How to access Facebook, Google and YouTube in China with a VPN

By Joan Torres 3 Comments Last updated on March 26, 2024

China, one of the most visited countries in Asia and where you find one of the largest expat communities, has some of the most severe internet censorship. 

This means that many websites and popular services are blocked and completely inaccessible. 

Therefore, if you want to access Facebook, Google or YouTube in China, you will have to be connected to something called a VPN (Virtual Private Network). 

In this post, I will tell you how to find the best VPN for traveling to China, so you can access Facebook, Google, and other blocked websites. 

A VPN is something that helps you to connect privately and safely through a server located in another country, which allows you to remain anonymous when you are online. 

• To connect safely – In fact, a VPN helps you prevent hackers stealing your personal data, especially when you are connected to a Wi-Fi public network. Actually, this is the top reason why most people use a VPN. 
• To access blocked sites – As I said, a VPN allows you to connect to a server located in a different country, so you will be able to access those websites which, for some reason, are blocked in the country you are. 

In China, there is something called the Great Firewall, in honor of the Great Wall of China, which is a bunch of laws aimed at censoring an endless list of foreign sites and internet services. 

In other words:

In order to keep its population under control, China blocks whatever the hell they want

Which sites are blocked in China?

Among others, the blocked sites in China which are more commonly used are:

• Facebook
• Netflix – Not blocked but there is no service, so the end result is the same
• YouTube
• WhatsApp
• Skype
• Tinder – Not blocked but you need Facebook to sign in, so you can’t use it

If you want to access Facebook, YouTube and Google in China, you’ll need to be connected to a VPN.

For example, let’s assume that once you get to Shanghai, you want to browse Facebook. However much you try, you will never be able to connect to it, unless you use a VPN, as it will allow you to choose the country you want to connect from. If you choose to connect to a service located in New York City, you will be able to use Facebook normally, for the simple reason that Facebook isn’t blocked in the USA. 

Read: Karakoram Highway road trip – From China to Pakistan

Bear in mind that Google Play and some VPN websites are blocked in China, so it is recommended to download them before your trip.

VPNs may sound like a completely different world, but they are actually very easy to use and are designed so even your grandmother can use them. 

Step 1 – Enter a VPN site, ExpressVPN for example, and choose your plan

Step 2 – Download it to your computer and phone

Step 3 – Choose the country you want to connect to – Yes, it is that simple!

You should know that not all VPNs will work in China, but the ones from this list have all been tested and their performance is guaranteed.

There are endless types of VPN, all of them offering different benefits, which range from their price to complicated things such as DNS queries. 

However, in order to find the best VPN to access Facebook in China, the only factors you need to take into account are:

• Price
• Security
• Speed (a VPN slows down your browser)
• Number of countries you can connect to
• Compatible with Netflix
• Ease of use
• Whether it is available for both Android and iPhone and can be used on both desktops and mobiles

The following VPNs are all safe, easy to use, compatible with Netflix and work on any sort of device, but they offer some differences regarding price, speed and the number of countries you may connect to. 

• The fastest VPN – ExpressVPN
• The cheapest VPN – Private Internet Access
• The most value-for-money VPN for Iran – Cyber Ghost

Price for 1 month – 12.95USD

Price for 6 months – 9.99USD a month

Price for 1 year – 6.67USD a month

ExpressVPN is the most powerful VPN available in the market 

They offer the best speed and security, besides allowing you to connect to 2,000 servers from 94 different countries. 

This is the one I am using right now and after trying quite a few, I don’t see myself buying any other, basically because I always require the best connection due to my online work.

Price for 1 month – from 11.99USD

Price for 6 months – from 7.50USD a month

Price for 2 years – from 2.11USD a month

Honestly, this is a really good VPN, Private Internet Access is not the fastest but it’s the cheapest in the market, so you might want to consider it if you are a budget traveler. 

However, it had a problem which was that, when I was connected to a not very powerful public Wi-Fi network, the internet was quite slow and, for my online work, it was quite a downside, so for this reason, I moved to ExpressVPN.

Nevertheless, Private Internet Access is relatively fast if you plan to use it for regular browsing, experts claim that it is also very secure, and you can connect to 83 different countries.

Price for 1 month – 12.99USD

Price for 6 months – 6.99USD a month

Price for 2 years – 2.11USD a month

CyberGhost has such a good reputation is because it has 9,000 state-of-the-art VPN servers, it offers an outstanding level of security, with strong encryption features. 

Furthermore, some speed tests have shown that, sometimes, it is even faster than Express VPN, due to its unlimited bandwidth and traffic. 

What’s more, CyberGhost VPN subscriptions secure up to 7 devices at once, protecting your identity and information across all your favorite operating systems and gadgets.

And what about free VPNs?

Why should I buy a VPN for China if you can get one for free?

In the end, isn’t it just about accessing blocked sites?

You are right, but before considering it, you should know that free VPNs present the following downsides:

• Slow speed
• Endless ads
• Usually, they only work on mobiles
• Not safe
• Not compatible with Netflix
• You can’t choose the country you want to connect from

Seriously, for just a few dollars, a premium VPN offers loads of advantages. 

---