China’s transportation network mainly consists of air transport, railways, land transport and water transport. Since the founding of People’s Republic of China, significant achievements have been made in the area of infrastructure, especially transportation construction.

Air transport

By the end of 2018, there are more than 200 civil aviation airports in China. Regular flights connect more than 200 cities. The regular flight routes reach nearly 7 million kilometers. And civil aviation services covers about 90% of the country’s prefecture-level cities and 80% of counties. International routes reach nearly 800 with regular flights to more than 60 countries.

Major civil airlines in China

Air China Airlines: www.airchina.com.cn

China Eastern Airlines: www.ceair.com

China Southern Airlines: www.csair.com

Hainan Airlines: www.hnair.com

Air ticket reservations can be made either through the airline’s official website or through ticket agencies or related travel websites and APPs.

Railway transport

China’s railway business mileage has continued to grow in recent years. By the end of 2018, the country’s railway business mileage reached more than 131,000 kilometers, of which more than 29,000 kilometers of high-speed rail. In terms of railway passenger traffic, with the rapid development of high-speed railway, the number of railway passengers increased from 1.89 billion in 2012 to 3.37 billion in 2018, an increase of 78%, and China’s railway passenger turnover is the largest in the world.

Railway ticket booking

China’s railway network, especially the growing high-speed railway, has given passengers a great convenience in their travel experience. You can book your railway ticket by phone, the afore-mentioned travel websites or the official website and APP of the China Railway. You can also purchase tickets directly from the railway stations.

Telephone: 95105105

Website and APP: www.12306.cn or 高铁管家

Land transport

By 2019, China’s total road mileage has reached 4,846,500 kilometers and the highway reached 142,600 kilometers, ranking No.1 in the world.

Road ticket reservations can be made through the afore-mentioned travel websites and travel APPs, or through the following website – China Road Ticket Network: www.bus365.com.

Waterway transportation

Compared with railways, land and air transport, China’s waterway transport is mainly freight-oriented, and mainly on the eastern coast and some inland rivers and canals as well.

Urban transportation

The main ways of travel in Chinese cities are very diverse and convenient, ranging from buses, subways, to taxis and bicycles. International students who study in China can choose their own ways of travel as they want.

Buses: The Chinese government encourages residents to take buses. Many cities have drafted preferential policies to attract passengers travelling by bus. Travelling by bus in big cities is one of the best ways to get around due to its diversified routes and low fares. Bus tickets can be purchased on board or pre-downloaded local travel APPs and recharged.

Subways: More and more Chinese cities have built subways. The subway transport networks in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Nanjing and other major cities are getting denser and denser. Compared to land transport, taveling by subway is more popular because it’s faster and more punctual. Subway tickets can be purchased at the metro stations or pre-downloaded local travel app and recharged.

Taxis：In China, taxi hailing is available in all cities. You can also make a reservation by phone in advance or through various car-hailing APPs. Taxi fares are higher than public transport fares, but taxis are also relatively cheap in China compared with countries in Europe and America.

Bicycles: China is a country of bicycles. Shared of bicycles emerged quickly in recent years and become popular among the people from all walks of life. For international students, it is easy and convenient to buy a used bike or to download a shared bike APP. China’s main shared bicycles include Mobike, Hellobike, Didi Chuxing and so on.