Here is Beijing

Part I (Being Pedestrian in China)

It was in Chongqing.

I stood in the queue to buy some street food when few people in the crowd suddenly addressed me in Chinese. From their gestures I guessed that they urged me to move aside. Next second I understood why – a car was driving backwards straight at me. From the driver’s maneuver I realized that he missed the correct turn at the crossroad and instead of continuing to the next intersection, simply decided to move back through the angle of sidewalk.

But what surprised me more than this insane act of driving was the fact that all other people around me didn’t see anything wrong about it!!

Possibly I was pissed off just because I didn’t spend enough time in China. Expats who live there for months and years get used to these peculiarities of traffic rules in mainland China. Or better to say traffic rituals which do not always align with the traffic rules.

Take, for example, crosswalks. It seems that neither drivers nor pedestrians abide by the written rules. On one hand, pedestrians recklessly cross streets in illegal places despite the heavy traffic. On another hand, cars do not stop at crosswalks and simply drive through the crowd.

In few (admittedly foolish) experiments when I wouldn’t give up and continued moving forward, drivers – instead of slowing down and giving me the right of way – simply cut me off by steering to the right and calmly proceeded through the crosswalk.

What Can Pedestrians in China Do?

Pedestrians have two options how to deal with this situation:

1)    Insist on the right of way

Pedestrian’s right of way on the crosswalk hasn’t been abolished in China. If you are eager to make this world better and teach fools the traffic rules risking your own life – go ahead.

This is more or less what one Finnish expat is trying to do lately in Fuzhou.

2)    Adjust to it

In one expats forum I found the following interesting comment:

They respect you more than you know. Chinese roads may seem lawless, but that’s because there’s only one rule: don’t hit anything. As much as they’re honking at you, they’ll still slow down for you even if you wander into the middle of the road where there’s no crosswalk. Having lived here for a while, I learned a long time ago that the trick to crossing a busy street is just to take a step of faith into the traffic. It’s almost like you’re shoving your way for a place on the road, just like you have to do on the Beijing subway. Chinese drivers have to deal with pedestrians on the road all the time, so they’re always watching.

***

In conclusion – did you know that in China the injuries from road traffic crashes are theleading cause of death for people 15 to 45 years old.

(Blog posted by ChinaShmina on January 11, 2012 by Augis. You can see the original article by following this link to ChinaShmina)

Travel by train in China is safe, convenient, reliable and a great way to see the country and meet people. Buying train tickets is normally easy and trouble free even if you are in China for the first time and don’t speak the language. Occasionally though due to language barriers, or even just perceived language barriers, buying train tickets can be a little tricky.

My experience buying a train ticket this morning is a classic example of what can go wrong and how to avoid it.

The Situation

You can buy train tickets from train stations and from small local ticket offices. The ticket offices are preferable because they more accessible, less crowded and much less chaotic than train stations. They do charge a fee of around 5rmb per ticket which is well worth the convenience. I needed to buy a ticket on the 23rd from Beijing to Chang Chun where I live.

I first checked the train table online here http://www.cnvol.com/station-1/en-239.htm and found a couple of trains I’d be happy to catch. The D25 fast train and the D21 fast train. Yesterday afternoon I went to a local ticket office to buy a ticket on one of these trains. There were seats available which was great BUT as a foreigner with no Chinese identity card, I had to go to the train station with my passport to buy the ticket. At the moment foreigners in China can buy tickets for sleeper trains at ticket offices but not for the fast trains. Fair enough, I could deal with that.

The next morning I arrive at the Chang Chun train station and line up with hundreds of other people to buy a train ticket. Don’t let the hordes of people scare you. Train stations are very efficient and you are rarely stuck in the queues for very long. With passport and cash in hand I reached at the ticket office window and had the following conversation in Chinese.

“Hi, I’d like a ticket on the 23rd from Beijing to Changchun. Train D25.”

“Sold out.”

“Ok, what about train D21?”

“Sold out”.

This was surprising because the previous night there were plenty of seats on both trains. Oh well, can’t be helped.

“What tickets do you have that day to Chang Chun?”

“Leaving Beijing 8pm and arriving in Chang Chun the following night after 7pm.”

Fast trains from Beijing to Changchun take 6 to 7 hours. Slow trains take between 10 to 14 hours. He was telling me that the train was going to take 24 hours. No way.

“That can’t be correct. No train take 24 hours from Beijing to Changchun. Please tell me again, how long does that train take?”

“24 hours.”

I know he is wrong so I’m trying to sort out what the problem is and he keeps on saying 24 hours. By that stage an audience had gathered and was having a bit of a laugh. I’m not sure if they were laughing at me, him or both of us. He grabbed a piece of paper and wrote 24 which did not change my opinion so he shook his head, made a comment about foreigners and abandoned his window to seek help.

A few minutes later one of his colleagues came over and raised his eyebrows at me.

““Hi, I’d like a ticket on the 23rd from Beijing to Changchun. Train D25 or D21.”

