How to Order Food Delivery in China Without Speaking Chinese
China has arguably the best food delivery ecosystem in the world. Meituan alone handles over 60 million orders per day. You can get anything — hot pot, bubble tea, groceries, medicine — delivered to your door in under 30 minutes, often for under $5. But if you’re a foreign traveler who can’t read Chinese, ordering food can feel impossible. Here’s what actually works, based on real traveler experiences. The first thing to know: cash won’t help you Chinese law says vendors must accept cash. In practice? Almost no one does. Street vendors, restaurants, even taxi drivers expect you to scan a QR code. Pulling out a ¥100 bill at a noodle shop will earn you a confused stare and possibly a refusal. ...