1
Get online before China
Know which eSIM to install before arrival so Google, WhatsApp, and trip help keep working.
Built for first-time China visitors
Don't let Shanghai break your first hour.
ShangGuide helps you get online, pay, find the real entrance, order food, avoid traps, and book only what is actually worth it.
No local pickup. No travel agency. Pure software help, eSIM affiliate handoffs, booking advice, and a short-trip pass.
The real pain
The trip does not fail at sightseeing. It fails at execution.
Maps, payment apps, and OTAs work until a visitor hits a Chinese QR code, a hidden mall entrance, a menu inside a mini program, or a booking that may be a waste of money.
2
Fix payment failures
Understand personal QR codes, merchant codes, bank declines, VPN issues, and cash fallback.
3
Find the actual door
Turn a Chinese address or screenshot into entrance, floor, elevator, metro exit, and staff card.
4
Order food safely
Not literal menu translation. Know what the dish is, what to avoid, and what to show staff.
5
Avoid tourist traps
Fast checks for tea houses, art students, private taxi fees, and high-pressure bills.
6
Book only if worth it
Disney Premier Access, Huangpu cruises, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and water towns with honest advice first.
How this makes money
Useful first. Monetized only when the user is already trying to solve the task.
We are not selling a generic travel guide. We are testing whether visitors want a software companion at the exact moment they need eSIM, menu help, address help, or a booking decision.
Free checklistPre-landing and first-hour guidance create trust and social traffic.
eSIM affiliateUsers who need data click a tracked partner link. Partner handles fulfillment.
Klook handoffAdvice pages send users to tracked booking links only when the booking is worth it.
Trip PassOne-time App Store purchase for unlimited OCR, address help, and AI concierge.
Validation target
We should build the app only if strangers show intent.
These are the signals we want from X, Reddit, travel forums, and beta users before writing a native iOS build.
30+Waitlist emails from first-time China or Shanghai visitors.
10+DMs with real upcoming trip dates, cities, and pain points.
5+People saying they would pay for a $9 short-trip pass.
1+Content angle that clearly beats the rest in replies or saves.
Beta waitlist
Planning Shanghai soon?
Join the beta and tell us what would have saved you the most stress: eSIM, payments, finding places, ordering food, scam checks, or booking decisions.
"I do not need another guide. I need to know what to do when I am standing in front of the wrong door."
That is the customer we are trying to validate.