• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Travel China Cheaper

Travel China the smart way! Expert tips and travel advice for China tourists and expats.

PLANNING A TRIP TO CHINA? Start Here

  • Resources
    • China Travel Handbook
    • China Travel Resources
    • Free PDF Downloads
    • Blogger Resources
  • Travel Tips
    • Best Travel Insurance for China
    • Getting Your Chinese Visa
    • How to Pack for China
    • Vaccinations Needed for China
    • Top China Tourist Scams
    • Best Times to Visit China
    • Getting Money to China
    • How to Travel China on a Budget
    • Tips on Tipping in China
    • How to Bargain in China
    • How to Take a Taxi in China
    • Using your Cell Phone in China
    • How to Open a China Bank Account
    • Best Virtual Mailboxes Reviewed
  • Travel Guides
    • Best China Travel Agencies
    • Best Beijing Guide Books
    • Best Shanghai Guide Books
    • Best Hong Kong Guide Books
  • Learn Chinese
    • 75 Best Language Learning Tools
    • Best Voice Translation Apps for China
    • Learn to Write Chinese
    • Learn To Read Chinese
    • Top 5 Mandarin Phrase Guides
    • How to Travel without Mandarin
  • China Visas
    • Complete China Visa Guide 2021
    • Visa-Free Transit Guide
    • US Citizens Guide
    • Best China Visas Services Reviewed
    • Getting a Chinese Visa in Hong Kong
    • Understanding the 10-Year China Visa
  • China VPN
    • Best VPNs for China 2021
    • Blocked Websites in China
    • Is Using a VPN Legal?
    • How to Watch Netflix in China
    • China VPN Tips
    • ExpressVPN Review
    • VyprVPN Review
    • Private Internet Access Review
    • Tutorial: Apple TV w/ VPN
  • About
    • Contact
    • Work with Us

How to Install a VPN from within China in 2023 (2 Methods)

January 19, 2023 By Josh Summers

So you’ve landed in China and realized that you want to use a Virtual Private Network, or VPN for short. Unfortunately, all the VPN websites that are supposed to help you bypass censorship are, well…censored. So what do you do? How can you install a VPN from within China?

How to install a VPN within China in 2023

Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Getting stuck in China without a VPN is a common problem that many people face. I get emails about this all the time 🙂

It’s usually the case that people land in China and didn’t realize that a specific app or website was blocked in China.

Panic ensues.

The short answer to your question about how to install a VPN from within China is one of two methods (I’ll go into more detail on each method further down):

  1. Use Dynamic VPN Links: Some VPN companies actively mirror their website to multiple locations to avoid censorship. By using links like this one for ExpressVPN or even this one for NordVPN, your traffic from within China will (usually) be routed to an unblocked version of their website.
  2. Tether onto a VPN-Enabled Device: If the dynamic links for some reason don’t work, the next best method to install a VPN from within China is to tether onto a VPN-enabled device. In this way, you’re using the VPN services of another device in order to set up a VPN on your own. I’ll explain this method in detail below.

So that’s a short description of how to install a VPN from within China.

If you need more details or want a step-by-step explanation, continue reading below.

Note: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, which means that at no extra cost to you, I may be compensated if you choose to use any of the services listed here.

Method 1: Dynamic Links to Install a VPN from Within China

There are a number of definitions for dynamic links, but in this case, dynamic links refer to links which automatically route you to an available and unblocked website.

Dynamic VPN links are links which automatically route you to an unblocked version of the website.

In other words, when you click on a dynamic VPN link, there is a process happening behind the scenes that checks to see which of the many mirror sites have been blocked.

Once an available version of the site has been located, your browser will be automatically forwarded there. This all happens in a matter of seconds and there’s nothing you as a user have to do, but it’s an important process.

Not every VPN offers these kind of links and it’s one of many indications that a VPN serves the China market (since they always have to play a game of cat-and-mouse with the Chinese censors).

VPNs That Offer Dynamic Links for China

I recommend a number of great VPNs for China and these dynamic links serve as an important rating factor.

Below are a few VPN services making use of dynamic links that should work to allow you to install a VPN from within China.

ExpressVPN | Best Overall VPN for China

ExpressVPN Logo mark

ExpressVPN has been one of the most reliable VPNs for those in China and they’re one of the best when it comes to dynamic links to avoid censorship.

There’s a good chance that you’ll be able to sign up for this VPN from within China using this link.

ExpressVPN China

NordVPN | Best VPN Apps

NordVPN Logo

If you read a lot of my content, you’ll know that I almost always recommend a backup VPN. For me, that’s NordVPN, in part because it truly is a quality VPN.

They also just so happen to utilize dynamic links to avoid censorship in China. Give it a try:

NordVPN China

VyprVPN | Most Trustworthy VPN for China

VyprVPN logo

Finally, if the first two don’t work, one final option to try would be this link from VyprVPN, another excellent China VPN.

VyprVPN has a long history of business here in China, so they know what it takes to stay unblocked.

VyprVPN China

If, for some reason, these dynamic links don’t work to allow you to install a VPN from within China, not all hope is lost.

There is still one more method to try.

Get 5 Free International Moving Quotes!
Get the bestselling China travel handbook by TravelChinaCheaper!

Method 2: Tether onto a VPN-Enabled Device

The tethering method of installing a VPN from within China is slightly more complicated but has a higher probability of success.

Time needed: 10 minutes.

I’m going to walk you through step-by-step how to install a VPN by tethering your device. The gist of the process is that you’re piggy-backing off of a current VPN to set up a new VPN. Here’s how to do it.

