[Residing in China] Introducing apps used in work and life [Shenzhen]

This is Ohara from the China office.

I work and live in Shenzhen, China, and unlike the apps provided by Japan and other countries, there are many apps unique to China. I can't work or live without these Chinese apps.

In addition, I have two smartphones, the "Google Pixel 8" for Japan and the "HUAWEI Enjoy 60 Pro" for China.

In this blog, we will introduce some of the apps that are useful when living in China.

Apps I use at work

First, I would like to introduce the Chinese apps that I use at work.

DingTalk (钉钉 / dingding)

In China, people often use WeChat to communicate both at work and in their daily lives.

However, if you have business partners who want to separate the means of communication between work and life, you may install the groupware DingTalk on your PC or smartphone and communicate with them.

Ali Mail

Beyond's Japanese headquarters uses a Japanese domain email address (Google Workspace), but the local subsidiary in China uses a Chinese domain email address (Ali Mail).

Ali Mail is used to communicate by email using different domains (email addresses) depending on whether the business partner is a Japanese company or a Chinese company.

Additionally, as a standard feature of Ali Mail, emails that look like spam are automatically routed to the junk email folder.

By the way, Ali Mail can be functionally linked with DingTalk, which was introduced earlier. For example, the content of emails received in Ali Mail will also be reflected in DingTalk's groupware (chat).

*Also, Ali Mail and DingTalk are both services of Alibaba Group.

Zoom

The familiar Zoom can be used not only in Japan but also in China. When holding an online meeting with multiple people between a Chinese company and an overseas company, I feel that the communication quality is the most stable.

SF Express (Shunfeng sudi)

I always use this delivery company when shipping documents and packages. If you use the app to call a delivery person, they will come and pick it up on the same day.

National Tax Bureau Shenzhen City Electronic Tax Bureau (shenzhen shuiwu)

When a company invoices and records accounts receivable from a business partner for services or products that incur growth tax, it is a matter of course that an invoice must be issued.

In China, there is an invoice called ``fapiao'' with the tax rate and tax amount applied to the government, and you can use the digitized system and app of the National Tax Administration Bureau to send invoices to your own company. We issue electronic invoices (invoices) and send the issued invoices (invoices) to our business partners.

*If there is no invoice (invoice), sales of services and products will not be remitted from the business partner to the company. (Actually, banks do not accept remittances or deposits.)

Apps used in daily life

Next, I would like to introduce some Chinese apps that I use in my daily life and private life.

bilibili (哔哩哔哩)

This is a video app that is like a combination of YouTube and Nico Nico Douga. A variety of videos have been uploaded, including anime, dramas, movies, and live streaming. There is a barrage function like Nico Nico Douga, but if you don't need the barrage, you can hide it at your discretion.

Of course, the videos uploaded are different from YouTube, so it's interesting to watch while comparing videos on YouTube and bilibili, such as, ``If there's no interesting video on YouTube, I'll go watch bilibili.''

meituan

This is an Uber-like taxi arrangement and food delivery app. In China, many people order food delivered.

At Bijuan, you can purchase daily necessities, home appliances, pet supplies, etc., and also make reservations for karaoke, dentist, etc. We also sell large household goods, so you can purchase them on the same day and have them delivered the same day. (I ordered the desk at 11pm, and it was delivered to my house at 2pm)

*Recently, home deliveries using low-flying drones have also begun.

Hellobike (Haluo Chuxing)

This is a bicycle rental service that is often found on the streets of the city.

I often use this rental cycle when I want to go to a supermarket that is a little far from my home, or when I want to take the train to a place far away from the station. Since it is a drop-off rental cycle, you can easily go to various places by bicycle even if you go far.

When riding a bicycle, scan the QR code attached to the bicycle with your smartphone. To return an item, simply click the return button in the app.

JD.com (Jingdong)

I often purchase clothing, home appliances, bedding, etc. from online shopping in Kyoto. If you have any concerns before or after purchasing a product, you can contact the shop via chat.

Personally, I think the quality of the products sold there is higher than on Taobao or Pinduoduo.

By the way, there is also a large brick-and-mortar store in Jingdong that specializes in electrical appliances, called Jingdong Dianqi.

RED (小红书 / xiaohongshu)

In Japan, for example, it's a social networking site like Instagram. I don't use it much, but I do look at the photos and videos posted by people.

Hive Box（丰巢 / fengchao）

It is a service similar to Amazon's delivery box. You can see these delivery boxes everywhere. Of course, there is also a delivery box on the 1st floor of my apartment.

Touch the LCD panel in the middle of the image to authenticate the SMS number sent to your smartphone by the delivery company and receive your package.

*By the way, the parent company seems to be SF Express, which I introduced earlier.

Apps I use for both work and life

This is a Chinese app that I use for both work and life.

WeChat (weixin)

WeChat is an essential app for work and life in China, and you can't do anything without it. From a foreigner's perspective, it may take some time to get used to the app's operation and etiquette at first, but once you get used to it, it's very easy.

WeChat is not only used for messaging, but also allows users to use transportation such as subways and buses by making payments with WeChat Pay (weixin zhifu) and using the mini program 乘车码 (chengchema). Masu.

