Travel

Okay, so you’re in Beijing. You’ve done the Wall, you’ve sweated through the Forbidden City, and you’ve eaten enough Peking duck to make a cardiologist weep. Now you’re thinking, “I came to China to see a panda, not a t-shirt with a panda on it.” I get it. My wife, Xiao Li, is from Chengdu, and for the first three years of our marriage, she would not let me near the Panda Base because she said I’d “embarrass the family by trying to hug one.” ...

Welcome to ChinaBound - your ultimate guide to traveling in China! Why ChinaBound? I’m Joran, an American who has been living in China since 2021. Over the past 5 years, I’ve traveled to 32 Chinese cities and want to share my experiences with you. What You’ll Find Here Visa Guides: Everything you need to know about Chinese visas Payment Tips: How to use Alipay and WeChat Pay as a foreigner City Guides: Detailed guides to Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Chengdu and more Travel Stories: Personal stories from my adventures across China Start Exploring Check out these popular guides: ...

144-Hour Visa-Free Transit in China: The Complete 2026 Guide Hey, Joran Here 👋 Look, I’ll be honest with you—I almost ruined my first China trip because I didn’t understand this stupid 144-hour rule. I was flying from LA to Tokyo, saw a cheap layover in Shanghai, thought “why not?” without reading the fine print. Long story short: I ended up spending 6 hours at the immigration counter arguing my case while my connecting flight took off without me. ...