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Home : Teaching in China : Transportation

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transportation

Transportation in China

Getting around in China is a bit of a challenge. Whether it's poor signage or bad directions or special windows (and prices) for foreigners, invariably it is often a mission to get where you want to go. Each city or town presents it's own set of challenges but rest assured, once you become a bit more familiar with things it gets easier.

City Bus Transport in China

The city buses (Gonggong Qiche) provide the cheapest way to get around most cities. The cost is 50 fen (5 jiao) per trip, generally inside the 3rd ring road; generally outside the 3rd ring you pay 50 fen for the first 3 stations, and then an additional 30 fen for each subsequent 3 stops.

The buses can be a very interesting experience for a foreigner. Few foreigners take the bus but for those who do it is definitely a cultural experience. Best advice here is to AVOID RUSH HOUR PERIODS.

The routes the buses follow can take a while to learn; each bus has a number which corresponds to the route it follows. An important thing to learn about the buses is where they stop; sometimes they can stop a long way away from where you want to be.

To get on the bus, you need the EXACT fare or a bus pass. Put the fare in the toll slot at the front door and climb aboard. Expect stares.

Exit only through the rear door of the bus.

There is no waiting in line/queuing when getting on a bus. You can push your way through the crowd to get on. If you don't, often the bus will just leave. Seriously. Or you will allow everyone to go in front of you and then the bus will be full and this scenario could go on an on until quite late in the evening when there are slightly fewer people queuing.

Mini Buses in China

Mini buses (Xiao Gonggong) are between the comfortable taxis and crowded buses. The xiao gonggong will usually follow a regular bus route with some small variations depending on the individual drivers.

You will see many of these driving up and down the streets with a driver and a helper usually yelling the number of the xiao ba out the window trying to get people to come in.

The number corresponds to the normal bus number which the xiao gonggong follows. This is how you tell which one to take. The number is also displayed in the window of the bus. The fare depends on how far you wish to go and varies from 1 to 6 Yuan. They can be very convenient at times especially when a normal bus is full--and they are pretty cheap.

They are only in major cities and usually stop working about 22-23:00.

Taking these little buses is generally painless; you will usually get a seat, but sometimes the seat might be falling apart or on the engine which is bad in the summer and good in the winter. Be prepared though for some unique driving, these buses are competitive for people with other buses on the same route and they can race around the busy streets with little regard for their passengers.

taxis

Taking a Taxi in China

Taxi is a convenient means of transportation in large and medium-sized tourist cities in China, with fares ranging from 1 to 2 Yuan per kilometre. Simply raise your hand, and the taxi stops immediately for hotels in Beijing and other tourist cities.

Taxi meters start at 6 RMB in most places.

If you decide to hire a taxi be sure to be clear WHERE you want to go and how long you want to hire the driver for and be firm. When I was recently traveling in Xi'an I was short on time and wanted to see the Terracotta Soldiers so I asked a driver what to and from service would cost. We negotiated the rate and set off. He took me to a manufacturer of terracotta soldiers despite the fact that I specifically told him AND showed him pictures of the place I wanted to go. Never having been there before I didn't know the first place wasn't the right place until I walked through it and talked to someone inside. They laughed and said "No No - not here. There far and very big."

When I left I just walked to the street and hailed another taxi in front of my taxi. He was in great distress and came over and begged for another chance which I gave him but told him in no uncertain circumstances would he be given another chance and that I wanted to go immediately. I was very short on time and this detour cost me at least an hour.

It was well worth the effort. Be sure to always be firm when negotiating and dealing with Chinese people. Doi not raise your voice. Do not show anger. For more information on negotiating in China check our our China Culture page.

Rickshaws and Pedi Cabs in China

They offer an experience for tourists. They are found around big hotels and street corners in cozy seasons. Rickshaws provide a more relaxing way to explore the city.

Prices are bargained with the driver and though prices are usually reasonable, one should still be careful--it is not unheard of for a new tourist pay 50 Yuan for a 2 minute ride from the Friendship Store to the Subway.

You should carry a map with you, know where you are going or ask a foreigner if you care about the price, and if not then just go. The one really nice thing about these rickshaws is that unlike Thailand or other places where these are often used, the drivers don't make arbitrary pitstops in suit or dress manufacturers.

china - subway

Subway (in Beijing)

The subway is a fast, convenient and a helpful way to get around the city--except of course during rush hours (7:00-9:00 and 16:30-18:00) when they're very crowded.

There are two subway lines: one circles the city and one extends into the western suburbs.

