Kevin and Jay in Beijing: The Struggles and Surprises of a Family Trip
Kevin Oh and Jay Kim, a celebrity couple well-known in South Korea, recently took their 7-year-old daughter on a spontaneous family trip to Beijing. What started as an exciting adventure soon turned into a reality check, as they encountered several unexpected challenges on the ground.
Chief among those challenges? Paying for things. In China’s capital, QR code payments through local apps like WeChat Pay and Alipay dominate almost every transaction — from taxis and museums to food stalls and souvenir shops. Credit cards, even international ones, were usually not accepted. For a family used to card-swiping back home in Seoul, it was a real curveball. Jay candidly documented the trip’s struggles and surprises via social media, prompting a wide range of reactions online.
Culture Shock or Cultural Growth?
What Worked: Sharing Real Moments
The trip wasn’t just about frustration — it was also filled with eye-opening cultural experiences. Kevin and Jay used their platform to share details about how people in Beijing shop, pay, and move through everyday life. Their openness gave fans a refreshing look at the real world beyond airport lounges and five-star hotels.
Many followers appreciated the honesty. The confusion over payment methods and the difficulties with transactions struck a chord with anyone who's traveled in a place totally unfamiliar. Let’s face it — traveling to a new country often means learning things the hard way. For their fans, especially those considering a trip to China, Kevin and Jay’s posts served as both a cautionary tale and a helpful guide.
And it brought up a timely issue: even though much of the world is going digital, Korea still leans heavily on credit cards and cash. The contrast offered a perfect moment for reflection on how travel forces us to adapt, quickly and constantly.
What Didn’t Work: Lack of Planning and Cultural Whiplash
This trip was planned last-minute, and the lack of foresight showed. Jay admitted she assumed Beijing would be similar to other major Chinese cities she'd visited — like Shanghai or Hong Kong. In reality, the infrastructure and technology were different enough to cause trouble every step of the way.
Even something as simple as buying ice cream became complicated without access to local apps. The couple realized — a bit too late — that knowing the language is nice, but understanding how locals shop and pay is just as critical. They didn’t know they’d need a Chinese bank account to fully use many of the apps. That’s not something many tourists can or want to set up.
Some fans, meanwhile, questioned whether Jay and Kevin were emphasizing the hardships too much. Was it about cultural appreciation, or just content creation? There’s been a broader discussion of how celebrity travel blogs sometimes frame their experiences only through discomfort, instead of exploring a place respectfully and fully.
Lessons from Beijing: Think Global, Prepare Local
Yet, their trip has broader takeaways beyond payment apps and language barriers. Kevin and Jay remind us what travel is really about: stretching your worldview and becoming comfortable with the unknown. Beijing challenged their assumptions and forced them to be vulnerable. That, in itself, can be a beautiful thing.
It also reinforced a basic truth: preparation matters. Had they researched the payment systems or downloaded helpful tools ahead of time, things might have gone smoother. But maybe the struggle made the experience more meaningful — and more authentic.
Most importantly, their story has prompted others to approach international travel less like a vacation and more like a respectful visit to someone else’s home. You need curiosity and humility. And maybe a local SIM card and a backup QR code payment app, just in case.