“Hey, you speak Chinese!”

“Yes, your colleague is the one who can’t speak Chinese.”

“Ok, D25 is sold out but we have tickets to D21. Do you want that ticket?”

“Yes please.”

“How many?”

“One.”

If I was not familiar with the train times and had not stood my ground, I would have ended up on the wrong train leaving at the wrong time and wasted half a day because of a perceived language barrier.

The Problem

Many Chinese have the belief that if you are a foreigner, you can’t speak Chinese. So no matter how well you do speak Chinese, they will not understand you. This problem is partly due to perception and partly to do with a lack of experience dealing with foreigners speaking Chinese.

This kind of thing happens all the time. For example I have been with a group of Chinese friends in a shopping center trying to find something. I tried speaking to the shop assistant but she could not understand me. So I spoke to a friend in Chinese using the exact same words who passed my question on to the shop assistant with out any change. What happened? The shop assistant understood perfectly.

The Solution

The solution is very simple and with out knowing a word of Chinese, you can avoid all language barriers when buying train tickets.

On a small piece of paper clearly write the name of the train you want to catch and the date. To make sure there are no misunderstandings, use the Chinese dating system which is year, month and day. For example if you want to buy a ticket on the D21 train on the 23rd, you would write this on this on your piece of paper.

D21 2011-07-23

This clearly shows which train you want and when. Then all the ticket staff have to do is to tell you it is sold out which is easy to communicate or that it is available which is also easy to communicate. Then all you need to do is tell them how many tickets you want (use fingers) and hand over your money.

Just to be sure, double check your tickets before walking away from the ticket window.

I’ll definitely be doing this solution next time I buy a train ticket.

(Blog posted by China Travel Go on July 17, 2011 by Brendon. You can see the original article by following this link to China Travel Go)

Bus travel is very popular in China and most large cities are connected through a web of lines. Beijing operates 10 long distance bus stations. You can purchase tickets either at the long distance bus stations or at ticket hubs around the city. Below is a list of the long distance bus stations in Beijing along with their destinations and directions to find them.

Liuliqiao Transport Hub (六里桥客运主枢纽)

Address: No. 19, Nanlijia, Liuli Bridge, Fengtai District.

Ticket Booking Time: 05:30 – 21:00

Customer Service: (86)010-83831716 & (86)010-83831717

Destinations: Anyang(安阳), Anshan鞍山, Baotou包头, Baoding保定, Chengde承德, Dalian大连, Datong大同, Fuzhou福州, Hohhot呼和浩特, Jingbian靖边, Langfang廊坊, Luoyang洛阳, Shijiazhuang石家庄, Xian西安, Xiamen厦门, Zhengzhou郑州, etc.

Bus Route to the Station: Take Bus No. 6, 300, 323, 324, 349, 368, 730, 733, 830, 833, 901, 927, 937, 944, 944 (Branch), 968, T2, T7, T8, Yuntong 103, Yuntong 108, and Yuntong 201, and get off at Liuliqiao Nanli.

Address: No. 17, Xidawang Road, Chaoyang District.

Operating Hours: 06:30 – 22:00

Customer Service: (86)010-87718844

Destinations: Anshan鞍山, Baotou包头, Changchun长春, Dalian大连, Huludao葫芦岛, Harbin哈尔滨, Jinzhou锦州, Qinhuangdao秦皇岛, Shenyang沈阳, Tianjin天津, Tonghua通化, etc.

Bus Route to the Station: Take Bus No. 11, 30, 31, 715, 721, 752, and 988, and get off at Beijing East Railway Station (Beijing Dongjiao Huochezhan)

Address: No.34, Middle Road of South 3rd Ring Road.

Ticket Booking Time: 05:00 – 19:30

Customer Service: (86)010-67229491 & (86)010-67237328

Destinations: Anyang安阳, Baotou包头, Botou泊头, Cangzhou沧州, Chengde承德, Datong大同, Harbin哈尔滨, Hangzhou杭州, Hefei合肥, Hengshui衡水, Jinan济南, Nanjing南京, Ningbo宁波, Qingdao青岛, Tangshan唐山, Tianjin天津, Wuhan武汉, Xian西安, Yantai烟台, Yiwu义乌, Zibo淄博, etc.

Bus Route to the Station: Bus No. 17, 43, 300, 368, 826, 741, 830, 730, 957, 971, Yuntong 107, Xiao 13, and Xiao 15.

Address: No.199, Yongwai Haihutun, Fengtai District.

Ticket Booking Time: 05:00 – 19:00

Customer Service: (86)010-67267149

Destinations: Anxin安新, Bazhou霸州, Baoding保定, Baotou包头, Cangzhou沧州, Dezhou德州, Gucheng古城, Handan邯郸, Hangzhou杭州, Huairou怀柔, Jinan济南, Jinzhou锦州, Langfang廊坊, Nanjing南京, Shijiazhuang石家庄, Wenzhou温州, Xiongxian雄县, Zunhua遵化, etc.

