Why is YouTube banned in China? Because the authorities in China think platforms like YouTube allow users to access videos created by users from around the world, which will present a threat to the Chinese government, they decided to block any content that may be critical of the Chinese government, or that may support ideas that promote democracy in China.
Is there any way to access, or unblock YouTube in China? Yes, now you’re going to need to set up either a VPN or a proxy server to access the site. I recommend you get all of the setups prior to arrival in China because it’s going to be a huge pain to do so once you’ve arrived.
Is there any way to access, or unblock YouTube in China? Yes, now you’re going to need to set up either a VPN or a proxy server to access the site. I recommend you to get all of the setups prior to arrival in China because it’s going to be a huge pain to do so once you’ve arrived.
How to unblock YouTube in China with a VPN?
If you’ve never heard of a VPN, you can think of it as a tunnel through a wall. Even when China has censored everything, a VPN will tunnel through and give you access to sites like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram in China. It’s used by pretty much any expats who live in China.
VPN is a tool for protecting people’s internet traffic and keeping their identities private online. Your internet traffic will go through an encrypted tunnel that nobody can see when you connect to a secure VPN server. This is my way to access YouTube and I guess it’s probably the easiest way. Here are 3 steps to help you unblock YouTube with a VPN in China.
Step 1: Choose the right VPN
The very first step for you is to find a VPN that can work in China. For this first step, a few things you need to be careful of,
- Even though there are so many awesome VPN providers in the market, not all of them are working in China. Since the Great Firewall in China nowadays is getting stronger and stronger, it becomes increasingly hard for VPN providers to bypass the Great Firewall, which is why you need to do some research first to figure out the right one. I’m currently using PrivadoVPN and it’s working fine for me.
- You need to make sure that the VPN apps and account have been ready before you visit China because once you’re in China, you won’t be able to download any VPN apps. If you’re thinking of downloading the file directly from the provider’s website, I can tell you now that’s also impossible since you won’t be able to access the website as well.
- It’s also important to purchase the most suitable plan for the VPN before going. I suggest you choose the yearly plan or even a year’s plan if it’s possible since you don’t want to get stuck just because you forget to renew your plan, right? Still, it really depends on how long you’re going to stay in China.
Step 2: Turn on your VPN
After you’ve signed up for a VPN account and purchased a plan, you’re free to use your VPN! There are 2 crucial settings you need to know.
- Choose the right server: Normally, a VPN will provide users with 100+ servers from different countries. Because the network speed could be different by region, you need to test a bit to see which countries’ servers could give you the best network speed.
- Choose the right protocol: VPN protocols are sets of programs and processes that determine how that tunnel is actually formed. There will be a few protocol options for you to choose from in a VPN app.
Step 3: Download YouTube and enjoy it
Once you have access to the internet on your phone or PC, you’re connected to a VPN, which should enable you to log onto YouTube without any problems. Well, It’s surely common to experience some interruptions with your connection, so I suggest you test out the best VPN servers for yourself.
If you’re still having trouble accessing YouTube or other blocked websites, you should contact your VPN’s customer support team for further assistance.
YouTube for Android – APK Download
YouTube for iOS – APK Download
Best VPN for unblocking YouTube in China
In China’s tightly controlled digital environment, PrivadoVPN emerges as a key player for those seeking unrestricted internet access. My experience with its robust features—from bypassing the Great Firewall to ensuring top-notch security and speed—highlights its effectiveness. Here’s a snapshot of why PrivadoVPN is a game-changer for internet users in China.
