Apps, real name booking & tickets

As technology advances, phones are becoming more capable and playing an ever larger role in travel. You can almost 'travel the world with just one phone'.

Mastering these tips will make your trip much smoother!

Many scenic spots now require real-name reservations for entry, and you cannot get in without a booking. Generally, free attractions such as museums require reservations. Some attractions that sell tickets under real-name registration also require visitors to book an entry time slot to control crowd flow. Reservations can usually be made through the attraction's official app, mini-program or website.

Nearly all scenic spots now have their own official WeChat account, mini-program or even app. Through these you can buy tickets, book entry times and check public facilities, including car parks, toilets, visitor service centres and accessible routes. You can even check visitor numbers and queue times for individual attractions within the site.

Many cities have developed transit apps and mini-programs that let you ride by simply tapping your phone or scanning a code. Alipay and WeChat also offer transit codes: open the feature, select your city, and scan to ride. Scanning usually comes with a discount, making it cheaper than paying cash. Apps such as Baidu Maps also offer real-time bus tracking, showing estimated arrival times.

Many attractions within a city are very close together, sometimes only two or three kilometres apart. In such cases, shared bikes or shared e-bikes are the quickest option. However, be cautious about riding unlicensed shared e-bikes without a safety helmet, as traffic police may stop you for violating traffic regulations.