Sapore di Cina

Learn Chinese, Travel or Work in China

Paying by smartphone in China: The Guide for Wechat and Alipay

- Written by Manuel Recchia Leave a Comment

Paying by smartphone in China

Paying by smartphone in China – Index

  1. WeChat Pay and Alipay: what are they?
  2. Initial settings
  3. How to make payments with Wechat
  4. How to make payments with Alipay
  5. Receiving and sending money with WeChat
  6. Receiving and sending money with Alipay
  7. Sending red envelopes (hongbao 红包) with WeChat
  8. Sending red envelopes (hongbao 红包) with Alipay
  9. Can foreigners use WeChat Pay and Alipay?

Technology today offers users numerous advantages and conveniences that make our daily life simpler and saves us precious time.

In this context, China has already for many years offered its citizens and others the chance to witness and be protagonists in an actual payment revolution thanks to mobile apps like WeChat (Weixin 微信) and Alipay (Zhifubao 支付宝).

These include the most widespread method of payment in China for any type of commercial activity: restaurants, taxis, supermarkets, cinemas, shopping, waimai (home food delivery), trains, planes, hotel, bike rentals, bills, telephone recharging, etc.

The convenience of the revolution brought about by these applications allows users to make less cash or credit/debit card payments, and as a result accelerate the buying process in a totally safe and quick way.

In this guide I will show you the characteristics of payments made through WeChat and Alipay; in particular, we’ll see how to choose the initial settings, what are the ways to make payments, how to send and receive money, how the famous hongbao (红包 or “red envelopes”) work, and how it’s possible to use these Apps with foreign credit cards (not issued by Chinese banks).

[Read more…]

Best Tailors in Hong Kong – Our Top 7 Picks

- Written by SDC Leave a Comment

Best Tailors in Hong Kong

Best Tailors in Hong Kong – Index

  1. Punjab House (Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon)
  2. Raja Fashions (Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon)
  3. Empire Tailors (Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon)
  4. Sam’s Tailor (Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon)
  5. Jim’s Tailor Workshop (Admiralty, Hong Kong Island)
  6. A-Man Tailors (Central, Hong Kong Island)
  7. Manhattan Tailors (Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui)

Are you looking for a tailor in Hong Kong? Keep reading to discover 7 among the best tailors in the city. For each of them, we provide a short description, link to their website, address and opening time.

Punjab House (Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon)

Punjab House was founded in 1889 and is located on Nathan Road (Tsim Sha Tsui), Kowloon. It’s one of the oldest and most bespoke tailors in Hong Kong. They are a partner of Apsley Tailors in London and you can see that the Hong Kong store is now branded as Apsley Tailors as well.

Over the years, or should I say decades, Punjab House has catered to the British Army, Royal Navy, and primarily the business class of Hong Kong. They have sponsorships with British football clubs such as Fulham and West Ham United, but also with the Qatar World Cup. [Read more…]

How to Get a Visa for China – Chinese Visa Application Guide

- Written by SDC 737 Comments

Chinese Visa

If you’re traveling with at least another person, you can apply for the Visa online, saving time and money. Click here to learn more!

How to Get a Chinese Visa – Index

  1. How long does it take to get a Chinese Visa?
  2. Do I need a Chinese Visa?
  3. How much does a Chinese Visa cost?
  4. Where can I get a Chinese Visa?
  5. What are the basic requirements for getting a Chinese Visa?
  6. Do I have to file my fingerprints to get a visa for China?
  7. What are the different types of Chinese Visas?
  8. What information does the invitation letter have to contain?
  9. What Visas must be converted into a Resident Permit?
  10. How do I read a Chinese Visa?
  11. Can I extend/change my Visa once I enter China?
  12. What happens if I overstay my Visa?
  13. Frequently asked questions

[Read more…]

How to Get a Chinese Visa in Hong Kong

- Written by SDC 843 Comments

chinese visa in hong kong

Need help to get your Chinese visa?
Click here to find out more!

