There are heaps of VPN services available for people to choose from in the mid 2020’s. Some will work better, some will be more expensive, and some will have better customer support. The last time we were in China was in 2019, we used a VPN to get online but it would be a bit silly of me to think that the same VPN that worked then would work now without doing some research.
What is a VPN
When you use a VPN, your internet traffic is routed through a particular server called a VPN server. This server is located in a different country than your actual location. When you want to access a website or server, your VPN server acts like a middleman and sends your request to the website or server on your behalf.
Why do we need a VPN in China?
China has a strict internet censorship system known as the “Great Firewall of China” (GFW), which blocks access to many websites and services, including social media platforms, news outlets, and online services like Google, Facebook, and Twitter.
I, for one, couldn’t survive without being able to access some of my favourite social media sites. YouTube is a godsend in China when there are no English TV channels to watch in your hotel.
How did I find out what VPNs were working in China?
I do not trust what the VPN company says. We used ExpressVPN last time, so I figured they would probably be the best again this time. I jumped online and asked their customer service, who said their ExpressVPN should be working in China, but they had had some issues lately!
This immediately rang alarm bells with me. What would I do if I arrived and it was not working? So, I took to Facebook and joined some travel groups about China, such as The China Travel Group, Travel to China, and Backpackers Travel in China.
I just created a post asking who is in China and what VPN you use. I got several different answers, including one from some goose telling me to respect the laws of China! The most common answer was LetsVPN.
LetsVPN is a bit more expensive than some, but you can not put a price on it if it works. We need to access Facebook, YouTube, etc., for work purposes, so this was not a question for us.
- LetsVPN allows you to connect to two devices for each plan
- LetsVPN has various plans starting from 1 week to 1 month, and so on
- We chose a 1-month plan that was USD $6.99 for the month.
Was LetsVPN easy to Install?
Yes, it was straightforward to install. I went to the mobile site, where it asks you to take a free trial for 72 hours. That would not help us as I was not waiting to get to China to see if it works. I chose an upgrade subscription and was directed to select the plan I wanted. After choosing one month, you can pay through your Google Play account and credit card.
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How well did LatsVPN work in China?
LetsVPN worked like a champion in China. From the moment we connected our SIM card at Xiamen Airport, the VPN allowed us to access Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube just like we were using our own Wi-Fi network at home. The VPN may prompt you to change some settings on your PC, but I ignored this and had no trouble staying connected even while using the Holiday Inn Wi-Fi.
While travel in China can be challenging due to language differences, LetsVPN in China at least provides some normality while away from home.
Who are we?
