I'm leaving for China at the end of next week and usually use Gmail for email when traveling. Is it currently usable from China or am I better getting another web based email address? I know Google and the Chinese Government don't always see eye to eye.

When we were there in April, Gmail access was spotty at best. In theory, the channels are wide open for Gmail (no government blockage)--it's more Google search that's an issue...but you absolutely will notice that everything online in China takes about 5 - 10x as long to load. Everything you search for/access is being vetted against a filter first before loading (here's where the censorship part comes in) and that can be maddening if you're actually trying to use the web in any sort of normal fashion.

In all our travels in Asia so far, I found internet access in China to be the worst by a longshot.

Thanks for that. Worse than Myanmar?

"Ha, ha" is my description of the Internet in Myanmar.

I have never had any problems with GMAIL in China. Agree that some sites are can be difficult to open. BBC etc.

If you want to use Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, get yourself a VPN..

Don't care about anything else, just email. I think I'll risk it.

I have Chinese friends who use gmail as their primary email and have no issues with it.

I am currently sitting in the lobby of the Guilin Sheraton and just used gmail without any issues. Same with Beijing and Xian. Granted I am using nice hotel wifi, but no issues yet. Facebook however is blocked.

JazzDrew.

If you plan to stay a long time in China and want Facebook,get a VPN. I used one in January,2011, and never had a problem accessing those awful banned sites such as Facebook, Twitter, BBC etc.

I used a pay site. Cost $15.00 for a month.

I've used gmail in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shen Zhen, and Chang Sha and never had any problems. It is annoying how they block so many other site though, like fb, twitter and even tumblr

Download Freegate from dongtaiwang.com. I had used it for 2 years on various trips and had no problem using Facebook anywhere in China. Free download, as it is US taxpayers' money at work.

I don't use Facebook very much and can happily live without it. The ability to send emails would be handy and it looks like gmail will enable me to do that. Wife and children just need to know that I'm alive!

I live in China and never had problems using my gmail account.
Speed being 5-10x slower sounds bizarre. not my experience. As always, it depends on where you are and the quality of the connection.

We were in China during April of this year. China is a beautiful country and we plan to go back soon. China is a governmental and Communist controlled country so almost everythings is under a kind of watch by goverment officials. When I was there I found two ways one could send emails out of China by getting in to Google Hong Kong web site or go to your work's email account.

I don't understand what you mean by getting to Google HK website. You just go to mail.google.com as any other place in the world and you get you gmail.