China — Currency & Money

The renminbi (CNY, ¥) is the currency; 1 USD roughly buys CNY 7. China is effectively cashless — Alipay and WeChat Pay handle almost every transaction, and since 2023 both apps let foreigners link Visa/Mastercard directly (Alipay's "Tour Pass" and WeChat's international wallet). Cash is legally required to be accepted but often refused by small vendors; carry small notes.

ATMs at Bank of China, ICBC and China Construction Bank take foreign cards; fees run CNY 15–30 per withdrawal plus your home bank's charge, with a CNY 2,500–3,000 per-transaction cap. Tipping is not customary and is sometimes politely refused; hotel porters and tour guides are the exceptions.