As a side note, there is no problem with credit cards such as VISA or Mastercard linked to the back of WeChat Pay, but depending on the security of the credit card issuer, a ``payment error when staying in China'' may occur. (This is also the case with his Alipay, which will be introduced later)

Therefore, if you want to link WeChat Pay with a credit card and use it overseas, please contact your credit card issuer in advance when you are in Japan and apply to remove security restrictions on credit card payments.

Alipay (Alipay / zhifubao)

Alipay is a payment app that has payment functions similar to the aforementioned WeChat. Alipay and WeChat are the two biggest apps in China.

Before I was stationed in China, I often used Alipay when visiting China for inspections and business trips, but recently I only use WeChat.

However, there are some services and stores that only support Alipay, so it is a good idea to have both Alipay and WeChat installed on your smartphone.

Alipay HK

This is the Hong Kong version of Alipay. Perhaps only those who work or live in Shenzhen in Guangdong Province or near Hong Kong have the opportunity to use it much.

When I go to Hong Kong, I use this app to ride Hong Kong trains (Port Railway MTR) and buses, and shop at convenience stores. Also, when registering and authenticating the Alipay HK app, you need a Hong Kong phone number, so I purchased it from Beyond SIM,

*Although I have never used it, it seems that the same thing can be done with the original Alipay or Octopus Card (Badadori).

Baidu

When researching things within China, I don't get any results with Google search, so I use Baidu. It boasts an overwhelming market share in China, and of course, when aiming to attract inbound customers on the Internet, optimizing its SEO on Baidu and posting Internet advertisements are also important.

Also, I recently noticed that Baidu's search engine has an AI tool called "Baidu AI Image Piece Assistant" that automatically corrects blurry images by uploading them. there is.

I think this feature is more advanced than Google's. (Of course you can use it for free)

Weibo

We use Weibo to disseminate services, news, and events for our own marketing purposes. Recently, there seems to be a lot of SNS marketing using the RED (小红书) app, but Weibo still has a strong spreading power.

Gaode ditu map (gaode ditu)

Baidu MAP is also famous, but I often use this "Kotoku Map".

Also, if you want to display your company's location information in an iframe on your homepage, etc., you need to apply to Kotoku Map in advance to use the API and write it in JavaScript. (You cannot suddenly copy and paste MAP code freely like Google MAP's iframe code.)

*The location information on our Beyond China site also uses this Kotoku Map API.

ICBC (China Industrial and Commercial Bank / zhongguo gongshang yinhang)

ICBC is the largest financial institution in the world by market capitalization.

I open transaction accounts with ICBC (China Industrial and Commercial Bank) for both personal and business purposes, so this bank app is also very important.

*Beyond's local subsidiary in China is a "solely-owned corporation (100% Japanese capital)," so the process of opening a bank account was very difficult due to the company's registered address, capital, phone number, and passport checks. hey.

Zhongguo tielu 12306, China

The Chinese version of the Shinkansen ``gaotie'' does not have a type of ``unreserved seat'' like the Japanese Shinkansen, so you must purchase a gaotie ticket in advance to board the train.

The app for China Railway 12306 allows you to make reservations for flights, hotels, etc. in addition to Gaorong, but I get the impression that it is mainly used for reserving Gaolin tickets.

zhixing huoche piao

This is a ticket reservation app similar to the China Railway 12306 app mentioned above. If you are traveling by plane within China or from China to other countries, this app may be easier to use.

Personal income tax (geren suodeshui)

For example, in Japan, it is an app similar to filing a tax return. Use this app to file tax applications.

China Unicom (China Unicom / zhongguo liantong)

Our mobile phone carrier in China is China Unicom. The usage fee is a deposit system, so it is cheaper than the usage fee of the telecommunications carrier you have a contract with in Japan. (Mobile phone usage fees in Japan are expensive.)

In the past, there was a saying that ``China is a vast continent, so you may or may not be able to connect depending on the coverage area of ​​the carrier,'' but now there is no big difference in communication quality between carriers.

Beyond provides Choco SIM With Choco SIM, you can sign up for a Chinese phone number while staying in Japan, and it is a convenient SIM service that allows you to make calls and use the Internet in China, as well as use apps such as Google and LINE while staying in China. .

Also, most Chinese apps require authentication with a Chinese phone number, so if you need a Chinese phone number (requires a Chinese app) while living in Japan, you can use Choco SIM even if you are in Japan. It can be said that the use of is effective.

Beyond SIM

Beyond SIM , a global eSIM that connects to more than 200 countries and regions around the world, is our company Beyond's own service, but it is still useful in work and life in China. (The author has a one-year plan that can be used in China, Hong Kong, and Macau.)

*As a side note, BEYOND members often go on business trips overseas, so we issue BEYOND SIM eSIMs each time we go on business trips, and have BEYOND members actually use them.

summary

* A view of the mini karaoke ``Changke'' located at Futian Station in Shenzhen.

Above, we have introduced some Chinese apps that are useful when you are stationed in China. Apps have developed in China due to its unique internet environment, so it would be interesting to try them out and compare the differences with other Japanese and overseas apps.

In addition, if I find any other useful or interesting Chinese apps, I will introduce them on my blog.