If you try and login you will get the following error message: This premium content is not available in your region The Great Firewall of China, as it’s called, blocks an extensive and growing list of websites and apps. Sites such as Twitch, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are generally inaccessible to residents. There is one proven solution to break through the Great Firewall of China and get access to your favorite Twitch streams, videos, and chats – using a VPN. If you aren’t familiar with a VPN, and if you’re going to China you NEED to familiarize yourself with one, check out our VPN guide for beginners. Once you purchase a VPN (you should get the VPN before you travel to China, if it’s too late than read below for our tips on how to get a VPN if you are already in China) you are just a click away. That’s all there is to it.
Watching a Twitch stream while connected to a NordVPN server in Hong Kong When you connect to a VPN server you will be connecting with a remote server. This makes it seem like you are no longer in China and therefore will bypass the block. Not every VPN can successfully bypass the Great Firewall of China so make sure you get a proven China VPN
How to get a VPN in China
In the past, residents in China would resort to visiting a hotel that offered Wi-Fi equipped with a built-in VPN service. However, because of pressure put on hoteliers by the Chinese government, few, if any, continue with this practice today. Another discontinued method involved searching for alternate websites set up by the very same VPN companies as a means of thwarting the censorship efforts of the Chinese government. Unfortunately, this practice devolved into a cat-and-mouse game that most VPN companies seem to have abandoned. Luckily, despite these setbacks, there are a couple of workarounds that still do exist. Now that you’re both convinced of the benefits of using a VPN and you know how to get one, how do you know which one will work best for you? Will just any VPN offer the level of usability and protection you need? The truth is that there are a number of factors to consider before settling on a VPN to unblock Twitch.
Here are a few qualities you will want to look out for in a service.
Speed – Streaming on Twitch demands that you have the fastest speeds possible and good speed is what separates great VPNs from those that are just mediocre. Since VPNs diminish your internet speed a little, you’ll want to make sure that yours does so as little as possible. Easy to use – You shouldn’t have to become a tech wiz in order to get your VPN up and running. A quality VPN will also have controls that are intuitive and easy to use. Security – Government surveillance is part of life in China and the penalties for breaking rules can be severe. If you are going to engage in the types of online activities the Chinese government generally frowns upon, you’ll want to take every precaution to maintain your anonymity.
Now that you know what to look for in a VPN, here are the top VPNs for China that can make Twitch streaming a breeze.
1NordVPN
Key features:
A whopping 5,080 servers in 62 countries Unlimited Bandwidth and no data caps 30-day money-back guarantee
NordVPN provides the largest network of servers available on the market. This massive network lets users bypass geo-blocks and improve security with no hassle at all. NordVPN offers an automatic kill switch, DNS leak protection, 256-bit encryption, and a double VPN – all that combined with a strict zero logs privacy policy makes it almost unbeatable. NordVPN also allows up to six simultaneous connections under one account and works on a wide variety of operating systems and devices. Get it Now
2ExpressVPN
Key features:
Fast download/upload Speeds 256-bit AES encryption, DNS/IPv6 leak protection, kill switch and split tunneling 30-day money-back guarantee.
ExpressVPN is a customer-focused service, providing a user-friendly app and 24/7 customer support. Their server network covers more than 140 locations with over 2,000 servers across 94 countries, providing clusters in highly populated areas to prevent lag. This popular VPN has 256-bit AES encryption to keep data secure, DNS leak protection and a kill switch feature, as well as a no logs policy. Try Now Risk Free
3PrivateVPN
Key features:
80+ servers locations in 57 countries 256-bit encryption, 2048-bit DH key, OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP, IKEv2 And IPSec protocols IPv6 leak protection, kill switch feature, zero data logs
PrivateVPN offers a strict zero logs policy and very fast server speeds. You can use this VPN on up to 6 devices simultaneously and the strong encryption standards used will protect your data and identity anywhere. This VPN is great if you want to stream or access blocked or restricted content. Its subscription packages are very reasonably priced, and they also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans. Get it Now
A Note about Free VPNs
Understandably, people love free stuff and many will wonder if a free VPN is a better option for them. For a variety of reasons, the answer is a resounding “no”. Keep in mind that in China, protecting yourself should be your first priority. Unfortunately, free VPNs just don’t fit the bill when it comes to keeping users safe. Most free services offer a single type of VPN connection, Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), which has long been considered unsafe – an antiquated security protocol that leaves your data inadequately encrypted, allowing prying government officials a better chance of discovering your identity and tracking your activity. Apart from this, free VPNs provide a much poorer service fraught with restricted bandwidth usage, pop-up ads and capped data usage. Some may even sell your data as a way of offsetting their costs. In short, you get what you (don’t) pay for and spending the money for a quality VPN can allow you the benefit of superior service without the worry of your data being compromised.
Final thought
Dealing with Government-sanctioned censorship is never fun. Neither does it ever feel fair to those who have to jump through hoops just to enjoy the same services everyone else enjoys. Nobody knows if the Chinese government will ever reverse its decision to unblock Twitch, however in the meantime, VPNs offer users workarounds that are both easy and valuable. Luckily, users have many quality options from which to choose from.
