You've probably heard and read quite a bit about China's internet censorship, but what does it actually mean for the average internet user in the country? What is understood is that the Chinese government block access to foreign websites and slow down cross-border internet traffic. The government censors content for mainly political reasons, but also to maintain its control over the population.

This system of censorship is named the 'Great Firewall' and is the largest such system in the world. If you’re travelling to the vast country, then your internet privileges will be severly restricted. It's not an experience most people will be familar with thankfully, but it has become the norm for Chinese citizens.

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If you’re visiting the country, you can circumvent this system by using a virtual private network, or VPN. Take it from us: You don't have to get blocked in China.

While using a VPN in China is technically legal, providers play a game of cat-and-mouse with the authorities, which periodically crack down and try to block servers and throttle bandwidth, much to the annoyance of internet users. For example, a VPN ban reportedly came into effect in March, but nothing seems to have happened on the face of it at least, with providers being kept in the dark about if and when the ban will be rolled out.

Users in China may have to swap VPNs if theirs becomes blocked, but having one is a necessity for anyone wanting unfettered access to foreign websites, from news sites to social media and Google. If you’re on holiday in China you'll need a VPN for posting snaps to Instagram and keeping in touch with friends using Whatsapp. This is because VPNs assign a virtual IP address to obscure your real location from others, enabling you to circumnavigate geo-blocking and censorship measures as if you are based somewhere without them. VPNs also encrypt data, leaving your computer or device to make it impossible for others to see what you’re downloading, which is useful in a country where surveillance is a top priority for the authorities.

The first thing to consider when using a VPN in China is that while it's perfectly legal, it will be frowned on by the authorities. It's not something to be taken lightly and you should think carefully about your priorities before you take any decision.

The second thing to know about VPNs in China is that it’s easier to install one before you arrive, but how do you choose? Lots of servers (in China if possible), high speeds, and extra layers of security are all important things to look for in a VPN offering. Reliable, 24/7 customer service is also an important consideration, because if you experience technical difficulties while you’re there, the fastest service available isn’t much use to you if you can’t troubleshoot.

Best for speed Image: The Good Servers in China • Speedy connections • Good customer support Servers in China • Speedy connections • Good customer support The Bad Data protection has been breached in the past • Money-back guarantee has conditions Data protection has been breached in the past • Money-back guarantee has conditions The Bottom Line PureVPN is the perfect option if you just can't handle any drops in connection speed PureVPN is the perfect option if you just can't handle any drops in connection speed See Details 1. PureVPN PureVPN operates from Hong Kong and 12 of its over 2000 servers are based in China itself, meaning reported speeds are good.

There are a whole bunch of security options, including industry standard 256-bit encryption, support for pretty much all protocols, built-in ad and malware blocking, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, and a kill switch. PureVPN has a self-managed network so your data is handled by PureVPN only, without the intervention or interference of any third-parties. There is also the option to use a NAT Firewall add-on, which provides an added layer of security by safeguarding a user’s device from hackers exploiting loopholes. The company claims to have a zero logging policy, although in 2017, a user was arrested due to session logs held by the VPN. This practice is unusual, but may put some people off, particularly in a country where there is believed to be a lot of surveillance.

There are lots of extra features with PureVPN, including split tunnelling so users can decide which traffic is funnelled through their VPN, unlimited server switching and data transfer, plus the ability to create a WiFi VPN hotspot.

When it comes to troubleshooting worries, PureVPN has live chat support for customers open every hour of the day, as well as ticket and email support. As with other offerings, there are apps for Mac OS, Windows, Android, and iOS devices and the company claims its product is easy to set up on gaming consoles and smart TVs too.

The best-value subscription costs just

PureVPN operates from Hong Kong and 12 of its servers are based in China itself, which is quite rare. This makes for some speedy connections while doing your part to battle the Chinese goverment. The VPN also offers its users unlimited bandwidth and five simultaneous connections.There are a whole bunch of security options, including industry standard 256-bit encryption, support for pretty much all protocols, built-in ad and malware blocking, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, and a kill switch. PureVPN has a self-managed network so your data is handled by PureVPN only, without the intervention or interference of any third-parties. There is also the option to use a NAT Firewall add-on, which provides an added layer of security by safeguarding a user’s device from hackers exploiting loopholes. The company claims to have a zero logging policy, although in 2017, a user was arrested due to session logs held by the VPN. This practice is unusual, but may put some people off, particularly in a country where there is believed to be a lot of surveillance.There are lots of extra features with PureVPN, including split tunnelling so users can decide which traffic is funnelled through their VPN, unlimited server switching and data transfer, plus the ability to create a WiFi VPN hotspot.When it comes to troubleshooting worries, PureVPN has live chat support for customers open every hour of the day, as well as ticket and email support. As with other offerings, there are apps for Mac OS, Windows, Android, and iOS devices and the company claims its product is easy to set up on gaming consoles and smart TVs too.The best-value subscription costs just £2.23/month for two years, but the seven-day money-back guarantee has terms and conditions attached.

Best for innovative security Image: The Good No logs policy • Automatic kill switch • Security focused No logs policy • Automatic kill switch • Security focused The Bad No servers in China • Relatively expensive monthly plan No servers in China • Relatively expensive monthly plan The Bottom Line With no servers in China your speed could be negatively affected, but NordVPN remains a strong option for security focused users With no servers in China your speed could be negatively affected, but NordVPN remains a strong option for security focused users See Details 2. NordVPN NordVPN has some neat security features, including shared IP addresses, making it the best bet if security is your primary concern.

