Need to do some grocery shopping? There’s an app for that! Calling a taxi? There’s an app for that! Looking for something to do this weekend? There’s an app for that too! Take a look at our list of “must-have” apps (beyond WeChat of course!) to make sure you’re up-to-date in the digital age.
Table of Contents
Shopping
1. Taobao (淘宝)
Language: Chinese
Best for: buying anything and everything!
Taobao is one of the biggest shopping apps in China. If there’s something you’re looking for, no matter how obscure, Taobao usually has it! It’s the best place to search for imported snacks from home, household goods, clothing, shoes, holiday decorations, and more. The platform is fully in Chinese (hint: keep reading to learn about BaoPals!) so here are a few tips to enhance your shopping experience:
- Many well-known brands, both domestic and international, have flagship stores on Taobao. Find them by including the text 官方旗舰店. Alternatively, you can select 天猫 in your search results to buy from official Tmall vendors. These options are the best way to know you’re purchasing from an authentic vendor.
- Some favorite imported brands do not have a presence in China, therefore you may be buying from a small shop importer. If this is the case, you can check reviews for the product, or at least check the store’s popularity (how many followers, or “fans” the shop has) and overall store ratings. It can also be helpful to click 銷量 when viewing the store’s full inventory to see the most popular items purchased from the shop.
- Check the photos in the reviews! Comparing the photo in the reviews to the actual item can help immensely to get an idea of quality.
2. BaoPals
Language: English
Best for: shopping Taobao using an English platform
Taobao is one of the most comprehensive ways to shop online, but the developers of BaoPals knew that the language could be a barrier, so they created their own app to service Taobao shoppers in English! Product selections and prices do vary from Taobao, but BaoPals is indispensable in making Taobao more accessible to expats.
3. Dangdang (当当)
Language: Chinese
Best for: hard to find foreign language books
Dangdang is a shopping app that exclusively sells books. Prices and selection can vary compared to Taobao but they often have foreign language books that are otherwise not available on Taobao. If there’s a book you can’t find on other shopping apps, Dangdang may just have it!
4. Jingdong (京东)
Language: Chinese
Best for: reliable vendors and to-your-door delivery service
Jingdong (JD) is a top shopping app in China for quality as their vendors tend to be more strictly regulated. You can select 京东物流 when searching for items to find products and orders which will be fulfilled directly by JD. An added bonus is that packages will be shipped directly to your front door (a huge bonus if your packages normally get sent to a designated retrieval point!). Orders fulfilled directly by JD offer same day and next day guaranteed delivery with estimated delivery time frames.
Grocery
5. Hema (盒马)
Language: Chinese
Best for: every day grocery delivery with western-style selections
Hema has a decent selection of groceries, including imported ingredients, with a quick delivery timeframe. Their selection and delivery area can vary depending on where you are located in the city, but they’ve been known to have a variety of options for things such as cheese, cold cuts, and imported chocolate.
6. Epermarket
Language: Chinese, English, French
Best for: truly international selection of products
For a truly international grocery experience, Epermarket has a huge selection of imported items. Dairy, meats, wines, and even snacks all offer a variety of brands and options to choose from. They even sell pre-made dishes and dinners, including special themed options during the holidays. Multiple delivery options are available at different price points depending on your needs.
Join ShMamas groups to receive monthly discount code as a Shanghai Mama.
7. Dingdong (叮咚买菜)
Language: Chinese
Best for: every day grocery delivery with some western-style selections in further out Shanghai neighborhoods
Dingdong is a grocery delivery app that can have your order at your door either “asap” or you can order ahead and set your preferred delivery time. There is a surprising selection of groceries that can be difficult to find in your average Chinese marketplace, especially when it comes to dairy. Although not as varied as an import store, it’s convenient for finding a basic mozzarella or whipping cream in a pinch! As an added bonus, many meats and vegetables are sold pre-chopped/sliced when cooking on those busy weeknights!
Transportation and Travel
8. Metro (大都会)
Language: English and Chinese
Best for: taking the metro
If you’re taking the metro around the city, Shanghai Metro app is a good one to have in your pocket for checking the metro lines, transfer stations, accessibility, and station maps. It’s indispensable if you’re Navigating the City With a Baby and want to know how to find station elevators and nursing rooms!
