Young woman travelling alone in China. Is this safe?

[NiLunNiLautre]

The young woman in question is my daughter. And I’m the worlds worst worrier.

She is teaching there for a few weeks then travelling for three weeks. She’s going to some quite spread out places, but they’re mostly popular visitor spots. However she hasn’t booked travel or accommodation for this yet. She’s learnt a couple of basic phrases but will be relying on a translate app.

As I said, I’m worried ... will she be in danger (lost, stranded, robbed, assaulted, whatever)? Anyone have any knowledge or experience of what this will be like?

Thanks.

I have just done 2 weeks travelling on my own and had no issues. Yes the lack of language can be challenging BUT if in popular locations staying in hostels I found generally someone spoke English and it was easy enough to get around.

Overall China is generally a safe country and on my travels I met other solo travellers!

She will be fine! I travelled to China alone when I was younger and, though it was a huge culture shock at first (ordering food is especially exciting/risky!) it was a really interesting experience. China is a very safe country for visitors, at worst she might get overcharged by a taxi driver; I never heard of any tourists being the victim of violent crime in China. I never felt intimidated at all, and people who could speak English were eager to talk to me or help me out (including, in one case, a woman escorting me all the way to a different train station on the other side of the city so I wouldn't get lost!)

There is a really useful app called MapsMe where you can download a map of the country you're going to, and then use it to get directions offline. Even if your phone is in airplane mode it can show your location and how to get to your destination, so you don't get massive data charges like you would with Google maps.

She'll have a great time! Please try not to worry.

Thank you both so much, that's very reassuring.
I was particularly worried today as both DH and I keep getting locked out of WeChat (useless app!) which looks like the only way of communicating!

She will be just as safe as she would be travelling anywhere else, including the UK. I travelled extensively in China with a female friend when in our 20s - we got virtually no hassle- Italy was far worse.

She just needs to take the normal precautions she would in London or Birmingham. When young travellers get into trouble abroad, it's usually because they have taken a risk that they would never have taken in the U.K.

She'll be fine. It's probably as safe as anywhere in the UK especially if she's going to the major sights. Will she have an iphone/data? Maybe you could add her on Find My Friends for the time she's away. Or just use iMessage to keep in touch? When my DD was in China with school we found WeChat useless too.

Thank you XX I think she's mostly pretty sensible... I hope!

Wechat is fab but it works so much better with a chinese number!! I’ve found it a lifesaver as sometimes I’ve added someone to it and we have communicated through it as it translates what you say!

Make sure she gets a vpn as a lot of western sites are blocked here so without that she will struggle.

Change I think WeChat is not going to work for us: DH is already blocked out for 6 months for attempting to log back in too many times (with correct password!).
I'm not blocked out yet, but unable to log back in with my correct password. Not sure how to progress!
Yes, she has a VPN luckily.

China is very safe for a westerner. The country is very keen to maintain its self image and while I would not want to be a Chinese person in China, the upshot of the level of state control is that there is very little aggro. I was as happy to walk around on my own as I would be in the UK... actually less aggro as there's loads of street drinkers in city!

In India, comments from random men were annoying even when with DH, single women or single sex groups don't go down well. There wasn't the fear of corrupt police like there were in Russia either.

China is the safest I've ever felt as a female traveller. It is a culture shock and there are scammers, in the major tourist areas. But the general harassment is non-existent. Including a total lack of sexual harassment, so common in... pretty much everywhere.

Police are everywhere and you need to be cognizant that this is a place you can't just say and do whatever you want.

Thanks everyone, all of your comments have been really helpful.

I doubt very DD will be doing or saying anything to annoy the police, so their presence will be reassuring rather than worrying!

She's probably more at risk from her fellow backpackers than the locals tbh. She needs to maintain her guard - it's easy to get lulled into a false sense of comradeship when travelling and to forget that you have only just met your fellow travellers. Again, you're at an advantage that she's going to China, as few Westerners are reckless enough to risk tangling with the Chinese police. She just needs to apply the same level of caution that she would in the UK.

She's scanned and saved electronically all her important documents?

All tickets etc are electronic anyway, managed but I'll remind her to scan her passport and visa if she gets the chance...
she's travelling as I write! I'm sure she'll be able to do it at the school she's going to...

Yes, good point XX. She's sensible enough, but would likely hook up with other travellers; she's done that before.