PRIVACY
Privacy Policy
Happier China publishes independent practical guides. This policy describes the data used by this website and how to send a privacy concern.
Reading the guides
You can read public guides without creating a Happier China account. The hosting provider processes requests to deliver the site and may maintain its own security or infrastructure logs.
Optional visit statistics
We ask before collecting our own visit statistics. If you allow them, we use a random browser identifier, a session identifier, page paths, the referring website’s domain and approximate active reading time. The browser identifier lasts up to 90 days; a new session starts after 30 minutes of inactivity. These figures describe consenting browsers, not a complete count of people.
Our analytics records do not store your name, email, full referring URL, query parameters, precise location or IP address. We do not fingerprint devices, use advertising trackers or sell analytics records. We honour the browser’s Do Not Track signal. Visit records are removed after 90 days when the collection service next processes a visit.
Cookies and browser storage
After you allow statistics, the gc_visitor cookie stores a random browser identifier for up to 90 days, renewed on a consenting visit. Local storage keeps your yes/no choice under gc-analytics until you reset it or clear browser data. Session storage keeps a random session identifier, recent activity time and referring domain for the current browsing session. Choosing No thanks prevents our visit-statistics collection.
Homepage image preference
To vary the homepage picture, your browser stores up to five recent image names under gc_hero_recent and the current image and selection time under gc_hero_session. We do not send this preference to a server, link it to statistics or use an IP address, account or visitor identifier. A new browser session can choose a different picture; the current choice remains stable for up to six hours. Clear browser data to remove this preference. If browser storage is unavailable, a default picture appears.
Embedded Google Maps
Optional interactive maps are provided by Google. They load only after you allow them. Loading a map sends your IP address, browser details and this website’s origin to Google; Google may use cookies or other identifiers under its Privacy Policy. Google maps can contain advertising. This choice is separate from our visit-statistics choice.
Your browser keeps this map preference under gc_maps_consent until you change it or clear browser data. Turning maps off removes the embedded maps from Happier China; it does not erase cookies already stored by Google. External Google Maps links follow Google’s own privacy settings.
Advertising
Happier China currently serves no advertisements and loads no Google AdSense tracking code. If we introduce advertising, we will update this policy with the providers, purposes, consent controls and data-sharing details before ad serving begins. Permission for our optional visit statistics is separate from advertising consent.
Suggestions and corrections
The form saves your message, its page context and submission time for editorial review. Please leave out personal details. Messages are kept for up to 90 days and removed when the form service next processes a submission. We do not ask for contact information or promise a personal reply.
Comments and sign-in
You can read guides and approved comments without signing in. Comment submission uses the hosting platform’s ChatGPT sign-in. The provider handles authentication and its own cookies under its privacy terms; we do not receive or store your password. Direct Google, Apple and Facebook sign-in is not currently offered by this site.
For comments, we store a site-specific account identifier, the email provided by sign-in, your chosen public display name, comment text, article, submission time and review status. Your email and account identifier are visible only to the administrator. Approved comments and display names are public; choose a name you are comfortable sharing.
Comments await review. We may hide or delete material under the comment rules. Reports store the reporting account identifier, reason and time privately. Submitted comments remain until removed. Deleting a comment removes it and its reports from the site’s active database. Hosting backups and infrastructure logs follow the provider’s retention practices.
To request removal or raise a privacy concern, use Contact and identify the article and comment, without sending sensitive records. The form has no reply-address field; if we cannot establish which comment is yours, we may need further verification. Hidden comments remain private for review and do not appear to other readers.
Sharing
Share buttons load no social-network scripts. A sharing service receives the page URL and title only when you choose its link; its own privacy terms then apply. Copy link uses your device clipboard. Native sharing opens your device’s sharing interface when supported.
Local tools
The hotel message generator runs on your device. Arrival details and booking numbers entered there are not submitted to Happier China. Sending the result to a hotel uses that platform’s own privacy terms.
Access and external links
Analytics and suggestions are available only in the owner dashboard. External sites apply their own privacy policies. You can send a privacy concern using the contact form without including identifying details.
Updated: Oct 14, 2026.