Beyond‘s blogBeyond‘s Blog

2025.08.07 IT/Web Technology

【Solution】Websites Built with Shopify or Wix Cannot Be Accessed from China

In Japan, Europe, and the United States, no-code website building services like Shopify and Wix are very popular. However, have you ever experienced a situation where “a site built for the Chinese market cannot be viewed from within China”?

The reason lies in the service configuration, including server location and CDN (Content Delivery Network), not complying with Chinese regulations.

Table of Contents

1 Why Shopify or Wix Sites Cannot Be Viewed in China
- 1.1 Main Problems
2 Solution: Build Your Site with a CMS Like WordPress
- 2.1 Comparison: WordPress vs. Shopify / Wix
3 Summary
- 3.1 Related Services

Why Shopify or Wix Sites Cannot Be Viewed in China

As part of its internet security management, China has mechanisms that restrict access to specific foreign servers or CDNs.

Consequently, the following issues occur:

The site does not load at all.
Only images fail to display.
Styles (CSS) break, causing layout issues.

Main Problems

Sites built with Shopify or Wix are particularly prone to access issues due to:

Shopify and Wix’s primary servers being located mainly in North America or Europe.
CDNs relying on foreign services like Akamai or Cloudflare.
Connections from Chinese IP addresses timing out or resulting in loading errors.

Solution: Build Your Site with a CMS Like WordPress

To achieve stable access from within China, a “site architecture optimized for access from China” is required. Using WordPress (with a server) is an effective solution.

By preparing your own domain and server, registering an ICP license if necessary, and adopting a CDN optimized for China, you can build a site that is stably viewable from within China.

Comparison: WordPress vs. Shopify / Wix

Item	WordPress (+ Server)	Shopify / Wix
Loading Speed (Access from within China)	〇 Fast display possible (depends on design)	✕ Very slow or does not display
Server Location	Flexible (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, etc.)	Primarily North America/Europe (Not selectable)
CDN Support	Integrates with Chinese CDNs (e.g., Alibaba Cloud)	Relies on Akamai, Cloudflare, etc. (Unstable access from Mainland China)
ICP License Support	〇 (Registration proxy available)	✕ Not possible
Customizability	〇 Full customization possible	△ Limited (depends on platform specifications)
Multilingual Support	〇 Via plugins (e.g., Bogo)	〇 Possible
SEO Optimization (Chinese Search Engines)	〇 Compatible with Baidu and other Chinese SEO	△ Partially incompatible; relies on Google search engine
Cost	Initial setup + Monthly fee (Billed in RMB, chinese invoice available)	Monthly fee (Billed in USD, credit card payment)
System Extensibility	〇 API integration with external systems possible	△ Limited (depends on platform specifications)

Summary

While the Chinese market is enormous, its unique internet environment requires a “China-specific site design.”

Rather than thinking, “I built my site with Shopify or Wix, so I’m safe,” it is crucial to consider whether the site will work reliably within China’s communication environment.

Instead of relying on generic global configurations, consider server placement, CDN selection, and ICP license registration specifically for access from within China.

Related Services

Website Development	https://beyond-shenzhen.cn/en/service/website
Managed Cloud Services	https://beyond-shenzhen.cn/en/service/server
B2B EC Site Development	https://beyond-shenzhen.cn/en/service/ec-site