eSIM for Chinese New Year Travel (Chunyun)
Chunyun — the weeks-long travel rush around Chinese New Year — is the busiest travel period in the world. Networks get hammered, trains sell out in minutes, and the last thing you want is to land in Beijing or Shanghai and realize your home carrier doesn't work in China, or that you need a local SIM you can't easily buy.
This page covers what you actually need to know about staying connected during that window, whether you're flying into China or you're based in the US and traveling domestically to visit family.
The core problem with connectivity in China
Most foreign SIM cards and roaming plans either don't work in mainland China or are extremely expensive there. On top of that, many apps and services you rely on — Google Maps, Instagram, WhatsApp — are blocked on the mainland. A data eSIM won't unblock those. You'll need a VPN for that, and that's a separate decision you need to make before you arrive.
What a China eSIM does give you: working mobile data in mainland China without swapping out your US SIM, and without paying your carrier's international roaming rates.
Which plan to pick
Here are the plans we currently have for China-area travel, with honest notes on each:
- China Special 2 GB — $3.49 (7-day validity) — The cheapest entry point. Fine for messaging, maps, and light use. If you burn through it, you can add a TopUp China Special 2 GB for another $3.49 or a TopUp China 1 GB for $3.99. [VERIFY: confirm top-up applies specifically to this plan and not others]
- China Short Trip — $4.49 (3-day validity) — Shorter window, slightly more per day than the 2 GB plan. Good if you're only transiting or doing a very short stay.
- China 5 GB — $5.99 (30-day validity) — The best value if you're staying longer than a week or streaming heavily. 30 days covers the whole Chunyun window comfortably. [VERIFY: confirm validity is 30 days]
- Asia Premium Short Trip — $5.52 (3-day validity) — Covers China plus additional Asian countries [VERIFY: confirm exact country list]. Useful if your Chunyun trip involves a stopover elsewhere in Asia.
- China Korea Japan Short Trip — $5.99 (4-day validity) — If your itinerary touches all three countries, this saves buying separate plans. Not worth it if you're staying in China only.
- Greater China and Taiwan Premium 3 GB — $6.49 (3-day validity) — Covers mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan under one plan. If your trip crosses those borders, this is the cleaner option. [VERIFY: confirm exact territory coverage]
What does NOT work — be clear-eyed about this
- The data eSIM is data only. You won't get a Chinese phone number for calls or SMS. If you need to receive verification codes from Chinese apps or banks, that's a different problem — see the US number note below.
- Blocked apps stay blocked. WeChat works fine. Google, WhatsApp, and most Western social platforms don't, regardless of which SIM or eSIM you use.
- The eSIM must be installed before you lose your home connection, or over Wi-Fi. Don't wait until you've landed and lost signal.
- Not every phone supports eSIM. Check that yours does before buying. iPhones from XS onward generally do; Android support varies by model and carrier unlock status. [VERIFY: link to device compatibility list]
If you need a US number while you're in China
We also sell real US phone numbers separately from the data eSIM. This is useful if you need to receive SMS verification codes from your bank or US-based apps while you're abroad. The data eSIM and the US number are separate products — the China data plans above don't include a phone number.
How the setup actually works
After you pay, you get a QR code by email, usually within a few minutes. Scan it in your phone's settings (or use one-tap install if you're on a recent iPhone), and the eSIM installs in about a minute. Your US SIM stays in your phone — you don't remove anything. The eSIM runs as a second line.
We accept card, PayPal, Alipay, WeChat Pay, and crypto. If you're buying from China, Alipay and WeChat Pay work fine.
When to buy
Install the eSIM at home before you travel, over your regular Wi-Fi. The Chunyun window for 2027 is [VERIFY: dates — approximately February 6–20, 2027, but confirm against official announcements]. Buy a few days before your departure at minimum. There's no reason to wait.
If you're already in China and on Wi-Fi, you can still buy and install — just make sure you have a stable Wi-Fi connection to complete the activation.