Why you should install this app before a trip to China
Ordinary maps and guidebooks show that an attraction exists, but they don’t show what it actually looks like right now — with scaffolding, a queue or a hall closed for restoration. Xiaohongshu (小红书, literally “little red book”) works differently: it is a social network where hundreds of millions of Chinese users post photos and short reviews of specific places — cafés, viewpoints, parks, unusual streets — with real photographs without glossy processing, up-to-date prices in yuan and often a detailed description of how to get there. For a tourist who wants to see not just the official top ten from a guidebook but the places where locals actually go, it is one of the most useful tools when preparing a route around China.
How to download and register without a Chinese number
The app is available in the App Store and Google Play under the name RedNote or Xiaohongshu — you can search for and download it like an ordinary app, without circumventing blocks. When registering choose the country code +7 and enter your ordinary Russian phone number — the confirmation code arrives by SMS; alternatively you can sign in with an Apple ID or Google account. A Chinese phone number is not required for registration — this is a common reason why tourists don’t even try to install the app, mistakenly thinking it is unavailable.
Russian interface and one-click post translation
On first launch the app opens in Chinese, but this is solved in a couple of steps: go to settings, choose “General settings” → “Language” → “Russian”, and most of the interface switches to Russian. Individual user posts remain in Chinese — for them there is a separate translate button under each post, which translates the post text and comments right inside the app. The translation is not perfect in details, but quite sufficient to understand the essence of the place, the price and how to get there.
Do you need a VPN — and how to search for specific places
A VPN is not needed for the app to work, either inside China or outside it — it is a local Chinese app that works without restrictions on the country’s territory (unlike Instagram, YouTube or Google services, for which a VPN is exactly what you need). Search works like Pinterest — by hashtags and keywords, and the best results come from searching in Chinese or in pinyin transliteration (you can copy the name of a city or district from maps and paste it into the search). The app has a built-in AI assistant called Diandian that helps find places with addresses and map points — useful if you are not yet sure of the spelling in characters.
Practical checklist
- Download under the name RedNote or Xiaohongshu — in the usual way, without a VPN.
- Register with the country code +7 and a Russian number or via Apple ID/Google.
- Switch the interface to Russian: Settings → General settings → Language → Russian.
- Use the translate button under each post to read Chinese descriptions.
- Search in Chinese or pinyin for the best results — or use the built-in AI assistant Diandian.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Chinese phone number to register on Xiaohongshu?
No, you can register with a Russian number (country code +7) or via an Apple ID/Google account.
Do I need a VPN to use the app in China?
No, it is a Chinese local app that works without restrictions on the country’s territory.
Is there a Russian interface?
Yes, it is switched in the settings, but individual user posts remain in Chinese — for them there is a translate button under each post.
How is it better than ordinary maps for planning a route?
Live photos of places without filters, up-to-date prices in yuan and real comments from local users — what a standard map or guidebook does not provide.
What next
See the guide on how to pay in China and sort out the common scams before your trip.
App functionality changes with updates — check the current setup steps directly in the app.
Cover photo: Andrzej Otrębski, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
