- Money
Most everyday payments in China are cashless and mobile-first. People mainly use WeChat Pay (WeChat) and Alipay (Alipay) for almost everything: taxis, restaurants, shops, vending machines, even street food. Cash exists, but it’s increasingly secondary.
The easiest setup is to link your foreign card (Visa/Mastercard) to WeChat Pay or Alipay. This works in many places, but not everywhere, and not for every foreign card, so it’s worth testing both apps before you travel. Many hotels and international venues will also accept cards directly, but don’t rely on that outside higher-end places.
Prices are usually displayed in RMB (¥). You’ll see decimals, but small change is rarely used in daily mobile payments because everything is digital.
- Time Zone
In October, the time in Beijing is UTC+8.
- Calls
The country code for calling China from abroad is +86.
- Weather
In October, the weather in Beijing is generally cool and pleasant, with temperatures typically around 10°C to 20°C.
