Chengde is the ultimate immersive destination for learning Chinese (I can vouch for this having been twice).
FYI || Chengde is not the home of the pandas, that’s Chengdu. Chengde is very different!
FUN FACT || Chengde is the birthplace of Mandarin, so if you really want to learn standard Mandarin, this is the place you want to go.
No English is spoken in Chengde, those big name brands you are so familiar with are at a premium, and the surrounding area is just 
Here is our guide for Chengde first-timers.
APPS
You’ll probably be aware things work a little differently in China. Your favourite apps like Instagram, X, Whatsapp, and Youtube etc cannot be accessed without a VPN.
– VPNs || These are ESSENTIAL. Download it before arriving to China (you’ll have a nightmare trying to do this in China). The best VPN seems to change all the time. We’ll keep this read updated but right now Let’s VPN and Shadowrocket appear to be the best. Historically Astrill is the best performing but recently it’s had issues, and it’s more expensive so stick with the aforementioned two.
– WeChat || China’s answer to Whatsapp, but it does so much more. Rather than repeat it here, check out this article.
– Alipay || You can pay for things on WeChat but it’s good to have a backup. Alipay will help you not only pay for things, but order taxis, book trains etc.
– 饿了么 / Meituan || Ordering takeaway food in China is more convenient than you could ever imagine. If you want to order food or drinks delivered to your home in a flash, download this and get our team to help you in China.
– Pleco || The foreigners live saver. Pleco is a Chinese dictionary in your pocket. Can’t think of that all important word to complete your sentence? Pleco has your back.
– Google/Baidu Translate || Bear in mind with Google Translate you’ll need a VPN for it to work, but either of these apps are super useful as mentioned with Pleco.
For a list of blocked websites and apps in China, check this out
WEATHER
The weather in Chengde is fairly similar to Beijing, just slightly hotter in the summer, and slightly colder in the winter.
The weather is easy to predict. There are two seasons. The (very) cold and dry winters which last 4-5 months. Then the (very) hot summers where temperatures break 30°C every day without any problem.
You’ll potentially enjoy some winter snow but rain is far rarer than in most other parts of Asia.
Typically at some stage in April and October, you get a lovely sweet spot in between seasons where the weather evens out.
This is a great time to visit given how green Chengde is.
TOP TIP || Take a visit to 避暑山庄 with our teaching team and staff to experience the beauty of Chengde.
SAFETY
– Locals are super friendly, so if you’re lost, confused or just want to practice a little bit of 中文, they’ll be happy to help!
– Chengde is super safe, you’ll even see people leaving their laptops/phones/wallets unattended in cafes while they go for a bathroom break! Whilst it’s always best to exercise caution, crime and scams aren’t generally things you need to worry about
TOP TIPS
– Whilst cash isn’t widely used, you can still find places that use it. Come to China with some cash in hand for emergencies.
– We recommend having a base knowledge in the language. This isn’t really the destination for complete beginners given how immersive Chengde is. A little bit of knowledge can take you a long way.
– For cheap, quick, and convenient coffee, Luckin’ Coffee is about as popular as it gets. Manner Coffee is another place we love.
– If you want to ask for something and don’t know what it’s called, your friend is 这个 (meaning this one). Don’t be scared to use it!
– You can link your foreign bank card to your WeChat and Alipay allowing you to buy things in China with your foreign card. You can follow our guides to learn how to do this. Do this before coming to China if you can.
– Our Chengde travel guide contains everything you need to know.
MORE USEFUL RESOURCES
– For a list of hidden gems in Chengde, check out our guide.
– Discover how to use Alipay as a foreigner
– Learn how to maximise WeChat