How to get a Chinese Visa in Hong Kong – Index

  1. Do I need a Visa to visit Hong Kong?
  2. Where can I get a Chinese Visa in Hong Kong and how much does it cost?
  3. How to travel from China to Hong Kong (the cheapest way)?
  4. Frequently asked questions

Before you begin

If you can’t apply for a visa in your country of residence because you already live in Asia or you’re traveling, Hong Kong is still the best place to get one.

In the first part of this article, we’ll explain where you can apply for a visa in Hong Kong (you can use an agency or go directly to the CVASC), and which documents are necessary for getting a visa.

In the second part of this article, we’ll explain how to travel from China to Hong Kong in the quickest and cheapest way in order to get a visa.

Note that all the information that you’ll find in this article is the result of our own personal experience since we’ve applied for many visas in Hong Kong, starting way back in 2012.

For more general information on Chinese Visa, I suggest you read Chinese Visa application: A complete guide.

[Read more…]

Travel to Hong Kong: The Complete Guide

- Written by SDC Leave a Comment

Travel to Hong Kong

Travel to Hong Kong – Index

  1. Getting a visa to travel to Hong Kong
  2. Travel Insurance for Hong Kong
  3. Hotels and hostels in Hong Kong
  4. Vaccines and medicine for a trip to Hong Kong
  5. Flying to Hong Kong
  6. Internet and phone cards
  7. Money, ATMs and credit cards
  8. The MTR system in Hong Kong
  9. What to bring to Hong Kong?
  10. When to travel to Hong Kong?
  11. Common sense and cultural issues in Hong Kong
  12. Food and drinks in Hong Kong
  13. Nightlife in Hong Kong
  14. Shopping and bargaining

[Read more…]

International Moving Companies for Vietnam & Thailand

- Written by SDC Leave a Comment

International Moving Companies for Vietnam & Thailand

International Moving Companies – Index

  1. Get up to 5 free quotes from trusted moving companies
  2. Why you should hire an international moving company
  3. How much does it cost moving to Thailand or Vietnam?
  4. International moving companies in Vietnam
  5. International moving companies in Thailand

In this article, we will list several moving companies for sending your goods to Thailand or Vietnam (if you are moving there) or from Thailand or Vietnam (if you are planning to leave the country).

Also, via the form below you will be able to get up to 5 free quotes from trusted moving companies chosen by our moving service partner.

[Read more…]

Travel Insurance in Taiwan for Travelers

- Written by SDC Leave a Comment

Health Insurance in Taiwan for Travelers

Health Insurance in Taiwan for Travelers – Index

  1. Why do I need health insurance when traveling to Taiwan?
  2. The healthcare system in Taiwan
  3. Hospitals in Taiwan
  4. What insurance do we recommend?
  5. What should a good health insurance policy cover?
  6. What to do if you need medical attention?

Note: If you are only interested on getting a free quotation for a travel insurance, then we recommend World Nomads (click here to get your free quotation).

Why do I need health insurance when traveling to Taiwan?

Foreign travelers are not required to have health insurance when visiting Taipei, or Taiwan in general. This is the standard in most Asian countries and regions, including Thailand and Hong Kong.

Even if Taiwan’s public healthcare system is renown for being available to the masses and inexpensive, travelers are not covered by its national health insurance system (NHI). Thus, it can make great sense for travelers to buy insurance before visiting Taiwan.

Despite being a safe destination with low crime rates, you don’t know if you’ll get sick unexpectedly or experience an accident. Having a tropical climate, foreigners and locals risk to get tropical diseases like dengue fever (which there’s no vaccination for), Japanese encephalitis, and enterovirus, for example. [Read more…]

International Moving Companies for Hong Kong

- Written by SDC Leave a Comment

International Moving Companies for Hong Kong

Moving Companies for Hong Kong – Index

  1. Get up to 5 free quotes from trusted moving companies
  2. How much does it cost moving to Hong Kong?
  3. List of moving companies in Hong Kong

In this article, we will list several moving companies for sending your goods to Hong Kong (if you are moving there) or from Hong Kong (if you are planning to leave the country).

