The gap between "can I bring it" and "can I use it" is wider in China than almost anywhere, and travellers routinely carry a drone across the world to discover they cannot legally launch it at any of the places they came to film.
Bringing it in#
Generally unproblematic. Carry it in hand luggage with the batteries — lithium batteries are banned from checked baggage everywhere. Customs occasionally ask about it; declaring it is the correct answer.
Flying it#
Registration is required. Drones above a low weight threshold must be registered under a real-name system with the civil aviation authority, tied to identification.
The no-fly geography is extensive. Permanently restricted: the whole of central Beijing, the airspace around every airport, military installations and border zones. Add to that a very long list of scenic areas and heritage sites that prohibit drones under their own rules — which covers most of what a visitor would want to film.
Assume you cannot fly at any famous sight. The Forbidden City, the Great Wall's popular sections, the Terracotta Army, West Lake, Zhangjiajie's park, the Bund — all either prohibited outright or inside controlled airspace.
Enforcement is real. Chinese scenic areas have staff who watch for drones, and confiscation is the usual outcome. Flying near an airport or a sensitive site is a materially more serious matter.
Where it might work#
Genuinely remote countryside, away from airports, borders, cities and managed scenic areas, with local permission. Some commercial operators fly legally in China with permits arranged in advance — that route exists but it is a project, not a holiday activity.
The practical advice#
For a normal two- or three-week trip, leave it at home. The weight, the battery restrictions, the registration and the near-certainty of not being allowed to fly at anywhere you actually visit add up badly.
If you are set on aerial footage, licensed operators sell stock and commissioned footage of every major Chinese landmark, which is cheaper than the trouble.
Other restricted items#
Politically sensitive printed material can be confiscated at customs. Satellite phones and some radio equipment require permits. Pre-1911 antiques cannot be exported — genuinely old items legally sold carry a red wax seal from the cultural relics bureau.
The full pack-and-leave list is in our China packing list.