Pack for the route.
Not just the bag.
A China flight and a high-speed train can give opposite answers for the same lighter, liquid, blade or battery. Use the route-specific result before leaving for security.
Normal clothes, documents and ordinary personal electronics are generally allowed within the operator’s baggage allowance. Stop and check liquids, power banks and spare batteries, alcohol, aerosols, knives, tools, lighters, self-heating meals, medicines and anything with an unclear label. Customs legality and transport security are separate decisions.
Choose a category, not a guess
What are you carrying, and on which journey?
This first-pass tool uses categories only. Do not enter personal, medical or security-sensitive details. The exact label and live operator still control the final answer.
Selections stay in this browser and clear on reload. This tool does not store an item list.
The same object can have three answers
| ITEM | FLIGHT · CABIN | FLIGHT · CHECKED | CHINA TRAIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power bank / spare battery | CONDITIONAL ≤100Wh normally; 100–160Wh needs airline approval and is limited. Domestic power banks also need clear CCC and no recall. | NO Never move a rejected power bank into checked baggage. | CONDITIONAL Clear marking and each unit no more than 100Wh. |
| Water / ordinary liquid | DOMESTIC: NO International: containers no larger than 100mL in one 1L resealable clear bag. | USUALLY Only if non-dangerous, packed safely and accepted by the airline. | YES Ordinary non-dangerous drinks; alcohol and flammable liquids follow separate limits. |
| Cosmetic / gel / spray | CONDITIONAL Domestic travel cosmetics: one of each type, container ≤100mL and inspection. Dangerous aerosols can still be prohibited. | VERIFY Ingredients, pressure container, flammability and airline rules control. | LIMITED Specific 100mL and 150mL container bands apply; self-spray total is capped at 600mL. |
| Alcoholic drink | NO CAAC says alcoholic drinks are not cabin items. | CONDITIONAL Retail packaging and clear label; more than 24% through 70% ABV is capped at 5L per passenger; over 70% is prohibited. | CONDITIONAL Sealed, clear label, 24–70% ABV and no more than 3,000mL total; over 70% is prohibited. |
| Knife / scissors / tool | NO Sharp and blunt implements belong outside the cabin. | ONLY IF ELIGIBLE Ordinary non-controlled item, protected and accepted by airline. Controlled knives remain prohibited. | CLASSIFY Controlled knives prohibited; ordinary blade over 60mm cannot be carried in the passenger area and may require consignment. |
| Lighter / matches | NO Ignition sources are prohibited. | NO Checked baggage is not a workaround. | LIMITED Up to 2 ordinary lighters or 2 small boxes of safety matches. |
| Medicine / medical liquid | CONDITIONAL Necessary liquid medicine can use a security-screening exception; keep prescription evidence and check needles/equipment. | VERIFY Do not check essential doses or spare lithium batteries; storage and airline rules apply. | USUALLY Ordinary personal medicine, unless the substance, quantity, liquid, needle or device triggers another control. |
| Food / self-heating meal | SOLID FOOD ONLY Ordinary solid food may travel; liquids and Customs still apply. Self-heating packs are prohibited. | VERIFY No self-heating pack or dangerous ingredient; Customs and destination rules still apply. | ORDINARY FOOD Avoid strong odors. Do not use self-heating meals; reactive heating packs can be rejected. |
“Checked” means airline checked baggage. Railway consignment is a separate service and may not be available at the station or in time for your train.
Do not bring these to either checkpoint
No harmless-looking exception
Firearms, ammunition, controlled knives, police or military devices, tasers and realistic imitations can be prohibited even when decorative or non-functional.
Leave all pyrotechnics out
Fireworks, firecrackers, signal devices, explosive components and their imitations are not passenger baggage.
Camping and workshop items are high risk
Gas canisters, lighter fuel, gasoline, paint thinner, corrosives, toxic chemicals, oxidizers and dangerous unknown substances are prohibited.
Security must be able to identify it
A swollen battery, leaking container or unreadable substance/capacity label should not travel. A homemade sticker does not establish compliance.
Remember the route-specific numbers
Up to 100Wh normally needs no airline approval. More than 100Wh through 160Wh needs approval and is limited to two. Power banks and spare batteries stay out of checked baggage.
Run the full power-bank check →Mainland domestic flights generally prohibit ordinary cabin liquids. The travel-cosmetic exception is one of each type in a container no larger than 100mL, subject to inspection.
Each cabin container must be no larger than 100mL and fit in one resealable transparent bag no larger than 1L per passenger.
Specified flammable non-pressure daily products: up to 100mL each and one per type. Specified self-spray pressure products: up to 150mL each, one per type, 600mL total.
Only sealed and clearly marked drinks from 24% through 70% ABV, within the total limit. More than 70% or unclear labeling is prohibited.
Each item is limited to 20kg and the total outside dimensions of an item carried on an EMU/high-speed train may not exceed 130cm. Adult free carry-on weight is 20kg.
