Asia · East Asia

China

Capital · Beijing

The Great Wall, Li River karsts, and Guangzhou's Little Africa — the biggest African trading hub in Asia.

China — The Great Wall, Li River karsts, and Guangzhou's Little Africa — the biggest African trading hub in Asia.🇨🇳
The essentials

China at a glance

Capital
Beijing
Region
East Asia
Currency
Renminbi / yuan (CNY)
Languages
Mandarin Chinese
Dialling code
+86
Plan around it

Public holidays & key dates in China

Dates shift year to year where a holiday follows a lunar or religious calendar. Check locally before you book flights or count on offices being open.

Jan 1New Year's Day
Jan/FebSpring Festival date varies date variesA full week — the world's largest annual migration
Apr 4–5Qingming Festival date varies date variesTomb-sweeping day
May 1Labour DayMulti-day break
JunDragon Boat Festival date varies date varies
Sep/OctMid-Autumn Festival date varies date variesMooncakes and reunions
Oct 1–7National Day Golden WeekAvoid intercity travel
Getting in

Visas for African passports

Entry rules for China differ sharply depending on which African passport you hold — visa-free for some nationalities, e-visa for others, embassy application for the rest.

The AfricAsia Passport Index checks every African passport against this destination, with the current route and a plain-language note on what officers ask for.

Check your passport →
On the ground

Ask before you land

Rent, agents, hospitals, halal and African groceries, church and mosque, where people actually meet on a Sunday — the answers live with the people already there.

The China channel in the Hub is free, open, and moderated by members who live in the country.

Open the China channel →