It may automatically select the language based on your location, meaning everything will appear in Chinese. It’s no surprise then that Tencent wants a piece of the maps pie in China. Tencent owns some of the most popular apps in China including WeChat, QQ and Tencent Video (China’s YouTube equivalent).

If you can read a bit of Chinese, you’ll appreciate using this app for the user-friendly interface. So you know it’s a big player in the China map app space. AmapĪmap, pronounced Gaode in Chinese, is owned by Alibaba which is one the country’s biggest tech firms.Īmap provides China mapping data to both Google and Apple. You can also download maps before you arrive at your destination and then access them offline.īut, unless you can understand Chinese characters, Baidu Maps probably isn’t for you. Image by StreetVJ on Shutterstock.īaidu Maps has some pretty cool features like street view, 3D city maps and checking public transport times. Just make sure you download the VPN app before you arrive in China, otherwise you’ll be stuck.Ĭhinese people are addicted to their apps. The solution? Get a VPN app ( like this one) for a few dollars a month, or read my quick VPN review if you need more information. This is known as The Great Firewall of China. In China though, Google Maps and other major foreign apps (like Facebook and Instagram) are blocked when you use Wi-Fi.

You can get from A to B without even knowing the neighborhood you’re in. Google MapsĮverybody knows and loves Google Maps. If you’re in a taxi (or a DiDi – China’s version of Uber), the app can factor in real‑time traffic information, including the current speed limit, so you’ll know exactly how long until you arrive.Īnd, with Apple’s Indoor Maps, you can get detailed directions inside major Chinese airports including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

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