eSIMion

China eSIM

Pick a China data plan below — it arrives by email with a tap-to-install link and a QR code. There is no app to download and your home SIM stays untouched.

eSIM plans for China

10 plan sizes are available for China, from light plans for a weekend to bigger plans for a long stay. Every plan is prepaid. No subscription and no surprise bill.

Data Validity
1 GB 7 days
2 GB 15 days
3 GB 30 days
5 GB 30 days
10 GB 30 days
20 GB 30 days
Unlimited 3 days
Unlimited 5 days
Unlimited 7 days
Unlimited 10 days

Using mobile data in China

Your eSIM connects to a local network in China, so maps, messages, rides, and translation work like they do at home. Data roaming must be switched on for the eSIM line. That is normal for travel eSIMs and it does not cost extra.

Networks in most of Asia are fast and data is cheap by global standards. An eSIM saves you the airport SIM counter line after a long flight.

Mobile networks in China

eSIMion plans for China connect through China Unicom.

China Unicom is the smallest of China's three state-owned national operators. China Mobile is far and away the largest, and China Telecom sits between them. Unicom holds around a fifth of China's 5G subscriptions and reported roughly 232 million 5G package subscribers in its 2025 full-year results.

That share understates the network you actually get. Since 2019 China Unicom has co-built and shared a single 5G network with China Telecom rather than building its own, and the two operate more than two million shared 5G base stations between them. A visitor on a Unicom profile is using the combined footprint of two of the three national carriers.

Ookla does not publish a per-operator median speed for China. The national figure across all operators was 139.58 Mbps for mobile download in January 2025. Treat that as the ceiling of what a good connection in a big city looks like, not a promise.

Travel eSIMs on the China Unicom network →

Coverage across China

Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xi'an and the eastern seaboard have dense coverage on this network. High-speed rail between the major cities holds a usable signal for most of the ride.

Coverage thins on the Tibetan plateau, across Xinjiang, and in the mountain areas of Yunnan and Sichuan. Download offline maps and offline translation before you leave a city, because the places where you most need a translation app are the places least likely to have data.

Paying for things

WeChat Pay and Alipay run almost everything in China and both now accept foreign cards. Set them up before you arrive, because registration often needs a verification step that is harder to complete on the ground.

Both apps need data to work. In practice your connection is what pays for your lunch, which is a good argument for buying more data than you think you need.

Payments, trains, and daily life on data

Alipay and WeChat Pay dominate payment in China and both accept foreign cards now. They run on data, so a working connection is what makes day-to-day spending possible.

High-speed rail between major cities keeps a usable signal for most of the ride. Remote western regions and mountain areas are where coverage thins.

Good to know

Power: Type A, Type C, and Type I, 220V

Currency: Chinese yuan renminbi (CNY)

Languages: Mandarin Chinese

What you will pay

The cost depends on your dates and how much data you need. Send your itinerary to trips@get.esimion.com and we price four options against the plans available for China that day.

You can choose anything from a small 1 GB plan to a 20 GB plan or go unlimited. Validity runs from 3 to 30 days, so a weekend and a long stay are both covered. China is also covered by the Asia regional eSIM, which helps when your trip crosses borders.

See how pricing works →

How to get it

The fastest way is email. Forward your flight or hotel confirmation to trips@get.esimion.com and we reply with four plan tiers for your exact dates in China, each with current pricing. Best Coverage, Best Value, Lowest Price, and Global Simplicity. You pick what matters most.

Or buy directly from this page. Current prices show at checkout. Either way the eSIM lands in your inbox and installs with one tap or a QR scan.

If you run low during the trip, email us and say "top up." We send a one-click link for more data.

First trip with an eSIM? Check your phone →

Related destinations

The fastest way to buy: forward your trip email and we reply with four plan tiers matched to your dates.

trips@get.esimion.com

How pricing works →

Sources: Ookla Speedtest Intelligence January 2025 national median. China Unicom full-year 2025 results. The China Unicom and China Telecom co-build agreement.