The Great China Firewall

What is China Great Firewall?

The China Great Firewall is the censorship system that prevents residents from accessing non-government-approved digital content and services. The Chinese government implements the firewall using a combination of regulation and technology.

A little more background

Also known as the Golden Shield Project, the China Great Firewall constantly evolves and adapts. The system works on three primary concepts – active filtering, active probing, and proxy redistribution. Combined, they have so far formed an effective barrier to free Internet access in China Mainland.

The first filters out all the content (i.e. websites and private messages) that it doesn’t want people to access. The second catches anything trying to escape the firewall (i.e., a VPN tunnel). Finally, the last collects all known IPs of anonymity providers like Tor clients and VPN servers.

Although active filtering is what makes up the bulk of the defense mechanism of the Great Firewall, it is the latter two elements which makes it so effective. In technical terms, this is what is called an adaptive strategy, meaning it sort of makes the Great Firewall smarter each day.

Websites Blocked in China

There are tons of global well-known websites you can’t access in China. No Google, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or even Instagram. These restrictions not only apply to access of those websites but even apps won’t work.

Here is a list of more than 500 websites currently found blocked in China.

Note: Some websites get banned in China really quickly and from time to time, may get un-banned just as suddenly. This list is as accurate (and as updated) as we can make it.

How to Bypass the China Great Firewall?

Is there a way over the Great Firewall of China? 

The answer is “Yes” and “No.

Yes – Because like all things technology, there’s always some loophole which could be exploited somehow. For example, using some specific proxies, some good VPN services, and hoping the Tor network will work on any given day.

No – Because almost all of these methods are unreliable in China. As mentioned, the Great Firewall of China is adaptive, so what it can or cannot do changes day by day.

Best way to bypass the China Great Firewall

The best potential for bypassing the China Great Firewall is using a VPN supporting China operations. Known VPN brands that bypass the firewall include Surfshark and WannaFlix, the latter of which is a Hong Kong-based entity.

There have been claims that some proxy servers may work. However, the process for this is generally complicated. Single proxy connections are likely to get blocked. You’ll need to use specialized applications like Freegate or Psiphon to shuffle a mixture of multiple proxy services to attempt to bypass the China Great Firewall.

One exception to this proxy challenge in bypassing the China Great Firewall is the Shodowsocks protocol. This protocol utilizes SOCKS5 proxies outside the country and surprisingly does work. 

Final Thoughts

China is, without doubt, one of the most aggressive countries in Internet censorship. Nevertheless, for travelers heading to China, there is a lot to look forward to. The country has massive business opportunities, great diversity in people and amazing food, and some of the most stunning scenic views you’ll ever come across.

If you are visiting China and wish to have uninterrupted access to websites and applications at home, we recommend the use of one of the well-known VPNs.