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

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

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.

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

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.