If you’re planning to travel across China, you’ll probably stop in a number of cities and at various tourist attractions. Since these places tend to be crowded, here are a few tips for staying safe:

  1. Don’t travel alone. You never know what can happen in a high-traffic area, so you’re better off sight-seeing in small groups. Not only will you be able to keep an eye out for each other, you’ll have better bargaining power when shopping in markets.
  2. Like the Dean of UTSEUS said, life in China is comfortable. And as soon as you get comfortable, you drop your guard. Don’t carry all your money with you and don’t put your wallet in an easy-to-access pocket. For instance, the Muslim quarter in Xi’an is teeming with life. There are so many people that navigating can be difficult. You’re constantly bumping into people and, before you know it, your wallet is gone. True story!
  3. Chinese people are very warm and welcoming. Some will even ask to take your picture or snap a selfie with you. By chatting with people, it’s really easy to grow your WeChat connections. But beware of your newfound friends’ intentions. What starts off as innocent conversation can lead to invitations to questionable places.