Using social media in China?

Old Feb 5th, 2018, 02:49 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Using social media in China?

I’m going to China soon for a solo vacation. I was wondering if I could use my social media while in the country. I’ve heard from a friend who went to a romance tour in China that all their social media platforms were blocked. Is this actually true?


I’ll mainly be staying in Beijing, but I’d be spending some time in the province too. I don’t really mind if I can’t use my social media account, I just want to know if that’s really not allowed since I might be updating my friends and family of what I’m up to.


Most of the time I’ll be using Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram. I also have other messaging tools like Viber and WhatsApp. I just want to know what other apps or sites are blocked in China just so I can prepare alternatives in case I really need it. It would be really nice if you guys could give me answers. Thanks.
imatraveller38 is offline  
Old Feb 5th, 2018, 02:55 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 17,986
Received 22 Likes on 4 Posts
On three trips to. Hina, I could never open Facebook or, even worse, Google. You can get around it with a VPN.
HappyTrvlr is offline  
Old Feb 5th, 2018, 06:50 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
It's google and seem to bing too. You can only Chinese search enngine - Baidu to search with alot of chinese words. The only way for travelers to use internet in China is "renting" VPN with few bucks
hungodd94 is offline  
Old Feb 5th, 2018, 07:12 PM
  #4  
kja
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,100
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Here's a recent thread on the issue:
Visit To China
kja is offline  
Old Feb 5th, 2018, 07:51 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We did a decent few trips in China, and could not use FB anywhere. What was the worst was I could not use any Google product; including my gmail account; so no emails. No Google search engine etc etc. THis was most annoying and thats when I realized how hooked I was to Google

I did get a VPN service before I went there, and it did work, but it was painfully slow. and not always reliable.

Hope that helps.
alikarim is offline  
Old Feb 5th, 2018, 08:13 PM
  #6  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks for all the replies. I really appreciate it. I'm gonna get a VPN even before I travel in preparation. Thanks again.
imatraveller38 is offline  
Old Feb 6th, 2018, 05:54 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If you roam on a foreign SIM then you can access everything.
Bing is a good substitute to Google search. Among the Google products, Google translate works fine.
CanadaChinaTraveller is offline  
Old Feb 6th, 2018, 06:03 AM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 27,609
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Duckduckgo is a better substitute for Google search, it respects privacy. I pay for my main email account, I only use Google for maps and occasionally translate.

I have used Witopia's VPN for several years. I would not access my financial data on wifi networks without it.
thursdaysd is offline  
Old Feb 6th, 2018, 09:49 AM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Please note that the Chinese government has just re-announced its intention of blocking all foreign VPNs from March 1. (Businesses wishing to have access to the vast amounts of data blocked by the Great Firewall will have to install a dedicated line, bought from the people who will, of course, be able to monitor it themselves.)
temppeternh is offline  
Old Mar 10th, 2018, 03:29 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,351
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
What a repressive government!!!!

Anyone who gets around "the system", whether or VPN or other device, should still beware, not to utter certain "trigger words", such as "Dalai Lama", "Falun Gong",
"Tianamen Square", or the like, unless one really enjoys chatting with the secret police for a couple days.
tomboy is offline  
Old Mar 10th, 2018, 11:32 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
is it so? I am from nepal and i am also planning to visit china in near future
bhim011 is offline  
Old Mar 11th, 2018, 03:22 PM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 17,986
Received 22 Likes on 4 Posts
Yes it is true, no Facebook and the worst thing is not having Google!
HappyTrvlr is offline  
Old Mar 11th, 2018, 04:12 PM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 27,609
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Funny, I manage to live quite happily without Google. Aside from Google maps, that is. Try duckduckgo.
thursdaysd is offline  
Old Mar 12th, 2018, 12:19 AM
  #14  
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
You can't use social media sites in China.
helixspin is offline  
Old Mar 13th, 2018, 03:02 AM
  #15  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by helixspin
You can't use social media sites in China.
Of course you can. Only some foreign ones are blocked.
CanadaChinaTraveller is offline  
Old Mar 13th, 2018, 04:05 AM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 543
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Can you read and write chinese characters? If not, sorry.
jobin is offline  
Old Mar 14th, 2018, 04:22 AM
  #17  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by jobin
Can you read and write chinese characters? If not, sorry.
Why? Don't you use Wechat? No Chinese required. In China nearly everybody can read and write Chinese.
CanadaChinaTraveller is offline  
Old Mar 17th, 2018, 08:11 AM
  #18  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
my travel agent told me to install vpn before entering China. Once there should not use in public.
ievabalo is offline  
Old Nov 20th, 2018, 05:01 AM
  #19  
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by CanadaChinaTraveller
Of course you can. Only some foreign ones are blocked.
Yeah, you're right. I just doubled checked.
helixspin is offline  
Old Nov 20th, 2018, 06:32 AM
  #20  
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,559
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hold on. I was in China in September and used fb where we were, Beijing and Xian with no issues. I sent and received texts and emails too. I did not use a VPN. I have Verizon and paid about $10.00 per day for calls, text and data as per my plan in the US.
jacketwatch is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -