The problem: the Great Firewall
Anyone who travels to China notices it on the first evening in the hotel: Google, Gmail, Google Maps, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube are blocked. The Great Firewall filters the Chinese internet, and that applies to every Chinese SIM card and every Wi-Fi network in the country. Many travellers install a VPN before the trip, but VPNs in China are often slow or stop working.
The fix: a roaming eSIM instead of a local SIM
The eSIM Surfer China eSIM works differently from a Chinese SIM card. Your phone uses the mobile towers in China, but your data connection runs as roaming through a gateway outside mainland China. To the network you are an international roaming guest, so your apps work as they do at home:
- Google Search, Gmail, Google Maps and Google Translate
- WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube
- your banking and email apps from home
No VPN needed. Two limits apply: this covers the eSIM's mobile data only, not hotel or café Wi-Fi. And because traffic takes a detour abroad, the connection is a little slower than a domestic one, which you will rarely notice for messaging, maps and social media. A few services, such as some AI tools, may still refuse connections from certain regions.
Prices: eSIM Surfer China eSIM
Prices as of October 2026. See the current plans on the China eSIM page.
| Plan | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 3 GB | 7 days | €2.99 |
| 5 GB | 30 days | €7.99 |
| 10 GB | 30 days | €10.99 |
| 20 GB | 30 days | €15.99 |
| Unlimited | 7 days | €18.99 |
| Unlimited | 30 days | €53.99 |
The 7-day unlimited plan gives you 1 GB a day at full speed, then up to 5 Mbps. The plans mainly use the China Telecom network (4G/LTE, 5G on some plans).
Which plan?
- Business trip or city break (3–7 days, Beijing or Shanghai): 3 GB for 7 days (€2.99).
- Round trip Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Guilin (2–3 weeks): 10 GB (€10.99) or 20 GB (€15.99) for 30 days.
- Lots of video calls or a laptop on hotspot: unlimited.
Before you go
- Buy and install the eSIM before departure. Many websites and app stores are restricted inside China, so do it at home on Wi-Fi. Check that your phone supports eSIM in eSIM compatible phones.
- Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay. Mobile payment is used almost everywhere in China, and both apps accept foreign cards. SMS codes arrive on your home number.
- After landing: select the eSIM for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. Step by step: eSIM activation.
- Hong Kong and Macao are not included in the China plan and need their own plan.
Bottom line
In China, the type of connection decides whether your apps work. With a local SIM or hotel Wi-Fi you need a VPN; with the eSIM Surfer roaming eSIM you don't: Google, WhatsApp and Instagram run directly on mobile data. 3 GB for a week costs €2.99.
*Sources (October 2026): how roaming eSIMs work in China, Port News / Australian Community Media (07/2026) and esimdb.com (08/2025); real-name registration for local SIM cards, Shenzhen Longgang District Government.*