they advertise them on many chinese websites. i dont see how you could get in trouble for it

Virtual Private Network. It allows you to get around the Great Firewall. If they're advertised on Chinese websites then how do you know it's not a trap? I don't want to end up in a Xinjiang prison getting the bottoms of my feet beaten with a baseball bat.

It's not illegal. They just screw with things, no law says you can't use it.

If you are not a Chinese citizen, they honestly don't care if you use a VPN.

Baseball bat on the soles of your feet? Toothpicks under your nails? Electric wires on your scrotum? Clamps on your nipples? Chinese jail?
Better you risk these minor discomforts than live with the frustration of being locked behind the great firewall of China.

"Hey warder! Bring me my congee!"

Nothing will happen.
Everyone is using it……

well there many trouble, but if you use any famous vpn service like http://purevpn.com then i sure you will not get any trouble because they have good support team and technically support any time any where,
i like their services at all , hmm also you can try some more like (strongcpn.com hidemyass.com) are famous too.

Nobody cares.

But if you're going to be an online hippy you may be found.

Most of the time low-quality VPNs create trouble.

Why are you posting something again after 5 years?

If you are doing trading for long, with stable business  growing, you should have a safe and stable VPN in China. Some free VPN are not safe, your privacy being taken. Safety is very important.

Everyone is using it, though the country is blocking it.

Those people who travels to China for business purpose then should use business VPN which is more realiable and effective.

try not to use chinese laptops because 

so if you buy a laptop in china then which ever vpn you install ,it wont work  because they upgrade there firewall very quickly  But if you are using other laptop so you wont face any problem
i am using hotspot shield and i didnt experienced any problem so far and its free.