Ask a local
WALLAsked & answered

The answer wall.

Real questions, answered in the open, anonymised and only ever with permission, so you can see exactly how I work before you ask your own.

"How do I call a taxi online?"

Open WeChat, then tap Me → Services → DiDi Ride-Hailing. Enter where you are and where you're going, and confirm the ride.

When the car arrives, tell the driver the last four digits of your phone number, that's how they check you're the right passenger before you get in.

"When do shopping malls close?"

Usually around 10 p.m. Most malls in Shanghai keep the same hours seven days a week, with the restaurants on the top floors often running a little later than the shops.

Having one of these moments yourself? Leave your question just below. ↓

ASKLeave a question

Ask your question.

I read everything and reply personally, usually within a few days. If your question would help others, it can join the wall, anonymised. Your call, not mine.

Need your own situation sorted privately, on a 48-hour clock? There's a private consultation just below (¥99).

ASKPriority · private

Need your own case sorted, privately?

The wall above is free and public. When it's your own specific situation, this is a private, one-to-one consultation on WeChat. We talk it through in the chat, step by step, with screenshots and photos wherever they help, until it actually makes sense and it's solved.

Private consultation
¥99 ≈ $14
Your specific situation, sorted

You tell me the actual situation you're stuck on. I walk you through it in the chat: the steps, the real screens, what to say, what to keep, with follow-up until it's clear.

  • For a real, specific situation. e.g. "I have a hospital visit tomorrow, walk me through the whole thing", "I want to rent this flat, what should I watch before I sign?", "This app step keeps failing, what do I do?"
  • A back-and-forth conversation on WeChat, not a one-line reply. I send screenshots of the real screens and forms as we go.
  • Private. Nothing is ever published.
  • Answered within 48 hours of me taking your case, or every yuan refunded.

How it works

Add me on WeChat and tell me your situation. Then we work in the chat like a conversation. I explain step by step, send screenshots of the real screens and forms, and you ask as we go. Once I accept your case: a full answer within 48 hours, or I send every yuan back.

New to WeChat transfers? The safety net is built in. A transfer here isn't final when you send it, I have to tap Accept before any money moves. I only accept when I'm taking your question, and if I don't accept within 24 hours, WeChat itself returns the full amount to you automatically. That refund isn't a promise from me, it's how the app works.

No WeChat yet (just landed)? Email me and we'll sort it out.

WeChat ID: martinzhong26
Three honest limits. Emergencies → call 120, not me. · I navigate the system, which department, how to book, what to say, I don't diagnose; that's a doctor's job. · Anything touching your legal stay (visas, permits) → the multilingual immigration hotline 12367 or your international office, not any blog, including this one.