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websites / apps blocked in Mainland China


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Posted

I need advice on what common websites are blocked in mainland China.

 

I have made a stupid decision and bought a China Unicom sim card called 櫻花卡 for my upcoming trip to Japan. It is a stupid decision because, although the sim card is usable in Japan only, according to information on the internet, it does not allow access to websites that are blocked in Mainland China. People say that it is impossible to access facebook on this sim card even if the user is physically in Japan.

 

I don't use facebook at all so it doesn't matter to me. But I do use many other international websites and communication apps. I guess I won't be able to read HK newspapers and listen to RTHK using this 櫻花卡. And I want to know if the following services are blocked in Mainland China -

 

Gmail

Hangouts

Google

Googlemap

Whatsapp

Line (similar to wechat)

Viber (similar to wechat)

Tango (similar to wechat)

Play Store

Tunein Radio

 

Any other advice like how to overcome this is welcome.

 

I can't believe I will subject myself to the great firewall while in Japan!

Posted
Gmail

Hangouts

Google

Googlemap

 

None of these are, but google maps is very slow. Baidu maps is much better in my experience.

 

The others I don't know, sorry.

  • Like 1
Posted

Hi skylee,

 

I can use Line in China without any problems. As for the Google services you mentioned (Gmail, Hangouts, Google Search, Google Maps and the Google Play Store), they usually work, but are sometimes slow, have syncing problems, or fail to load entirely. I've noticed this depends on my location within China. I live in Chengdu, but my online experience generally improves I'm travelling in Shanghai or Beijing. Sometimes I can use a Google service on my phone but not my laptop, or vice versa. On rare occasions (during the 18th Party Congress, NYT's expose of Wen Jiabao) I've lost multiple Google services for days at a time.

 

I use a VPN on both my computer and smart phone. It makes life so much easier.

 

Have a great trip!

  • Like 1
Posted

I have heard about vpn, and there are apps. But I don't know how it works. Are there free apps?

 

This is just ridiculous. I am going to Japan, not China. I have alraeady signed up as many free wifi accounts as I can as fallback. Alas.

 

PS - good to know that Line is not blocked. This is important to me.

Posted

Tunein is blocked however,

and all the google products are very, very slow (I'd die before opening my gmail if I didn't have my VPN).

  • Like 1
Posted

What broadband router do you use at home? Some of them already has VPN (usually PPTP) server built-in. And Windows / Android / IOS all have PPTP client built-in so it's only a matter of setting them up.

Posted

I don't need VPN when I am at home in Hong Kong.  It is just that the Unicom sim card I have chosen to use in Japan will block the access to some websites that are blocked in Mainland China.

 

So how should one set up the "PPTP client built-in Android" (in quotes because I don't know what that is)?

Posted

You need a VPN server to connect to which will forward your traffic to those blocked websites.

So instead of Phone -> website

the traffic goes phone -> VPN server -> website .

There are public servers but if you need one often you can set up a router at home as a server.

I've sent you a message with some more info.

  • Like 1
Posted

I find google services to be slow to the point of being unusable in mainland China. Gmail often doesn't even load or just hangs on the point of loading your mailbox.

  • Like 1
Posted

Thanks for the PM.  I will take a look.

 

But it seems insane.  A normal sim goes phone -> provider's server -> website. This China Unicom sim goes phone -> softbank server in Japan -> China Unicom server in China -> Great Wall -> Internet in China -> website.  And now, what, I should add a VPN server somewhere in between?  :P

Posted

Wordpress and blogspot are also blocked. The Guardian website seems to be blocked at the moment too. Not sure why.

  • Like 1
Posted

Thanks for the lists. They look quite bad. I use many Google services, including google drive, so I guess I will have to rely on wifi after all. Luckily there is a VISA card promotion offering 24 hours' free wifi on one of Japan's biggest wifi networks for each VISA card, and I have a lot of VISA cards.

So the lesson learnt this time is do not buy China Unicom's 櫻花卡.

Posted

Paying for a vpn is not that expensive. You could just pay for one month (during the visit to Japan). 

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