First-Timer's Guide — Shanghai Masters and China Travel Basics — Experiences

Shanghai is the first destination in our coverage where the basic mechanics of a trip — visas, maps, paying for things — work differently enough from the UK, EU, US, or Australia that it's worth a dedicated guide rather than assuming it works like everywhere else.

The four things to sort before you fly

1. Check your visa-free eligibility

45 countries get 30-day visa-free entry; a separate 240-hour transit-free policy covers 54 countries through specific ports. Check your specific nationality before booking.

2. Download Amap, not Google Maps

Google Maps is blocked in China and a VPN doesn't fix the underlying data. Amap (Gaode Maps) has the best English support of the local options.

3. Link a foreign card to Alipay

Alipay and WeChat Pay both accept international Visa/Mastercard directly, no Chinese bank account needed — set this up before you land.

4. Set up a metro-gate app: Metro Daduhui or Suishenxing

Metro Daduhui is Shanghai Metro's own QR-scan app for gate entry/exit and transfers, drawing on Alipay or WeChat Pay. For more than a couple of trips, Suishenxing (SH MaaS) bundles metro, bus, and ferry into one code with 1/3/7-day passes.

Full details →

China Visas, Maps, and Payments — the Real First-Timer Guide

Google Maps won't work, your card won't just tap — here's what actually does

Every other city in this project's coverage — London, New York, Melbourne, Budapest — lets a first-time visitor rely on instincts that already work: Google Maps, a foreign card tapping at any terminal, English signage as a fallback. None of that holds here by default, and finding this out mid-trip costs real time. This exists so day one in Shanghai starts with a working map and a payment method that actually taps, instead of a scramble at the airport.

Citywide

Worth knowing

—Set up Alipay's foreign-card linking before you fly, not after landing — passport verification takes a few minutes but works far more smoothly with reliable wifi than on arrival with a new SIM still activating.
—Download Amap and switch it to English while you still have familiar wifi — the app's English mode is functional but not intuitive to find in a menu you've never seen before.
—For repeat metro trips across the week, the Suishenxing (SH MaaS) app's 3-day or 7-day pass works out simpler than scanning a single-ride QR code every time — set it up once, alongside Alipay.

What's not allowed through Qizhong's gates

Bags larger than 55 × 40 × 20cm, glass bottles, alcohol, unauthorized professional camera/video equipment, and long-handled umbrellas are all prohibited — bring a compact one instead, since this is an outdoor hard-court venue and Shanghai in October does see occasional rain. One genuinely distinctive rule: food that's strong-smelling or disruptive to other spectators is banned by name — durian, stinky tofu, eggs, and potato chips are all specifically called out. Bring sun protection and your ID/passport used for the ticket purchase.

The city, not just the tennis

Shanghai is a genuinely distinct city beyond the arena — the Bund's colonial-era waterfront facing off against Lujiazui's futuristic skyline across the river, Yu Garden's Ming-dynasty lanes tucked into the Old City, and the French Concession's tree-lined streets a world away from either. If this is your first trip here, budget real time for the city itself, not just Qizhong — see the Day Trips guide for where to start.

Sources: china-briefing.com, newlandchase.com, chinadiscovery.com (visa policy), chinasurvivalkit.com (Amap/Baidu), realchinatrip.com and you.co (payments), english.shanghai.gov.cn (metro apps), ATP Tour official article "Shanghai 2025 Savour The Spectacle" (Court 17), en.rolexshanghaimasters.com/en/faqs (bag policy, prohibited items — official source). Verified 10 Aug 2026.

What do I need to know before my first trip to China?

Visas, apps, gate rules, and the city beyond Qizhong

China Visas, Maps, and Payments — the Real First-Timer Guide