Can You Drink Tap Water in China 2026? What Visitors Should Know2026 在中国能喝自来水吗？游客该知道的事

1 The short answer: do not drink the tap water 一句话结论：别喝自来水

No, do not drink the tap water in China. Locals boil it or buy bottled water, and so should you. The water that comes from the tap is treated at the plant, but the pipes, tanks and building storage that carry it to your room are not always clean enough to drink safely. For a visitor, the simple rule is: drink bottled or boiled water, and you will avoid the stomach trouble that spoils a trip.不要喝中国的自来水。本地人都是烧开喝或者买瓶装水，你也应该这样。自来水在自来水厂经过了处理，但从水管、水箱到你房间的楼内储水，这一路不一定干净到可以安全饮用。对游客来说，简单的原则就是：喝瓶装水或烧开的水，这样能避开那种毁掉行程的肠胃问题。

This is not a scare story about China in particular. Many countries deliver safe water to the street but cannot promise the last metres into an old building. The easy fix is to skip the tap for drinking and use it only for washing. Keep that one habit and the rest of your trip stays calm.这不是专门吓唬中国。很多国家能把安全的自来水送到街边，却保证不了进老旧建筑最后几米的水质。简单的应对就是：喝的水别用自来水，只用它洗漱。守住这一条，你这趟行程其余的部分就能踏实。

2 Why the tap water is not for drinking 为什么自来水不能喝

China's big cities do treat their water supply, and the tap water meets standards for washing and bathing. The problem is the last part of the journey. Many buildings, especially older ones, store water in rooftop tanks that are not cleaned often. Pipes can be old. So even when the source is fine, what comes out of the tap may carry bacteria or rust.中国的大城市确实会对供水做处理，自来水达到了洗漱和沐浴的标准。问题出在最后一段路。很多建筑，尤其是老建筑，会把水存在屋顶水箱里，而水箱不常清洗。水管也可能很旧。所以即便水源没问题，水龙头里出来的水也可能带细菌或铁锈。

Boiling kills the bacteria, which is why every hotel room has a kettle. The risk is not usually a single dramatic contamination, it is the slow buildup in tanks and joints that makes tap water a poor choice for a visitor whose stomach is not used to the local bugs. Treat boiling as the default.烧开能杀死细菌，这就是为什么每个酒店房间都有电热水壶。风险通常不在于某一次明显的污染，而在于水箱和接口里日积月累的东西，让自来水成了对肠胃还不习惯本地菌群的游客来说糟糕的选择。把烧开当成默认做法。

3 What to drink instead: bottled, boiled, dispensed 该喝什么：瓶装、烧开、饮水机

The safe choices are bottled water, boiled water, and water from sealed dispensers. Bottled water is sold everywhere and is cheap. Boiled water is what locals drink at home and in restaurants, served free as tea or plain hot water. Many hotels give you a thermos of boiled water each day. Sealed dispenser machines in malls and stations are also fine once you watch the cup fill.安全的选项有瓶装水、烧开的水，以及密封饮水机里的水。瓶装水到处都有卖，而且便宜。烧开的水是本地人在家和餐厅里喝的水，作为茶或免费的热白开提供。很多酒店每天会给你一壶烧开的水。商场和车站里密封的饮水机，只要你看着杯子接满，也是安全的。

• Bottled.瓶装。 Buy sealed bottles from any shop; check the cap is intact.
• Boiled.烧开。 Use the room kettle; let it reach a full boil before drinking.
• Dispensed.饮水机。 Sealed machines in malls and stations are safe if you watch them fill.

4 Pick your water habits before you fly 出发前先定好饮水习惯

Before you fly, it helps to know which water to pack and which to skip. The tool below matches safe water habits to your trip, from the bottle you carry to the way you refill on the road.出发前，搞清楚带什么水、避开什么水很有帮助。下面的工具会把安全的饮水习惯按你的行程匹配好，从你随身带的水瓶到路上补给的方式。

A little planning goes a long way. Decide that you will drink only bottled or boiled water, and the daily choices get easy: fill the bottle at the hotel, buy a sealed bottle when you are out, and ask for hot water or tea at meals. None of this needs special gear, just a refillable bottle.一点计划能省很多事。先下定决心只喝瓶装或烧开的水，每天的选择就简单了：在酒店灌满水瓶，出门买密封瓶装水，吃饭时要热水或茶。这些都不需要特殊装备，只要一个可重复使用的水瓶。

