Internet Access and VPN in China

Late spring or early autumn would be the best time to visit Hangzhou. Hangzhou is a typical subtropical city where four seasons are distinguishable. Winter is cold and dry while during the summer time, temperatures can go up till 32 degrees or even higher, along with abundant rainfall and a risk of typhoons. Try to avoid Chinese public holidays such as between October 1st and 7th, during which the city could be flooded by local tourists.

For citizens of the following countries, visa is not requested for short term stays : - 90 days : Bosnia and Herzegovina, San Marino - 60 days : Mauritius - 30 days : Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada, Qatar, Serbia, Seychelles, Tonga, United Arab Emirates. - 15 days : Brunei, Japan, Singapore. Holders of passports issued by the following 49 countries do not require a visa for a 144-hour stay if they are transiting through Hangzhou Airport or Shanghai Hongqiao Airport. However, passengers need to provide ticket showing their first destination, which should be outside China, nor could it be in the same country as the inbound flight. - All European Union citizens, Albania, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Iceland, Japan, Macedonia, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Qatar, Russia, South Korea, Switzerland, Ukraine, United States. - Messengers who enter China by Shanghai or Hangzhou Airport under transition condition can not leave the area of Zhejiang, Suzhou, and Shanghai.

Due to the Internet policy of China, certain websites and applications are not accessible from the mainland, which includes those very commonly used in the west (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google, Skype and more). Some travellers have been able to gain access to those via a VPN service (installed prior to arrival in China). Make sure you comply with local laws and regulations when deciding on whether or not to employ a VPN, and which one to choose (if you do, only use those explicitly allowed by the Chinese government, and only use them for authorised purposes to avoid any trouble). There have been reports of foreigners in China getting their cell service cut off in response to unauthorised use of VPN being detected; restoring cell service required a trip to the local police station where contents of the device were investigated and certain apps removed. Giving that Google is banned in China, Google Maps might not be the most accurate and reliable source of information. Some local apps such as Baidu Maps and AutoNavi tend to work better than Google Maps.

There is an extensive and reliable bus network in Hangzhou, although bus schedules are all in Chinese only. Buses with a "Y" prefix are the ones that circulate among the tourist hot spots. Tickets can be bought directly from the driver (a bus card may be purchased at kiosks in advance). There are also 3 subway lines and 5 under construction. There are 3 railway stations in Hangzhou, Hangzhou Station, Hangzhou South Station and Hangzhou East Station. The easiest way to get to Hangzhou Station is to take the subway line 1. Other stations are served by buses. The public transportation is convenient in Hangzhou and buses serve most tourist sites. There are also bicycle rentals, with a deposit, to enjoy a journey around the West Lake.

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