Applications for travel to china. The most useful apps for a trip to China Which apps to download for a trip to China

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We tell about mobile applications that will make your stay in China more comfortable. This necessary minimum should be installed on the phone before the trip.

VPN

In mainland China, most of the sites and apps we are used to are not available - WhatsApp, Instagram, Youtube, Gmail, Google play... The Chinese do not need them, local counterparts are popular here. To stay connected, check emails, watch videos, you can choose one of the VPN applications that provide anonymity and encryption of information. It can be paid services- Astrill or Express VPN, or free ones like VPN Proxy Master or Hotspot Shield.

Look at rates on paid apps, read the reviews, decide if speed and the absence of annoying ads are important to you - and choose the service that seems most convenient to you. A VPN will come in handy in China. And possibly later in Russia.

Wechat

You are working with China and you are not using yet Wechat? Be sure to start. The application combines several functions - it is a messenger, a social network, mobile wallet, trading platform.

It's hard to find a Chinese person whose phone doesn't have Wechata. Therefore, even for a short business trip to China, the application will be useful! For example, you come to an exhibition, and instead of collecting printed business cards and catalogs, you can add a manufacturer to WeChat (and this can be done in two clicks - via a QR code), get electronic version catalog, and in the future to conduct correspondence, if necessary, using the translation option (in Wechat, received messages can be translated into the interface language).

The Chinese name for WeChat is 微信, Weixin.

The app has Russian version... You can register in it using a Russian phone number.

Cards

As we mentioned above, access to Google services in particular to google maps Maps in China is limited. In addition, these maps are not the most accurate for China. The best and most popular solution for the Middle Kingdom is local Baidu Maps. The application will find a point by address or name, offer several route options.

Free offline maps can also be used Maps.Me... It duplicates Chinese names in English. The map must be downloaded in advance, and after that it can be used even when there is no network. The application builds routes, shows the distance between points, allows you to save locations.

You can also use Apple Maps, in China they are not blocked, unlike Google Maps. The application in English will help you navigate the area, show, for example, the nearest shopping centers, hairdressers, metro stations.

Didi

This is the Chinese equivalent of Uber. You can download the application from Didi's official website - didiglobal.com, in the AppStore or Google Play app called Didi - Greater China(pay attention to this, since Didi also has a completely chinese version applications). For registration, you can use a Russian phone number (or another country). If you plan to use a Chinese SIM card during your tour to the PRC, then it is better to register for a Chinese number in order to be guaranteed to receive SMS notifications. Payment for the trip is made by Visa or MasterCard, and of course, WeChat and Alipay.

Yandex translate

Yandex mobile translator knows more than 90 languages. But in this case we are only interested in Chinese. And Yandex is doing a good job with it. The application can work without access to the Internet and, most importantly, translate text from photos.

To translate text from an image, you need to take a photo or select the desired image from the album.

There is a button for enabling offline mode in the application settings. In this mode, you can translate text in the English-Chinese language pair. Translation from Chinese into Russian (and vice versa) is not yet available.

Another application that can make it easier to stay in China without knowing the language is the mobile dictionary LaoshiDict(Magazeta wrote about him a long time ago). The application is free, it translates individual words (not phrases) from Russian to Chinese and vice versa.

There is simply no way to survive without good apps in China. Let me explain why.

Despite all the preparation and tons of information I read, upon arrival in China, I was in for a depressing period of adaptation. Isolation and lack of at least one non-chinese the interlocutor was pressed with a heavy burden on the psyche. Praise to all gods, after a few weeks (😅), I managed to make new friends. And oddly enough, they were not our compatriots, but Hispanics and Europeans.

Addition to the subject. Star fever

Having lived in China for a year and a half, I concluded that it will take a long time for us to unlearn the position “ every man for himself". This is, in principle, striking: in the mentality of peoples from the CIS, it is somehow not customary to help each other... I have met those who were very reluctant to share information with newcomers, perceiving them as “ come in large numbers here". I also met those who, against the background of the status “ foreigner»Developed star fever…

But, fortunately, there are also enough open and kind people, of which my friends are. Many thanks Alex, the person with the help of whom we generally came into direct contact with the company, without agents. Dozens of our acquaintances are engaged in mediation, and I I have never met anyone else who would do it disinterestedly.

