Stay Safe & Healthy in China

Stay safe

While China is generally safe for visitors, the government has some authoritarian aspects, and the topic of human rights in China is highly contested. Despite what’s written in the Chinese constitution, in practice some freedoms are strongly curtailed, such as free speech, privacy, freedom of information and the press, freedom of religion, and the right to a fair trial. As long as you’re not deliberately provocative, most of these are unlikely to affect you during your visit — especially since enforcement is somewhat arbitrary anyway — but if they do, punishments can be heavy. China is known to use extrajudicial detention, torture, and the death penalty. Often criticized as “hostage diplomacy”, detentions and enforcement are sometimes stepped up in reaction to geopolitical events. Chinese dual citizens and people of Chinese heritage who are citizens of other countries have been subject to “exit bans”, kept in China, sometimes for years, to compel them to cooperate with government investigations or pressure their relatives to return to China.

As long as you behave and do not get involved in drugs or political activity, you shouldn’t have any problems. Even bypassing the Internet firewall or accessing potentially subversive material is usually overlooked for the average visitor. However, it doesn’t hurt to have a contingency plan in case you run afoul of the government.

Police

The main law enforcement agency you will encounter is the public security police (公安, gōng’ān; 警察, jǐngchá), or civilian police (民警, mínjǐng). You can recognise officers by their uniforms, usually comprising light blue shirts and navy blue peaked caps, though traffic police wear white peaked caps. Officers are required to carry their police identification cards when on duty, and must present them to members of the public on request. Police officers in China typically do not carry firearms on standard patrol. Most police officers are professional and helpful when approached, though the language barrier can be a problem for foreign tourists.

The People’s Armed Police (PAP) (武警, wǔjǐng), is a branch of the Chinese military with law enforcement responsibilities. They guard key installations such as airports, embassies and government buildings, and assist the civilian police with crowd control. Their soldiers wear military uniforms with the characters 中国武警 at the top of the insignia patch on their left sleeve. Most PAP soldiers are professional and helpful when approached, but you should not expect much English language ability.

Chengguan (城管, chéngguǎn) are employed by municipal governments to assist the police in maintaining public order. Their uniforms are similar to those of public security police officers, but in a slightly darker shade of blue. They do not have powers of arrest. Chengguan officers have a reputation for being poorly-trained, brutal, and sometimes corrupt.

The Chinese government is cracking down on corruption, so under no circumstances should you offer a bribe to any type of law enforcement officer. If you are asked for a bribe, you can call 12388 to report, or do so online, with the caveat that the web-site is only in Chinese.

Private security officers in China dress similarly to the police, and also often use lights and sirens on their vehicles, but do not have powers of arrest.

The main crimes foreigners get into trouble for are drug use (including drug use outside China before you arrived — they sometimes do a hair test for cannabis) or working illegally, with the consequence usually being a short sentence, fine and deportation. If you are accused of a more serious crime, then the first 72 hours of investigation is critical. It is during that time that the police, prosecutors and your lawyers will investigate, negotiate and decide if you are guilty. Police use hard interrogations (or torture) immediately after arrest because eliciting a confession is the quickest way to secure a conviction. Chinese law prohibits your lawyer from being present during your interrogation. You do not have the right to silence and are required to answer the police’s questions truthfully. If your case goes to trial, then your conviction is merely a formality (99.9% of criminal trials in 2013 ended in a conviction), and the judge’s only role is to decide your sentence. Signing any document during your interrogation would be an extremely bad idea, especially if you do not understand what you are signing. You should politely insist that you be allowed access to consular services and a translator.

Crime

China is a very safe country with regard to street crime, and most Westerners will find China to be safer than their home countries. It is generally not a problem for women to roam the streets alone at night. Video surveillance is widely used in urban and some rural areas. Nevertheless, little crime does not mean no crime, so you should always exercise the usual precautions. Violent crime is very rare, but scams and opportunistic thefts are more common.

Pickpocketing is an issue in crowded places. Be particularly vigilant when on public transport during peak hours.

