What Are Some Travel Hacks for China/Beijing?

Fat Horny Ghost on 04/09/2024 - 01:21

Visiting Beijing and some other smaller cities in China soon.

I've been to Beijing about 4-5 times but just did the touristy/relative things.

So I'm looking for the best ozbargainer tips/hacks

I'm happy to compile a list together if there are many good recommends.

I don't want to be arrested/jailed by the CCP, so please all legal methods.

It's a common joke but personally know many who have been, with their whole livelihood, families and their children lives ruined or taking their own life… which is very sad especially if it's politically motivated.

I can speak okish Mandarin, but unfortunately I can't read chinese, but my partner can so if you recommend the Chinese names of sites/apps woth and some method guidance details I can look further.

1. Shopping - Where to buy and what to sell that are good value vs. Australia?

Any cashback sites or apps?

I want buy stuff from Taobao (there is a better app now forgot the name) but things like furniture/building and reno materials is good value to ship to relatives place in China, then organise it to be shipped to Australia via shipping container? I can inspect the products in person before shipping. Lighter goods I can carry in person.

International students have their pulse on the slowing daigou market. What are some hot in demand goods to sell in China? I know wine sometimes sells for 10x their value but niche and hard to find buyer. Exporting wine also requires a license so a bit hard if I do a suitcase or 2 full without being flagged.

Ideally something small and discreet with best margins, so waiting list / limited edition watches, jewellery and luxury goods is on my list as 'gifts' for family and relatives.

I'm aware that the Daigou trend is slowing down but vitamins and milk powder still seems hot, but not great in terms of space/yield.

Where and what else should I go to buy a shipping crate full of goods to ship back to Australia to keep and resell i.e. Furniture? Clothes and goods from taobao?

I know vapes are extremely cheap in China and they shipped hoards to Australia before the legal crackdowns, but now illegal to sell in Australia via tobacco stores who are getting insane yields (still seeing more and more tobacco stores popping up and still selling them around 25x the value under the counter). What are some legal goods to resell?

Which shipping freight is the best value now or should I arrange a private deals with cosco?

2. Food - Are apps where you can get discount for the famous restaurants?

Is there a liven or eatclub equivalent?**

Planning to go famous Peking duck restaurants / ghost street.

3. Transportation - Using didi/metro to get around? Hire premium cars? Any deals or tricks?

4. Entertainment - VPN, Tickets and experiences

What's the most effective VPN setup to access google, instagram, youtube etc.? Get overseas roaming? Previously used mainstream VPN which was unreliable?

What sites/apps like Klook are gold to book tickets i.e. cheaper express pass tickets to Universal Studios which is already $300.

Is there a bang for buck private tour guide site/app?

5. Finance / tax - Methods to transfer money back to Australia

China is making it more and more difficult to move money out then you have Australia who wants to tax everything.

What's the best way to move money? Lots of mainstream loopholes have been closed i.e gambling in Macau then transferring winnings to Australian bank or doing an investment migration visa to buy 'business/property'.

Only safe method is bank transfers but is limited to $50k/pp per year before raising any flags and carrying $10k max in goods and values in person. Using Wechat to pay for goods/services in Australia.

6. General tips or hacks that would be fun to use in China

Note:

I will be able to secure a chinese phone number and have a ICBC bank card linked to my Wechat. Last time I went to China back 2018, you can buy anything using wechat - is this still the case? Which other Chinese banks should I setup an account with to hold money? Most don't allow Australian citizens.

Travel Asia Beijing China

Comments

  • R-Man on 04/09/2024 - 03:39
    +1

    I went to Guangzhou in July and yes WeChat and Alipay are available at every merchant. I used Didi within the Alipay app to get around and thought it was very cheap. Metro staff helped me set up metro tickets via Alipay too. I feel like you can probably do the same on WeChat ? but if you want something tried and tested i recommend setting up Alipay as well before you go.

    I got an eSIM through Travelkon here on ozb, the network is through Hong Kong so a VPN wasnt needed while thats active. BUT a VPN was needed if using wifi at the hotel. I tried a few and I think hotspot shield 7 day trial was the most effective to access everything without any detection.

    Food apps were a huge struggle. I never found one that worked in China (but probably gave up too easily).

    Keep a photo of your passport on your phone. So many attractions require ID numbers (local Chinese or foreign passport numbers). In my experience they were happy to evidence it electronically.

    • Fat Horny Ghost on 04/09/2024 - 12:46

      I got no e-sim in phone for roaming and i want to avoid using VPN given how slow and patchy the previous ones i used were.

      • R-Man on 04/09/2024 - 16:46

        If you have time before you go you can order a physical SIM from travelkon instead

  • c64 on 04/09/2024 - 10:03

    you can score free travel and accommodation within china just by wearing the right clothing, like this or this

  • 87percent on 04/09/2024 - 10:16
    +3

    Don’t bother lining up, people will push in front of you.

    • Fredfloresjr on 04/09/2024 - 11:09
      +1

      Did he mentioned lining up at Centrelink?

  • skid on 04/09/2024 - 10:33
    +2

    Ask this guy https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/858320

  • rumblytangara on 04/09/2024 - 11:14

    It's a common joke but personally know many who have been, with their whole livelihood, families and their children lives ruined or taking their own life… which is very sad especially if it's politically motivated.

    You personally know lots of people who've been through this, yet you're still willing to travel there mainly for the purposes of buying cheap stuff? Or you have read reports of this happening to compete strangers?