Figuring out which side to take can be confusing if you don't speak Chinese. The map of the subway in the subway train is in Chinese characters as well as Pin Yin but outside waiting for the subways the wall map has only Chinese characters and there are no signs telling which direction the lines go.

Unless you know which side to take you will have to ask somebody for directions. It is usually a good idea to know one subway stop, like Yonghegong, Fuxingmen or Jianguomenwai which can help you ask somebody which way to go.

The Fuxingmen station is the only station that allows you to change lines. Tickets are cheap, costing 3-yuan one way--but remember to watch your purse and pockets!

The subway runs from 5:30 to 23:00.

Taking a Train in China

Beijing has five railway stations but Beijing's West Railway Station at Lianhuachi is the newest and largest. Each station has lines running to almost all provincial capitals, and to all China's major cities. There are four kinds of seats available: soft berths, hard berths, soft seats, and hard seats. Most overnight trains have dining cars.

Purchasing Train Tickets

In Beijing it may be more convenient to have your train tickets booked for you by a travel agency such as Chinese Business World's travel center or ChinaTourService.com which make train reservations if you send them an e-mail request. If you opt to do it yourself, the process can be rather confusing and time-consuming.

Some stations do however have special counters which sell tickets to foreigners and overseas Chinese for up to five days in advance. When purchasing your own, remember to bring your passport or ID.

China -bike

Bicycles in China

They provide a form of transportation for a majority of people in China, so much so that in major cities there are cycling side roads set aside on all major roads. Once of the nice things about many Chinese cities is that they are for the most part, very flat. No stories about having to ride uphill to and from school...

It might look scary but riding a bicycle is a great way to see China, as you can pretty much go anywhere and don't have to worry about car traffic-- just bike traffic. When you first arrive it is VERY important to watch how the locals ride their bikes before they attempt a try; although don't necessarily copy their riding style! I recommend that one be careful with parking--sometimes random parking may result in a fine. Seriously. Observe and learn. With that many bikes on the road there has to be some method to the madness.

Bicycle Rental in China

In most of the major cities there are many places that rent bikes--large repair shops as well as hotels--with prices ranging from 2 Yuan per hour to 40 Yuan per day depending on the style of bike.

Purchasing a Bicycle in China

The most popular Chinese brands are: Flying Pigeon (Feige), Phoenix (Fenghuang) and Forever (Yongjiu). You should be able to purchase a reliable Chinese bicycle for about 50 USD.

Sometimes it is BETTER TO BUY A BIKE IN CHINA rather than bring your own. You already stand out in the crowd by virtue of non being Chinese. Your foreign bike will also stand out which might make it a target to be stolen.

Bicycle Repair in China

You can try a large repair shop but there are abundant repair stalls with all the spare parts. A new inner tube should cost lest than 15 Yuan, and an inner tube and tire about 30 Yuan--all including labour.

china-Concrete Boat

Travel by Boat or Ships in China

A luxury passenger and cargo liner operated by the Sino-Japanese International Ferry Company, sails once a week from Shanghai to Japan’s Kobe, Osaka and Yokohama-and a one-way trip along the route takes about 45 hours.

The Yanjing is a passenger liner run by the Jinshen Steamboat Company, which shuttles once a week between Tianjin and Kobe.

The Daren passenger and cargo liner owned by the Dalian Daren Steamboat Company sails twice a week between Dalian and Incheon in South Korea, with a one-way trip taking 15 hours.

The Xinjinqiao and Xiangxuelan, the two luxury passenger liners operated by the Weihaiwei Eastern Shipping Company, sail three times a week from Weihai and Qingdao respectively to Incheon, with a one-way trip lasting for 14 hours.

Domestic Ocean Liners:

China’s port cities are covered by a labyrinth of maritime shipping lines. The most important of these routes are:

  • Shanghai-Dalian
  • Dalian-Tianjin
  • Dalian-Yantai
  • Shanghai-Qingdao
  • Shanghai-Guangzhou
  • Beihai-Guangzhou
  • Shenzhen-Zhuhai
  • Zhuhai-Hong Kong Tracing these well-arranged domestic maritime shipping lines are many luxury pleasure boats and passenger liners.

    Inland Waterways:

    The mainland of China is criss-crossed by a total of 226,800 kilometres of rivers, including 136,000 kilometres of inland waterways. The Shanghai-Chongqing line along the Yangtze River extends for 2,399 kilometres. On any given day the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River are being plied by more than 50 luxury tourist boats.

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