Bus Route to the Station: Bus No. 2, 17, 300, 341, 366, 366 (Branch), 368, 377, 705, 730, 732, 757, 826, 830, 927, 971, 988, T8, Bailibao 101, and Yuntong 107.

Address: Lizhe East Bridge, Fengtai District.

Ticket Booking Time: 06:00 – 23:25

Customer Service: (86)010-63475092 & (86)010-63403408

Destinations: Anyang安阳, Bazhong巴中, Baoding保定, Cangzhou沧州, Changshu常熟, Dingzhou定州, Dongtai东台, Haimen海门, Jinan济南, Langfang廊坊, Nanjing南京, Nantong南通, Rizhao日照, Rongcheng荣城, Shijiazhuang石家庄, Taiyuan太原, Yixian易县, Yulin玉林, Yuncheng郓城, etc.

Bus Route to the Station: Bus No. 6, 323, 324, 988, T2, Yuntong 103, and Yuntong 108.

Address: West of Xinfadi Bridge, Fengtai District.

Ticket Booking Hours: 06:00 – 17:00

Customer Service: (86)010-83727241

Destinations: Baozhou宝周, Dezhou德州, Dongying东营, Lindong临东, Weifang潍坊, Taihe太和, Yanshan盐山, etc.

Bus Route to the Station: Bus No. 381, 366, 901, 423, 962, 977, 353, 813, 937, 968, 922, 719, 943, 957, and 115.

Address: Northeast of Liuliqiao Bridge, West 3rd Ring Road.

Ticket Booking Hours: 06:00 – 20:00

Customer Service: (86)010-63322354

Destinations: Anyang安阳, Baoding保定, Changyuan长原, Daokou道口, Dezhou德州, Handan邯郸, Henze恨泽, Hebi合壁, Huaiyang淮阳, Huanglin黄林, Jining济宁, Kaifeng开封, Luoyang洛阳, Nanyang南阳, Pingdingshan平顶山, Sanmenxia三门峡, Shangqiu商丘, Shijiazhuang石家庄, Wuhan武汉, Yangquan阳泉, Zhengzhou郑州, Zhoukou周口, etc.

Bus Route to the Station: Bus No. 6, 321, 339, 38, 57, 1, 4, 300, 309, 323, 340, 390, 619, 620, 715, 719, 730, 822, 830, 853, 917, 927, 982, 993, and T7.

Address: No. 68, Jianguo Road, Chaoyang District.

Ticket Booking Hours: 06:00 – 19:30

Customer Service: (86)010-65574804

Destinations: Anshan鞍山, Baotou包头, Baodi宝坻, Changchun长春, Chengde承德, Chifeng赤峰, Dachang大厂, Dalian大连, Dandong大同, Fushun抚顺, Jilin City吉林市, Jixian蓟县, Langfang廊坊, Liaoyang辽阳, Qinhuangdao秦皇岛, Sanhe三河, Tangshan唐山, Tianjin天津, Tongliao通辽, Yanji延吉, Tutian土台, Zunhua遵化, etc.

Transportation to the Station:

A. Bus No. 1, 4, 57, 322, 363, 397, 402, 715, 825, 928, 930, 952, 984, 847, 989, and 984.

B. Subway Line 1 & Urban Rail Batong Line.

Address: No. 37, Pengzhuang, Chongwen District.

Ticket Booking Hours: 06:00 -21:00

Customer Service: (86)010-83109307

Destinations: Anguo安国, Baoding保定, Binzhou并州, Dongying东营, Gudao古道, Jinan济南, Laizhou莱州, Lianyungang连云港, Nantong南通, Penglai蓬莱, Qingdao青岛, Rizhao日照, Taian泰安, Tianjin天津, Xingtai邢台, Xuzhou徐州, Yantai烟台, Yangzhou扬州, Zaozhuang枣庄, Zhangjiakou张家口, Zibo淄博, etc.

Bus Route to the Station:

A. Take Bus No. 102, 20, 106, 943, and 986, and get off at Yongdingmen Coach Station.

B. Take Bus No. 122, 927, 721, 741, 744, 958, T3, T5, and 939, and get off at Beijing South Railway Station.

Ticket Booking Hours: 05:30 – 17:00

Customer Service: (86)010-82846760

Destinations: Altay阿尔泰, Baicao白曹, Baotou包头, Bole伯乐, Chadao茶道, Changyuan长原, Chicheng赤城, Chongli崇礼, Daoqinggou道青沟, Erlianhaote二连浩特, Hami哈密, Hefeng河丰, Karamay卡拉梅, Luotuoshan骆驼山, Shacheng沙城, Shangyi商易, Weixian潍县, Wusu乌苏, Yangyuan阳原, Yili伊犁, Zhangjiakou张家口, Zhulu朱录, etc.

Bus Route to the Station: Take Bus No. 55, 305, 804, 315, 618, 727, 819, 845, and 939 to Qijiahuo.

(Blog contributed by TheBJReviewer. You can see the original article by following this link to TheBJReviewer)