Does Amazon work in China?
Two different answers. Amazon shopping mostly works: amazon.com loads in mainland China, slowly some days, and you can check orders, contact sellers, and manage your account. Amazon exited Chinese e-commerce in 2019, so don't expect deliveries to your hotel. Prime Video is a flat no: it's geo-blocked by Amazon itself in China and streams nothing without a VPN. Downloads made before you fly play fine. Everything works normally in Hong Kong and Macau.
What actually happens when you try
Shopping: amazon.com is not on the block list and generally loads, sometimes at half speed, with broken images on bad days. You can track the package arriving at home, message a seller, or fix a subscription. What you can't do is order to your hotel: Amazon shut its Chinese domestic marketplace in 2019, and cross-border delivery to China is a customs project, not an impulse buy. Locals use Taobao, JD, and Pinduoduo.
Prime Video: opens, then refuses: "This video isn't available in your location." That's Amazon's own geo-restriction, since Prime Video has no mainland China service, and any firewall interference is beside the point. Same story as Netflix.
What works without a VPN
- Prime Video downloads made before you fly play offline, the whole trip. This is the answer for the flight and the hotel evenings.
- Kindle books already on your device read fine. The Kindle store is reachable-ish but flaky since Amazon closed its China Kindle operation; load up the library at home.
- Order tracking and account management on amazon.com, with patience.
- Alexa and Echo devices you brought are not worth the fight; leave them home.
Streaming Prime Video: the private-IP detail
Through a VPN, Prime Video works and shows your home country's catalog. Like Netflix, Amazon blocks IP ranges it recognizes as VPNs, and the big shared services trip that constantly: you get the "HTTP proxy detected" error instead of your show. Traveler's VPN avoids the shared-range problem structurally, because your private server has an IP address only you use, which looks like a household, not a data-center exit shared by thousands. Its smart routing sends Prime Video and the rest of your blocked apps through the tunnel while WeChat, Didi, Taobao, and local maps stay direct, so the shopping half of Amazon that already works isn't slowed down by the half that needs help.
Don't buy through the tunnel unnecessarily: amazon.com works without the VPN, and purchases from your normal home IP profile look exactly like they always do. Save the tunnel for the video.
Frequently asked
Does Prime Video work in China?
Not without a VPN: Amazon geo-blocks mainland China. Downloads made before arrival play offline, and through a VPN with a clean, unshared IP it streams your home catalog normally.
Can I order from Amazon and have it delivered in China?
Practically no. Amazon closed its Chinese domestic marketplace in 2019. Cross-border shipping exists for some items with long timelines and customs friction; for anything you need on the trip, use Taobao or JD, or just a local store.
Do Kindle books work in China?
Books already downloaded read fine. Store access and sync are flaky since Amazon wound down its China Kindle business, so load your library before you fly.
Why does Prime Video say HTTP proxy detected?
Your VPN's IP range is shared by many users and Amazon has flagged it. A private server with an IP only you use doesn't match those lists and streams normally.
