Transit through China in Shanghai and Guangzhou

Hey, I am flying from Finland to New Zealand but on the way I have to transit through Shanghai and Guangzhou. I was expenting that I can use the 24 hour free transit rule for this, but apparently I can not since you can only apply that rule on Guangzhou airport if you are flying from beijing (or another country). Is this really true? How can I apply for a tourist visa for making my flight possible if I'm not going to stay in a hotel since I am not leaving the airports in China?