| Feature | My Experience with PrivadoVPN in China |
|---|---|
| Zero-Logs Policy | Absolute privacy is a must-have in China, and PrivadoVPN delivers. Knowing they don’t keep tabs on my browsing is peace of mind, especially with Switzerland’s top-tier privacy laws backing it up. |
| Global Network | Their network is a lifeline for bypassing China’s Great Firewall. Fast, secure, and reliable, it’s my go-to for unrestricted internet access here. |
| Streaming’s a Breeze | Even in China, PrivadoVPN cracks open access to Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+. It’s my ticket to global content without hitting the censorship wall. |
| Speedy Gonzalez | The speeds I get with PrivadoVPN in China defy expectations. Streaming, downloading, or just browsing—there’s no lag, no buffering, just smooth internet. |
| Apps for Days | No matter the device, setting up PrivadoVPN has been hassle-free. Getting my entire network covered via my router was also a straightforward affair. It’s essential for comprehensive security in China. |
| P2P’s Best Friend | Sharing files peer-to-peer can be tricky in China, but PrivadoVPN keeps it smooth and speedy on both free and premium plans. The SOCKS5 Proxy is a game-changer for faster speeds. |
| Top-Notch Security | The level of security PrivadoVPN offers, with protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard, means I can browse with confidence, knowing my data’s locked down tight from prying eyes. |
| Connect All The Things | Having up to 10 devices connected is a blessing, ensuring all my gadgets are safe. Even on the free plan, the one connection offered is invaluable here. |
| Help Around the Clock | Whenever I’ve hit a snag or had questions, even considering the time difference, PrivadoVPN’s support has been there, ready to assist. It’s like having an expert in your corner, anytime, anywhere. |
| Pay Your Way | In a place where financial privacy is paramount, the option to pay with crypto is a huge plus. But it’s great that traditional payment methods are still in play for convenience. |
| Try It, You’ll Like It | The 30-day money-back guarantee made trying PrivadoVPN in China a no-risk decision. It’s comforting to know there’s an out if it didn’t meet my needs, but spoiler alert: it did. |
Use a Proxy to access YouTube in China
Proxy: A proxy is similar to a VPN but doesn’t encrypt your data. It is a server that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers. Because of its non-data-encrypt feature, proxy usually is free to everyone, which also means that it’s going to track your internet activity and then sell it to others or try to download some tracking software on your computer.
Therefore, choosing either VPN or Proxy is really depending on your personal financial status. Or if you don’t want to either spend money or give up your privacy, I guess you can just stick with those Chinese video platforms, maybe you will change your mind later.
Is there any Chinese YouTube Alternative?
YouTube is the unrivaled king of video in most parts of the world. Billions of people are using YouTube to receive, create, and share tens of billion of diversified video content. But not for hundreds of millions of Chinese people. So what is the YouTube alternative in China?
To be honest, If you just want to know which Chinese video platform is considered the closest one to YouTube, I can easily give the name: Bilibili, which may make many people a bit surprised.
Because when you’re talking about the YouTube alternative in China, Youku always be considered the best choice, and some other big names would also be mentioned as well, such as iQiyi, Tencent, Sohu, etc.
Things have changed nowadays. As those big names are dedicating themselves to getting into the streamlined business, being out of the track of being the next YouTube, Bilibili has always been stuck with its own goal.
Nowadays, Bilibili is so close to the so-called “Chinese YouTube” regarding the number of original videos, the low entry barrier of being a video poster, the user experience, etc. Whenever people, especially the Chinese younger generations, think of learning something, they will go to Bilibili and find the channels they want, just like what YouTube users do.
And other video platforms, including iQiyi, Tencent, Youku, and Sohu, are currently so busy transforming themselves into streamlined types of websites like Hulu and Netflix.
However, my intention for this article is not to promote Bilibili. Today, I just want to state a very simple reality to those who are looking for Chinese YouTube alternatives: There is no website equivalent to YouTube in China!
Why Chinese companies can’t create a video platform like YouTube?
I’ve been living in mainland China since I was born. Until one day I got the chance to visit Hong Kong and access YouTube, which was my first time using it.
I felt like opening a brand new world, which time was amazing! Lots of exciting content, which is totally unreachable in mainland China, are being shown on my little cell phone screen!
What’s more, impressing me is the extraordinary user experience of YouTube. There are high-quality skippable ads and more fluent UI design, which were really rare to be found in most Chinese video websites at the time.
Since that moment I’ve totally been attracted to and understood why foreigners will feel panic when they can’t access YouTube in China.