  1. Find a VPN-Enabled Device (from a friend/colleague)

    The first and most important thing you need to find is a friend or colleague who has a phone that is already set up with a VPN. This should only take a few minutes of their time, so hopefully they won’t mind.

  2. Turn on the VPN on your Friend’s Phone

    Ask your friend to connect to their VPN while using their cellular network (not WiFi). They can’t use WiFi because the process of tethering requires the use of that WiFi.

  3. Turn on Your Friend’s Personal Hotspot

    In the settings of the VPN-enabled phone, find the section dealing with “Personal Hotspot”. I’ve included a screenshot below of what that would look like on an Apple iPhone, but it can also be done on Android. Take note of the username and password to be used in Step 4.Turn your phone into a WiFi hotspot

  4. Connect (or “Tether”) to Your Friend’s Hotspot

    Once the VPN-enabled phone is set up with a personal hotspot, open the WiFi settings on your own phone, tablet or computer. You should see the option for “[Friend]’s Phone” or whatever name they’ve given their device. Using the password in step 3, log onto the phone.

  5. Purchase, Install and Setup the VPN

    Now that you’re connected to your friend’s phone, which should already be connected to a VPN server, you should have an uncensored internet experience. It will probably be a slow connection, but at least you can do what you need to do. From here, jump on to ExpressVPN or NordVPN, purchase a subscription to one of their services, and get all the login information you’ll need.

Pro VPN Tip

If you’re tech-savvy, you don’t have to download the app to install a VPN from within China. You can sign up for VPN service and then manually install the VPN on all of your devices.

Instructions for manual installation can be found in the tutorial pages for each VPN service.

Unblock websites while traveling in China

Final Thoughts | Set Up a VPN Inside China

If at all possible, the easiest method to install a VPN from within China is obviously to try using dynamic links from the providers I’ve mentioned above. You can try:

  • ExpressVPN
  • NordVPN
  • VyprVPN

However, the Chinese internet doesn’t work the same throughout the entire country, so if you’re in a place that just won’t connect to a VPN website, the second method will be your best option.

In most cases, these have worked for me and hundreds of other users I’ve worked with over the past year.

Find a friend who has a VPN already working on their phone and ask if you can spend a few minutes tethering off of their device.

The good news?

Once you install a VPN from within China, you shouldn’t have to do this process again! And, thankfully, you’ll have uncensored access to the internet in China to do what you need.

Further Reading & Resources

  • How to stream Hulu in China
    How to Watch Hulu in China | 2023 Guide
  • How to access Gmail in China
    How to Access Gmail in China in 2023 (which is blocked)
  • Tips for Using a VPN while traveling
    3 Expert Tips for Using a VPN While Traveling

Traveling or Moving to China Soon?

Download "44 Tips You MUST Know Before Traveling to China". These simple but often overlooked tips could make or break your trip!

Download the Tips Here

Avatar for Josh Summers

About Josh Summers

Josh is the founder of TravelChinaCheaper.com who has been living in China with his family since 2006. Over that period of time he has traveled by plane, train, car, motorcycle and even camel to explore almost every corner of the country.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Avatar for Josh SummersTed Boyd says

    September 6, 2019 at 3:19 am

    No matter how beautiful the country is, sometimes watching and browsing stuff you are used to is all you need. China is uniques and for an American like me, some restrictions are Unclear. that’s WHY I HAVE PURCHAsed nordvpn. i like to travel in comfort and be able to watch whatever i want and to log in to all of my accounts.

  2. Avatar for Josh Summersxin says

    December 9, 2019 at 3:17 pm

    THERE IS an alternative way for ios users. sign up app store with U.S. apple account(or some other countries’). search “free vpn” and download anyone. this kind of vpn may slow and not stable. but it’s enough for setting up the express vpn or some other better vpn. or you can keep using it xd

  3. Avatar for Josh SummersRUIKUN LI says

    August 8, 2020 at 5:57 am

    actually proxy is also works in china too.
    there are alot of app, like shadowsocks, v2ray.
    also some ssr is free.better than vpn

Primary Sidebar

Find answers to your China questions:

Coronavirus Health Alert for China Travelers

COVID-19 and the Future of China Travel in 2023 and Beyond

Travel Insurance Comparison

Best Travel Insurance for 2023 | Guide & Reviews

Receive Free China Travel Tips!

Get some of the best China travel tips delivered to your inbox. We'll even send you our free guide "44 Things You MUST Know Before Traveling to China"!

Recommended China travel resources

Recommended China Travel Resources

ExpressVPN Logo MarkExpressVPN (Best VPN for China)
Passport Visas Express Logo MarkPassport Visas Express (China Visa)
Trip logo markTrip.com (Best China Flights)
World Nomads Logo MarkWorld Nomads (Best travel insurance)

Recommended Chinese Learning Resources

eChineseLearning Logo MarkeChinese Learning (online tutoring)
Skritter Logo MarkSkritter (includes 10% discount!)
The Chairman's Bao logo markChairman's Bao (Use TCC20 for 20% off!)
Check out our recommended China travel agencies

Recent Articles on TCC:

  • 6 Must-Read Books on China | Recommended Reading for 2023
  • How to Watch Disney+ in China in 2023 (where it hasn’t been launched)
  • 5 Cheapest Ways to Get Money to China in 2023
  • Do VPNs Still Work in China? (even in March 2023?)
  • Best VPNs for China in 2023 (+ my strategy to use them)

Are you planning to travel or move to China soon?

Don't miss out on these 44 money-saving tips!

Learn More by Clicking Here

© 2022 Go West Ventures LLC   |  Best-Selling China Travel Guide   |   Contact   |   Affiliate Disclaimer   |   Privacy Policy