Bicycle theft can be a problem. Follow what local people do. Assume your expensive lock won’t help at all; professional thieves can break virtually any lock. Bike parking is common outside supermarkets or shopping centers, and usually charges ¥1-2 per day (usually until 20:00–22:00). If you have an electric bicycle or scooter, be extra cautious as the battery packs or charger may be targeted. If possible, find a bike park that is monitored by CCTVs, as that will make it easier for police to track your bike down should it get stolen.

Scams

See also: Common scams and Pickpockets

Chinese people are in general hospitable to foreigners, and want to leave a good impression on tourists visiting their country. However, there are also scam artists who operate at tourist hot spots.

High prices do not necessarily indicate a scam. In a teahouse or bar, ¥50-200 per cup or pot of tea (including hot water refills) and ¥15-60 per bottle of beer is not uncommon. Tea samplings may also charge high prices for each sample.

Touristy parts of Beijing and Shanghai have become notorious for various scams. If you are keen to avoid being scammed, the following are good rules of thumb:

• It is less likely for scammers to operate outside of the usual tourist spots
• If you are approached in a touristy area by a person who appears too enthusiastic about going to a particular place (teahouse or otherwise), you are likely to pay a premium and maybe get a better time elsewhere
• If you are uncomfortable, walk away.
• Most ordinary Chinese people are unable to speak English, so be on your guard if someone approaches you spontaneously and starts speaking to you in English.

The police are sensitive to foreigners being targeted in this way. In China, you have a legal right to ask for a “fa piao” (发票, lit. receipt/invoice) which is a sales invoice issued by the taxation department. It is against the law for an owner to refuse to give it to you. For scams, they generally will refuse since it is legal evidence of their extortionate price.

Avoid the touts offering you illegal taxi services at airports and railway stations. They are likely to rip you off. Go to the official taxi stand or use a ride hailing service like Didi instead.

Accident scams occur, too, and even ‘good samaritans’ who help people genuinely in distress have been sued for compensation by the people they were trying to help. These scams are not tried on foreigners too often, but be careful when using a vehicle and always record your journey with a dashboard or bicycle camera.

If you find yourself being or having been scammed then call 110 and report it immediately. Suspicious phone calls can be enquired through 96110. The police may also alert you if you or your family members encounter possible scams through this number with area code prefix (such as 010-96110 if you are in Beijing).

Traffic

See also: Driving in China

In general, driving in China can range from anywhere from nerve-rattling to outright reckless. Traffic can appear chaotic. Cars are allowed to turn right on a red light and do not stop for pedestrians, regardless of the walk signal. Cars drivers, cyclists and electric scooter drivers will all drive assuming they all have right of way/priority at once. Pedestrian crossings are a guide for the driver where pedestrians are more likely to cross.

In cities, however, it is unlikely drivers will be traveling fast enough to cause significant damage. Do as the locals do: cross the road with confidence, be aware of your surroundings, know that cars, bikes and scooters will tend to continue rather than stop.

Driving a car in China requires a Chinese driving license, and obtaining one is far too complex a process for the average visitor. See Driving in China if you do want to run the bureaucracy gauntlet.

China has the highest adoption rate of electric cars in the world, and they are much quieter than petrol or diesel cars. Be sure to look carefully before crossing the street.

Be especially careful of electric scooters. They are often ridden on footpaths by locals and unlike motorcycles, are usually very quiet so you will not hear them coming unless you are paying close attention. That said, riders will usually use their horns to warn you of their presence.

Terrorism

Although rare, terrorist attacks in China have occurred, mostly in Xinjiang, where there is a longstanding insurgency by Uyghur Islamist separatists, though there have also been several high-profile attacks outside the province. There is airport-style security at all major train stations, metro stations, and long-distance bus terminals. You will have your bag X-rayed and take water bottles out of your bag to be scanned separately, but there is no need to empty your pockets.

Begging

Chinese people traditionally disapprove of begging, so begging is not a major issue in most places. It is, however, never far off the scene and particularly common just outside the main tourist attractions and in major transportation hubs.

Be aware of child beggars who could be victims of child trafficking. While it is becoming less common, you should avoid giving them any money.

