Anyone know if tourists can use Facebook when in china?

[PossumInAPearTree]

I've read that Facebook is banned in China. Is this just for locals or tourists as well?

It's based on where you're accessing the Internet AFAIK, so it will affect everyone.

I have a friend who is living in China and he posts on Facebook regularly. He often tags his Chinese girlfriend too so I'm assuming she uses Facebook also.

Lj8893 does he use a proxy server?

My sister lives in China, no one can access Facebook without a VPN/proxy thing and the internet is generally so bad that she doesn't bother trying. You can't get on it via your phone/the app at all.

16yo Dd is going to uni in Beijing in Sept. Any idea how she can keep in touch easily and ideally for free with us? Not sure if the rules are different at university campuses? She doesn't really do email.

I'm sure I could set up WhatsApp or similar if they work there, she has all the social media, just me who doesn't have whatsapp, etc.

I have no idea what server he uses

She's only going for a few weeks, so not worth doing anything complicated.

Hide My Ass (HMA) proxy works in China and other countries I've been in that have restrictive internet policies inc facebook and twitter. It has a v easy phone app...just click it on, chose the country you want to be located in for internet purposes and bingo. I'm apparently posting this from Aruba

WeChat is the Chinese equivalent of WhatsApp.

But whatsapp works there

Will have a look at the hide my ass app. Thanks.

Oh and WhatsApp if that works there as well. Thanks everyone.

Everyone in China uses WeChat.

Also be aware that anything related to Google will not work (without a VPN of course). This includes Gmail. We didn't really realise this until we got there and couldn't access our emails!

HMA is excellent but/and not free, by the way...I started using it living it in an internet restriction state where all expats used it for facebook and of course BBC iplayer...now returned to UK but shocked to find recent changes mean internet surveillance is considered far worse here than anywhere else in the world so I kept using it. Posting from Christmas Island now

Wechat is the easiest way to keep in touch - free and you can use it for voice and video calls.
As others have said you need a vpn to access Facebook and other sites may be blocked too - I managed without a vpn for years, but had to get one as I could no longer access my UK bank account.

If you're visiting you can access it while roaming on your home country's SIM card.

If living there it requires a VPN.

My Dd returned from a year in China recently. She did manage to post on FB occasionally but most of our family downloaded the Wechat app on our phone and it's brilliant! We would have hour long video chats several times a week and messages most days. Wechat is huge in Asia and can be used for lots more than messages, like ordering takeaways and buying online.

Thanks, going to get Wechat downloaded before she goes.