +0000 https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-get-a-tax-refund-in-china-as-a-tourist https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-get-a-tax-refund-in-china-as-a-tourist Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Living in China Buy from a tax-refund shop, keep the paperwork, get the form stamped at the airport, collect in RMB. The thresholds, the two refund rates, and what changed in July 2026. https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-take-the-metro-in-china-as-a-foreigner https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-take-the-metro-in-china-as-a-foreigner Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Living in China Chinese metros are clean, cheap and signed in English - the hard part is the ticket. Four ways to pay, what the security check expects, and the passenger rules that work in your favour. https://17talk.org/guides/chinese-phrases-for-your-first-day-in-china https://17talk.org/guides/chinese-phrases-for-your-first-day-in-china Sun, 20 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Language Basics The phrases that get you through the airport, the taxi, the hotel desk and the restaurant on day one - with the words you will hear back, which matter just as much. https://17talk.org/guides/chinese-new-year-etiquette https://17talk.org/guides/chinese-new-year-etiquette Sun, 20 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Chinese Culture What actually happens during Spring Festival — the greetings to use, how red envelopes work, which gifts to avoid, and how to behave if you are invited to a Chinese home. https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-buy-a-sim-card-in-china https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-buy-a-sim-card-in-china Sun, 20 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Living in China Where to buy a Chinese SIM card, what it costs, what the passport rules actually are, and why your phone matters more than your wallet when you arrive. https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-take-the-high-speed-train-in-china https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-take-the-high-speed-train-in-china Sun, 20 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Living in China Booking, boarding and riding China's high-speed rail — which app to use, why your passport is your ticket, and the timing mistakes foreigners make most often. https://17talk.org/guides/chinese-lucky-and-unlucky-numbers https://17talk.org/guides/chinese-lucky-and-unlucky-numbers Sun, 20 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Chinese Culture Why 8 is everywhere, why buildings skip the 4th floor, and how number symbolism shows up in prices, gifts, phone numbers and weddings in China. https://17talk.org/guides/chinese-tea-culture-basics https://17talk.org/guides/chinese-tea-culture-basics Sun, 20 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Chinese Culture Tea in China is a social ritual, not just a drink. Here is what to do when someone pours for you, how to respond, and the etiquette that trips up visitors. https://17talk.org/guides/chinese-table-manners https://17talk.org/guides/chinese-table-manners Sun, 20 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Chinese Culture The practical rules for eating with Chinese hosts — chopstick taboos, who starts eating first, how toasts work, and the mistakes that actually cause offence. https://17talk.org/guides/duolingo-vs-17talk-vs-hellochinese https://17talk.org/guides/duolingo-vs-17talk-vs-hellochinese Sun, 20 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Learning Chinese Three popular ways to start Mandarin, compared honestly: what each one is genuinely good at, where each one stops, and which to pick depending on your goal and timeline. https://17talk.org/guides/wechat-pay-fees-for-foreign-cards https://17talk.org/guides/wechat-pay-fees-for-foreign-cards Sun, 20 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Living in China Foreign cards on WeChat Pay are free at or below 200 RMB and cost 3% above it — charged on the whole amount, not the extra. Here is the rule, the worked numbers, refunds, the spending limits, and when a card terminal is cheaper. https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-withdraw-cash-in-china-as-a-foreigner https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-withdraw-cash-in-china-as-a-foreigner Sat, 19 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Living in China China runs on QR codes, but cash is still the legal fallback and the ATMs are being rebuilt to take your card. What actually works, the RMB 3,000 cap per withdrawal, and where to change money when the machine says no. https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-use-alipay-in-china https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-use-alipay-in-china Sat, 19 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Living in China Set up and use Alipay in China with a foreign passport and an overseas card — what works, what does not, the fees to expect, and the cash backup plan. https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-use-wechat-pay-in-china https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-use-wechat-pay-in-china Sat, 19 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Living in China WeChat Pay works for foreign visitors without a Chinese bank account. Here is how to set it up, what it costs, and when to use it instead of Alipay. https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-order-food-in-china-delivery-and-qr-menus https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-order-food-in-china-delivery-and-qr-menus Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Living in China Scan a code at the table or order to your hotel room - here is how both work, what your rights are when a restaurant insists you must scan, and how to tell a real kitchen from a rented one. https://17talk.org/guides/china-arrival-immigration-fingerprints-customs https://17talk.org/guides/china-arrival-immigration-fingerprints-customs Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Living in China The half hour every visitor goes through: the arrival card, the fingerprint window, what the border officer asks for, and the red-versus-green channel decision at customs. https://17talk.org/guides/first-24-hours-in-china-arrival-checklist https://17talk.org/guides/first-24-hours-in-china-arrival-checklist Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Living in China Land, get connected, get paid, get to the hotel, eat something - in the order that actually works. Every step links to the full guide for that problem. https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-refund-or-change-a-china-train-ticket https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-refund-or-change-a-china-train-ticket Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Living in China The fee depends only on how close you are to departure, and the tiers are published: free beyond 8 days, then 5%, 10% or 20%. The full scale, how changes differ from refunds, and how to do it with a foreign passport. https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-use-didi-in-china-as-a-foreigner https://17talk.org/guides/how-to-use-didi-in-china-as-a-foreigner Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Living in China China's ride-hailing app takes an overseas phone number, an English interface and an international card. Setup, pickup points, payments - plus the taxi rules that protect you when the app fails. https://17talk.org/guides/where-to-buy-medicine-in-china-as-a-foreigner https://17talk.org/guides/where-to-buy-medicine-in-china-as-a-foreigner Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Living in China Pharmacies are on every street, but what you can buy without a doctor is narrower than at home. What a Chinese pharmacy will hand over, how to get a prescription the same day, and what the rules say about bringing your own medicine in. https://17talk.org/guides/can-foreigners-stay-in-any-hotel-in-china https://17talk.org/guides/can-foreigners-stay-in-any-hotel-in-china Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Living in China Officially hotels cannot turn you away for being foreign - a 2024 notice from seven ministries says so in writing. What the rule actually says, what to have ready at check-in, and the bilingual hotline that settles a refusal on the spot.