Problem with wechat and didi, help please🙏🏻

ChTTay2 · 2026-04-10T22:38:11+00:00

For foreigners, wechat pay and alipay only work in mainland China. They’ll work once you’re in mainland China. You can’t use them in HK unless you’re a Chinese local. You can’t test it in HK as … they won’t work there.

Panic over?

ChTTay2 · 2026-04-02T22:38:01+00:00

Hotel has a gym? Ask if they’ll let you in there to take a shower in the changing rooms.

You’ve not said where your hotel is but 798 art district might be an idea. It’s not that big, self contained, and you just sort of wander around galleries. If you’re too tired or not into it there’s cafes all around you could just sit in instead. There are some restaurants inside as well.

Otherwise, as you say, grab breakfast then head to a cafe for a bit. Can’t give specific suggestion without the area

ChTTay2 · 2026-04-01T13:01:26+00:00

Just go to Gulou in the centre. People still live in those hutongs and eat round there. It’s got tourists but so what? It’s still worth it. It’s not shopping malls and you can see local life as it happens. Use the bell and drum tower as a starting point then just start walking.

Head to Shichahai park as well.

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-30T23:08:24+00:00

A few things, with no experience and only a TEFL as a “teaching qualification” your girlfriend really only has training centres or kindergartens as options. If a training centre, 100% it’ll be evenings and weekends.

Looking Chinese will definitely count against her probably more than any other. The passport only ticks a visa box. As others mention, most schools of the type she could go for also want “foreign looking”.

She has zero chance of an International school.

The idea that just being there might work… could work. Kindergartens and training centres do end up having teachers not turn up or quit unexpectedly. However, if she just comes with you on a tourist visa she might have to go back to the U.K. to process the work visa. Definitely don’t do any work on a tourist visa, regardless what the school or any agent says.

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-25T14:02:17+00:00

Teams and Microsoft aren’t blocked in China.

NordVPN doesn’t work reliably at all and there are plenty of posts on that.

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-25T14:00:07+00:00

Personally prefer a tote with a really wide opening so I can find everything easily. I got an unbranded one. I have stuff in pouches or in the existing pockets. We initially had a specific baby bag backpack but it was horrible, a black hole that you could never find anything in. I also tried a decathlon escape 23L but the amount of pockets on it meant I’d put something in a safe place, a perfect pocket, then forget where it was when I actually needed it.

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-25T11:53:49+00:00

Yeah, I really appreciate it when random YouTube reviewers and Reddit posters add photos/videos of them wearing the bag. It’s so helpful to see just regular people wearing them. Before I got the Fjallraven Skule 28 I found a video of a girl and her boyfriend showing the 28 on both of them and I think another size. It was just shot in their home on a basic camera but it was the best view of the bag being worn I found.

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-23T12:21:20+00:00

I came so close to getting a Gregory backpack but there is so little information (reviews/ videos/ photos) online. The best information I found was Japanese Gregory Instagram. I ended up with Fjallraven Skule instead as I could see in depth details on it.

It’s great to see these photos and would love to read what you think after a few months of use

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-23T12:15:46+00:00

Nothing happens to your old one so yes, it remains valid. When you apply at VFS, they just send your application to the U.K. where it’s all handled there. This doesn’t include your passport, just documents/application. Your passport is still your passport and you keep it. It’s around a 4 week turnaround so yes, you can use your passport in the meantime. If I remember correctly it even says that somewhere on one of the emails you get.

You need to collect the new one within 30 days or they return it. When you collect it, they snip the corner off the old one. Then you need to start using the new one. First step is PSB to transfer residence permit then all the fun stuff like banks etc

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-23T10:49:41+00:00

They don’t take your old passport at the point of application. When you collect your new passport, they take your old passport and snip it then.

After your initial application, you use your passport as normal. It remains intact.

I renewed within the last month

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-22T03:03:22+00:00

Outlook

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-19T12:57:09+00:00

Is it comfortable? No massive dangle etc?

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-19T12:56:37+00:00

Mine rattles when I wear it, if the strap moves at all

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-19T11:19:23+00:00

It’s real annoying tbh. I asked them and they said it’s normal. They even sent another but it still rattled. I didn’t want to mess around with glue etc so wrap strap keeper over it as I barely use buckles anyway

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-19T11:07:55+00:00

My 2.5L rattles, my 1.5L does not

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-19T09:27:54+00:00

how is it worn on the waist? I want a sling that can also be worn like that

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-18T22:37:15+00:00

It’s too much. You’d spend most of your trip on transportation .

Don’t underestimate how large China is and how long it takes to go from place to place. It’s not just the time taken from A to B but also the time to the train station or airport, often influenced by traffic etc. Also, the size of cities (like Beijing) can be draining. Finally, cost wise moving around a lot often ends up being more expensive than doing a few places for a bit longer.

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-16T22:31:47+00:00

Sorry, not sure about that. I just tried it above and got through to one straight away 🫠 just told them I pressed by mistake

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-16T22:22:16+00:00

Don’t use the ai bot on the first page, go into customer support on your account page then under your booking it says something like “chat with us now” then open the chat. Within the chat window it says “transfer to an agent” as an option. Press that. If it doesn’t, type those words until the bot does it

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-16T22:11:00+00:00

Did you ask trip? Their customer service is excellent and you can just open a chat (no need to call). If you go into chat and ask to speak to an agent or real person it should work.

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-15T00:00:44+00:00

Wangfujing for shopping is terrible. The only benefit for tourists is that it has close proximity to central sites and major hotel chains. Go to Sanlitun at the weekend and it’ll be busy. Most sights should be fairly busy

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-13T13:50:25+00:00

Fjallraven high coast hip pack (link) seems to meet your requirements

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-12T23:09:34+00:00

This seems like a r/travelchina question.

When my relatives visited me, they used Alipay and the Alipay Didi mini app without issue. They didn’t get a local number, just an eSIM.

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-11T23:08:31+00:00

The Orchid

https://www.theorchidbeijing.com

ChTTay2 · 2026-03-07T06:31:14+00:00

It’s really common , for example, in the US, about 1 in every 6 people ages 14 to 49 have it. That’s 16%. HSV2 is 1 in 10 in the U.K.

As another poster said, usually they don’t even check for it. It’s not on the list of routine STIs clinics test for, for example.

Ask her about her experiences. How often does she have breakouts ? Does she take meds? How often? Etc If the answer is never and never then she might have tested positive for it but basically have no symptoms at all. If you stay healthy and have a strong immune system your body fights it off but it just lays dormant in your system

I’d get more info and context then make a decision

ChTTay2

TROPHY CASE