Chengdu

Wet market — cheapest produce, meat, everything

Meituan / Hema — app-delivery + smart stores

Walmart / RT-Mart — big Western-style shop

Convenience (FamilyMart) — everywhere, cashless

Best: Mar – Jun & Sep – Nov · Wet: Jul – Aug

Fees: Foreign cards work at Bank of China, ICBC and big-bank ATMs (~¥15–30 fee), but China is almost entirely cashless via mobile pay.

Limits: Usually ¥2,000–3,000 per pull.

Best machines: Bank of ChinaICBCChina Construction Bank

Vaccines: Routine, Hepatitis A, Typhoid. Japanese encephalitis for long rural/summer stays.

Health: Bottled/boiled water only. Air quality varies by city and season — check the AQI, sensitive travellers pack a mask. Big-city international hospitals are excellent (and pricey); insure well.

Tap water: ❌ Don't drink the tap. Bottled or boiled water only; hotels provide kettles and locals drink hot water everywhere.

Safety: China is very safe for visitors day-to-day — violent crime against tourists is rare and cities feel secure late at night. The real friction is digital: bring a VPN installed BEFORE arrival (Google, WhatsApp, Instagram are blocked), and set up Alipay/WeChat Pay with a foreign card — cash is nearly dead here. Scams target tourists at tea houses and 'art galleries' near sights.

For most short tourist trips, citizens of the US, UK, EU/Schengen, Canada, Australia and New Zealand either enter visa-free or get a simple online authorisation (an eVisa or eTA) before flying. Typical visa-free stays run 30–90 days. Some countries want a visa arranged in advance, and a growing number ask you to fill an online arrival or eVisa form even when 'visa-free' — so always check the official portal for your exact nationality before you book.