NordVPN doesn’t keep logs of online activity. This means that your private data, online activity and browsing history should’t be monitored, gathered, exposed, or intercepted by third parties. Users can also select DNS leak protection to protect their IP address and an automatic kill switch, which either kills all programs or chosen programs if the VPN connection drops. This protects a user’s personal data from being temporarily exposed. There’s also ad-blocking functionality and protection against phishing threats.

Users can link up to six devices simultaneously to NordVPN’s servers using apps for Mac OS, Windows, iOS, and Android. The service also boasts unlimited bandwidth for torrenting, decent download speed, and a 24/7 live chat tool for support.

Expats have reported they have successfully used NordVPN to unblock geo-locked services including Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video, making it a popular choice for travelers wanting to keep up with the latest films and TV shows while in China.



Note: NordVPN has announced that it suffered a breach in March 2018 when a hacker exploited an insecure remote management system at a Finnish data centre from which the company was renting servers. Fortunately, this isolated attack affected just one NordVPN server — and thanks to its strict no-logging policy, no user activity was compromised in the incident.

While China tends to focus its crackdowns on VPN providers, security and privacy is important to VPN users too. NordVPN has some neat security features, including shared IP addresses. Its Mac client uses Next Generation Encryption (NGE) IKEv2/IPsec as standard and 256bit-GCM for encryption, which is used by the military. There is also the option to use 'Onion over VPN' or Double VPN servers, which means data is passed through two separate VPN servers instead of one. For users in China this means traffic can be re-routed to Taiwan, then travel through a server in Hong Kong before reaching its destination, which does take a toll on speed.NordVPN doesn’t keep logs of online activity. This means that your private data, online activity and browsing history should’t be monitored, gathered, exposed, or intercepted by third parties. Users can also select DNS leak protection to protect their IP address and an automatic kill switch, which either kills all programs or chosen programs if the VPN connection drops. This protects a user’s personal data from being temporarily exposed. There’s also ad-blocking functionality and protection against phishing threats.Users can link up to six devices simultaneously to NordVPN’s servers using apps for Mac OS, Windows, iOS, and Android. The service also boasts unlimited bandwidth for torrenting, decent download speed, and a 24/7 live chat tool for support.Expats have reported they have successfully used NordVPN to unblock geo-locked services including Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video, making it a popular choice for travelers wanting to keep up with the latest films and TV shows while in China. NordVPN may have 3,000 servers around the world, but one downside is that none of them are in China, meaning users in the country face speed penalties as internet traffic has further to travel. Nearby servers are located in Taiwan, South Korea, and Hong Kong. Another downside is that NordVPN’s monthly plan is relatively expensive, at £9.27/month. But the price drops significantly to £3.10/month as part of a two-year subscription.Note: NordVPN has announced that it suffered a breach in March 2018 when a hacker exploited an insecure remote management system at a Finnish data centre from which the company was renting servers. Fortunately, this isolated attack affected just one NordVPN server — and thanks to its strict no-logging policy, no user activity was compromised in the incident. Click here to learn more

Best free option Image: The Good Free option • Stealth mode makes user less detectable Free option • Stealth mode makes user less detectable The Bad Data limits with free option • Not the strongest speed results • Does not have a no logging policy Data limits with free option • Not the strongest speed results • Does not have a no logging policy The Bottom Line It's not the fastest and doesn't have the strongest security policy but does offer a great budget solution for travellers It's not the fastest and doesn't have the strongest security policy but does offer a great budget solution for travellers See Details 3. TunnelBear For those looking to save money on their travels, there’s TunnelBear

There are apps for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Chrome and support for five simultaneous connections for premium accounts. When it comes to security, TunnelBear uses strong AES 256-bit encryption by default, the same level of encryption as many expensive services. There is also a feature called 'VigilantBear', a kill switch that blocks all unsecured traffic when you lose your WiFi connection, until a device has safely reconnected again.

Stealth mode is another handy feature — particularly in China — which makes a user’s VPN-encrypted data less detectable to governments, businesses, and ISPs. It disguises OpenVPN traffic to help people get around firewalls by using obfsproxy, but can take a toll on speeds.

The VPN has servers in 20 countries, but one downside is that not all of them are available to non-fee-paying customers, meaning potentially slower speeds. It’s doesn’t allow P2P torrenting, so users of BitTorrent should look elsewhere. Unlike many other VPNs TunnelBear doesn’t have a no logging policy, but instead keeps minimal logs for one month in order to comply with Canadian law, which could worry some users.



When it comes to free VPNs some experts are skeptical, but for those looking to save money on their travels, there’s TunnelBear . The Canada-based VPN is packed with features and has a sense of humour with a strong bear-theme running through its programs. For example, to connect to the VPN users choose a country and then another to connect to and watch a bear tunnel there when the connection is secure.There are apps for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Chrome and support for five simultaneous connections for premium accounts. When it comes to security, TunnelBear uses strong AES 256-bit encryption by default, the same level of encryption as many expensive services. There is also a feature called 'VigilantBear', a kill switch that blocks all unsecured traffic when you lose your WiFi connection, until a device has safely reconnected again.Stealth mode is another handy feature — particularly in China — which makes a user’s VPN-encrypted data less detectable to governments, businesses, and ISPs. It disguises OpenVPN traffic to help people get around firewalls by using obfsproxy, but can take a toll on speeds.The VPN has servers in 20 countries, but one downside is that not all of them are available to non-fee-paying customers, meaning potentially slower speeds. It’s doesn’t allow P2P torrenting, so users of BitTorrent should look elsewhere. Unlike many other VPNs TunnelBear doesn’t have a no logging policy, but instead keeps minimal logs for one month in order to comply with Canadian law, which could worry some users. TunnelBear has multiple options to choose between. There is a free option that gives users 500MB of data/month, while Giant offers unlimited data for £7.75/month on a monthly basis and Grizzly offers the same for £3.88/month based on a user signing up for a year.