Travel Guide
Everything you need to get from the US to Shangrao, China
Policies and prices change — this is a starting point. We'll keep it updated, but please double-check details close to your travel dates.
Most US passport holders need a visa to enter mainland China for a wedding visit — the 240-hour visa-free transit policy doesn't apply here since it's only for travelers continuing on to a third country.
You'll want a standard L (tourist) visa. Applications go through a Chinese Visa Application Service Center (CVASC) — not the consulate directly — and typically need:
- A passport valid 6+ months beyond your travel dates, with a blank visa page
- A completed visa application form and passport photo
- Proof of a round-trip flight itinerary
- Hotel booking confirmation (or an invitation letter — ask us if you need one)
Standard processing is about 4 business days; rush and express service are available for a fee. We'd suggest applying 4–8 weeks before you travel — early enough to avoid a scramble, but not so early that your visa validity window runs out before the wedding.
Check visaforchina.cn (the official site) or your nearest CVASC closer to your travel date, since requirements can change.
Prefer to have someone handle it? Oasis China Visa Services
We recommend Oasis China Visa Services — a US-based agency that handles the embassy/visa-center legwork for you. Here's how it works on their site:
- Follow their online guidelines to gather your documents (passport with 2+ blank pages, proof of residence, and your China Online Visa Application ID) and fill out their form — don't submit yet.
- Email everything to service@oasischinavisa.com for a free evaluation; their team responds within 1–2 business days with next steps and final pricing.
- Pay only if you want to proceed, then follow their post-payment guidelines to finalize the application.
- Mail your finalized documents and passport to their office via a trusted courier (FedEx/UPS).
- They submit it in person at the Chinese Embassy/visa center and mail your passport back once the visa is issued.
Shangrao's own airport (SQD) has very limited service, so there are a few realistic ways to get there — flying in directly if the schedule lines up, flying into a bigger hub and finishing by high-speed rail, or really any major Chinese city, since the high-speed rail network reaches almost everywhere.
Option 1 — Fly directly into Shangrao (fastest, if it lines up)
Air China runs one nonstop flight a day between Beijing Capital (PEK) and Shangrao (SQD), about 2 hours 25 minutes. Beijing has nonstop service from several US cities (LAX, SFO, JFK, and seasonally IAD, among others), so it's possible to fly US → Beijing → Shangrao on a single connection with no ground transport at all.
The catch: that Beijing–Shangrao flight departs early morning (around 7:25am) and is the only one that day, so depending on when your US flight lands you may need an overnight layover in Beijing to catch it.
Option 2 — Fly to a hub, finish by high-speed rail (recommended)
Fly into Shanghai Pudong (PVG) — the most nonstop options from the US (SFO, LAX, DFW, DTW, and SEA). From Shanghai Hongqiao station, it's about a 2 hour 15 minute high-speed train directly to Shangrao, with dozens of trains a day. Hangzhou Xiaoshan (HGH) and Nanchang Changbei (KHN) are workable alternate hubs, usually with a connection from the US, and slightly shorter train rides from there.
This is usually the easier and more flexible option — you aren't tied to one daily flight, and there's far more availability into Shanghai than into Beijing.
Option 3 — Fly into any major Chinese city
Landing somewhere else entirely — Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chengdu, wherever your flight or price works out? China's high-speed rail network is extensive enough that you can almost always get to Shangrao from a major city, usually with one transfer along the way. It'll take longer than the Shanghai or Beijing routes above, but it keeps your US flight search open to more airports and fares.
Book train tickets with the Trip.com app (English interface) or the official 12306 app once you have your passport details handy — tickets go on sale 15 days ahead, so you don't need to book trains far in advance.
For international flights, aim to book 3–4 months ahead — so by around January–February 2027 for the May 15, 2027 wedding. That's usually when fares are best, and it also gets you a booked round-trip itinerary in hand before you apply for your visa (see Entering China & Visa above).
Don't rush the high-speed rail leg, though — as noted above, domestic train tickets only go on sale 15 days before departure, so there's nothing to book there until you're close to your trip.
Joining the family tour? Plan your return flight around it
There's an optional family tour running over 2 days, starting 2 days after the wedding (May 17–18, 2027). If you'd like to join, don't book your return flight for right after the wedding — plan to fly home May 19, 2027 or later so you're not rushing to the airport. More details on the tour to come.
Questions about any of this? Reach out to Andrew at aandrewnngo@gmail.com.
Download and set these up before you leave the US — app stores and VPN provider sites are hard or impossible to reach once you're in China.
A VPN
Google, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and most Western apps and sites are blocked in mainland China. Install and pay for a reputable VPN before you fly.
The everyday app in China — messaging, payments, even official notices. Add each other before you land so we can coordinate.
Alipay
Link a Visa/Mastercard/Amex through Alipay's international tourist option to pay by QR code almost anywhere — this is the easiest way for visitors to pay without a Chinese bank account.
DiDi Rider
China's equivalent of Uber. Install DiDi Rider (not the mainland-only DiDi app) — it has an English UI and takes international cards.
Amap (Gaode Maps)
Far more accurate locally than Google or Apple Maps — used for walking, driving, and transit directions everywhere in China.
Translation
Apple Translate is already on your iPhone and works well offline once you download the Chinese pack — no install needed. Google Translate's camera mode is great for reading menus and signs. In a pinch, WeChat can translate messages in-line (long-press a message → Translate). For serious dictionary lookups, Pleco is the gold standard.
Data / eSIM
Grab a China eSIM (e.g. via Airalo) before you fly, or buy a local SIM at the airport on arrival, so you have data and maps from the moment you land.
- High-speed rail is the best way to cover distance between cities — clean, punctual, and no security theater. Book through Trip.com or 12306.
- DiDi Rider for point-to-point rides within a city; works like Uber and takes international cards.
- Metro/subway in Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Nanchang is easy to use — pay by scanning a QR code in Alipay or WeChat Pay at the turnstile.
- A shuttle will run between our recommended hotels and the venue on the wedding day — see the itinerary for timing.
China runs on mobile payments — many small vendors accept only a WeChat Pay or Alipay QR code, not cards or even cash. Linking a US card to Alipay (see above) covers most situations.
Still, carry some cash (RMB) as backup, especially outside major cities. You can withdraw RMB from ATMs at Bank of China or ICBC with a US debit card, or exchange currency on arrival at the airport. Let your bank know your travel dates ahead of time so international charges and withdrawals aren't flagged.