Which Websites Are Blocked in China?
2026 Great Firewall List
The Great Firewall is not just a simple blocklist. It is a layered filtering system that can block, throttle or quietly break foreign services without much warning. If you want the background first, here is a plain-English guide to why websites get blocked. For travellers, the practical takeaway is simple: set everything up before you leave, because once you land in mainland China, even the sites you need to fix the problem are often out of reach.
Quick Verdict
Most familiar western services still do not work on a normal mainland connection
Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, Wikipedia and a long list of foreign news sites are still poor bets on hotel Wi-Fi or a domestic mainland SIM. If you know you will need them, sort it out before you travel. Our round-up of the best VPNs for China is the right place to start, and our wider shortlist of the best VPNs for travel is worth a look if China is only one stop on a longer trip.
Google Services
Google is still the biggest single problem for most visitors, because it affects email, maps, app downloads, files and sign-ins all at once.
- Gmail: The app and website do not load normally on a standard mainland connection.
- Google Search: Not available without a workaround.
- Google Drive and Docs: Not dependable for work or file access once you are behind the firewall.
- Google Maps: Even if the app opens, live search, map tiles and directions are not reliable enough to trust on the ground.
- Play Store: Android users should not count on downloading or updating key apps after arrival.
- Gemini: It sits inside the wider Google ecosystem, so do not expect normal access from a mainland connection.
Media, Streaming and News
This is where many travellers get caught out. It is not just social media. A lot of the news, video and reference sites people reach for without thinking are still blocked outright.
Common services people miss most
- Video: YouTube, Vimeo, Twitch and many foreign streaming-related services.
- Music: Spotify and SoundCloud are poor bets on a normal mainland connection.
- News: Reuters, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, BBC and The New York Times are all examples readers should assume may not load.
- Reference sites: Wikipedia, Quora and Archive.org are not dependable in mainland China.
AI and Developer Tools
This was missing from the original draft, but it matters in 2026. A lot of people now land expecting AI assistants and coding tools to work the same way they do at home. They often do not.
What to expect
- ChatGPT: Do not assume normal mainland access. China is not on OpenAI’s supported country list, so account access is a poor thing to gamble on while travelling.
- Claude: Same general caution. It is not a mainland-China-friendly service.
- Google Gemini: Tied to the wider Google stack, so it inherits the same access problem.
- GitHub: More mixed than the services above, but still worth treating as inconsistent enough that you should clone or save anything essential before the flight.
The sensible prep move is boring but effective: save local copies of repos, docs, notes, prompt libraries and setup files before you leave.
Finance and Shopping
This area is more mixed than social media. A banking app may open, but that does not mean the whole workflow will be smooth.
- Banking apps: Many are not directly blocked, but log-ins, push approvals and recovery flows can still be awkward on local networks.
- PayPal: Often less predictable than people expect. Fine for some situations, not something I would want as my only payment fallback.
- Crypto exchanges: Commonly blocked or heavily restricted.
- Amazon and western shopping sites: Not the most practical option for day-to-day purchases inside China. Local apps do the heavy lifting.
- Local payments: WeChat Pay and Alipay matter far more in real life than any western wallet.
What Still Works?
It is not a total blackout. A few familiar services usually stay usable, though sometimes with caveats.
- Bing: Usually works, though results are filtered.
- Apple Maps: Better than Google Maps in mainland China, but local apps like Amap or Baidu Maps are often stronger for local detail.
- Microsoft services: Outlook, OneDrive and related tools are usually more reachable than Google, though they can still be slow or trigger extra sign-in checks.
- Apple services: iCloud and core Apple services are generally more workable than Google’s equivalents.
- WeChat and Alipay: Essential for messaging, QR codes and day-to-day payments.
How to Prepare Before You Fly
This is the bit that actually saves people trouble. Do the boring setup now and the trip is much easier.
- Install your access tools early: Download your chosen VPN on every device before you leave. You will need a reliable VPN to unblock websites once you land, and you may not be able to fetch it afterwards.
- Keep a backup route: A roaming eSIM or foreign SIM often routes traffic outside the mainland and can help, but this varies by provider, so treat it as a strong backup rather than a magic guarantee.
- Save offline essentials: Maps, hotel bookings, passport scans, boarding passes, two-factor backup codes, key contacts and any work files you cannot afford to lose.
- Think about local apps: If you are staying for more than a few days, set up Alipay, WeChat and at least one local map app before you need them.
- Do a live test before departure: Make sure your apps connect, your exit IP changes, and your key services actually load.
Once your VPN is installed, test the tunnel and confirm your visible IP before you leave home.
FAQs
Is WhatsApp blocked in China?
Yes. On a standard mainland connection, WhatsApp messages, media and calls are not something you can rely on. Most residents use WeChat instead, but visitors who want WhatsApp usually need to prepare a workaround before arrival.
Does a free VPN work in China?
Usually not for long. Free services are often the first to fail when filtering gets tighter. If you want a realistic chance of getting through, you need a provider with features like obfuscated servers. That is why most travellers end up using a premium service, and if you want one named example already mentioned on this site, ExpressVPN is one of the better-known options.
Can I access my Gmail in China?
Not directly on a normal mainland connection. The fix is to route your traffic through a server outside China, which effectively lets you change your IP address before trying Gmail again.
Does a roaming eSIM bypass the Great Firewall?
Often, yes. Many travel eSIM and international roaming setups send traffic out through another country, which means blocked western sites can work without a separate VPN. But provider setup matters, so I still recommend keeping a VPN installed as your fallback.
Is using a VPN legal in China?
The careful answer is that this is not a simple traveller-friendly yes or no. China tightly regulates international internet access and authorised services. If you want the fuller breakdown, read is it legal to use a VPN to unblock websites. For a practical travel page like this one, I would phrase it as restrictive rather than risk-free.
Will ChatGPT work in mainland China?
Do not count on it. Aside from network restrictions, China is not on OpenAI’s supported country list, so it is the sort of service you should sort out well before the trip, if at all.
Social Media and Messaging
If your daily routine depends on Meta apps or western messengers, assume they will not load properly in mainland China unless you have already prepared a workaround.
LinkedIn is the awkward one here. I would not describe it the same way as Facebook or X. Microsoft shut down its local China-focused InCareer app in 2023, so the practical point for readers is simpler: do not assume LinkedIn will be your dependable professional lifeline once you are on a mainland network.