In China, local people usually only give money to those who have obviously lost the ability to earn money. Professional beggars have clear deformities, and some syndicates have been known to deliberately maim children as it is seen as more effective in soliciting pity. If you feel like giving them some, bear in mind that the minimum hourly wage ranges from ¥11 to ¥24 (2020).

Fake Buddhist monks

The presence of foreign tourists unaware of local Buddhist customs has also given rise to many scams, with many fake monks and temples preying on unsuspecting visitors. Buddhism in China generally follows the Mahayana school, whose monks are required to be vegetarian, and usually grow their own food in the temples, or buy their food using temple donations. As such, they generally do not go on alms round. The main exception is the Dai ethnic minority in Yunnan, who are mostly Theravada Buddhists. While it is customary for Theravada Buddhist monks to go on alms rounds in the morning (since they are not allowed to eat after noon), they are not allowed to accept or even touch money, and alms bowls are solely for the purpose of collecting food. If you see a “monk” soliciting monetary donations, he is fake.

Monks also do not sell religious items (these are sold by laymen), and neither do they offer “Buddha’s blessing” in exchange for money, or curse you should you not donate. Most temples will have a donation box in the main hall for devotees to make donations should they wish to do so, and monks will never go out in public to ask for donations. According to traditional Buddhist philosophy, it is entirely up to an individual to decide whether and how much he/she wishes to donate, and genuine Buddhist temples will never use high-pressure tactics to solicit donations, or ask for any amount of money in exchange for services.

Nature

Being a large country, China is affected by a range of different natural disasters. Pacific typhoons hit the coast (including the coastal areas of the eastern and southern provinces) in the summer and autumn months, bringing physical destruction and torrential rain. Floods also occur, in particular around the large rivers. Northern parts of the country have winter storms. A considerable part of this country is prone to earthquakes, especially in the western regions of Sichuan, Yunnan, Tibet, Qinghai and Xinjiang. Earthquakes also occur occasionally in North China. Earthquakes are less common in other areas of the south, but southeastern provinces such as Fujian are may experience tremors from major earthquakes in Taiwan.

China has a variety of venomous snakes. Be careful when hiking and seek immediate treatment for any snakebite. The bright green bamboo viper (Trimeresurus stejnegeri) is especially notorious.

Illicit drugs

Drug offences are dealt with harshly in China. Chinese authorities do not distinguish between soft (e.g. marijuana) and hard (e.g. heroin) drugs. It is an offence just to test positive for drugs, even if they were consumed outside the country, and hair tests can come back positive even months after last consumption. While foreigners caught with small quantities of drugs are usually subject to administrative detention (up to 15 days), a fine and deportation, drug trafficking is punishable by death. If you have a record of drug use, you may be subject to directed police raids. There are also targeted raids of bars and nightclubs that foreigners frequent.

Chinese people usually associate drugs with national humiliation (due to an unlimited influx of opium after the Opium Wars); publicly doubting the death penalty for drug trafficking or advocating for drug liberalization will likely get you publicly criticized.

Banned items

Due to the fast pace of change in China, you may find some items (especially media) continue to be banned by customs although they are readily available for purchase in the country. Your belongings may be searched for illicit items such as the ones below when entering China through an airport, although in practice it is rare.

• Materials considered by the authorities as Anti-Chinese will be confiscated. This has a fairly wide interpretation, but can include the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan lion-mountain flag and literature about the Falun Gong religious group, independence movements in Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong and Taiwan or the Tiananmen Square protests. As a rule of thumb, do not bring anything critical of the Communist Party of China; if some literature refers to the government of the PRC as the Communist Party of China (中共), then it’s either from Taiwan (as the local official term when referring to the Chinese government), and/or anti-government. The official English abbreviation for the Communist Party of China is the CPC; publications using the abbreviation “CCP” may be presumed critical of the government and confiscated.

• The Epoch Times (大紀元時報) and Ming Hui Times (明慧周刊/明慧周報) are two examples of Falun Gong literature. The Falun Gong sect is known to print proselytising words on Chinese yuan bills, so consider checking your bills to avoid unnecessary hassle.

