Originally Posted by
moondog
5. For sim cards, I think Unicom is a safer bet than Mobile, and data is insanely cheap
6. Register for Wechat and Alipay with your China phone number
7. If you are going to be in China often, open a bank account at CMB or ICBC
Eta: 5 and 7 are definitely annoying, but if you can endure the bureaucracy, things will be great for you
Thanks for the advice. I haven't been back to the Mainland in a long time, but is it still difficult to open a bank account in China? I spent some time studying Mandarin in China when I was in university. I did had a bank account at CCB, but I'm sure it's closed now as I just drained my funds. At the time, I think the monthly fee was 20RMB. Are there any free accounts in China?
Is it possible to buy a prepaid Unicom simcard and keep topping it up to keep the account and phone number active? Are there any fees? How cheap is data? Someone suggested I roam with a Singapore simcard. I wouldn't mind setting up WeChat and Alipay for future trips. I want to explore more of China in the coming years.
Thank you.