Free Guides

30 guides written by someone living in China. Travel, manufacturing, sourcing — everything you need, in one place.

10Travel Guides
20Manufacturing Guides
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Travel & Living in China

10 Guides

How to Pay in China

Alipay, WeChat Pay, cash, and cards — what works and how to set it up.

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VPN & Internet in China

What's blocked, what works, and how to stay connected.

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China Visa Guide

Visa types, transit-free entry, and the latest visa-free policies.

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SIM Card & eSIM Guide

Best options for data, calls, and staying connected in China.

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Food & Ordering Guide

How to order, what to eat, and how to navigate menus you can't read.

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Safety & Scams Guide

Common scams, safety tips, and what to watch out for.

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Trains & Transport Guide

High-speed rail, metro, taxis, and ride-hailing in China.

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Health & Medical Guide

Hospitals, pharmacies, insurance, and what to do in an emergency.

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Maps & Navigation Guide

Why Google Maps fails in China and what to use instead.

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Verify a Chinese Supplier

How to check if a supplier is legit before you send money.

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Manufacturing & Sourcing

20 Guides
Prototyping & Development

How to Prototype in Shenzhen

Finding partners, managing iterations, and going from idea to physical product.

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Shenzhen Speed Prototyping

48-hour turnarounds, rapid iteration, and the Shenzhen advantage.

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Huaqiangbei Product Development

Sourcing components, finding engineers, and building hardware at the world's largest electronics market.

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POD & Custom Manufacturing

China Print on Demand

POD suppliers, quality control, and scaling without inventory.

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Custom Merch from Chinese Factories

Enamel pins, patches, jewelry, apparel — how to go custom at scale.

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Private Label China

White-label to brand-owner: finding factories that do private label right.

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Premium & Specialized

China Premium Manufacturing

High-end production, quality tiers, and working with premium factories.

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Source Consumer Electronics

OEM/ODM electronics, certification, and navigating Shenzhen's supply chain.

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Furniture & Home Goods

Foshan, Dongguan, and the furniture manufacturing corridor.

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R&D & Intellectual Property

China R&D Labs

Accessing China's R&D ecosystem for testing, certification, and innovation.

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Shenzhen Hardware Accelerators

HAX, Trouble Maker, and the hardware startup ecosystem.

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File a Patent in China

Utility models, design patents, and protecting your IP before manufacturing.

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Supply Chain & Logistics

Ship Products from China

Sea freight, air cargo, express shipping, and customs clearance.

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Quality Control (Remote)

Pre-shipment inspections, AQL standards, and remote QC strategies.

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Chinese Factory Pricing

How pricing works, what's negotiable, and how to avoid hidden costs.

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Industry-Specific

Cosmetics Manufacturing China

NMPA registration, OEM cosmetics, and beauty product manufacturing.

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Food & Supplement Manufacturing

GMP facilities, export certification, and regulatory compliance.

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Textile & Apparel Sourcing

Fabric markets, garment factories, and the apparel supply chain.

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Getting Started

First Factory Visit in China

What to expect, what to bring, and how to make it count.

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Canton Fair Guide

Navigating the world's largest trade fair — booths, negotiations, and follow-up.

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