Some people now might ask “Chinese companies are really good at imitating foreign technology, so there must be Chinese YouTube alternatives, there must be some websites like YouTube. ”
Wow, that’s a good question!
There are a lot of substitutes in China when talking as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google, and Quora. But when speaking of the Chinese version of YouTube, I find it hard to give a name. Very, very hard!
- Yes, there are tons of video websites in China.
- Yes, there are lots of companies that claimed themselves the next YouTube.
- Yes, there are some video websites considered “Chinese YouTube” by some foreigners.
Even though I’ve mentioned before that Bilibili is the closest one, it still has a long, long, long way to go. Here, I would like to quote a user’s comment from Quora:
“The video websites in China just suck when they have to compare with YouTube! No one is near to match YouTube.“
3 Reasons why Chinese video platforms are bad
1. The contents are too dispersed, not being concentrated on one platform
Unlike content on YouTube, which pretty much includes all types of topic in the world, video content in China are dispersed.
(Check out the 9 popular video platforms in China.)
China’s video portals are facing too many near-identical rivals, competing for market share by collecting as many high-quality content copyright and content creators as they can.
As a result, users have to simultaneously use multiple platforms for different content: if you want to watch the Marvel movies, you have to go to this website, if you want to watch NBA news, you may need to go to that website. It is very exhausting.
2. The overall content quality is not good
Except for those cinematographic and television works bought from other companies, the overall video content, especially those original ones, are not presenting a high-level standard.
Most of the video content is either crudely made or copied from YouTube by people who are able to access those blocked websites.
There are just too few good original content contributors like YouTubers in Chinese video websites so it is hard for you to learn something, or get entertained, from Chinese video websites.
Part of the reason is that the censorship in China is so strict, so people can’t just make the video they want and need to avoid various sensitive content.
3. The user experience is terrible because of those annoying ads
I have to admire that the advertisements on YouTube are operating so well by the algorithm technology of Google, which is not only presenting high-level produce but also precisely sending to the target customer segments most of the time, making you feel much less annoyed by those ads.
And even if you really don’t like the long ad, you can just skip it after 5 seconds. However, things are quite different regarding Chinese websites.
Except for Bilibili, other video platforms are putting various long-length unskippable ads for each video content.
Consider this, in Youku, you have to watch a 60s nonsense ugly web-gaming ad before you reach the main content and you can’t skip it after 5s. Even if the main content you want to watch is only 30 seconds in length, sometimes you still have to watch the 60s nonsense ugly web-gaming ads over again.
Of course, there is a solution, which is buying a monthly membership from Youku. If it’s just for one site, it should be fine. However, considering the dispersion of the contents, to meet all your needs, you may have to pay many other sites for their monthly memberships, which will cost you some money.
Bonus: Chinese Short-Videos
Without YouTube, Chinese people are enjoying another special type of video called short video.
It is more of an entertaining purpose, encouraging people to record some funny and unexpected moments in their life and then create a 15-second to minutes short video packed with music and special effects.
Unlike YouTube which is offering you super diversified video content, short video platforms are simply for entertaining people for killing time, the video contents there are all more accessible and easier entertainment.
Also, short video platforms, unlike ad-supported platforms that focus on hosting long-form video content, have generated income by letting viewers effectively pay creators for content by purchasing “virtual gifts,” and then taking a cut of the transaction.
Just like foreign people love YouTube, Chinese people become more and more obsessed with short videos. In the past several years, short videos have become one of the fastest-growing trends in China.
It is reported that short-video viewers in China have been up to 500 million in 2018, representing almost 50% of China’s population. The total user time in 2018 is more than 700 billion minutes.
There are two biggest players in the China market, Douyin (TikTok) and Kuaishou. Both platforms are providing users with powerful editing capabilities, enabling users to add music and effects to their videos in order to make them more interesting/creative.
Combining to occupy more than 50% market shares, both platforms are respectively possessing more than 100 million daily active users.
Other main competitors in the short videos market of China:
Xigua — Developed by ByteDance