But today it will be not about sociological research, but

About apps that will help you survive in China 😁

I want to warn you right away that most of them ONLY on Chinese. « Well, thanks, I helped, I helped 🙄"- you might think. Believe me, you can long and persistently search for adapted applications with a purely Russian interface that will make your life a song. But there is simply no such thing in China.... To you have to adjust in and out of your comfort zone. I would even say to run a long distance ...

Away with panic. If desired, the applications can be figured out in 10 minutes.

If the process is stalled, you can always make a print screen ( photo of the screen, ba☺) and recognize hieroglyphs via Google Translator (just don't forget to turn on VPN). In the end, you can ask the Chinese for help. This is what will be difficult and painful😂. And these free programs will really make living conditions more comfortable.

My list of Top 20 essential apps in China.

WeCHAT

We Chat

Wechat Is the first thing you should establish when traveling to China. What is it?

It is a mixture of messenger and social network🗨. With this application you can exchange text and voice messages, contacts, pictures, video files and other documents in personal and group chats... In the feed, you can configure the privacy for each post so that it is available only to selected users.

It will also be easier for you to find something and someone, because the application has a service that allows you to view the location in real time. There is a poor message translator, which, although it works clumsily (you know, machine translation), makes it possible to roughly understand what it is about.

You will be able to transfer money to other users, pay bills in restaurants, shops and taxis. True, to use this function, you will need to have a card in a Chinese bank, which I wrote about (link opens in a new window), in item 3... You can also use it to make payments for utilities, buy tickets, top up your mobile account and much, much more. So that you understand, even the homeless have it 😅. There was a case when we were asked for alms, and in response to our "no cash", the tramp took out a piece of paper with a QR code.

Pleco

Pleco Dictionary

Pleco Is a gorgeous application. English-Chinese (and vice versa) dictionary 📚. Very large base... The most useful feature is the ability to draw hieroglyphs, which is very useful for those who do not know all 80 thousand 😁. The app also teaches them the correct spelling order.

However, you can use the input function Pinyin(romanization system for Chinese), voice dialing, screen reader and recognition via camera (v paid version) ... It is possible to create cards for self-tests. All in all, this is a real find! The interface language is English.

WAYGO

Waygo translator

WAYGO- a wizard in the tangled world of China 📔. Recognizes hieroglyphs through the camera. The translation is certainly not perfect, but it's still better than hitting the sky with your finger.

Psiphon VPN

Psiphon - VPN

Psiphon- VPN service 🆓. If you decide to go to China, you NECESSARY install VPN service, and it's better right away several... Among my favorites, only Psiphon and Betternet... Moreover, the first is undisputedly in the lead. These applications open access to Google, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, etc. For those who do not know - all this is prohibited in China by Firewall, i.e. you can't just use them.

Hello chinese

HelloChinese- app for learning Chinese 🈸. The interface is English. For those who are going to live in China for more than two weeks, sooner or later have to learn the basics of Chinese... On this moment, Hello Chinese for me - best app with which it became possible. The training is divided into levels and topics, the most necessary words, phrases and grammatical constructions. By earning coins for the lesson you have completed, you can open additional games. And registration will help restore your account in case of loss / breakdown of the phone. This simple guide will teach you TALK.

Chinese Skill

ChineseSkill

Chinese skill is the second app to help you learn Chinese 🈸. I highly recommend it too. There are various tasks: recognition by ear, and video, and writing - regular practice will help in everyday communication.

Bing

Bing... If you need a search engine in English, be sure to download Bing. Of course, he is far from Google, but he doesn't have to go over too much. His interesting function is the search for establishments, shops, cinemas and other things nearby you.

