Where to Buy Simplified Chinese Pokémon Cards in China

You land in China and open your map app. You want Simplified Chinese Pokémon cards, but where do you start? Finding them is partly luck. One store has a full shelf and the next one only sells plush toys. This is where we look first and how we waste less time.

Start at an official Pokémon Gym in a big mall. Pre-order from a Pokémon vending machine with WeChat. Check TOP TOY, MINISO, Toys"R"Us and KKV when you pass one. Our city pages list the mall, metro station and floor for each place.

Before you go

Sort out payment at home first. Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay and test it. Many shops expect one of the two and do not always take foreign cards or cash. A payment app that is not fully verified is the classic mistake, so keep a small balance in it.

Save the address and a screenshot of the map pin for every place on your list. Write down the nearest metro station as well. It is the most reliable detail when a pin lands in the wrong spot. Google Maps works poorly in China, so use Amap (Gaode) or Baidu Maps instead. The malls are huge too. A store on level B1 can take twenty minutes to find, so check the floor before you go in.

Official Pokémon Gyms and vending machines

The official Pokémon stores in malls are called Gyms. Each one has its own Pokémon theme. In our experience they are by far the best stop. They have the most stock, local items and the best chance of having the packs you want. Our list has 27 Gyms in 19 cities, with three each in Beijing and Shanghai and two in Shenzhen. Go early and have your payment app ready. Just do not plan a whole trip around one specific card.

Pokémon vending machines go well with a Gym visit. They are often in the same mall or on the same metro line. We list 19 of them. Here is the tip I wish I had known sooner. Scan the code on the machine with WeChat and order online. The order stays open for 2 hours and you pick it up at the machine. So order first, explore the city for a while and collect it on your way back.

KKV, MINISO, TOP TOY and Toys"R"Us, in our experience

These chains are in many malls, so take a quick look when you walk past one. Stock changes from store to store and week to week. See them as a bonus and not as the plan. This is roughly how our visits went.

TOP TOY is where we find Pokémon cards most often. If you do not see them, ask the staff. MINISO is a coin flip. Look near the entrance or on the toy wall. The MINISO LAND flagships in the big cities are the largest stores. Toys"R"Us is about the same, so check the toy floor and then ask at the counter. KKV is a big lifestyle store that usually has something in the toy section. Our city pages list the stores we could confirm, grouped by mall. They are examples and not every store in town.

For single cards you need card shops. In Shenzhen you can try BitCity near Convention & Exhibition Center station. It is a hobby district with lots of small sellers, but finding one specific card there is down to luck. In Hong Kong you can try Pokémon Hub at K11 Art Mall, the card shops in Smiling Plaza in Cheung Sha Wan and the toy streets of Sham Shui Po.

A day plan that wastes less time

Start with the nearest Gym. On the way there, scan a vending machine with WeChat and pre-order. That way the two hours run while you explore. Then pick two or three stores close together, like a TOP TOY, MINISO or KKV near your hotel. If one is empty, the next is only a short walk away. Ask a local card shop what they have. When you buy something, take a photo and note the price. Check the set code on the pack against our Sets page so you know which set you have.

Quick questions

Where is the easiest place to find Chinese Pokémon cards?

An official Pokémon Gym, if your city has one. Our list shows the metro station and floor for each.

Do I need to speak Chinese?

No. A translation app, the address on your phone and a photo of what you want get you a long way. Every place on our city pages has a Chinese address you can copy.

Are the vending machines worth it?

Yes. Scan the code with WeChat and pre-order online. Then collect it within 2 hours before the order expires. You skip the waiting and get more time in the city.

Did you find a Gym, shop or machine that is not on our list? Or one that has moved? Tell us in the comments.