What You Cannot Bring on Transport in China: Plane, Train, and Metro

Planning a trip to China and your suitcase is filled with all sorts of things? Wondering what you can and cannot bring on a plane, or what’s allowed on public transport in China? What items are permitted or banned for export from China?

Here is the most comprehensive list of items prohibited for transport in China, prepared by iChina Trip. Use it for your reference.

List of Items Prohibited on Flights Arriving in China

1. Flights arriving in China are subject to customs and aviation regulations

• Any type of weapon, weapon imitations, ammunition, and explosives.
• Counterfeit money and securities.
• Printed materials, films, photos, recordings, and other media that harm China’s politics, economy, culture, or morals.
• Powerful poisons.
• Opium, morphine, heroin, marijuana, and other addictive narcotics and psychotropic substances.
• Animals, plants, and their products infected with or carrying dangerous diseases, pests, or other harmful organisms.
• Food, medicine, and other items harmful to human or animal health from epidemic areas, and other disease-spreading items.
• (Fresh Produce/Animals) Most fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, dairy products, seeds, live animals, etc., are prohibited without a phytosanitary certificate.
• Cash RMB (limit 20,000 CNY) and foreign currency (equivalent over 5,000 USD must be declared).

2. Items Prohibited by Aviation Regulations

• Strictly prohibited in carry-on and checked baggage: Lighters, matches.
• Prohibited in carry-on, but allowed in checked baggage (within limits):
  • Kitchen knives, pocket knives, scissors, and other everyday cutting items.
  • Baseball bats, golf clubs, etc.
  • Alcoholic beverages (alcohol content >24% and <70%, total volume not exceeding 5 liters).
• Strictly prohibited in carry-on and checked baggage: Firearms, ammunition, self-defense devices, explosives, flammable liquids and materials, poisons, radioactive materials, corrosive substances, dangerous solutions, etc.

List of Items Prohibited on Flights Departing from China

Items Prohibited for Export by Chinese Customs (Selected List)

• Rare animals and plants and their products: e.g., ivory, rhinoceros horn, tiger bones, red coral, agarwood products (without an “Export Permit for Endangered Species”).
• Cultural relics: All valuable cultural relics, works of art, calligraphy, paintings (without a “Cultural Relic Export License” from customs).
• Confidential materials: Documents, materials, photos, audio, and video products containing state secrets.
• Counterfeit money and securities.
• Firearms and ammunition (except with special permission).

List of Items Prohibited on Domestic Flights within China

Follows the unified rules of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

Prohibited in carry-on, but allowed in checked baggage:

1. Cutting items: Kitchen knives, pocket knives, scissors, utility knives, blades, etc.
2. Tools: Hammers, axes, tools, sticks, clubs (golf clubs, baseball bats, etc.).
3. Other: Liquids over 100 ml (cosmetics, gels, etc.), items with a strong odor (e.g., durian).

Prohibited in carry-on AND checked baggage (absolute taboo):

1. Firearms, ammunition, self-defense devices, explosives (firecrackers, fireworks, dynamite, etc.).
2. Flammable materials: Lighters, matches, alcohol, gasoline, kerosene, paint, solid alcohol fuel.
3. Poisonous, corrosive, radioactive, and strongly magnetic materials.
4. Other dangerous items: E.g., batteries (including lithium-ion batteries in power banks), mercury, etc.

Lithium-ion batteries and power banks:

1. Strictly prohibited in checked baggage. Must be in carry-on luggage.
2. Rated energy must not exceed 100 Wh.
3. Rated energy between 100 Wh and 160 Wh requires airline approval; maximum of two per person.
4. Power banks without markings, unreadable rated capacity, or damaged are prohibited.

Liquids:

1. Liquid containers in carry-on must not exceed 100 milliliters (refers to container size, not remaining liquid).
2. All containers must fit into one transparent, resealable plastic bag not exceeding 1 liter in capacity.
3. Only one such bag per passenger is allowed.

List of Items Prohibited on High-Speed Trains (China Railways)

Follows the rules of the China State Railway Administration.

Prohibited in carry-on and checked baggage (absolute taboo):

1. Firearms, ammunition, explosives, self-defense weapons (daggers, stilettos, switchblades, etc.), flammable materials (hydrogen, methane, gasoline, kerosene, alcohol, solid alcohol fuel), poisonous, corrosive, radioactive, infectious, and other dangerous items.
2. New/Clarification: Alcohol, alcoholic beverages with alcohol content exceeding 70%.

Items with limited transport (allowed in limited quantities):

1. Alcohol: Alcoholic beverages with alcohol content ≥24% and ≤70% in original sealed packaging with clear labeling, total volume not exceeding 3000 ml.
2. Nail polish, hair dye: no more than 20 ml.
3. Perm lotion, hair mousse, hair spray, insecticides, air freshener in aerosol cans: Single can volume not exceeding 150 ml, one item of each type allowed, total volume not exceeding 600 ml.
4. Safety matches: no more than 2 small boxes.
5. Regular lighters: no more than 2.
6. Small animals (except guide dogs): Prohibited. But some pets can be checked as baggage under certain conditions (check 12306).
7. Tools and farm tools: Drills, chisels, awls, axes, hoes, etc. — must be checked in baggage, prohibited in carry-on.
8. Items with a strong odor (e.g., durian, stinky tofu): Prohibited.

List of Items Prohibited in the China Metro

Rules may vary slightly by city but generally follow Ministry of Public Security guidelines and can be stricter.

Common prohibited items (similar to train rules, but potentially stricter):

1. Firearms, ammunition, explosives, self-defense weapons (bladed weapons with blade length >150 mm and tip angle <60 degrees are considered controlled).
2. Flammable materials: Gasoline, diesel, kerosene, aerosols, paint, solid alcohol fuel, fireworks, etc.
3. Poisonous, corrosive, radioactive materials.
4. Biological materials containing pathogens of dangerous or infectious diseases.

Frequently restricted items:

1. Strong alcohol (e.g., baijiu): In many cities, no more than 2 jin (1000 ml) in original factory packaging is allowed. Some cities prohibit unbottled alcohol.
2. Knives: Any knives, including pocket and utility knives, with a blade length over 10 cm are usually prohibited. Small scissors, razors may be allowed, but security has final say.
3. Animals (except guide dogs and service dogs): Prohibited.
4. Items with strong odor or that may dirty carriages (e.g., unpackaged durian, live fish, bicycles (unless folded and compliant), balloons): Prohibited.
5. Tools: Batons, hammers, axes, and other items that could be used as weapons are usually prohibited.

Final Recommendation

If you are unsure about an item before your trip, the safest way is to:

• Check in advance: Check the official websites or apps of carriers (e.g., “Umetrip”, “Railway 12306”).
• Call: Contact the official customer service (airline, railway 12306, metro hotline).
• Allow extra time: Arrive at the airport or station early. If an item is prohibited, you’ll have time to store it, mail it, or give it to someone seeing you off.

We hope this information is helpful. Have a pleasant journey!