East Asia
Can you drink tap water in China?
NoNo, drink bottled
Can you drink the tap water in China?
Don't drink the tap water. Don't drink from the tap; hotels supply kettles and bottled water, and stations and trains have hot-water dispensers.
Tap water by place in China
| Place | Verdict | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | No, drink bottled | Drink bottled or boiled water; hotels provide kettles and trains have hot-water dispensers. |
| Shanghai | No, drink bottled | Drink bottled or boiled water; hotels provide kettles and cafés serve filtered water. |
| Xi'an | No, drink bottled | Drink bottled or boiled water; hotels provide kettles. |
| Chengdu | No, drink bottled | Drink bottled or boiled water; hotels provide kettles. |
| Guilin | No, drink bottled | Drink bottled or boiled water; hotels provide kettles. |
| Chongqing | No, drink bottled | Drink bottled or boiled water; hotels provide kettles. |
| Shenzhen | No, drink bottled | Drink bottled or boiled water; hotels provide kettles. |
| Guangzhou | No, drink bottled | Drink bottled or boiled water; hotels provide kettles. |
| Hangzhou | No, drink bottled | Drink bottled or boiled water; hotels provide kettles. |
| Zhangjiajie | No, drink bottled | Drink bottled or boiled water; hotels provide kettles and the park sells bottled water. |
| Yangshuo | No, drink bottled | Drink bottled or boiled water; hostels have kettles and filtered water. |
| Lijiang | No, drink bottled | Drink bottled or boiled water; guesthouses have kettles and filtered water. |
| Suzhou | No, drink bottled | Drink bottled or boiled water; hotels provide kettles. |
| Harbin | No, drink bottled | Drink bottled or boiled water; hotels provide kettles. |
| Sanya | No, drink bottled | Drink bottled or boiled water. Hotels provide kettles. |
| Xiamen | No, drink bottled | Don't drink tap water; hotels and hostels supply kettles and bottled water. |
| Dali | No, drink bottled | Drink bottled or boiled water; guesthouses supply kettles. |
| Lhasa | No, drink bottled | Drink bottled or boiled water. Hotels supply kettles; water boils at a lower temperature at altitude. |
| Huangshan | No, drink bottled | Don't drink from the tap; carry water on the mountain, where bottles cost two to three times more. |
| Kunming | No, drink bottled | Don't drink tap water; hotels supply kettles and bottled water. |
| Qingdao | No, drink bottled | Don't drink tap water; hotels supply kettles and bottled water. |
| Nanjing | No, drink bottled | Don't drink tap water; hotels supply kettles and bottled water. |
| Shangri-La | No, drink bottled | Don't drink the tap; water boils at a lower temperature at altitude, so bottled is easier. |
| Jiuzhaigou | No, drink bottled | Don't drink the tap; hotels supply kettles and bottled water. Carry water into the park. |
| Changsha | No, drink bottled | Don't drink tap water; hotels supply kettles and bottled water. |
| Pingyao | No, drink bottled | Don't drink the tap; inns supply kettles and bottled water. |
| Dunhuang | No, drink bottled | Don't drink the tap; hotels supply kettles and bottled water. Carry water on the dunes. |
| Kashgar | No, drink bottled | Don't drink the tap; hotels supply kettles and bottled water. |
| Wuhan | No, drink bottled | Don't drink from the tap; hotels provide kettles and bottled water, and stations have hot-water dispensers. |
| Tianjin | No, drink bottled | Don't drink from the tap; hotels provide kettles and bottled water, and stations have hot-water dispensers. |
Tap water by place
Sources
- World Bank: safely managed drinking water
- US State Department travel advisory
- National Immigration Administration
- NIA online arrival card
- China Railway 12306
- Speedtest Global Index: China
- World Bank open data
Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.