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Ride-hailing, taxis and maps: a Chinese conversation with pinyin

DiDi is the main ride-hailing app, street taxis are still hailed by hand, and Alibaba's Amap passed 360 million daily users on 1 October 2025.

Play: Ride-hailing, taxis and maps

The conversation

Speakers: Yating and Xiaoyu.

  1. Yating

    别(bié)在(zài)路(lù)边(biān)瞎(xiā)招(zhāo)手(shǒu)啦(la)，没(méi)人(rén)停(tíng)车(chē)的(de)。

    Stop waving your arm around on the side of the road like an idiot, nobody's going to stop.

  2. Xiaoyu

    老(lǎo)办(bàn)法(fǎ)才(cái)最(zuì)灵(líng)嘛(ma)！路(lù)边(biān)拦(lán)出(chū)租(zū)车(chē)不(bú)一(yì)直(zhí)都(dōu)这(zhè)样(yàng)吗(ma)。

    Old-school ways are the best! Haven't people always hailed cabs from the street like this?

  3. Yating

    得(děi)了(le)吧(ba)，在(zài)滴(dī)滴(dī)上(shàng)叫(jiào)个(gè)车(chē)，两(liǎng)分(fēn)钟(zhōng)就(jiù)到(dào)。

    Get real, just book a DiDi ride and it'll be here in two minutes.

  4. Xiaoyu

    就(jiù)是(shì)微(wēi)信(xìn)里(lǐ)面(miàn)那(nà)个(ge)小(xiǎo)程(chéng)序(xù)吗(ma)？

    You mean that mini program inside WeChat?

  5. Yating

    支(zhī)付(fù)宝(bǎo)里(lǐ)也(yě)有(yǒu)。光(guāng)是(shì) 2025 年(nián)，它(tā)的(de)国(guó)内(nèi)网(wǎng)约(yuē)车(chē)交(jiāo)易(yì)量(liàng)就(jiù)达(dá)到(dào)了(le) 13.7 亿(yì)单(dān)。

    It's on Alipay too. In 2025 alone, its domestic ride-hailing transaction volume hit 1.37 billion trips.

  6. Xiaoyu

    那(nà)一(yí)会(huì)儿(r)车(chē)到(dào)哪(nǎ)儿(r)了(le)？

    So how do we track where the car is?

  7. Yating

    我(wǒ)用(yòng)高(gāo)德(dé)地(dì)图(tú)看(kàn)一(yì)眼(yǎn)。

    Let me check on Amap.

  8. Xiaoyu

    说(shuō)到(dào)这(zhè)个(ge)，2025 年(nián)国(guó)庆(qìng)节(jié)第(dì)一(yī)天(tiān)，用(yòng)这(zhè)个(ge)地(dì)图(tú)的(de)人(rén)数(shù)最(zuì)高(gāo)到(dào)了(le)多(duō)少(shao)？

    Speaking of which, on the first day of the 2025 National Day holiday, what was the peak number of people using this map app?

    1. 超(chāo)过(guò) 3.6 亿(yì) Over 360 million
    2. 大(dà)约(yuē) 360 万(wàn) About 3.6 million
    3. 大(dà)约(yuē) 36 亿(yì) About 3.6 billion
    Answer

    超(chāo)过(guò) 3.6 亿(yì) Over 360 million

  9. Yating

    超(chāo)过(guò) 3.6 亿(yì)呢(ne)，创(chuàng)了(le)历(lì)史(shǐ)新(xīn)高(gāo)，全(quán)都(dōu)在(zài)外(wài)面(miàn)跑(pǎo)。

    Over 360 million, setting a brand new record. Everyone's out and about.

  10. Xiaoyu

    这(zhè)得(děi)有(yǒu)多(duō)少(shao)人(rén)同(tóng)时(shí)在(zài)路(lù)上(shang)迷(mí)路(lù)啊(a)。

    Imagine how many people were getting lost on the roads at the exact same time.

  11. Yating

    八(bā)月(yuè)份(fèn)的(de)时(shí)候(hou)，日(rì)活(huó)也(yě)差(chà)不(bu)多(duō)有(yǒu)一(yí)亿(yì)七(qī)千(qiān)万(wàn)。

    Back in August, daily active users were already hitting around 170 million.

  12. Xiaoyu

    去(qù)年(nián)你(nǐ)带(dài)我(wǒ)掉(diào)进(jìn)湖(hú)里(lǐ)那(nà)次(cì)，咱(zán)俩(liǎ)肯(kěn)定(dìng)也(yě)贡(gòng)献(xiàn)了(le)流(liú)量(liàng)。

    That time you led me into the lake last year, we definitely contributed to those numbers.