9. Didi (滴滴打车)
Language: English and Chinese
Best for: calling a taxi or private car
While you can still hail a taxi the old fashioned way, most people use Didi. Similar to Uber/Lyft/Grab, you can call a taxi to pick you up almost anywhere in the city. Didi offers a variety of ride options, from the most basic “taxi” car to upgraded private cars with extra customer service. Track your trip on the app, and if you need customer care, their representatives have quick response times.
10. Trip
Language: English, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and more!
Best for: travel booking
Planning a weekend getaway? Booking flights? Trip is the most expat user-friendly app to find hotels and book all of your travel arrangements from and within China. Not sure where to go? Choose “Anywhere” when searching for flights or view the interactive map to check out the best flight deals!
Take-out and Delivery
11. Eleme (饿了么) and Meituan (美团)
Language: Chinese
Best for: ordering take-out or items in a pinch
You may have seen e-bike riders in blue (Eleme) or yellow (Meituan) making deliveries around the city! While they are separate apps, both are very similar in terms of being a platform to order take-out. Both platforms are only in Chinese which can make it trickier to use, but you can screenshot and use the WeChat “scan” feature to translate. Alternatively, Eleme can be ordered via Alipay which has a translate feature enabled to make reading the menu a whole lot easier!
Bonus: if you need anything in a pinch, such as a forgotten grocery item, medicine, or even clothing, they can deliver that too!
Entertainment
12. Dianping (点评)
Language: Chinese
Best for: looking up entertainment or a place for a meal out
If you’re looking for something fun to do with the fam or a delicious new restaurant to try, look no further than Dianping! Restaurants can be searched by cuisine type and location with reviews to help narrow down your selection. If you’re looking for a weekend activity, tourist spots and parks are all searchable with reviews and tickets available for purchase all in the same app. Comedy shows, musicals, and even movie tickets can also be purchase in Dianping.
13. Shanghai Disney Resort
Language: English and Chinese
Best for: tickets, annual passes, and planning your day at Disney
This is a must-have app for that family trip to Disney! Use the interactive map to check wait times for rides and character meets, show times, and more. You can use the app to purchase tickets, check up-to-date park information, and review tips and tricks to make your visit memorable.
14. Little Red Book/Xiaohongshu (小红书)
Language: Chinese and English
Best for: looking up user-generated information
Little Red Book is like a combination of Pinterest and TikTok. Users can upload videos, images, content, and links, as well as “favorite”, “love” or “comment” on posts. It’s a great platform for looking up information such as travel itineraries and recommendations, inspiration, product reviews, or tips and tricks. However, content is user-generated, so just make sure you do your own research too!
Payment and More
15. Alipay (支付宝)
Language: Chinese and English
Best for: payments and more!
Most expats are already using the ubiquitous Alipay for cashless payments and money transfers, but did you know you can rent bikes and ship packages using it? In the main screen, select “more” for a list of more services. To ship or track a package, select “Cainiao”, or to rent a bicycle, choose “HelloRide” (哈啰). Ordering take-out via Alipay? Click the translate icon to view restaurants and their menus in a language of your choice. Many languages are available including English, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Korean, and more.
16. WeChat/Weixin (微信)
WeChat is the ultimate resource for life in China. From messaging and video and voice calling, to sending and viewing “moments” (posts) in your friend circle, WeChat helps you stay connected and up-to-date with your social life. Use WeChat to follow official accounts for your favorite brands and organizations (such as the Shanghai Mamas account) and order meals at restaurants. Having a party? Use the “Group Note” function to enable group members to easily add their name to a list to RSVP. WeChat also has features that enable money transfer between individuals, as well as WeChat Payment, which is worth noting if you plan on doing any domestic traveling, as some parts of China may prefer WeChat payment over Alipay.
(Scan the QR code on WeChat to follow Shanghai Mamas Official Account)
About the Author
Paige grew up in a small town in the midwestern United States but has called China home since 2015. She lives with her husband and daughter in the quiet suburbs of Shanghai where in her spare time she can be found either going for a run along the peaceful waterways or cozying up with a pair of knitting needles. Whether far from home or in her own backyard of Shanghai, Paige enjoys exploring new places and learning more about the people and cultures around her.