• Maps that are contrary to the Chinese territorial claim, such as coloring Taiwan as a sovereign state or distinct from Mainland China, or denoting Arunachal Pradesh (South Tibet) as part of India, are also checked and confiscated at the border.

• A heavy penalty is imposed on all pornography and penalties are counted based on the number of pieces brought into the country.

Religion

China is officially atheist, and modern Chinese society is in general secular.

Visitors and private citizens are generally free to practice a religion if they wish. However, proselytizing in public areas is prohibited and could lead to arrest and imprisonment.

Catholics in China are split between the state-sanctioned Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (中国天主教爱国会 Zhōngguó Tiānzhǔjiào Àiguó Huì), which is run separately from the Vatican, and illegal underground churches. The situation is similar for Protestant churches.

Falun Gong is illegal and heavily censored in China. Visibly supporting it will make you subject to arrest.

Racism

Although unprovoked violent racist attacks are virtually unheard of, foreigners, particularly darker-skin ones, often suffer discrimination in employment and are the subject of stereotyping from Chinese people. Even white foreigners, who allegedly enjoy significantly better treatment than locals, have been occasionally confronted by Chinese people during politically sensitive periods. Racism tends to be more common among the older and less educated demographics, and less common among younger university-educated people.

Due to geopolitical tensions with the United States, many Chinese have developed a negative view of the U.S. government. Nevertheless, most Chinese are still polite and welcoming towards American tourists, and even hardliners usually distinguish between the foreign governments they distrust and individual tourists from those countries.

Due to historical conflicts and current geopolitical tensions, many Chinese hold a hostile view of Japan. Hate speech against Japanese is common, and hate crimes against Japanese people have been known to occur. Japanese people should be careful and keep a low profile when visiting sensitive sites connected to the Sino-Japanese War such as the Nanjing Massacre Memorial. On sensitive dates like September 18 (the date when the Mukden incident occurred), it is best to take extra precautions and avoid crowds. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan has issued an series of manuals to instruct how to stay safe during a visit.

If your skin tone doesn’t match people’s assumptions for someone from your country, and especially if you’re ethnically Chinese, you may not be treated like you are from the country on your passport. Visas on arrival are sometimes denied on this basis.

Chinese people have traditionally held Jews in high regard, but anti-Jewish sentiment has risen as a result of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war due to China’s longstanding support of Palestine. Unprovoked harassment or violence against Jews in the street remains exceedingly rare.

LGBT travelers

China is generally a safe destination for gay and lesbian travelers. There are no laws against homosexuality in China, though there is censorship of homosexual-themed content in the media, and any hint of activism (e.g. the display of pride flags) is swiftly shut down by the authorities. Gay bars can be found in the major cities, but are absent in rural areas. Chinese society is still rather conservative compared to the West, and most people are unwilling to discuss their sexuality in public. Same-sex marriages and unions are not recognized by the government.

While openly displaying your sexual orientation in public is still likely to draw stares and whispers, gay and lesbian visitors should generally not run into any major problems, and unprovoked violence against homosexual couples is almost unheard of. In general, the younger generation in the major cities tends to be more accepting of homosexuality, with Chengdu in particular being popularly regarded as the gay capital of China.

Staff in hotels and guesthouses may assume that a mistake has been made if a same-sex couple has reserved a room with one large bed and try to move you to another room. However, they will generally back down if you insist that it is not a problem.

Transgender people may change their legal gender and use public toilets accordingly only after undergoing sex reassignment surgery. However, unprovoked confrontations or violence against trans people are exceedingly rare.

Power banks

Power banks are illegal to possess in China unless they have the CCC symbol on them. Those without the CCC symbol will be confiscated by customs on arrival. Generally speaking, it’s better to just buy your power bank after you arrive in China or rent one from the commonly seen rental machines.