Also, via the form below you will be able to get up to 5 free quotes from trusted moving companies chosen by our moving service partner.
[Read more…]

Travel Insurance in Hong Kong for Travelers

- Written by SDC Leave a Comment

Health Insurance in Hong Kong for Travelers

Note: If you are only interested on getting a free quotation for a travel insurance, then we recommend World Nomads (click here to get your free quotation).

Health Insurance in Hong Kong – Index

  1. Why do I need health insurance when traveling to Hong Kong?
  2. The healthcare system in Hong Kong
  3. Hospitals in Hong Kong
  4. What insurance do we recommend?
  5. What should a good health insurance policy cover?
  6. What to do if you need medical attention?

[Read more…]

The Best Working VPN for China in November 2019 (with Comparison Table)

- Written by SDC 405 Comments

Best VPN for China

What is the best VPN for China? – Read this before getting started

This article is a complete guide that is updated monthly on how to easily access Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, Youtube and other websites that are blocked in China, using a VPN.

The first part of this article explains what a VPN is, the simplest and most effective way to access the Internet without restrictions.

The second part is a comparative review of ExpressVPN, VyprVPN, NordVPN and Ivacy, in our opinion one of the best VPN providers for China. We compare the prices, functionality and performance of the four VPN.

We also give a short review of the most popular VPN in China and show the results of the survey of VPNs that our readers in China use. On top of that, you will find multiple sections to try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions.

Important: Many of the VPN services mentioned in the article have offered us exclusive deals for our readers. To get the discount, all you have to do is access the VPN service’s website via one of the links that you’ll find in this article.

Click here if you want to jump directly to the
comparison of the best VPN for China!

What VPN do we recommend for China?

  • ExpressVPN: A VPN that’s easy to use, fast and which has proven to be one of the most reliable VPNs for China over the past years.
  • VyprVPN: A VPN with an excellent quality to price ratio, good performance in China and numerous options for a secure connection.
  • NordVPN: A VPN that is very complete and easy to use. It has a good performance in China if you choose the right server.
  • Ivacy: A VPN that’s less popular in China, but has an excellent performance at a very low price.

Important: Due to the increased restrictions to VPN which came into effect on October 2017, you should always keep your VPN updated in order to make sure it works at its best.

What is a VPN and why do I need one in China?

As you probably already know, the internet doesn’t work like we would like it to in China and a large number of websites are blocked by the “Great Firewall.” Among the websites that you can’t access there are Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter, and Google+.

There are many other blocked websites, and depending on what you do, it may be virtually impossible for you to work in China without a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The most striking case is probably that of Google.com, which often returns an error message when used from within the Middle Kingdom.

In order to solve this problem, you can install a VPN, which masks your I.P. address so that your laptop appears to be connected from the U.S. or Japan even if you are in China [Read more…]

Top 12 Chinese Social Media and Blog Platforms

- Written by SDC Leave a Comment

Chinese social media and blog platforms

Chinese Social Media – Index

  1. WeChat
  2. Sina Weibo (新浪微博)
  3. Douyin (抖音)
  4. QQ
  5. Youku (优酷)
  6. Douban (豆瓣)
  7. Zhihu (知乎)
  8. Tencent Video (腾讯视频)
  9. Xiaohongshu (小红书)
  10. Meituan-Dianping (美团点评)
  11. Momo
  12. iQiyi (爱奇艺)

1. WeChat

WeChat was launched by Tencent in 2011, one of China’s biggest IT companies. It initially started as a messaging app but has added many functions since and is now referred to as a “multi-purpose” app.