  13. Yating

    那(nà)叫(jiào)抄(chāo)近(jìn)路(lù)，别(bié)瞎(xiā)说(shuō)。

    That was called taking a shortcut, stop making things up.

Hear it read aloud in the app

Words in the conversation

路(lù)边(biān)roadsideHSK 2停(tíng)车(chē)to parkHSK 2办(bàn)法(fǎ)methodHSK 2出(chū)租(zū)车(chē)taxiHSK 2出(chū)租(zū)to rent outHSK 2一(yī)直(zhí)continuouslyHSK 2这(zhè)样(yàng)this wayHSK 2分(fēn)钟(zhōng)minute (unit of time)HSK 2人(rén)数(shù)number of peopleHSK 2超(chāo)过(guò)to exceedHSK 2同(tóng)时(shí)at the same timeHSK 2月(yuè)份(fèn)monthHSK 2差(chà)不(bu)多(duō)almostHSK 2就(jiù)是(shì)preciselyHSK 3里(lǐ)面(miàn)on the insideHSK 3支(zhī)付(fù)to settle a paymentHSK 3国(guó)内(nèi)domesticHSK 3交(jiāo)易(yì)a transactionHSK 3达(dá)到(dào)to reach / achieveHSK 3国(guó)庆(qìng)National DayHSK 3外(wài)面(miàn)out in the openHSK 3千(qiān)万(wàn)countlessHSK 3微(wēi)信(xìn)WeChatHSK 4程(chéng)序(xù)a procedureHSK 4历(lì)史(shǐ)historyHSK 4招(zhāo)手(shǒu)to wave (one's hand)HSK 5全(quán)都(dōu)allHSK 5肯(kěn)定(dìng)definitelyHSK 5贡(gòng)献(xiàn)contributionHSK 6

Notes

DiDi

DiDi is the main ride-hailing app. It can also be reached inside WeChat and Alipay as a Mini Program.

How DiDi grew

In February 2015 DiDi merged with its largest rival, Kuaidi Dache. In August 2016 it acquired Uber's China business, Uber China, which became a wholly owned subsidiary; Uber became a minority shareholder in DiDi.

In the app

In the DiDi app a rider can call a taxi or a private car, and the same company runs Qingju shared bikes. In 2025 its China Mobility business handled about 13.7 billion transactions, up 10.8 percent on 2024.

Taxis and other apps

Street taxis are still hailed by hand and are also bookable in DiDi. Robotaxi services such as Baidu's Apollo Go are booked through their own apps. Other ride-hailing brands, such as CaoCao, also operate.

Amap

Amap, Gaode Ditu in Chinese, is Alibaba's map app. Its daily active users passed 360 million on 1 October 2025, the first day of the National Day holiday and an all-time high.

An ordinary day

A typical day in August 2025 was about 170 million daily users, per Amap and QuestMobile data.

Ranking local shops

In 2025 Amap tested a ranking service for local restaurants and shops, so people could pick a place from the map.

Holiday peaks

The 360 million record fell on the first day of the National Day holiday, when many people are travelling at once.

Play

Ride-hailing, taxis and maps

DiDi is the main ride-hailing app, street taxis are still hailed by hand, and Alibaba's Amap passed 360 million daily users on 1 October 2025.

  1. Gaode Ditu is the Chinese name of:

    Answer

    Amap. Amap belongs to Alibaba.

  2. Amap's daily users on 1 October 2025 passed:

    Answer

    360 million. Alibaba called it an all-time high.

  3. Why was 1 October 2025 a record day for the map app?

    Answer

    It was the first day of the National Day holiday. Holiday travel peaks then.

  4. The main ride-hailing app in China is:

    Answer

    DiDi. It also runs as a Mini Program.

  5. Amap belongs to:

    Answer

    Alibaba. Amap is part of Alibaba Group.

  6. What did Amap test in 2025 for local shops?

    Answer

    A ranking service. Reported by The Star, September 2025.

  7. Which company did DiDi merge with in February 2015?

    Answer

    Kuaidi Dache. Didi Dache and Kuaidi Dache, the two largest taxi-hailing apps, merged in February 2015.

  8. What did DiDi acquire in August 2016?

    Answer

    Uber's China business. Uber China became a DiDi subsidiary, and Uber took a minority stake in DiDi.

  9. About how many transactions did DiDi's China Mobility business handle in 2025?

    Answer

    13.7 billion. DiDi reported 13,735 million China Mobility transactions for 2025.

  10. Which shared bike brand belongs to DiDi?

    Answer

    Qingju. In Shanghai, Qingju bikes are rented through the Didi Qingju app or the DiDi app.

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