Stay healthy

Personal hygiene

See also: Toilets

Outside major cities, public washrooms range from mildly unpleasant to utterly repulsive. In cities, it varies from place to place. High-quality bathrooms can be found inside major tourist attractions, at international hotels, office buildings, and upper-class department stores. Washrooms in foreign restaurant chains, or any of the coffee chains listed in the drink section are usually more or less clean. While those in common restaurants and hotels are barely acceptable, those in hotel rooms are generally clean. Public toilets are free. Separate facilities are always provided for men (男 nán) and women (女 nǚ), but sometimes there are no doors on the front of the stalls.

The sit-down toilet familiar to Westerners is rare in China in public areas. Hotels will generally have them in rooms, but in places where Westerners are scarce, expect to find squat toilets more often than not. Many private homes in urban areas now have sit-down toilets. Western establishments such as McDonald’s or Starbucks will have a western toilet, but may not have toilet paper.

Carry your own tissue paper (卫生纸 wèishēngzhǐ, or 面纸 miànzhǐ) as it is rarely provided. You can buy it in bars, restaurants, convenience stores and Internet cafés for ¥2. Put used paper in the bucket next to the toilet; do not flush it away as it may block the often poor plumbing systems. There may not be soap in the public washrooms either.

The Chinese tend to distrust the cleanliness of bathtubs, and while in China, you should too. In hotels with fixed bathtubs, disposable plastic bathtub liners may be provided. If you feel like having a bath, use them.

Wash your hands often with soap if you can find any, carry some disposable disinfectant tissues (found in almost any department or cosmetics store), or use alcohol gel.

Food

Each major city has an inspection regime that requires each establishment to prominently display the result (good, average or poor). It is hard to say how effective this is. Restaurants generally prepare hot food when you order. Even in the smallest of restaurants, hot dishes are usually freshly prepared, instead of reheated, and rarely cause health problems.

When buying street food, make certain it is cooked thoroughly while you are watching; also, visit stalls frequented by locals, and look for plastic-wrapped disposable chopsticks.

Minor stomach discomfort may still be experienced from street food and restaurant food alike, but is said to pass as one becomes accustomed to the local food. Ginger can be effective against nausea.

Drink

Chinese people do not drink water straight from the tap, even in the cities. All hotels provide an electric kettle you can use to boil tap water or a sealed plastic bottle of commercial mineral water. Tap water is safe to drink after boiling.

Some apartments and businesses have rather large water filters installed to improve the quality of water for cooking and washing. It still doesn’t make the water drinkable from the tap, however it does improve the water quality a great deal.

Purified drinking water in bottles is available everywhere, and is generally quite cheap. ¥2 is normal for a small bottle. Check that the seal on the cap is not broken. Beer, wine and soft drinks are also cheap and safe.

A lot of rivers in China have been contaminated by chemicals that filters can not help much with, although this should only be dangerous if consumed over an extended period of time.

Pollution

Smog Most smog or haze outbreaks are made up of fine particles that are 2.5 microns or smaller (PM2.5). N95 masks provide good protection against smog as they are at least 95% efficient against fine particles that are about 0.1–0.3 microns. They are 99.5% efficient against larger particles of 0.75 microns or more. As with most things in China, be sure to identify a reputable brand such as 3M

Pollution and heavy smog is a significant problem in many large towns and cities, and even the countryside is not immune. However, due to stricter environmental protection laws and the widespread adoption of electrical vehicles (EVs), the situation has improved significantly, and Beijing is no longer the most polluted city in the world.

Long-term effects of smog are unlikely to have a significant effect on your health if you are only in China for a short stay and have no pre-existing respiratory problems. If you are concerned, discuss this with a medical professional before your trip.

Places at higher altitudes or plains like parts of Yunnan and Sichuan, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Tibet and outlying islands such as Hainan usually have good air quality. This website can provide detailed hourly pollution readings for most large cities.

You will also hear a lot of noise. Construction and renovation are full-time activities. Chinese and long-time residents’ ears are adapted to filter and tolerate it.

Health care

Healthcare for foreigners Most major Chinese cities have clinics and hospitals that are more appropriate for foreigners, with English-speaking and Western-qualified staff. Although expensive, it is worth identifying them whenever you plan to stay in an area for a significant time. For non-urgent medical treatment, you may want to consider traveling to Hong Kong, Taiwan or South Korea for a higher standard of treatment which may not be particularly more expensive.

