Russian entrepreneur Liza Chaika has outlined three vital recommendations for travellers preparing for their first journey to China.
Speaking to Russian news outlet Lenta.ru, Chaika warned prospective visitors that digital setup, daily scheduling, and itinerary pacing require thorough preparation before leaving home.
Her primary recommendation focuses on digital preparation. Chaika urged tourists to install WeChat, Alipay, an online translation app, and dedicated local taxi and navigation services on their smartphones before departure.
She stressed that holidaymakers need to resolve mobile connectivity and electronic payment arrangements before arrival. To prevent confusion on the ground, she advised saving all essential hotel and destination addresses in Chinese characters directly on the device.
China operates a largely cashless consumer society dominated by smartphone transactions. WeChat, developed by Chinese technology conglomerate Tencent, functions as an all-in-one messaging, social media, and digital wallet platform used by hundreds of millions of people daily. Alipay, operated by Ant Group, provides a comparable mobile payment ecosystem accepted across the country. Because international credit cards and paper banknotes are rarely used by small merchants, street vendors, or taxi drivers, setting up digital payment tools is essential for overseas visitors.
Language barriers also make advance phone preparation necessary. Western map services and search platforms often lack detailed local listings in mainland China, while storefronts and road signs appear primarily in Mandarin. Carrying pre-saved addresses in Chinese characters enables drivers and local staff to recognise destinations immediately, avoiding misunderstandings.
Planning urban itineraries
Chaika also advised tourists to compile a structured list of venues and shops they wish to explore before setting out. She explained that in China's sprawling cities, searching spontaneously for an appealing cafe or boutique can easily consume several hours of valuable holiday time.
Chinese metropolitan areas such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen span hundreds of square miles, with commercial centres frequently separated by long travel distances. Navigating these vast spaces without clear plans can quickly exhaust travellers.
The expert further cautioned visitors against attempting to see the entire country during a single vacation. She explained that it is far wiser to select a small number of neighbourhoods, reserve plenty of time for walking, and refrain from judging the wider country by a single crowded tourist street, market stall, or disappointing restaurant.
Choosing personal travel priorities
According to Chaika, travellers should clearly determine their personal interests before choosing a route. She stated that knowing whether one wants to focus on historic architecture, local cuisine, modern design, retail shopping, or the business sector makes it much easier to design an itinerary and experience China beyond standard tourist hotspots.
Chaika, who founded the CHAIKA brand and established a community for hedonists, works as an insider within the Asian commercial market.
Her advice arrives amid ongoing Russian interest in travel to the country. A Russian travel blogger previously described her vacation in China by stating that visitors could stay in chic hotels for 3,000 roubles, praising the strong balance of price and quality across the country's hospitality sector.
