When you utilize a VPN administration, your information is scrambled (on the grounds that you're utilizing their application), goes in encoded structure to your ISP then to the VPN server. ... Your information is encoded, so regardless of whether somebody looks at what you're sending, they just observe scrambled data and not crude information.

?

Express was blocked for the entire month of July, so I cancelled..
Internet in China is the worst I have ever had..
A lot of tall buildings, though, and wide streets for the almighty automobile..

My Express is still working. Try Italy - Cosenza.

My Express was blocked the first week of June only. Worked fine the month of July.

Do the western based VPNs still work in China?

While in China, during the Spring of 2018 I used a vpn and all went well...

Facebook, Gmail...
Any thoughts... experiences?

my own experience of wandering in china, shadowsocks always work. I connect to a Linux server running shadowsocks at home, never have any problem even attaching to free bank/government wifi. I do also have a Hong Kong based China Unicom pre-paid data sim as backup costing HKD220/30day with unlimited data, only top up when you are travelling without fixed or wifi connections. all data are metered and routed thru hong kong server, no restricting at all. :-)

Is that 220 HKD a day or 220 for 30 days?

It is 220 hkd every 30 days.

Thanks