Bus in Beijing
Using a bus for leisure travel in Beijing is a good way of seeing the best sights of the city while saving a lot of money. With a vastly improved transport network, buses of different types can cater to your travel needs in Beijing. Because there are nearly 20,000 buses plying more than 600 routes in the city, it’s important to get a grip of the basic numerical system of Beijing’s buses.
The urban lines (Nos.1 to No. 122) and night buses (Nos. 201 to 212) and other buses up to No. 299 serve the city center. Those numbered 300 to 949 connect you to the suburban rural districts of Beijing, such as Yanqing and Sunyi. Air-conditioned buses have the numeral 8 prefixed on their main numbers. The No. 9 buses are special downtown buses. There are at least 5 lines for the sightseeing double-decker downtown buses, which are used only by tourists.
Cheap fares
Travelling by public bus in Beijing is fairly cheap. The price of a typical bus ride is either a flat or a metered fare. Many old buses still employ conductors who sell tickets and get your payment while the bus is moving. Newer ones use the electronic Yikitong electronic cards that are refillable in subway stations. You get on via the front door, swipe your card on the card reader and exit using the back door. The advantage of using the Yikatong is you enjoy a 60% discount on many bus routes, even on air-conditioned rides, and 20% on the No. 9 buses. If your baggage takes up space big enough for another person, you need to pay for an additional ticket.
Understanding routes
You can find various types of travel information in bus stops, such as the bus numbers served, departure times, the routes and the name of the stop. These are written in Chinese characters, which may be a bit of trouble if you can only read English. Some places may use the same names, so it is best to bring a map with you everywhere. It is also a good idea to bring small pictures of familiar tourist destinations, available on tourist booklets or printed off the internet in case written Chinese gets too confusing. You can consult frequent traveler bloggers who write detailed directions in English, where you can even pick up a useful Chinese phrase or two.
Communicating your destination
If you are taking a specific bus trip for the first time, it will serve you well to write down your stops and show this to the driver, conductor or a passenger beside you. You can also buy a bus map in Beijing bookstores for the same purpose. It takes several rides of the same routes to get accustomed to the flow of stops and routes. Recorded announcements of the bus stop’s name play at each stop in Chinese, and some buses repeat this in English. Passengers are usually polite and helpful when you ask them about your destination and the name of the next bus stop.