China's cities are huge, but getting around without Chinese is easier than you think. Between bilingual metro systems, English-friendly ride apps and photo-based navigation, you can travel independently from airport to alley. Here's the complete toolkit.
Every major Chinese city (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xi'an...) has a metro with English signs, English voice announcements and ticket machines with an English mode. Stations display the next stop in both languages. The metro is cheap, fast and completely navigable without Chinese.
Both apps have international versions that accept foreign credit cards. Alipay's 'Transport' tab gives you a QR code for metro gates and buses in most cities. WeChat Pay works similarly. Set both up before you arrive - they are also how you pay at restaurants, shops and even street stalls.
Didi (滴滴) has an English interface and shows the fare upfront, so no negotiation is needed. Type your destination in Chinese - the app will show your hotel's Chinese name if you search in English. At airports, the official taxi queue is safe and metered; just show the driver your hotel address in Chinese.
The hardest part is always the last 500 meters: finding a hutong hotel, a nongtang guesthouse or a restaurant hidden in the lanes. Maps get confused in narrow alleys, and you cannot ask for directions. This is exactly what imhere is for - photo-by-photo routes from the metro stop to the door, no Chinese needed.
Keep these on your phone: 你好 (hello), 谢谢 (thank you), 多少钱? (how much?), 地铁 (metro), 出口 (exit), and your hotel's Chinese name. Translation apps work well for written Chinese - point your camera at menus and signs.