China Travel Insurance

China Travel Insurance is an important consideration for anyone traveling to China, whether for tourism or business.

China is a vast country, and it has the largest population in the world. However, most of the population lives in the eastern half, while many parts of the western half are sparsely populated. The most popular tourist destinations include major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzen, which are all located on the east coast.

Best Places to Visit for Tourists in China

Of course, the most famous tourist destination in China is the Great Wall of China. It is the longest wall in the world at 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles). Most tourists visit the wall from near Beijing.

The Terracotta Army in Xian is the Emperor Qin's buried battalions, and it is a world cultural heritage.

The Forbidden City in Beijing is the most visited tourist place. As it was once a palace city, ordinary people were denied entry (hence the name).

The Li River in Guilin is a watery wonder. There are many national parks throughout China. If you would like to spot giant pandas, you should visit Chengdu.

The Bund, located in Shanghai, has colonial European buildings and skyscrapers and also has a major business district.

For those visiting Tibet, the Potala Palace in Lhasa is fantastic and a symbol of Tibet.

Many international tourists like to enjoy a river cruise on the Yangtze, which also has the Three Gorges Dam.

While Mandarin is spoken in most parts of China, Cantonese is spoken in the Guangzhou area. Either way, for many tourists, communication can be a significant hurdle due to language issues, as most people in China are unlikely to know English.

Travel Risks for Visitors to China

Be aware that in China, typhoon season runs from May to December, although most occur between July and September. Typhoons, also known as hurricanes or tropical cyclones (depending on the part of the world), that hit China tend to begin in the Pacific Ocean or the South China Sea and then strike the southern and eastern coasts. Notably vulnerable are the islands of Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as the Guangdong and Fujian Provinces on the mainland. As you’re purchasing travel insurance, be sure to select a plan with coverage for a typhoon for peace of mind and financial security in case a storm should blow through during your trip.

Unlike most countries, the internet is not freely available in China. There is also a high degree of censorship through the "the Great Firewall of China". Therefore, you may not be able to access Facebook, Google or Twitter while in China.

Do I Need Travel Insurance for China?

Healthcare in China is not cheap. Most hospitals expect you to pay in cash in advance before they will provide you with treatment. Very few hospitals in major cities have direct payment arrangements with travel insurance companies. If you get sick or injured while in China and have to pay out of pocket, make sure you keep all the receipts on file for reimbursement of eligible claims.

Even if you can pay for medical expenses out of your pocket, communication with health care providers can be a challenge because very few doctors and nurses speak English.

If you get seriously sick or injured in a remote place, you are unlikely to get adequate treatment locally and will probably have to be evacuated to the nearest area with adequate care. Therefore, make sure that the travel insurance you purchase has a high amount of emergency medical evacuation coverage.

While in China, carry your passport with you all the times - the authorities may demand it of you at any time. That raises a high probability of your losing it, so travel insurance that covers the loss of a passport is preferred.

Hazardous Sports Coverage

If you are planning to do any dangerous activities, such as scuba diving, snow skiing or even trekking or hiking, make sure that the travel insurance you purchase explicitly covers all of those activities. You might have to buy an optional rider at an additional cost because most standard travel insurance plans exclude hazardous sports.

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DISCLAIMER: The information within this article is intended as a broad summary of benefits and services and is meant for informational purposes only. The information does not describe all scenarios, coverages or exclusions of any insurance plan. The benefits and services of an insurance plan are subject to change. This is not your policy/certificate of insurance. If there is any discrepancy between the information in this article and the language of your policy/certificate wording, the language of the policy/certificate wording will prevail.