First Trip Ever to Shanghai
 

Hello,
This is my first post here. I will be leaving next month for my first trip ever to China. Arriving in Shanghai for a week. I have a million questions and was hoping someone could help me.

1. Should I take cash or use the WeChat app for payment? Will merchants accept my US bank Credit Card or Apple Pay?
2. I would like to take a bottle of bourbon to my hosts as a gift. Can i fly from Atlanta to Shanghai with a 750ml bottle of liquor? Is that an appropriate gift for a male?
3. I don't need to be on social media but want to be able to email my wife. What VPN should I use for both my laptop and iPhone?
4. Is there anything I should no about the culture and holding meetings/dining (ie....where do I sit, who takes first bite/serving, who pays, etc). I don't want to offend anyone.

thanks.
tjp

1- Take cash. You cannot set up Wechat Pay with a foreign credit card. You could set up Alipay though. But for a short trip, I don't think that it is worth the trouble. You credit card won't work anywhere except your hotel and fancier restaurants. Use ATM to get local currency.
2- No problem as long as you pack it in your checked luggage.
3- If you do not use gmail, your email is likely to work fine. No VPN is foolproof but ExpressVPN is generally ok. Check their special instructions for China. You can probably get it fro free, they have a free trial. Make sure to instal it before arriving in China.
4- Books have been written about this. In a family gathering, the oldest person will start to eat first. In a business meal, the most senior or most important person (often the guest) will start. Everybody will fight for the check at the end of the meal even if only for appearances.

as an aside you might want to pay close attention to what is happening with your flights etc. as this corona virus is major world news. A bit shocked that this topic is not on your list?

Please make sure all is over with that virus. Be safe

You know what is 'bai jiu'? You will certainly meet many bottles of this white spirit drink when at festive dinners. Think kerosine with a kick. I learned to tolerate but never enjoyed the round and round toasting, the servers filling the glass every time, the host insisting on the high-priced brand he brought himself in order to upgrade his 'face'.
Even if you are a tee-totaller, you will be pressed hard to honor the host and 'gan bei' (finish the glass).

The food will be outstanding, if you are a curious and adventuresome eater. Have a good visit.

The CDC, and the US State Department, have now advised against non-essential travel to all of China. The airlines are starting to allow changes.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices...onavirus-china

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...-advisory.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/26/t...us-travel.html

Sadly, I’ve just cancelled my trip to China for the end of March. I’m bummed, but would rather not risk our health.

I think you are very smart. I would not risk it.Did you have travel insurance or did the airline give you credit?

British Air has cancelled all flights in and out of China.

We were refunded most of the cost of the tickets with a modest cancellation fee. I checked with my CC which provides cancellation insurance and it doesn’t cover epidemics. Although I didn’t buy travel insurance, I checked to see if the product I would’ve bought would’ve covered this, and, like my CC, it doesn’t cover epidemics. The only insurance I bought was medical (evacuation, etc), and that’s not going to help me now!

All my hotels are cancellable so fortunately, minimal loss.

Looks like the OP, who has not returned here, may have trouble getting there: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/t...gtype=Homepage