China Packing List: Documents, Clothing and Power Banks

Focused review: 2026-10-19. Official rules are distinguished below from planning advice and details awaiting confirmation. This is not an individual service test. Scope: transport, payments, connectivity and identified unsupported promises; seasonal and personal suitability details still require confirmation.

Pack for your documents, transport limits, climate and personal needs. Check essential medication, documents and compatible equipment ahead of time rather than relying on immediate replacement after arrival.

Documents and Money

• Documents: check validity and document type for your actual entry scheme and carrier. Six months is not a universal legal threshold for every visa-free or transit arrangement. Keep backups separate from originals.
• Keep more than one payment option: RMB cash, a physical card and a verified wallet. Cash remains a payment option. Physical cards require a merchant that accepts the relevant network. For a Hong Kong, Macao or other overseas wallet, check the specific account and merchant’s mainland acceptance. Ask the platform and issuer about refund timing, fee refunds and final exchange rates; no fixed refund period is promised.
• Prepare the appropriate valid identity document, a phone number able to receive verification messages and the bank card you intend to use. Register, verify and try linking through the official Alipay or WeChat service. Wallets, card networks, issuers, documents and accounts have different eligibility rules. Successful linking does not guarantee every purchase or merchant will work.
• Insurance: printed or cloud-stored policy details; medical-evacuation coverage is non-negotiable

Electronics (the Part That Actually Matters)

• Check each device label, accommodation socket and adaptor specification. A plug adaptor is not a voltage transformer, and a country’s plug is not assured to fit every hotel socket.
• Check a power bank’s rated energy in Wh; 20,000 mAh does not automatically equal 100 Wh. CAAC prohibits checking power banks. Up to 100 Wh generally needs no airline approval; above 100 Wh and up to 160 Wh needs approval and is limited to two per person; above 160 Wh is prohibited. Domestic flights additionally prohibit units without a clear CCC mark and recalled models/batches. Recheck the operating airline’s latest limits and do not use power banks to charge devices during flight.
• Follow the plan’s validity policy when deciding when to install; early installation does not universally preserve all paid days. Use a stable connection and save setup instructions and support details. Configure the data line, APN and data roaming as instructed. Ask your home carrier about keeping your original line on for SMS and any charges; a data-only eSIM does not itself provide regular SMS or voice calls.
• Earphones and cables: trains and translation conversations both demand them; carry two cables

Clothing: Layer by Season and Latitude

The skill is not which clothes — it is grasping that north and south can differ by a full season on the same day. A layering system (base + mid + shell) always beats one heavy coat.

• Temples: skip shorts and tank tops at religious sites; a light scarf doubles as sun cover and shoulder cover
• Shoes: one comfortable pair outranks everything — the Great Wall, the Warriors and the gardens will audit your step count honestly

Medications and Toiletries

• Stomach remedies (the number-one need when cuisine changes), cold medicine, band-aids, prescription drugs in original packaging with the prescription
• Sun protection: high-SPF sunscreen and sunglasses for the south and the plateau
• Masks for pollution-sensitive travelers and spring pollen; lip balm and moisturizer for the bone-dry northern winter

Leave These at Home

• Confirm whether your accommodation provides a hairdryer, slippers and toiletries and whether charges apply.
• Prepare drinking water for the day’s activities and supply options; price and availability depend on the actual shop.
• Pack rain protection for the forecast; local stock and prices require checking, as do the rules for your transport mode.
• Stacks of cash: a reserve note, not a strategy
• Choose adaptors for your actual devices; one universal plug does not guarantee compatibility with everything.

If You Forget Something

Ask your accommodation about nearby shops or available delivery for forgotten items. Check coverage, stock, account/payment access and delivery time; one-hour replacement in every city is not assured.

Frequently Asked Questions

Any luggage rules to know?

Rail carry-on allowances are limited: 20 kg free per ordinary passenger and 10 kg per child. Each item must weigh no more than 20 kg; on EMU trains its combined length, width and height must not exceed 130 cm. Conventional trains and qualifying mobility aids have different provisions. Measure luggage rather than relying on a suitcase size label or assuming that no weighing means no limit. Cabin and checked baggage allowances, seat selection and change/refund charges vary by airline and fare product. Economy does not universally include 20 kg of checked luggage. Check the fare conditions and operating carrier before booking.

Traveling with children — what extra?

Prepare children’s usual medication, foods and essentials ahead of time. Check stroller dimensions, carriage, accessible routes and local supplies for each train, flight, attraction and accommodation.

Sources for this update

Source: 商务部 中国外商投资指引（2025） · 2025

Source: 上海市政府 Pay with overseas bank cards · 2026-09-21

Source: 民航局 充电宝乘机规定 · 2014-08-07（正文发文日）

Source: 民航局 禁止无3C标识及召回充电宝乘坐境内航班 · 2025-06-26

Source: Airalo 官方帮助：安装与套餐有效期

Source: Apple Use eSIM while traveling internationally · 2026-09-17

Source: 12306 随身携带品 / English FAQ