Originally Posted by tsammyc

In their defense, setting up a new WeChat and binding a VISA wasn’t difficult. It also worked well with all shops. Assuming nothing changes, it’s simply a mandatory step for tourists and visitors. You do need to have a Chinese WeChat “friend” verify your existence by scanning a QR code, but the hotel concierge obliged.

There are hardly any westerners in China now. At tourist attractions with tens of thousands of people, I have yet to see a non-Chinese face.