A rejected item needs a legal exit—not a hiding place
- 01REASON
Ask which condition failed
Category, ingredients, pressure, blade classification, Wh, CCC, recall, quantity or bag location lead to different options.
- 02ROUTE
Use only an eligible alternative
An ordinary knife may be accepted as checked airline baggage or railway consignment, but a controlled knife cannot. A power bank cannot move into checked baggage.
- 03OPTION
Ask what exists at this checkpoint
A companion return, staffed storage, mailing, railway consignment or surrender point may exist, but availability and acceptance are not guaranteed.
- 04TIME
Protect the departure
Do not argue past the check-in or boarding cutoff. If no lawful and timely route exists, surrender the item safely and keep the journey.
Ask for the exact packing route
Please help me confirm whether this item may be carried with me, must be checked or consigned, or is prohibited. Please also show me the applicable capacity or quantity limit.
请帮我确认这件物品能否随身携带、是否必须托运或办理铁路托运，还是禁止携带。也请告诉我适用的容量或数量限制。
This journey is a domestic flight / international flight / high-speed train. Which exact condition does the item not meet?
这段行程是国内航班／国际航班／高铁。请问这件物品具体不符合哪一项规定？
This card asks for classification. It does not claim the item is permitted.Transport permission is not import permission
Can it enter the aircraft or train?
CAAC, railway rules, security and the operating carrier answer the cabin, checked-bag or rail question.
Can it enter or leave China?
Food, plants, animals, medicines, cash, cultural objects and commercial goods can trigger a separate Customs decision.
Check China Customs →Can it cross the next border?
A permitted China departure does not decide a transit airport or destination-country import rule.
Carrying medication? Use the dedicated ingredient, proof and Customs checker →
China train and flight baggage FAQ
Can I take liquids on a domestic flight in China?
Ordinary liquids are not allowed in cabin baggage on mainland domestic flights. Travel-use cosmetics are an exception when each type is limited to one container no larger than 100mL and accepted for inspection; toothpaste and shaving cream are each limited to one container no larger than 100g or 100mL. Necessary infant milk and medically necessary liquid medicine have separate screening routes. Non-dangerous liquids may be checked subject to the operating airline.
Can I put a power bank in checked luggage?
No. A power bank or spare lithium battery must stay with the passenger or in cabin baggage and must be protected from short circuit. For a mainland domestic flight, the power bank also needs a clear CCC/3C mark, must not be a recalled model or batch, and must meet the watt-hour limits.
Can I bring alcohol on a China train or flight?
For flights, alcoholic drinks cannot be carried in the cabin. CAAC permits checked retail-packaged alcohol under its strength, container and total-volume conditions: up to 24% ABV is not quantity-limited by the dangerous-goods rule, while more than 24% through 70% ABV is limited to 5L per passenger; more than 70% is prohibited. On China Railway, sealed and clearly marked alcohol from 24% through 70% ABV is limited to 3,000mL total; more than 70% or unclear labeling is prohibited.
Can I take a knife or scissors on a China high-speed train?
Controlled knives are prohibited. The national railway catalogue also prohibits carrying ordinary knives and scissors with a blade longer than 60mm in the passenger area, though eligible non-controlled items may use an available consignment route. A shorter blade is not automatic clearance: security still decides the classification, and avoiding the item is the lowest-risk choice.
Can I carry a lighter or matches?
Not on a flight: CAAC says lighters, matches and other ignition sources cannot be carried in cabin or checked baggage. China Railway separately permits up to two ordinary lighters or two small boxes of safety matches. Do not transfer the rail allowance to a flight.
Can I bring hairspray, deodorant or another aerosol?
The product name and container size are not enough. Ingredients, flammability and whether the container is pressurized control the answer. China Railway permits specified flammable daily-use non-pressure products up to 100mL each, one of each type, and specified self-spray pressure containers up to 150mL each, one of each type and 600mL total. Aviation rules can prohibit dangerous or compressed products even when a container looks small, so confirm the exact product with the operating airline.
Rules checked here
Reviewed 26 August 2026. The national rules below establish the common baseline. The operating airline, airport, station and live security instruction may apply a stricter or more specific decision to the exact product and journey.
- CAAC — passenger baggage and restricted itemsCabin versus checked items, liquids, cosmetics, alcohol, batteries, sharp items, ignition sources, medicine and self-heating products.
- CAAC — domestic-flight power-bank restrictionClear CCC marking and recalled model/batch restriction from 28 June 2025.
- National Railway Administration & Ministry of Public Security — prohibited and restricted railway itemsNational prohibited categories, knives, alcohol, daily liquids, sprays, lighters and 100Wh battery limit.
- China Railway 12306 — current passenger rules and restricted-item catalogueOperator publication of the current railway catalogue and route-specific conditions.
- China Railway 12306 — carry-on baggageWeight, dimensions and public-health boundaries for items carried onto trains.