How to take public transport in China
Being in China for a the first time can be overwhelming! The country is so advanced that you can go out with just your phone because everything you need is on it! Payment, transport, ordering of food and all be done with just scanning QR codes
For public transport, i mainly took the train/metro which was very convenient.
Alipay has a transport function which is very accessible! Do note that at every train station, there is a bag check for safety reasons (which makes China safe!) I recommend bringing smaller bags out:)
When you first click on the “Transport” portion, you will encounter the 4th pic and you can just click “Get Now” to get the transport card. It has the QR code for you to scan at the gantries.
For Hangzhou, there seems to be a glitch for the transport card and after reading forums, this issue can be solved by changing the language to chinese first and once you get the transport card, change it back to english.
** When you go to different cities, you have to get their city-specific transport cards!
Using Amap is very useful to go to different places and i never had any issues with it! It even shows how much the metro ride is.
The metro rides are super affordable and i love them. But be careful as they do not wait for people to leave the train before boarding lol
Do DM me if you have any questions/leave any comments🩷
From my personal experience, using public transport in China becomes hassle-free once you get the hang of the local apps and QR code payments. One handy tip is always to have a smaller bag ready because security checks at stations are strict but quick, enhancing overall safety. Also, when using Alipay to get transport cards, switching the app language to Chinese first may solve issues like glitches in Hangzhou’s card system — then you can switch back to English after. I also recommend downloading Amap before your trip; it not only helps plan routes but even shows metro fare prices upfront, which is convenient for budgeting rides. Keep in mind that when traveling between cities, you’ll need to get the transport card specific to each city, as they aren’t interchangeable. It’s a great idea to check if the destination city supports Alipay transport cards or if you need to buy physical cards. One more anecdote — metro train doors close quickly, so be prepared for a brisk boarding and disembarking experience. Overall, mastering these local systems made my trips effortless and enjoyable, and I highly recommend embracing digital payments and navigation tools for a smooth journey across China.
So much better to travel in China ever since they had these cards ;) not forced to use taxi or weird exchange rates