I know that almost every first time traveler to China wants to visit the famous cities of Shanghai and Beijing, as the first dazzles with modernity and the latter brims with imperial grandeur; nevertheless, in my opinion, they are not the best choices for your trip; I truly think that Nanjing offers it all: a soulful blend of history, nature, and understated charm. As China’s ancient capital, it balances serene landscapes like Purple Mountain (one of my favorite stops) with profound cultural heritage (like the Jiming Temple, the city wall, the museums...), all while maintaining a slower, more authentic pace. For vegan travelers, Nanjing is a treasure trove: its Buddhist roots mean vegetarian cuisine is deeply ingrained in local culture, and innovative plant-based eateries are rising alongside timeless temple kitchens.

So, skip the crowds of Beijing and the bustle of Shanghai and enjoy the treasures of Nanjing!

You may have heard that China is hell for vegans, or you might have heard that its culinary scene is a paradise for vegan travelers, thanks to its rich history of Buddhist-inspired plant-based eateries and a modern vegan movement that is growing in the bigger cities.

Both statements can be true, if you want to land in heaven and not in hell, you just need to be prepared. Finding vegan food in China can be easy, also for delivery!

Even though navigating local food platforms like Meituan (美团) can seem daunting at first, this guide will help you unlock its secrets with ease and master its delivery options for a seamless vegan experience.

Leaving in China without a VPN is possible only if you are travelling for a short period and with an eSim (in this way the Chinese firewall won't affect you), but for longer stays you will find out that having a traditional local sim with a local number is super useful, but then you won't be able to access most western apps like Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp etc...

So, if you are looking for a cheap and reliable vpn for China in 2025, here's my guide! 🙂

Eating vegan in China may not be the easiest thing, but with the right tools you can totally do it.

What makes it difficult to be a vegan in China is not only the language barrier (very few people have the ability or the will to speak English), but the scarcity of reliable vegan options: it’s NOT like traveling in Vietnam (where you can easily find vegan places on the street), Europe (where you can find vegan options or accidentally vegan traditional dishes in most places), Sri Lanka (where vegan food is widely available) etc ….

If you are a vegan and are planning a trip to China you need to be prepared and master a couple of APPs.

I know there are plenty of posts about how to get to the Terracotta Army from Xian, but we lost 3.5 hours following them... not because they were wrong, but because things in China change more often than you would imagine.

So here's a guide on how to get to the Terracotta Army from Xian (anyway in the city) in a way that won't be affected by sudden changes.

First things first!

There are 2 companies that have similar names but are totally different: Air China and China Airlines:

Air China is the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China (commonly known as China), its main hub is in Beijing and is a member of Star Alliance. Its code is CA.

China Airlines is the flag carrier of the Republic of China (known as Taiwan). Its main hub is in Taipei and is a member of SkyTeam. Its code is CI.

Here we are going to talk about vegan food on Air China.