Life in Mainland China
Getting around: a Chinese conversation with pinyin and English
High-speed rail, metros, and taxis and bikes summoned by phone.
The conversation
Speakers: Xiaoyu and Haoran.
- Xiaoyu
我有个艰巨的任务交给你，这个车次到底怎么看？
I've got a tough job for you, how do you even read these train numbers?
- Haoran
看字母。G字头是最高速的高铁。
Look at the letter. G-series are the high-speed bullet trains.
- Haoran
那 D 字头稍慢点，C 字头是城际列车。K、T、Z 呢？
Then D-series are a bit slower, and C-series are intercity trains. What about K, T, and Z?
- 普速列车，包括卧铺车厢 Regular trains, including sleeper cars
- 只运送货物的货车 Cargo trains that only carry freight
- 直达机场的专列 Special express trains straight to the airport
Answer
普速列车，包括卧铺车厢 Regular trains, including sleeper cars
- Xiaoyu
老式绿皮车嘛。我以前坐过卧铺，睡得可香了。
Ah, the old-school green trains. I used to take sleepers on those and slept like a baby.
- Haoran
买票都得用自己的身份证，在 12306 上实名购买。
You've got to use your own ID to buy tickets under your real name on 12306.
- Xiaoyu
进站安检，大候车大厅，还有开车前几分钟准时关掉的闸机。
Station security checks, the huge waiting hall, and the ticket gates that shut right on time a few minutes before departure.
- Haoran
别忘了保温杯，火车站和车厢里都有热水机。
Don't forget your thermos; there are hot water dispensers in both the station and the train cars.
- Xiaoyu
知道啦。那两个黄金周呢？
Got it. What about the two Golden Weeks?
- Haoran
春节和国庆。要么老实呆着，要么提前一个月出门。
Spring Festival and National Day. Either stay put or head out a month in advance.
- Xiaoyu
到了地方就靠地铁、出租车或者共享单车。
Once you arrive, it's subways, taxis, or bike shares.
- Haoran
上车得跟司机师傅打招呼。
You've got to greet the driver when you get in.
- Xiaoyu
扫码骑走单车。看，我现在可太像你了。
Scan the code and ride off. Look, I'm practically you now.
- Haoran
求你别这么说。
Please don't say that.
Words in the conversation
Notes
High-speed rail
Most of China's high-speed lines have been built since 2008. Trains run at up to 350 km/h: Beijing to Shanghai takes about four and a half hours.
Train numbers
A train number begins with a letter: G for the fastest high-speed trains, D for slightly slower ones, C for short intercity runs, and K, T and Z for conventional trains, including overnight sleepers.
Tickets and stations
Tickets are sold in your name through the railway's official app and website, 12306, or at stations, with an ID card or passport. A station has a security check at the door, a big waiting hall, and gates that close a few minutes before departure. Trains have hot water taps.
The spring rush
In the forty days around Lunar New Year, called the Spring Festival travel rush, hundreds of millions of people go home and back, and tickets sell out within minutes of going on sale.
Metros, taxis and bikes
Dozens of cities have a metro, and Shanghai's and Beijing's are among the longest in the world. Bags go through a scanner at the entrance, and most people pay by scanning a QR code. Taxis are metered, ride-hailing apps are common, and drivers are addressed as master. Shared bikes are parked along city streets, unlocked by scanning their code.
The golden weeks
The Spring Festival and National Day on 1 October each bring about a week off. Trains, planes and well-known sights are at their busiest then.