    I certainly hope it's the latter.

    If you're going there to buy home stuff, that's more Shenzhen than Beijing. There's a whole multi-block district dedicated to it.

    But treat this as a fun trip, not some wannabe goods-arbitrage exercise. The cheap tat that you buy over there to resell here will be available on Temu or Aliexpress.

    And whatever you do, don't post a mega-cringe AMA thread after the trip about it like that other guy.

    • Fat Horny Ghost on 04/09/2024 - 12:45

      Thanks for your input. Happened to people i personally know i.e. relatives and friends (international students), but for business corruption, so don't want to step any boundaries given how common it appears and heavy handed they can be especially recent crackdowns, audits and changes. They are really focusing on keeping money within the country so moving money needs more work now.

      Unfortunately I am only going Beijing and other parts of north-east china, so have asked for specifics related to that city as there will still be some industries there (not like a whole district compared to Shenzhen).

      I know Beijing won't be as good given it's more adminstration based and won't offer as a wide selection as those provinces, districts or areas with specialised industries dedicated to certain products or goods.

      I've already made money reselling temu/aliexpress/alibaba related goods (cheaper apps to buy from and ship) to Australia with nice profit margin up to 95%.
      Demand is consistent but somewhat limited. So exploring other different products and things that can instantly pay off my trip and make future trips even easier and profitable depending on time required.

      There's a good amount of international students who the Aus government and unis see as cash cows that are funding/reducing international education fees and living expenses by buying goods here (injecting into Australian economy) then reselling goods in China but then claiming it's the credit card of mum and dad. Not all like this though, they all making their visit worthwile in their own different ways.

      That AMA thread has pretty good advice, I'm yet to go through it all. Always better to do as much due dillegence before you go in empty headed and handed.

  • mskeggs on 04/09/2024 - 11:18
    +2

    Catch the metro out to Great Wall for a couple of dollars.
    There is a funicular railway near the metro that is rarely used, as locals just walk up the hill.
    Spend the $10 for a ticket as it takes you up to one end of this section, well away from the crowds.

    • altomic on 04/09/2024 - 13:20
      +1

      ignore the people at the metro station who tell you the train to the great wall has been cancelled and to follow them to a bus.

  • May4th on 04/09/2024 - 12:31
    1. try meituan app
    2. didi is cheap, but public transport even cheaper and accessable
    3. astrill is reliable but expensive, a travel sim is an alternative
    4. how much money are we talking about, and you planning to launder win money at the casino ?>50k?
    5. yes. bank of china and hsbc are probably the easiest ones that have branches here
    • Fat Horny Ghost on 05/09/2024 - 15:38
      +1
      1. Ah yes this is the app i previously used thanks forgot the name. I wonder if any other new competitiors or deals.
      2. I'm not a fan of public transport, do you know if we can use our credit cards or need buy their card? Didi is better to get to pinpoint locations too.
      3. Not laundering but just finding best loophole to legally move money out without or minimal fees/taxes. Not heaps, but not quick enough to transfer 50k each year pp.
  • Fat Horny Ghost on 04/09/2024 - 13:20

    I was doing a bit of research the Universal Studio Express Pass is $470pp on TripAdvisor vs. $300ish on Klook, but theres some comments saying its not needed during weekdays?

    Not sure how it compares to Disneyland in Shanghai which has longgg lines even on weekdays which is a must.

  • JIMB0 on 04/09/2024 - 16:57

    Ni Hao panyi dien.

    This will get you a discount.

  • 852 Neon Nights on 04/09/2024 - 17:15

    For food, I recommend cooking for yourself. It’s incredibly inexpensive to shop at the local markets.

    It's easier for those of us with friends and family in China. I cooked a stir-fry using a portable induction cooker.

    I would avoid eating from street stalls and small restaurants where the prices are too low because of concerns about food safety. Unfortunately, even hotpot can be tainted with stimulants and artificial colourings. In the past, I used to buy pre-made broth in Australia, but now I make my own after learning about the production processes.

    Essentially, 20 Yuan buffets are to be avoided no matter how tempting they look.

    If a meal looks too inexpensive, it often comes with issues, like a wonton noodle soup that has only three wontons and a single branch of choy-sum. Those are reasonably safe to eat but are not very appetising.

    • May4th on 04/09/2024 - 17:23
      +2

      really? do you normally travel to a foreign country, not eat any of the delicious, cheap local food and cook yourself in a hotel room?

      • 852 Neon Nights on 04/09/2024 - 17:34

        It really depends on the country, but I'm accustomed to larger portions I get from cooking myself. I'm unsure how receptive the owners would be to a foreigner requesting larger portions.

        Unfortunately, there is a problem that much of the food is tainted. A recent viral video showed stall owners washing their plates in a local fountain, which had earlier been used as a toilet by an elderly woman…

        A recent breaking news story on CCTV-China's main channels reported that chemical trucks were being used to transport cooking oil without being cleaned. The elites are aware there are problems and are trying to fix it, but it could takes years to change the tide. The average tourist needs to be aware too.

        Apparently some of that oil made its way to Australia…

    • Manny Calavera on 14/09/2024 - 23:18

      You’re in a country where you can get a whole Peking duck for $20.

      OP, go eat at Sijiminfu.

  • Happycath on 15/09/2024 - 09:23

    Anyone have a hotel in Beijing they would recommend?

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