Updated on: April 23, 2024
3 Steps (Quick + Easy) to Getting a Chinese IP Address in 2024:
- Step 1: Choose a VPN. Pick a VPN with at least 1 server in China, Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan (these locations can give you access to Chinese sites) — I recommend ExpressVPN because it has robust security features, is great for streaming, and provides lightning-fast speeds.
- Step 2: Download the VPN. It only takes about 3 minutes to download and install a VPN app on your device. If you plan to use the VPN on more than 1 device at the same time, check to see how many simultaneous connections the VPN allows. ExpressVPN, my top pick, allows up to 8 connections.
- Step 3: Choose a server in China, Macau, Hong Kong, or Taiwan. Check the VPN’s list of server locations and select China, Macau, Hong Kong, or Taiwan. Now, you can surf the web with a Chinese IP address!
The best way to get a Chinese IP address is to use a VPN, which is online software that replaces your actual IP address with one from the country where you’re connected (like China). This allows you to browse the web as if you’re actually in China.
A VPN also safeguards your online data by encrypting your traffic, making your data completely unreadable. On top of that, VPNs are legal, easy to use, and affordable.
I found a few great VPNs for getting a China IP address — my top pick is ExpressVPN because it’s super fast and secure, but all the options on my list will get you a China IP with no issues.
Get a Chinese IP address with ExpressVPN
Best VPNs for Getting a Chinese IP Address in 2024
- 🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for getting a Chinese IP address in 2024 (ultra-secure + blazing fast speeds).
- 🥈2. PIA VPN — Highly customizable VPN with user-friendly apps and multiple China server locations.
- 🥉3. CyberGhost — Good VPN for beginners (with servers in China, Macau, Hong Kong, and Taiwan).
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Getting a Chinese IP Address
ExpressVPN is my favorite VPN for getting a Chinese IP address — it works with most streaming platforms, maintains superfast speeds, offers advanced security features, and is user-friendly. It’s also why ExpressVPN is ranked as our best VPN in 2024.
The VPN comes with 2 server locations in Hong Kong, 1 in Macau, and 1 in Taiwan. ExpressVPN doesn’t offer actual servers in mainland China, but this isn’t a problem since the other 3 servers can provide you with a Chinese IP address.
I also found ExpressVPN easy to use — it’s very simple to find and connect to a server that can give you access to Chinese sites. All you have to do is type Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan in the search bar or click on the Asia Pacific region in the server menu and find one of these locations. On top of that, the VPN allows you to add servers to your favorites, which gives you quick access.
I like that ExpressVPN has physical servers in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan instead of virtual ones. Physical servers are generally more reliable and faster than virtual servers. A virtual server assigns you an IP address that matches the corresponding country, but the server is physically located in another country. Most VPNs offer virtual servers in China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
ExpressVPN also has great streaming support. Plus, each location that provides you with a Chinese IP address supports torrenting.
ExpressVPN has the fastest speeds in the industry thanks to its proprietary Lightway protocol, which is specifically designed for fast (and secure) connections. I particularly like that it’s also open-source, and the protocol’s security has been verified by an independent auditing company. In my speed tests, websites loaded instantly and I didn’t experience any buffering while streaming in HD and 4K. And, I downloaded a 2 GB file in 6 minutes, which is excellent.
In addition to protecting your security and privacy with essential security features, ExpressVPN also has advanced security tools like RAM-only servers (each reboot wipes all data on the server), perfect forward secrecy (changes your encryption key), and full leak protection — I ran more than 10 leak tests connected to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan servers and didn’t find any leaks. ExpressVPN blocks ads and trackers and prevents you from visiting sites that contain malware, and its no-logs policy has been independently audited and confirmed multiple times.
The VPN allows 8 connections and offers apps for iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and more. In addition, I really like that ExpressVPN has a native router app, which is actually pretty easy to install and configure. And once you set up ExpressVPN on your router, all of the devices that are connected to the router are connected to the VPN.
ExpressVPN offers paid plans that start at $6.67 / month. Also, it backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Best VPN for Customizable Security Features
Private Internet Access (PIA) offers a secure app that can be completely customized to your liking while using a Chinese IP address. For example, if you want to optimize your speeds, you can switch from AES 256-bit to 128-bit encryption — less encryption usually means faster speeds. Since 256-bit is more secure, it’s better to use it for tasks like e-banking.
The VPN offers virtual servers in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. PIA provides you with a handful of convenient ways to connect to one of these servers. You can use the search bar or choose each one as a favorite, and PIA also has a quick connect option on the main window that displays the last 6 servers you connected to.
PIA is one of the best VPNs on the market for streaming and torrenting. It works with most streaming services and allows P2P traffic on all servers.
