Working VPNs for China - Read Me First!

This question is posted ad nauseam, so let's make a pinned post for easy reference:

The current consensus for working VPNs seems to be Astrill VPN, Mullvad VPN, and LetsVPN.

ExpressVPN, NordVPN, PrivateInternetAccess (PIA), and Surfshark WILL NOT RELIABLY WORK (if at all) in China, regardless of what their advertising or support tells you.

Outside of commercially-available VPNs, there are many V2ray and Shadowsocks providers. These protocols have the benefit of being faster and more lightweight, but are not intended for anonymity. I encourage users to suggest providers with working V2ray/SS(R) servers.

Leaving the comments open for VPN discussion. The body of this thread will be updated as situations change or a new consensus is reached.