The Annoying Great Firewall of China





THIS IS NOT THE GREAT WALL YOU WANT TO SEE IN CHINA. It's called the Great Firewall of China.

China has a nasty history of very strict policies regarding online content. Accessing your Internet essentials in China can be frustrating because China's Great FireWall blocks many apps and Websites that you are using. To survive this invisible wall that blocks you from your connection to the world (your family, friends, home office, etc.), you will have to bypass this wall with VPN. Everyone coming to China needs a VPN to access Google, Gmail, Facebook, Youtube, and many other blocked apps and websites. At least, VPN will let you be able to check your Gmail in China!

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It's a secure encrypted connection between your computer and a computer server overseas. All of your internet traffic is routed through this VPN server. To the websites you visit it looks like you are located in the country of the VPN server. To the government censors in China they can only see that you are connected to a VPN, they can't tell what websites you are visiting or what files you are downloading (unless they can crack the encryption). This allows you to access blocked websites such as Google (and Gmail), Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc from China.

Check Wikipedia's Top Blocked Sites in China.


- Setup your VPN to keep you connected to the world during your trip to China!

ExpressVPN is our choice for users looking to stay connected the web while in China. Our China team has been using it for years. It is truly the most reliable service with its stellar customer support and 30-day trial period. The desktop and mobile apps are the fastest we’ve seen, reliable, with plenty of server choices. 





ExpressVPN is really express. The first thing we want from VPN is speed. Their Hong Kong servers work with blazing speed.  They respond to emails promptly and they know how to help you when solving problems. They also have an instant chat, which is a great thing if you need to solve your problems immediately.

Do not get some free VPNs because they won't work!

Install iit before you land in China

Chinese government blocks ExpressVPN's own site as well. So, please subscribe and install the app before you fly to China. The installation is fairly simple and fast for most people. It's always better to get a VPN working on your computer and/or mobile devices a few days before coming to China.