Part 4 of the 10 Reasons Why I Like Living in China
6/ transportation the transportation in China varies greatly from the major cities to the countryside. Beijing was the first Chinese city to open a metro or subway system in 1969, the second followed in 1984, there are currently over 20 cities in China with Metro systems operating with many more under construction or in the planning stages.
In 2007 when I first came to China there were very few fast trains, now they run to almost everywhere, with more being constructed. I enjoy train travel, it is a great way to see the country, cheap and a good way to meet with people, but it can get a little too crowded especially at peak travel times such as festivals and holidays.
Express buses operate a direct service from one city to another, major routes offer a very regular service using modern well equipped buses, to and from the smaller cities however the buses may be older and not so comfortable. Buses within a city are cheap; vary greatly in quality from city to city with modern well equipped buses with wifi and A/C, while others are at the opposite end of the comfort scale.
I have already said that the Chinese are friendly people; this characteristic seems to change when they drive their cars. Most foreigners do not drive in China, the problems of getting a license (you cannot drive on a foreign license in China), insurance and the road signs being in Chinese make it more hassle than it is worth. Not to mention the driving habits of many people here, it is much better to rely on public transport. If that is not to your taste, take a taxi.
Taxis are plentiful and cheap, unless you get into an unregistered taxi. You should always check the meter is running before beginning a journey, if not negotiate a price; the driver will usually not speak any English. My pet hate is electric bikes, they have taken over from cycles as the most common use of transportation, and they are silent, use the pedestrian areas, expecting you to instantly get out of their way. I have had too many near misses to count with these and most will have no insurance should they cause an accident.
7/ History/culture China has thousands of years of history and the vast majority of it is not widely known outside of the country. History is one of my favorite subjects so I enjoy visiting historical sites, museums etc and learning all I can about each new area I visit. China has a rich culture, including the Peking or Beijing opera, its style of architecture, literature, martial arts, its food, tea and Confucianism.
