What this site is#
China Trip Compass is a free, independent travel guide to mainland China, written in English for foreign visitors. It covers the practical mechanics — entry rules, payments, connectivity, transport, accommodation — alongside destination guides, itineraries, food and culture.
It exists because most English-language China information falls into one of two categories: promotional content produced by tour operators, or blog posts written before 2019 that are now materially wrong. China changed its visa regime, its payment infrastructure and its rail network substantially in the last five years, and a great deal of what is online has not caught up.
How we research#
- Primary sources first. Entry rules come from embassy and National Immigration Administration announcements, not from other blogs. Ticket prices and opening hours come from official booking systems.
- On the ground. Destination guidance reflects visits, not desk research. Where a guide describes a bus route, a queue or an entrance, someone has used it.
- Dated and versioned. Every page shows when it was last updated. Where a policy has an expiry date attached, we say so.
- We say when we do not know. Chinese entry rules in particular change on short notice, and we would rather tell you to verify with your embassy than pretend to a certainty we do not have.
What we get wrong#
Prices move, restaurants close, cable cars shut for maintenance, and visa lists expand. If you find something out of date or incorrect, tell us — corrections are the most useful thing a reader can send, and we credit them where the reader wants credit.
How the site is funded#
Three ways, all disclosed:
- Affiliate links. Some links to booking services, eSIMs, insurance and tours pay us a commission if you book through them, at no additional cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.
- Advertising. A small number of display slots.
- Paid resources. Downloadable planners and phrase packs in our shop.
What we do not do:
- Paid placement. No destination, hotel, tour operator or restaurant can pay to be recommended, and none has.
- Sponsored posts presented as editorial.
- Hosted press trips influencing coverage without disclosure on the relevant page.
Our editorial policy sets this out in full.
Why the funding model matters to you#
Affiliate income creates a structural incentive to recommend whatever pays a commission. We handle that by telling you when the cheaper, non-commissionable option is better — take the ¥100 bamboo raft rather than the ¥380 cruise, take second class rather than first, walk up Huangshan rather than paying for the cable car. Those recommendations cost us money and they are the reason the rest of the advice is worth reading.
Contact#
Corrections, questions and partnership enquiries: see the contact page.