Baidu Maps

百度地图 - Bǎidù dìtú - Baidu maps, Chinese version Google Maps 🗺. It also allows you to build routes, search for a location, track traffic, etc. Naturally, the interface is Chinese and nothing more. But it's easy to use and easy to get used to. To enter the address you can use Pleco, which I wrote about above copying hieroglyphs. As for navigation, in Asia with this application it works many times better and more accurately than Google itself (to work with which you need to connect VPN service). If you are an owner of an IPhone, then it will be convenient for you to use a similar application - Autonavi Navigation (高德导航), it has English.

Diǎnpíng

大众点评 - Dàzhòng diǎnpíng - Dienping. Service that provides a rating of establishments 💬. Thousands of reviews about places in any field can be found here. In Chinese 😣. But there are also English-language posts. The application allows you to plan a route to the selected institution, see the menu, prices and opening hours.

CTrip / Trip.com

CTrip or in a new way Trip.com- application for booking tickets 🎫. A significant plus is the presence of several languages, including Russian and English. In addition to booking a flight, it provides the opportunity to purchase railway tickets for travel in China. There is a cumulative system of bonuses that can be converted into monetary equivalent.

Fēi zhū - Fliggy

飞猪 - Fēi zhū - Fliggy- or flying pig... Another app for buying tickets 🎟. The interface language is Chinese, but for those who have developed intuition, this option is also suitable. The good news is that you can buy tickets at the lowest price. It is quite easy to use it, the main thing is to be careful.

Yōukù

仇酷 – Yōukù. Does it remind you of something very familiar? Right! This is a Chinese video search and download app 🎞. Such yourself, Youtube made-in-China. For those who work in the field of education, this is an indispensable tool, you can find thousands of videos on any topic. Attention, good news - most foreign-made films are in English voice acting.

Taobao

Táobǎo

手机淘宝 — Yōu shǒujī táobǎo — mobile version famous Taobao 🛍... Thanks to this application, you can make purchases of a wide variety of goods, from food to large equipment. Fast delivery (2 to 7 days). The interface is Chinese. To register, ask a Chinese for help or use a translator. Alternatively, there is another resource - with an English version. If someone thinks they can make purchases on AliExpress, I have to upset you: this site is not intended for domestic trade within China

JD.com

京东 - Jīngdōng- in common people JD.com- analogue of taobao 🛍. The interface language is Chinese. Those who live in Beijing celebrate lightning fast delivery. Buying cheap goods in one day is a reality.

China Merchant

China Merchant Bank

招com 银行 - Zhāoshāng yínháng- application for bank clients 💳 China Merchant... In China Mainly because of the very same bank employees. But if you have done this, then you will need to install a client application for yourself in order to check the balance and view the transaction history. As an example (!) , I chose China Merchant Bank, many ordinary Chinese use his services. The interface language is Chinese.

China Air Quality Index

China Air Quality Index - 中国空气质量指数 - Zhōngguó kōngqì zhí liàng zhǐshù- application showing the level of pollution in the air 😷. You can look at each region separately and choose yours specifically. In China, predictions are ignored until the first bronchitis 😉.

Alipay

Alipay- common payment system in China 💴. Payment is made by scanning a barcode or QR code. In addition, it is possible to carry out transactions.

QQ Music

QQ Music - QQ Music Player. Offers a huge online music library 🎶 which includes domestic and foreign songs. There is a karaoke mode with embedded text. You can share songs with friends, subscribe to their playlists, etc.

美团外卖

美团外卖 - Měi tuán wàimài

美团外卖 - Měi tuán wàimài- kangaroo - an application for ordering and delivering food to go 🍜. There is a search by category, name, price and location. In some establishments, you will need to make a minimum order. Services are paid for via the Internet, by card or cash. After placing an order, it will be possible to track the location of the courier. They work quickly and efficiently. The interface language is Chinese.

Mobike

Mobike- bike sharing 🚲. Very popular bike rental apps, in high demand. When registering asks for the ID card or passport number. When using Mobike, a deposit of 299 RMB(1241.53 UAH), which can be returned in case you no longer want to use the application. Then, just scan the QR code on the bike and the lock will open. The price for the trip turns out to be ridiculous, on average 1 RMB per 30 minutes. After a certain expenditure of funds, bonuses are credited to the account. To complete the trip, you will need to select the appropriate button in the application. More recently, bike rental companies have become Ofo.