Being used by more than 1 billion people, it’s the third most downloaded application in the world, just behind Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. It’s kind of self-explanatory why this application deserves a spot on this list. [Read more…]

Similarities and Differences Between Chinese and Japanese

- Written by Armando Turturici Leave a Comment

Similarities and differences between Chinese and Japanese

Similarities between Chinese and Japanese – Index

  1. Main similarities between Chinese and Japanese
  2. Main differences between Chinese and Japanese
  3. Frequently asked questions
  4. Conclusion

A frequent question asked of students of Chinese or Japanese is “what’s the difference between Chinese and Japanese?”

This question, if asked by someone who hasn’t had the good fortune to learn one of these two languages, derives from the simple recognition that both languages use Chinese characters: 汉字 (“hanzi”, in Chinese) or 漢字 (“kanji”, in Japanese).

Although this question is based on a rather limited premise, there is however a thread between the two languages that ties them inseparably together.

Nevertheless, as two rather different languages, it would, therefore, be appropriate to rephrase the question this way: “what do Chinese and Japanese have in common?”

Main similarities between Chinese and Japanese

Here are what, in my opinion, are the main similarities between the two languages:

Nouns

[Read more…]

8 Great Dishes From Sichuan That You Can Find in a Restaurant

- Written by SDC 3 Comments

Sichuan food

Dishes from Sichuan – Index

  1. Kung Pao Chicken (宫保鸡丁)
  2. Boiled Dishes like Sichuan boiled fish (水煮鱼)
  3. Dry-fried dishes like fry-fried green beans (干煸豆角)
  4. Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐)
  5. Twice cooked pork (回锅肉)
  6. Pork in spicy garlic sauce (蒜泥白肉)
  7. Cold noodle salad (涼面)
  8. Yu Xiang Dishes like Yu Xiang Rou Si (鱼香肉丝)
  9. Frequently asked questions

Sichuan cuisine is my favorite cuisine out of the eight ones of China not only because of my childhood but also because of the great taste and imagination. There is a famous description of Sichuan food: “one hundred dishes, one hundred flavors.”

Sichuan cuisine is featured by its unique cooking methods, adaption of spices and seasonings including fresh ones, pickled vegetables and dried goods. Now Sichuan dishes are enjoyed across the world. Today I’m going to introduce eight of the best dishes from Sichuan you can usually find in a real Sichuan style restaurant. [Read more…]

10 Year Visa for China – The Guide

- Written by SDC Leave a Comment

China’s 10 Year Visa

China’s 10 Year Visa – Index

  1. What is China’s 10 year visa?
  2. What kinds of 10 year visas are available?
  3. Which nationalities can get the 10 year visa?
  4. Can I work with a 10 year visa in China?
  5. What documents do I need when applying for the 10 year visa?
  6. How much does it cost?
  7. What should I do if my passport expires when having the visa?
  8. How many times can I apply for the 10 year visa?
  9. How long does it take to apply for the 10 year visa?

[Read more…]

How Long It Takes to Learn Mandarin?

- Written by SDC 2 Comments

how long it takes to learn chienese

Click here to discover what Chinese courses
that we recommend at the moment!

How long does it take to learn Mandarin? – Index

  1. The swim or sink dude
  2. The full-time student
  3. The long-distance Chinese learner
  4. The exchange student
  5. The “I would love but I can’t” guy
  6. The angry expat
  7. The indifferent person
  8. Some final words
  9. Frequently asked questions

First of all, I believe that we are our habits and that our habits are influenced by our goals and the external environment.

Hence I think you can roughly predict how long it will take you to learn Mandarin by honestly answering to which of the following categories you belong. [Read more…]

How to Find a Job as an English Teacher in China – The Complete Guide

- Written by Vanessa Anderson 104 Comments

Teaching in ChinaTeaching kids in China

This is a complete guide to finding a job as an English teacher in China. It’s around 10,000 words, so take your time to read it. You can also click on one of the links below to jump directly to the sections that most interest you.

