As anyone who has been to the Beijing Language and Culture University and China will tell you, getting hold of a good reliable (and preferably free) VPN is very important.
This is because of the internet censorship in China (widely called "The Great Firewall Of China") has blocked many great sites you may use on a regular basis such as Facebook and Twitter (see a full list of websites blocked in the People's Republic of China).
It will also give you a chance to make quick friends by passing on the VPN programme to other newcomers who haven't yet worked out a way of accessing their favourite sites from BLCU (and the rest of China).
See my post on Paid VPN Software For BLCU Students if you have some money to spare.
This is because of the internet censorship in China (widely called "The Great Firewall Of China") has blocked many great sites you may use on a regular basis such as Facebook and Twitter (see a full list of websites blocked in the People's Republic of China).
It will also give you a chance to make quick friends by passing on the VPN programme to other newcomers who haven't yet worked out a way of accessing their favourite sites from BLCU (and the rest of China).
See my post on Paid VPN Software For BLCU Students if you have some money to spare.
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What is a VPN?
A VPN (or Virtual Private Network) could be described in great detail, but for the sake of this post and for what you'll be using it for at BLCU, let's just say it's a programme that allows you to access websites which have been blocked by the Chinese government. How does it do this? In short, it goes through a proxy server which has been set up in another country, such as the US.
Where can I get one?
There are many paid and free VPNs available on the Internet, but some are better than others. When I was at BLCU I was given a free VPN software called Freegate by a Chinese friend. It worked great during my one-year stay there but I'm not sure what's happened to the service since and whether or not it's still around. A quick search on Google doesn't look too promising.
Because I am no longer studying at BLCU or living in Mainland China, I cannot comment on what VPN software is currently doing the rounds, but I would recommend once you get there to ask friends (particularly any Chinese students you meet) if they know of a good free VPN programme which they could pass on to you.
Because I am no longer studying at BLCU or living in Mainland China, I cannot comment on what VPN software is currently doing the rounds, but I would recommend once you get there to ask friends (particularly any Chinese students you meet) if they know of a good free VPN programme which they could pass on to you.
Alternatives
The simple alternative to running a VPN programme on your computer is to visit a proxy website such as Vtunnel or OurSchoolSucks (two popular proxies that were being used by many students when I attended BLCU in 2010).
Once on the site just type in the web address of the site you want to access in the URL bar provided and hit enter. You can also ask around for the latest recommendations for proxy sites when you get to BLCU, but until then these two should keep you going (and may well still be being used by many).
Once on the site just type in the web address of the site you want to access in the URL bar provided and hit enter. You can also ask around for the latest recommendations for proxy sites when you get to BLCU, but until then these two should keep you going (and may well still be being used by many).
One last thing...
Are you thinking about going to BLCU? Don't want the stress of organising it all yourself? What about booking accommodation? Is your Chinese not too good?
Use Facebook a lot? What about YouTube? Twitter? Blogger? All these and many more are blocked in China.
Are you thinking about going to BLCU? Don't want the stress of organising it all yourself? What about booking accommodation? Is your Chinese not too good?
CUCAS is a service that prides itself on helping students from all over the world get into China's university. Why not let CUCAS handle your BLCU application? Go ahead, check it out.
Use Facebook a lot? What about YouTube? Twitter? Blogger? All these and many more are blocked in China.
PureVPN and ProXPN are two quality VPN services that will allow you to bypass the firewall in China and access all those good websites that you use every day, from the comfort of your BLCU dorm room!
Subscribe now to keep your online life and Internet experience in China as smooth and seamless as possible! Go ahead, check them out for yourself.
Does that mean I can access facebook too? ^_^
ReplyDeleteIndeed it does ;)
ReplyDeletedoes freegate vpn work?
ReplyDeleteFreegate VPN did work last year, but whether it still does I'm unsure. It's been blocked in the past by China and yet they've come out with newer versions which have worked in spite of it, so perhaps this is still the case.
ReplyDeleteIf you find out, I would be grateful if you could let me know via a comment here. Until then, you can use the two proxy sites I have linked to in this post (assuming they still remain unblocked in China).
The best way to find a free working VPN at BLCU is to ask the Chinese students.
Freegate VNP doesn't work anymore. I just got back from a vacation in China. You can try www.facebookfirewall.com to get access to facebook :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, I'm sure readers will find it useful! :)
ReplyDeleteJust a question. Maybe I sound a bit paranoid but has anyone ever got caught by the Chinese government using these programs? I'm a bit apprehensive about accessing my FB in China because of fear of being caught.
ReplyDeleteNo, it's nothing to be worried about.
ReplyDeleteFreegate does work! You just have to download the newest version, and do it in your country before you leave for china.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, Becca! Have added your blog to my blogroll :)
ReplyDelete