China - never a dull moment!

[Cruiser Elite]

No kidding? Welcome to China!

 

[moa999]

Wallet on WeChat with foreign CC very VERY limited value.

So you can't use at vending machines or to pay merchants using QR then?

From my last visit to Shanghai pretty much all vending machines and airport lockers were WeChat/Alipay only, as well as the majority of Shanghai PTC top-up machines

Assume you've got a China bank account @jch?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Nope you cannot use foreign CC or DC - many have tried - many have failed

 

[jch]

That's correct I lived there for six or so years, back in Australia now so not as important but will prob head back once a year. Think I had a go at the CC option and it didn't work either. Probably the easiest is to find a local to send you how much you need for the trip and give them cash so you have a balance in the account.

 

[moa999]

I tried that last time I was there but wouldnt let me receive a transfer unless I had a China account to verify.

 

[get me outta here]

“ put the ice cream down and stand up “.

This did give me a giggle - Here's What Happens When You Try to Lose Weight!

 

[maccaisking]

I'm now getting asked to upload a copy of my passport and recent photo in order to access the funds in my wallet. Luckily only 300 RMB left on there at the moment....

I received this message a couple of months back, as did a few friends. Initially thought it was a scam but my account was reactivated instantly when ID was entered and uploaded.

 

[maccaisking]

That's correct I lived there for six or so years, back in Australia now so not as important but will prob head back once a year. Think I had a go at the CC option and it didn't work either. Probably the easiest is to find a local to send you how much you need for the trip and give them cash so you have a balance in the account.

My experience was even this would not work until you had a Chinese bank account to verify yourself with. Wechat has a ‘relative card’ option which we thought would be good for visitors, but even this required a Chinese account to verify the user

 

[jch]

My experience was even this would not work until you had a Chinese bank account to verify yourself with. Wechat has a ‘relative card’ option which we thought would be good for visitors, but even this required a Chinese account to verify the user

As verification now appears to be taking place within the app, there may be a loosening of the bank account requirement in the future (maybe)?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

As verification now appears to be taking place within the app, there may be a loosening of the bank account requirement in the future (maybe)?

Not according to expats living in China - in fact security / verifications rqts in so many areas becoming more onerous day by day.

 

[jch]

Not according to expats living in China - in fact security / verifications rqts in so many areas becoming more onerous day by day.

OK that doesn't surprise me at all...

 

[maccaisking]

As verification now appears to be taking place within the app, there may be a loosening of the bank account requirement in the future (maybe)?

To be clear, this wasn’t part of the setup process, when I received the message I had been living in China as an expat and using Wechat Pay for around 10 months. This was just a (seemingly) random verification of my identity.

 

[jch]

To be clear, this wasn’t part of the setup process, when I received the message I had been living in China as an expat and using Wechat Pay for around 10 months. This was just a (seemingly) random verification of my identity.

Yep same situation as me, it's being reported in the local Expat press.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Another first - Giant White Panda

 

[Cossie]

30 years ago, erased from history in China.

'Consternation, fear and disbelief': Chinese soldier remembers Tiananmen Square massacre

Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre — a bloody crackdown on a pro-democracy movement erased from history in China, but still remembered by the people who witnessed the chaos that swept Beijing.

www.abc.net.au

I dare say he has had the dreaded phone call from the embassy in Canberra, saying “we know where your family live”.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

What time is it?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Divorce Chinese style!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Hair Washing - Chinese style!!!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Letter in room room at Sofitel Hyland SH - assume it applies to all hotels:

Never seen this anywhere before,

 

[seanpodge]

There have been many news articles about the incoming implementation of home recycling, including how to choose which bin to put which item of rubbish. I know for sure it's happening in Shanghai, but I'm not sure about other cities. Hasn't arrived in my block yet, at least, although there are reports of the sorting bins having reached Harbin.

An article about it here.