eSIM & staying connected

China's internet filtering applies to Chinese networks — local SIMs and hotel Wi-Fi. But data that roams on a foreign plan routes through your home provider's gateway, outside the filter. So a travel eSIM that works in roaming mode gives you your normal internet — WhatsApp, Gmail, Google Maps, Instagram — with no VPN, no settings, no fuss. This isn't a trick; it's just how roaming works.

Any modern iPhone or Android takes an eSIM alongside your home SIM. Airalo's China eSIMs are the common pick — install at home over Wi-Fi, switch on when you land. Buy more data than you think (maps + translation + photo uploads add up; 10–20 GB for a two-week trip is realistic). Hotel Wi-Fi remains useful for big downloads, but assume filtered.

Before departure: offline Google Maps won't cover China well — add Amap (高德) or Apple Maps (works domestically); a translation app with offline Chinese (Google Translate's offline pack, plus its camera mode is the single most-used feature of any China trip); your booking confirmations saved as screenshots.

VPNs in China are a cat-and-mouse mess — apps that worked last month stop mid-trip, and free ones are worse. A roaming eSIM sidesteps the entire game for the price of a couple of lift-pass beers. If you need a laptop online for work, set up a reputable VPN before arrival as a secondary tool — but for your phone, roaming data is the clean answer.