Daily Basics

Daily basics foreign visitors often miss in China, including toilets, tap water, pharmacies, passports, tickets, and lost phones.

These are not glamorous travel topics, but they are the problems that make a first day in China feel hard. Save this section if you want the boring details handled before they become stressful.

Payments, apps, and transport matter. But small things also trip people up: toilet paper, tap water, pharmacies, a lost phone, or a ticket machine asking for passport details.

Pick the practical problem

Public toilets and toilet paper

Avoid the awkward first-day bathroom problem: squat toilets, toilet paper, soap, and where to find cleaner restrooms.

Tap water and bottled water

Know when to drink bottled water, boiled water, hotel water, and what to do if your stomach is sensitive.

Pharmacies and basic medicine

Use pharmacies without overcomplicating it: symptoms, allergies, translation apps, dosage questions, and when to seek medical help.

Power plugs and charging

Know which adapter to bring, whether your charger works, and what to avoid with 110V-only appliances and power banks.

Lost passport or phone

A calm first-response checklist for the two items that can disrupt payment, hotels, transport, and identity checks.

Real-name tickets and passport checks

Understand why your passport may be needed for trains, hotels, attractions, and some reservations.

The boring rule that helps most

Carry your basics before you leave the hotel: phone battery, passport photo or copy, tissue, small cash backup, hotel address in Chinese, and screenshots of important phrase cards.

What to carry in your day bag

  • Tissue or toilet paper. Public bathrooms may not provide it.
  • Hand sanitizer. Soap is not guaranteed everywhere.
  • Power bank. Your phone is payment, map, translation, and hotel address.
  • Passport or passport copy. Requirements depend on the situation, but real-name checks are common.
  • Basic medicine from home if you rely on it. Keep original packaging if possible.

FAQ

Why put these topics on a first-72-hours site?

Because these are the problems that feel small until they happen at the wrong time. A practical guide should cover them before the visitor is stuck.

Should I carry my passport every day?

It depends on your plan. You may need the original passport for trains, hotels, some attractions, and official identity checks. If you do not carry it, at least keep secure photos and know where the original is.

Bookings and addresses that need your passport