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Does NordVPN work in China in 2024?


China is one of the countries where the internet is heavily censored. You can’t just connect to an open hotspot and check your Facebook or Gmail. Many Western websites are blocked by the Great Firewall of China.

A best solution in such cases is a VPN (Virtual Private Network) service. For a fee, you can join their networks and bypass site blocks by connecting through an outside server. However, after testing dozens of VPN services with our research team, I can confirm that not all VPNs can do it equally well.

So, does NordVPN work in China? Yes, NordVPN is one of the safest and most reliable China VPNs we recommend, which allows you to safely and anonymously browse online. Read on to learn everything you should know about using NordVPN in China as well as the online security situation in the country.

How to get NordVPN to work in China

Access China with NordVPN
  1. Get NordVPN, now 66% OFF, before you travel to China
  2. Set up your account
  3. Download and install the app
  4. Connect to a secure server
  5. Try obfuscated servers to hide VPN usage
  6. Enjoy using NordVPN in China

Why do I need to use NordVPN in China?

You’ll need a trusted VPN for China to browse online safely and anonymously. There are some options of Chinese VPNs, but NordVPN is your best choice. NordVPN will help you bypass the Great Firewall and access the censored services and media. Without it, you’re stuck on the wrong side of the wall. If you’re heavily relying on services like Messenger or Gmail, you won’t even be able to get in touch with your family or work. It’s not all bad news, as NordVPN can solve all of these problems.

With NordVPN, your connection is encrypted, making it obscure for government-owned Internet Service Providers (or ISPs). Besides, I found that NordVPN’s obfuscation protocols can be highly efficient at bypassing the Great Firewall. They send additional data packets to trick it into thinking you’re not actually using a VPN.

Using NordVPN for China allows you to unblock pages that would normally remain closed to you. Just make sure to set NordVPN up on your device before going into the country.

How does NordVPN bypass the Great Firewall?

NordVPN uses obfuscated servers to bypass the internet restrictions in China. It uses OpenVPN tunneling protocol to connect to the obfuscated servers, but it camouflages your traffic to look like a regular HTTPS one instead of going through the VPN tunnel.

This is needed because your ISP knows that you’re using a VPN even when your VPN traffic is encrypted. The Great Firewall is pretty good at stopping usual VPN traffic (hence, simple OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP don’t work). In addition, obfuscated servers are useful to bypass other internet restrictions, not only the Great Firewall of China.

So, sending additional data packets to spoof the Great Firewall makes your VPN traffic look like you’re just browsing through available pages without a VPN. This is what allows NordVPN to bypass the blocks. Obfuscated servers are available for all of their apps, so no matter what device you’re using, you’ll get it to work.

Expert comment
Security advocate and senior tech writer

What sites are blocked in China?

Due to its severe internet control and censorship, China blocks many websites and apps that are extremely popular in the West. I compiled a list of the most popular ones that are blocked in China.

Social networks banned in China

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X (Twitter)
  • TikTok
  • Pinterest
  • Snapchat
  • Quora
  • Reddit

Messaging apps banned in China

  • WhatsApp
  • Discord
  • Telegram
  • Signal
  • Viber
  • Skype

News sites banned in China

  • BBC
  • CNN
  • The Guardian
  • The Wall Street Journal
  • The Economist
  • Reuters
  • Bloomberg

Streaming services banned in China

  • YouTube
  • Netflix
  • Disney+
  • Max
  • Vimeo
  • Hulu

Yes, it is legal to use NordVPN in China. Even though China severely restricts VPN usage and blocks many providers, VPNs are legal if you don't use them for unlawful activities. For example, you will not get in trouble if you connect to NordVPN obfuscated servers to check your Gmail or talk to a relative on WhatsApp.

China is more worried about businesses or institutions using VPNs, but individuals, especially tourists, can pack NordVPN before going there to maintain social media access. Simultaneously, I advise remaining cautious and using it for casual online activities, like browsing and streaming.

How to use NordVPN in China

If you intend to use NordVPN in China, make sure to download it and set everything up before you enter the country. That’s because most of the VPN pages are blocked and you won’t be able to install the apps on your devices.

However, once you’ve decided to download NordVPN for China, setting everything up is very easy. Here’s what you have to do:

  1. Download the NordVPN app and log in to your account NordVPN login to your account
  2. Head over to the Settings page
  3. Enable the kill switch
  4. Select either OpenVPN (UDP) or OpenVPN (TCP) protocol NordVPN pick the correct protocol
  5. Return to the servers list, select Obfuscated servers, and connect to one NordVPN select obfuscated servers
  6. You can now safely use NordVPN in China!

NordVPN not working in China: quick fixes

Bypassing the Great Firewall of China is not a stroll in the park. The Chinese government is continuously updating this technology to identify and restrict VPN access. Even if your chosen VPN works one day, you can experience difficulties now and then, especially if your VPN IP address is identified and banned.

Furthermore, only VPNs that regularly update their servers and anti-detection algorithms will work. Luckily, NordVPN is one of them. Here are a few tricks I recommend trying if you cannot bypass restrictions while connected to NordVPN in China:

  • Connect to NordVPN's obfuscated server and try again
  • Select an obfuscated server in a different country to switch your IP address
  • Use automatic server selection that picks the best one to use in China for you
  • Try out NordVPN's proprietary NordLynx protocol, which you can find in the app Connection Settings
  • If you haven't packed NordVPN beforehand, contact their support when possible to get a mirror link to download it and quick-connect to obfuscated servers

In most cases, these adjustments should solve the connectivity issues, and you can continue using NordVPN in China normally.

Why not all VPNs work in China?

The Great Firewall isn’t a fixed entity. Much like any other service, it also receives updates and gets better at blocking connections. This requires a lot of resources and time on the VPN provider’s part. You have to plan out the infrastructure, you also have to constantly monitor the situation and provide timely responses when something’s not working. Not many businesses have the luxury to go through the burden that bypassing the Great Firewall brings.

In turn, only a handful of VPN service providers that we have tested can be said to be working in China. Unfortunately, some of the most popular VPNs, like Mullvad, ZenMate, IPVanish, and others don’t bypass the internet restrictions in China.

Does NordVPN work in China: final verdict

NordVPN is one of the few VPNs that works in China. Even with constantly updated VPN blocking technologies, this VPN is consistently updated and upgraded to bypass the Great Firewall and other internet restrictions.

What I enjoy most about NordVPN is its excellent connection quality at an affordable price. As of now, NordVPN efficiently bypasses China's restrictions for streaming, torrenting, or casual browsing.

All you need to do is set up the NordVPN app before you get to China, connect to an obfuscated server to better mask your connection, and enjoy safe and unrestricted browsing online.

FAQ

Comments

Baptiste
prefix 1 year ago
Hi,
I'm in china and Nord is not working. No matter what settings I set. Are the servers still up?
Cybernews Team
prefix 1 year ago
Hi there! Unfortunately, NordVPN is still facing some issues with connectivity in the region of China, as their server configurations for manual connections and applications were recently blocked. The developers are aware of the issue and working on a fix as soon as possible. We hope that they will solve this problem as soon as possible and you will be able to use NordVPN service in China again. Hope this helps!
Gerard Brent
prefix 2 years ago
I am already in China. Is there any way I can get Nord VPN
Cybernews Team
prefix 2 years ago
Hi! You can try using a proxy website to download NordVPN, or see if any other free VPNs are accessible, such as Atlas VPN or similar, and then use them to access NordVPN. Another option is to use the Tor browser, or Ultrasurf, which is a software specifically created to bypass firewalls. We hope this helps.
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