🇨🇳 Meeting someone safely in China

Practical habits for a safe first meeting if you are visiting mainland China. Written for women first; useful for everyone.

Before you meet

• Have a HerHello voice or video call first, so you know the person matches their profile.
• Tell a friend who you are meeting, where and when, and share your live location.
• Arrange your own transport there and back.
• Google services and many apps that rely on them, including HerHello, may not work on mainland Chinese networks. Agree before you travel how you will stay in touch, and save your match's number.

The first meeting

• Choose a busy public place in daytime — a café, a restaurant or a shopping centre.
• Keep your drink and your phone with you, and leave if the plan suddenly changes.
• Do not go to a hotel room or a private home on a first meeting.
• If you are visiting: carry your passport, as hotels and many trains ask for it, and have a way to pay by phone — many places prefer WeChat Pay or Alipay to cash or foreign cards.

Money and scams

• Never send money, gift cards or crypto to someone you have not met — for a ticket, a visa, a family emergency or an investment.
• Nobody genuine needs your bank details, one-time codes or ID photos to date you.
• Be wary of a new match who moves the conversation quickly to another app and then to money or investing.

If something feels wrong

• Leave. You never owe anyone an explanation.
• Report and block them on HerHello — reports are reviewed by a person.
• Use the numbers below in an emergency. Keep your hotel's address written in Chinese to show a taxi driver.

Emergency numbers in China

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