Perhaps these are the main programs that will make life easier for Lao in China. And yes, life there is not sugar. But 100% deserves attention. I suggest you watch a video about food in China! Use it for health and do good 😇!

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Actual GPS-map of China in vector format Navitel nm2. Works on all versions of the program - 3.2.6, 3.5, 5.0, 7. *, 8. *, 9. * New map, update date: 10.03.2018

Perfect for in-car navigation and cycling trips. On the map of the People's Republic of China, both major roads and highways, and dirt paths, country roads are drawn. Thanks to the "routing" function, the map will help you get to the desired location, while taking into account the no-turns and one-way streets.

The map displays many points of interest (POIs), for example: car services, railway stations, dams, shops, gas stations, airports, parks and many others.

The photo shows a fragment of a map of China, which shows highways, the names of large cities and useful objects.
The map is frequently updated, its current state is maintained.

Main functions of the card

Search by address

The navigation map of the People's Republic of China for Navitel supports the address search function.
To find a building by address, first select the city, then the street name and house number.

China, Shandong, Ji Nan Shi, Yan Dong Xin Lu, 11Hao.

Coordinate transition

On the map, you can go to an arbitrary GPS coordinate and show this place on the screen. If necessary, you can
create a route to this point.

Routing (laying a route)

One of the most useful functions maps of China for motorists and tourists - routing.
For a more correct route planning, you can select the type of vehicle in the settings:
car, bicycle, pedestrian ... Based on this setting, the optimal route will be laid.

When laying a route, turn bans, speed on a road section, one-way traffic are taken into account.
Complex junctions are displayed in 3D.

For easy navigation in the People's Republic of China, you can turn on voice guidance. A pleasant voice
will warn about upcoming turns, turns and other maneuvers.

During navigation along the set route, the screen displays: current speed, distance
to the next turn, the time remaining to the finish line, the remaining distance and the estimated time
arrival at the destination.

About the map

China, the official name is the People's Republic of China, is a socialist (communist) state in East Asia. The largest state in the world in terms of population (over 1.35 billion, the majority of the population is ethnic Chinese, self-name is Han); ranks third in the world in terms of territory, behind Russia and Canada.

China is located in East Asia. From the east it is washed by the waters of the western seas of the Pacific Ocean. In the northeast, China borders on the DPRK and Russia, in the north - with Mongolia, in the northwest - with Russia and Kazakhstan, in the west - with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, in the southwest - with Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan , in the south - with Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam.

Satellite navigation map of China for GPS and GLONASS receivers. Suitable for all models of car and conventional navigators with the Navitel program. The most popular: Explay, JJ-Connect, Prestigio, Prology, Ritmix, etc. - you can upload a map of China to them.

Download the map

Map of China (People's Republic of China) for Navitel is free. Works on all versions of the Navitel program - 3.2.6, 3.5, 5.0, 7. *, 8. *, 9. *, keys are not needed for the card itself. It is updated on average every two days. Fresh version March 2018!

If you are traveling to China for a long time or just on a business trip or on a short trip, you simply cannot do without some programs on your smartphone. So, what programs should you install on your phone when you go to China? It won't be TOP 100 or something like that. I will describe which programs I myself often use and which are really needed in my daily life. I will not describe those that are not used.

8. Ordering food at home Wai Mai

9. UnionPay app

WeChat 微信 WeChat

The frequency of use is every day.

You can't do without WeChat in China. We made a new acquaintance - WeChat, you have to pay in the store - WeChat. Yes, WeChat is not only a good messenger, but also a wallet that will always be at hand. For those who are going to China, this is the first program that needs to be installed on the phone.

Alipay 支付宝 zhifubao

Frequency of use - often, but less often than WeChat.

With this application, you can buy a flight or train ticket, book a hotel and, of course, pay for purchases in the store. Discounts are often available when paying with Alipay.

