shopping
Taobao · 淘宝
China’s biggest marketplace: everything from chargers to furniture, often cheaper than in shops. Delivery within China in 1–3 days.
- Language
- Chinese, with translation
- Phone number
- a foreign one works
- Payment
- Alipay
What Taobao is for
Taobao is hundreds of thousands of shops in one app. It’s used for everyday buys on the ground: a plug adapter, things for a rented flat, gifts to take home.
Alongside it is Tmall (天猫) with official brand stores: if you need a guaranteed original, pick items marked Tmall.
How to install
Download Taobao
Install the app only from the official store or the developer’s website.
Taobao isn’t in the US App Store — it is available in the Russian and Chinese ones.
Install the app
Sign in with your phone number or through your Alipay account (same company, linked accounts).
Turn on translation
Settings (设置) let you pick the interface language; product pages aren’t always translated — a camera translator helps.
How to buy
Search
Search in Chinese or by photo — the camera icon in the search bar finds items from a picture.
Choosing a seller
Look at sales count, photo reviews and the shop rating. A too-low price on a branded item is almost always a copy.
Address and pickup
Give the address in Chinese, your name and a Chinese number if you have one. Parcels often go to a 菜鸟驿站 pickup point nearby — the pickup code arrives in the app.
If it won’t work
Payment fails — link your card in Alipay and pay through it. Seller silent or wrong item — open the order and file a return (退货): most items have a 7-day no-reason return.
In-depth guide on the topic
Shopping
Taobao, JD and the Chinese marketplaces
Searching by photo, choosing a seller, reading reviews, delivery and returns.
Open the guideDidn’t find the guide you needed?
Describe it in your own words — a concierge will reply and take you through it step by step.