5 Buying water: where and what it costs 买水：去哪买、多少钱

Bottled water costs about 2 to 3 yuan for a small bottle at a corner shop, more at tourist sites and hotels. Look for sealed caps and a known brand. Convenience stores, supermarkets, and station kiosks all stock it. If you want fewer plastic bottles, carry a refillable bottle and fill it with boiled water from your hotel thermos or a dispenser you trust.瓶装水在小卖部一小瓶大约 2 到 3 元，景区和酒店更贵。看准密封的瓶盖和常见品牌。便利店、超市、车站小铺都有卖。如果你想少买塑料瓶，随身带个可重复使用的水瓶，用酒店热水壶烧开的水或你信得过的饮水机来灌满。

Big bottles for the room are easy to find at supermarkets and are handy for refilling your personal bottle through the day. In hot months keep one in the fridge if your room has one, and remember that a cold sealed bottle from a chiller is safer than an open glass left on a table.房间里用的大瓶水，在超市很好买，方便你白天反复灌自己的小水瓶。热天如果房间有冰箱，冰一瓶；记住，冰柜里密封的冷瓶，比桌上敞口杯更安全。

6 Staying hydrated while you are out all day 整天在外，怎么保持水润

Heat and walking drain you faster than you expect, so keep water with you. In summer, carry a bottle and sip often. Restaurants will bring you a cup of hot water or tea at no charge, which is the local habit. Tap water in a restaurant is not for drinking, so ask for bottled or boiled. Tea houses and cafes are easy to find in every city.高温加走路，脱水比你以为的快，所以随身带水。夏天带一瓶水、经常抿几口。餐厅会免费给你一杯热水或茶，这是本地习惯。餐厅里的自来水不能喝，要瓶装或烧开的。茶馆和咖啡馆在每个城市都很好找。

If you are hiking or at a scenic spot, buy water before you go, because prices climb inside the gate and choices thin out. A refillable bottle filled at the hotel each morning covers most days, and a thermos of hot water is a comfort in winter when cold drinks are less welcome.如果要爬山或去景区，出发前先买好水，因为进了大门价格会涨、选择会变少。每天早晨在酒店灌满的可重复使用水瓶能应付大多数日子；冬天天冷，一壶热水更是贴心。

7 Ice, teeth and street food: the practical points 冰、刷牙和街边小吃：实用提醒

A few practical points. Ice in major hotels and chains is usually made from boiled or filtered water, but at small roadside stalls it may not be, so ask or skip it. Brushing your teeth with tap water is generally fine for most visitors, though sensitive stomachs may prefer boiled. At street food spots, eat what is cooked hot in front of you and avoid raw items rinsed in tap water.几点实用的提醒。大宾馆和连锁店的冰，通常是用烧开或过滤过的水做的；但路边小摊的冰未必，所以要么问一句，要么别加。用自来水刷牙，对多数游客一般没问题，不过肠胃敏感的人可能更愿意用烧开的水。在街边小吃摊，吃当场现做现煮的热食，避开用自来水冲过的生食。

• Ice.冰。 Safe at big hotels and chains; at small stalls, ask or skip.
• Teeth.刷牙。 Tap water is fine for brushing for most visitors; sensitive stomachs use boiled.
• Street food.街边小吃。 Eat hot, freshly cooked food; avoid raw items rinsed in tap water.

8 The takeaway for visitors 给游客的总结

The rule is simple and worth memorizing: do not drink the tap water, drink bottled or boiled water instead. Pack a refillable bottle, top it up with boiled water from your hotel, and buy sealed bottles when you are out. Do that and water stops being a worry on your China trip.原则简单，值得记住：别喝自来水，改喝瓶装或烧开的水。带个可重复使用的水瓶，用酒店烧好的水灌满，出门再买密封的瓶装水。做到这些，水就不再是你中国行里的烦心事。

None of this needs much effort. One kettle, one bottle, and a habit of checking the cap is enough to keep you healthy from your first morning to your last. The country is easy to travel once the small daily choices are settled, and water is the smallest of them.这些都不费劲。一个水壶、一个水瓶，再加上看一眼瓶盖的习惯，就足够让你从第一天早上到最后一天都健康。只要把这些日常小事定下来，这个国家很好走，而水是最不起眼的一件。

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