WeChat China: Survival Guide for US Visitors and Students
Why WeChat is the first app you need in China If you’re a United States citizen packing a suitcase for China — whether you’re a student headed to Shanghai, a researcher on a short-term fellowship in Beijing, or just visiting friends — let me cut to the chase: not having WeChat is a genuine headache. WeChat isn’t just a messenger. Since its launch in 2011 it turned into a life OS for over a billion mainland users. That’s not marketing-speak; it’s concrete behavior: buy tickets, pay for food, call a taxi, register for local services, even handle some admin tasks — all inside one app. ...