How to Teach English in China – Index

  1. Why teach English in China?
  2. Visa requirements
  3. What qualifications do I need?
  4. Teaching English as a non-native English speaker
  5. TEFL – Teaching English as a foreign language
  6. What other skills will I need?
  7. Types of English teaching positions available
  8. Preparing a CV for a Chinese teaching position
  9. How to apply – from outside of China
  10. How to apply – from inside China
  11. Contracts and benefits
  12. What type of people teach English in China?
  13. Location considerations
  14. What can go wrong?
  15. Frequently asked questions

[Read more…]

The Best VPNs for Thailand: Security, Censorship and Geographic Restrictions

- Written by SDC 5 Comments

Best VPNs for Thailand

This article is aimed at analyzing the internet in Thailand and comparing the best VPNs that you can use to improve security as well as to avoid geographic restrictions and censorship.

Best VPNs for Thailand – Index

  1. Why do I need a VPN in Thailand?
  2. Comparison of the Best VPNs for Thailand
  3. What VPN to choose depending on your priorities
  4. Internet security in Thailand
  5. Internet censorship in Thailand

Why do I need a VPN in Thailand?

There are multiple reasons to get a VPN when you are living or traveling in Thailand. Below are the most common reasons.

  • To browse securely: Access to the internet in Thailand, just like in many Asian countries, is not exactly secure. A good VPN increases internet security and greatly reduces the possible risks involved in connecting to public networks in this country (such as having your credit card cloned or your email hacked).
  • To avoid censorship: Censorship exists in Thailand, and if you want free access to the internet, the best way is to get a VPN
  • To unblock restricted content: To access the content of websites like Netflix, Hulu or restricted audiovisual content and TV channels in your country, your best option is always get a good quality VPN.

[Read more…]

How to Access Tumblr in China – The Complete Guide

- Written by SDC Leave a Comment

How to Access Tumblr in China

How to Access Tumblr in China – Index

  1. What do you need to connect to Tumblr in China?
  2. What’s a VPN and what are they used for?
  3. Preparations before going to China
  4. Unblocking Tumblr in China

Tumblr is one of dozens of popular applications and websites that are blocked in China. Facebook, Google, Instagram, and YouTube are no exceptions and it often comes as a surprise to foreigners who either travel or move to China permanently.

In this article, you’ll learn how you can access Tumblr in just a click by simply following my short step-by-step guide. Once finished, you’ll not only be able to access Tumblr, but all other websites and applications that are currently blocked in China.

[Read more…]

The Best VPNs for Vietnam: Security and Freedom Online

- Written by SDC 3 Comments

Best VPNs for Vietnam

Best VPNs for Vietnam – Index

  1. How can I access blocked websites in Vietnam?
  2. What is a VPN?
  3. Why do I need a VPN in Vietnam?
  4. Comparison of the Best VPNs for Vietnam
  5. Is it safe to connect to the Internet in Vietnam?
  6. What websites are blocked in Vietnam?

Security online is one of the things that we should start to keep in mind, especially when we are traveling or moving to another country. Another thing that we should keep in mind is whether access to the Internet is restricted or not.

In Vietnam, there exist multiple cybernetic laws which are theoretically aimed at preventing information leaks, promoting security in the interchange of information, and permitting secure transactions. However, these laws have mainly been used to block, filter or monitor the use of the Internet in the country. Many websites in Vietnam are blocked or have restricted use, including sites as popular as Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, the BBC, and WordPress, following the lead of countries such as China.

Despite this, recent reports indicate that Vietnam is among the countries with the highest risk in the world for cybernetic attacks along with Thailand.

How can I access Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and other blocked websites in Vietnam?

To improve security online and to avoid potential restrictions on access to certain websites, one of the most useful tools is the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), as you will see in the following sections.

Click here if you want to skip directly to the comparison of the best VPNs!

[Read more…]