Although PIA has some of the fastest speeds out there, it’s still just a tad slower than ExpressVPN. It has the OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols, which are both very fast (I had the fastest speeds with OpenVPN). Chinese websites took about 2 seconds to load, and I could download a 2 GB file in about 7 minutes.
PIA keeps your online data protected with top-of-the-line security tools. It has RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and full leak protection. Plus, its no-logs policy has been independently verified, and it also issues a transparency report, which highlights how many requests PIA has received for user data and proves how it doesn’t have any to hand over. The VPN also comes with PIA MACE, which is the best ad blocker in the industry — it blocks ads and trackers and also prevents you from visiting malicious websites.
PIA allows unlimited connections, which is great for households with heaps of devices to protect. It’s compatible with all of the major operating systems, including iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and more. PIA also works with routers, but it doesn’t have a native router app like ExpressVPN.
With prices starting at $2.03 / month, PIA is very cheap, and all plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full Private Internet Access review
🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Best VPN for Beginners
CyberGhost has a user-friendly interface that makes it a good choice for someone new to VPNs. The intuitive design is easy to navigate, and there are some cool features that allow you to quickly connect to servers in China, Macau, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
In addition to using the search bar and favorite server option, I really like the SmartRules tool — it allows you to customize your connection preferences. For example, I set up CyberGhost to automatically connect to the Hong Kong server as soon as I open the app.
The VPN comes with specialized servers for torrenting in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. There are also specialized servers for streaming.
CyberGhost has fast speeds, but they were slower than ExpressVPN or PIA. That being said, websites loaded in 5 seconds, HD videos streamed with only minor buffering, and I downloaded a 2 GB file in about 10 minutes.
When it comes to security, CyberGhost is very secure. It uses RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and has DNS and WebRTC leak protection (and automatically disables IPv6 traffic). Its no-logs policy passed an independent audit, it issues a transparency report, and it has physical servers in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
CyberGhost VPN has budget-friendly plans that start at $2.03 / month. It allows up to 7 simultaneous connections and offers a generous 45-day money-back guarantee for its long-term plans (the monthly plan has a 14-day refund window).
Read our full CyberGhost VPN review
Comparison of the Best VPNs for Getting a Chinese IP Address in 2024
How to Choose the Best VPN for Getting a Chinese IP Address
- Look for servers in China (or Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan). To get a Chinese IP address, the VPN must have a server located in China or another location that will assign you a Chinese IP address like Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan. All VPNs on this list have at least one server in one of these locations.
- Opt for a VPN with stringent security measures. The VPNs on my list all come with essential security features like 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, kill switches, and strict no-logs policies.
- Find a VPN with fast speeds. Although all VPNs experience a slowdown due to the encryption process, top-quality VPNs minimize the speed loss. All of the VPNs I recommend maintain really fast speeds (ExpressVPN is the fastest).
- Take into account streaming and torrenting support. All the VPNs I recommend work with top streaming sites and support P2P traffic on their servers.
- Opt for an intuitive VPN. The VPN must be straightforward, featuring simple-to-install apps for all your devices. It should also be user-friendly, allowing you to swiftly acquire a Chinese IP address.
- Pick a VPN with a good overall value. I only recommend VPNs that allow multiple connections (Private Internet Access allows unlimited connections), offer reasonably-priced subscription plans, and back purchases with a money-back guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best VPN for getting a Chinese IP Address?
My favorite VPN for getting a Chinese IP Address is ExpressVPN. It offers physical servers in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, it’s great for streaming, and it maintains superfast speeds. In addition, it allows torrenting on its Hong Kong and Taiwan servers and comes with industry-leading security features.
What can I do with a Chinese IP Address?
It allows you to browse Chinese sites and, in theory, stream content on Chinese streaming platforms if you travel outside of China (but please keep in mind that this could constitute copyright infringement and is against most streaming platforms’ Terms of Service). The best way to get a Chinese IP address is by using a VPN that offers servers in China, Macau, Hong Kong, or Taiwan. I like using ExpressVPN, which is really fast, really secure, good for streaming and torrenting, and easy to use.
Can I use a free VPN to get a Chinese IP address?
Maybe, but most free VPNs don’t offer servers in China. Plus, even if you find a free VPN that does offer Chinese servers, they often come with annoying limitations (such as slow speeds and daily/monthly data caps) and lack important security and privacy features. Instead, I recommend signing up for a low-cost premium VPN to get a Chinese IP address.
Can I use a VPN to watch Chinese TV abroad?
In theory, a good VPN will allow you to watch Chinese streaming services when you travel abroad. However, keep in mind that this is against most streaming services’ Terms of Service and could be regarded as copyright infringement. We discourage this in no uncertain terms.
