Last updated · 10 June 2026
What we are
CathayGuide is an independent, English-language travel guide to China. We are not a travel agency, a visa agent, or a booking platform. Our job is to explain how China's entry rules, connectivity, payments and cities actually work, so a first-time visitor arrives knowing what to do.
How we source
For anything that affects your trip materially — visa eligibility, entry requirements, police registration, emergency numbers — we go to the primary official source and link to it. That means:
- NIA — National Immigration Administration, for transit-visa and entry rules.
- MFA & embassies — for visa categories, fees and document requirements.
- Official provider documentation — for payment apps, eSIMs and connectivity.
We do not treat other travel blogs as sources of fact. Where we describe practical experience or current conditions (for example which VPNs are getting through the firewall), we draw on current connectivity reporting and traveller feedback, and we say so rather than implying first-hand testing we have not done.
Dating & updates
Every time-sensitive guide carries a visible "last updated" date. When an official policy changes, we update the affected page and its date. We prioritise being accurate over being first — on YMYL topics a wrong figure is worse than a slow one.
Corrections
If we get something wrong, we fix it and note the change. If you spot an error — especially on a visa, safety or payment page — please tell us through the contact page and we will check it against the official source.
Commercial independence
Some pages contain affiliate links — to VPNs, eSIMs and hotel platforms — which may earn us a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. These relationships fund the site.
They do not influence our recommendations or rankings. We decide what to recommend on the merits first, then disclose the commercial relationship. A product we rank first would still rank first whether or not it paid a commission. Affiliate links are marked, and each page that carries them shows a disclosure.
On pages about getting past the Great Firewall we rely on affiliate revenue rather than display advertising, both for editorial focus and because ad-network policies are restrictive on that topic.
What we don't do
- We don't publish unverified AI-generated filler. Drafts are checked against sources before publishing.
- We don't sell your data or build advertising profiles — see our privacy policy.
- We don't claim experience or testing we haven't done.
Questions
Anything unclear about how we work? Reach the desk through the contact page.