# Shenzhen Decoded

> The only English-language practical travel guide for foreigners visiting Shenzhen, China. Troubleshooting-first, not tour-selling.

Full version: [Full content index](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/llms-full.txt)

What this site covers:

- Setting up mobile payments (Alipay, WeChat Pay) as a foreigner
- VPN setup and which services work in China in 2026
- Hong Kong to Shenzhen border crossings: which to use, wait times, documents
- eSIM and connectivity before and after landing
- Apps to install before crossing the border
- Eating, ordering, and navigating Shenzhen without Chinese
- Culture preparation: what surprises foreigners and how to handle it
- Dental tourism: prices, clinics, risks vs Hong Kong
- Alipay troubleshooting and emergency payment fixes
- Emergency help: what to do when things go wrong
- Visa-free entry: 30-day and 240-hour transit policies for 79 countries
- Getting a Chinese phone number: SIM cards, the free China Mobile trick, workarounds
- Hotel registration: the 24-hour rule and what hotels handle automatically
- Where to stay: which Shenzhen neighborhood fits your trip type
- Getting around: metro, Didi, navigation apps, and why Google Maps fails in China

## Key pages

- [Homepage](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en)
- [Shenzhen travel checklist (start here)](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/guides/shenzhen-travel-checklist)
- [All guides](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/guides)
- [Visa eligibility checker](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/tools/visa-checker)
- [Border crossing recommender](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/tools/border-picker)
- [Live border wait times](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/live/shenzhen-hong-kong-border-wait-times)
- [About the project](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/about)

## Guides

- [Payment setup](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/guides/payment-shenzhen)
- [Hong Kong to Shenzhen border crossings](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/guides/hk-shenzhen-border)
- [VPN setup](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/guides/vpn-shenzhen)
- [eSIM and connectivity](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/guides/esim-china)
- [Essential apps](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/guides/essential-apps)
- [Dental care](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/guides/dental-shenzhen)
- [Alipay troubleshooting](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/guides/alipay-troubleshooting)
- [Eating and ordering food](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/guides/eating-shenzhen)
- [Culture preparation](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/guides/culture-shenzhen)
- [Emergency help](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/guides/troubleshooting-shenzhen)
- [Visa-free entry](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/guides/visa-free-china)
- [Chinese phone numbers](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/guides/china-phone-number)
- [Hotel registration](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/guides/hotel-registration-china)
- [Where to stay](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/guides/where-to-stay-shenzhen)
- [Getting around](https://www.shenzhendecoded.com/en/guides/getting-around-shenzhen)