Online freedom is not a right that people in China can enjoy, due to the heavy restrictions implemented by the government. The Great Firewall is known all over the world as a synonym of censorship and strict control over the internet. Although due to the restrictions applied by Chinese Authorities, there are many websites blocked including popular solutions like Gmail, Facebook and Twitter, given that the internet is widely used in China, companies in that country have come up with many alternatives. For instance, QQ email is the most popular alternative to Gmail, while Twitter;s alternative is Weibo. WeChat has taken the place of Facebook, another popular social media app that is not available in China at the moment.
The largest city in China is Shanghai and it is a business hub that attracts millions of visitors every year. Whether you aim to visit Shanghai for tourism or business purposes, you are probably going to need to use the internet at some stage. The thing is that while there are many local alternatives to popular websites and many good apps that are only available in China, the restrictions can have a negative impact, particularly for business users. This is why you need to find a way to overcome the blocks and get access to all the content that is blocked in China at this time.
Once you connect to a VPN server in a location outside China, you can get access to popular social media apps like Facebook and Twitter. In order to defeat the Great Firewall of China, we recommend that you use a VPN that supports OpenVPN protocol. This protocol enables you to overcome restrictions in Shanghai and other locations in China, because it can mask your traffic and hide your actual location effectively. OpenVPN offers high security and it is considered as the most reliable and strongest protocol out there.
More about Shanghai
Before we talk further about the best VPNs for Shanghai, it is worth discussing a bit more about the history of this fascinating city, which dates back to 771 BC in a time before China was unified. Shanghai means “Upon the Sea” and although there are some discussions about what this means and how the name has to be used, most believe that it refers to the fact that during the Tang Dynasty, the city was literally on the sea. Due to the alternative name, it is likely that you come across the name Shen as part of sports teams and newspapers. The city has an extensive history and its impressive combination of majestic traditional architecture and stunning futuristic buildings, along with other attractions, are just some of the reasons why Shanghai is visited by many.
The importance of using a VPN in Shanghai
Shanghai is the perfect example of the unique mixture of ancient culture and advanced technology that China has to offer. Although the modern buildings and futuristic approach may make you forget the fact that China is a restrictive regime, once you try to visit a website like Google to search for something, you will remember that the government has implemented heavy blocks. The Great Firewall of China will stop you from accessing the content that you want so if you want to enjoy online freedom, you need to use a VPN service.
Another reason why it is important to get a VPN when you are in Shanghai is privacy. After all, the Chinese government doesn’t only place restrictions in the content that can be accessed, it also monitors online activities to keep control over its citizens. A VPN encrypts your internet traffic, preventing others from seeing what you are doing online. Encryption scrambles your data, so others won’t be able to check your activities and this includes the government. In China, it is particularly important to ensure that an obfuscation feature is used to stop others from finding out what you do when you are online.
Signing up with a VPN will help you to get around blocks effectively, enabling you to enjoy online freedom and also, to protect your privacy effectively. You can defeat the Great Firewall and enjoy a higher level of privacy. As we mentioned before, it is advisable to choose the OpenVPN protocol, which is the most efficient and reliable solution, particularly if you are in China. OpenVPN offers a great balance between speed and security. If you want to stream content, we recommend to use the UDP version, which is faster. The TCP option offers more stability, but it is slower. Now let’s check a list of the best VPNs for Shanghai.
Best VPN Services for Shanghai
ExpressVPN
With a high level of encryption, servers in over 90 countries and strong protection for your privacy, ExpressVPN is one of the best options available. It is designed to overcome restrictions effectively and it doesn’t keep any logs that could compromise your privacy. ExpressVPN has a reliable network of servers and it uses high encryption, plus it is one of the providers that can overcome the Great Firewall.
NordVPN
NordVPN is another provider that we highly recommend as it delivers top protection for your privacy and it doesn’t keep logs that could put your privacy at risk. In fact, it doesn’t keep any logs at all. Being a zero logs provider means that NordVPN is the best option for privacy conscious users. In addition, NordVPN supports advanced security features like Tor over VPN and double encryption. You can connect to more than 5000 servers in over 60 countries.
Surfshark
Surfshark has been independently audited to confirm that it lives up to its privacy and security claims. It doesn’t keep logs that could put your privacy at risk and it uses strong encryption to prevent third parties from seeing what you do when you are online. Surfshark has hundreds of servers available in more than 60 countries and it uses high encryption to keep your information secure. There are no logs kept of your activities.
CyberGhost
Another name that we recommend to users in Shanghai is CyberGhost, a provider that has over 3000 servers in at least 60 countries. You can effectively bypass restrictions and enjoy online freedom, as well as privacy when you are in China. CyberGhost doesn’t keep logs of your activities and it is designed to overcome restrictions easily, through its high quality apps. CyberGhost is a reliable choice with a strong focus in security and privacy, as well as fast speeds for accessing media content.