By the way, you can also book a hotel and buy tickets on WeChat. But I somehow like to use Alipay for these purposes.

An irreplaceable assistant this application, will be when buying goods from Taobao.

Mei tu 美图

Frequency of use - rarely

This application is for lovers of discounts and shopping. Users of this program can get a discount on a service or product.

I often use it when going to a restaurant. The amount of the discount depends on the amount of the order, the time of visit and other factors. So very good app to save money.

Didi Che 滴滴车

Frequency of use is rare.

It generally depends on how often you use the taxi. More precisely, this application offers the user private cabs. You can drive quite cheaply, as they say "on the motor", especially over long distances.

There is a cumulative system of discounts and various promotions. Sometimes trains can cost real pennies. Once I paid only 10 yuan even though the distance was 90 yuan.

In addition, vehicles are of much better quality, as they belong to a private owner, and not to a taxi fleet. Therefore the trains will be more comfortable. You can also choose the class of car yourself: ordinary, minivan or luxury.

I hope this collection will help you navigate what programs to install on your phone before traveling to China.

Going to China, sooner or later you will have to use a map to determine your location, find the right place, as well as receive instructions on how to get to a certain place in China.

Maps from Yandex (Yandex Map) in China show only the main roads with very low detail. Google and its services in China are blocked, and maps from Google (Google Maps) in China just do not open. Even using the methods of blocked sites, the detailing still leaves much to be desired. What is the solution for navigating China? China offers its own solution - Baidu cards.

Baidu maps - definition

The main search giants, like, offer the user friendly maps for navigation. The largest search engine in China is, which is headquartered in the southeast of China in the city.

As well as popular search engines offer navigation maps, and Baidu maps in China are the most popular.

In Chinese 百度地图 Baidu Ditu is a map of Baidu from the main Internet search engine in China.

Features of the Baidu map

The Baidu map has some features that are useful to consider when working:

The top line contains useful symbols:

出租车 - call a taxi
驾车 - navigation to a destination by car
公交 - options for moving by public transport
散步 - walking path
骑车 - trajectory of cycling

Other features of the Baidu map are:

the map shows how many stops the nearest bus is, which is convenient.
It can also display the nearest location of the desired objects (hotels, restaurants, hospitals, gas stations, cinemas, etc.)
The hotel booking function has been combined.
For drivers, when approaching the junction, a separate screen shows the path of movement in detail, according to this indicator it significantly surpasses Google Maps.

How to use the Baidu map without knowing Chinese

Since the app is in Chinese, some tips will help you use the map.

Once you arrive at your location in China, launch the app with GPS and internet enabled. The app will determine your location.
Add this location to your Favorites, for example, marking it as Home, Work, or Hotel.
When returning back, select this location from your favorites. The system will automatically route to this point and offer options for how to get there: by public transport, by car, by bike, or on foot.
By selecting the public transport icon, the system will suggest bus and metro options to your destination.

Each option for moving by public transport will show how many changes you need to make, how many stops to go, how many meters to walk.

From the proposed options, select the appropriate one, and the system will pave the route back.

Above there is a navigation panel, by pasting the address in Chinese, you can also get a detailed route. Ask your friends and colleagues in China to send you a Chinese address (written in characters).

By placing the cursor in search bar, a menu drops out to search for the nearest catering places, hotels, banks.

Here's the transcript:

美餐 - selection of cafes and restaurants nearby
酒ilet - hotel deals around
银行 - nearby banks and ATMs
超市 - supermarkets nearby
更多 - more. When pressed, more understandable icons appear.

In general, the Baidu map is an indispensable assistant in China, a very necessary and useful application that you have to use every day with an active lifestyle in China.

Calling a taxi using Baidu map

Earlier it was mentioned that using the Baidu Map application, you can call a taxi. V latest version applications this function has changed its name and is called 打车 - translated as a taxi call from Chinese

Nice and very the desired function is the ability to order a taxi to the right place at a specific time, for example, at 4 o'clock in the morning. In some remote locations, it's not that there are taxis, but there are very few cars in the early morning, so this feature is very useful.