The quality of Chinese hospitals for the Chinese people is generally not up to the standards of the West. Local doctors have been known to prescribe more expensive treatments than necessary; IV drips are routine prescriptions in China, even for minor ailments like the common cold, and doctors have a tendency to liberally prescribe antibiotics. Most locals go to the hospital even for the most minor ailments, and the concept of a private clinic rarely exists. You should consider keeping a significant amount of cash readily available for emergencies, since not being able to pay upfront may delay treatment.

Ambulance services are expensive, require upfront payment, are not accorded much priority on the roads and are therefore not particularly fast. Quality of ambulance service also varies with regions, and paramedics in poorer regions are often poorly equipped and trained. Taking a taxi to the hospital in an emergency will often be much quicker.

Common therapeutic drugs — things like penicillin or insulin — are generally available from a pharmacist with a prescription and considerably cheaper than in western countries. You can usually ask to see the instructions that came with the box. Western medicine is called xīyào (西药). Less common drugs are often imported, hence expensive.

In larger cities there are strong controls over medicine, and even ‘standard’ cold medicine such as acetaminophen/paracetamol or dextromethorphan may require a prescription. Opiates always require a prescription, although Viagra never does.

In smaller cities and rural areas many medicines, including most antibiotics, are often available without a prescription.

Common symptoms - Caught a cold: 感冒 gǎnmào - Fever: 发烧 fāshāo - Headache: 头痛 tóutòng - Stomach ache: 肚子痛 dùzitòng - Sore throat: 喉咙痛 hóulóngtòng - Cough: 咳嗽 késòu See Chinese phrasebook for more.

Most Chinese doctors and nurses, even in larger cities, will speak little or no English. However, medical staff are in plentiful supply and hospital wait times are generally short – usually less than 10 minutes at general clinics (门诊室 ménzhěnshì), and virtually no wait time at emergency rooms (急诊室 jízhěnshì).

There are private Western-style clinics and hospitals in most major Chinese cities which provide a higher standard of care. The doctors and nurses will speak English (with interpretation services often available for other foreign languages), and are often hired from, or have obtained their medical qualifications in Western countries. They provide an easy and comfortable way to obtain familiar Western treatment from doctors qualified in the West, although you will be paying a steep premium for these services starting at ¥1,000 just for the consultation. Check beforehand to see whether your insurance will cover all or part of this.

For any significant surgery, it is worth considering traveling to Hong Kong, Taiwan or South Korea as the standard of treatment and care is more aligned to Western standards.

Ensure that needles used for injections or any other procedure that requires breaking the skin are new and unused; insist on seeing the packet being broken open. In some parts of China it is acceptable to re-use needles, albeit after sterilization.

For acupuncture, although disposable needles are quite common in mainland China, you can provide your own needles if you prefer. The disposable type, called sterilized acupuncture needles (无菌針灸針) usually cost ¥10-20 per 100 needles and are available in many pharmacies. There should be minimal to no bleeding when the needle is inserted and removed if the acupuncturist is sufficiently skilled.

While Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is ubiquitous in China, regulation tends to be lax and it is not unheard of for Chinese TCM practitioners to prescribe dangerous herbs. Do some research and ensure you have some trusted local friends to help you out if you wish to see a TCM practitioners. You can head to Hong Kong or Taiwan instead, as the practice is better regulated there.

Infectious diseases

If making more than a short trip to China, it may be a good idea to get vaccinated against Hepatitis A and Typhoid as they can be spread via contaminated food, and Japanese encephalitis which is transmitted in rural areas.

Parts of southern China have mosquitoes which transmit dengue fever.

As of 2019 the official estimate is that nearly 1 million people in China are living with HIV/AIDS. One in four infected individuals do not know their status. Sex workers, clients of sex workers and injecting drug users are the most infected groups.

New diseases are sometimes a threat in China, particularly in its more densely populated parts. There have been cases of bird flu: avoid undercooked poultry or eggs.

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Content adapted from Wikivoyage, used under CC BY-SA 3.0.