Chinese Road Signs: 50 Symbols Every Foreign Driver Must Know

 

You’re driving on a two-lane provincial road outside Hangzhou. The GPS cuts out. A yellow triangle appears ahead with a squiggle you don’t recognize. Is it a curve? A snake crossing? You brake hard. A truck passes, horn blaring. Welcome to China’s roads.

Chinese road signs follow international pictogram standards, but they pack surprises. The shapes and colors match Vienna Convention norms—triangular warnings, circular prohibitions, blue directives—but rural signs skip English entirely, and even bilingual ones in Shanghai can mislead if you trust translation over symbol. If you are getting a Chinese drivers license, you need to decode 50+ regulatory symbols fast, because China logs over 600 road deaths daily, with failure to obey signs tied to 86% of fatalities.

This guide breaks down the signs that matter, the mistakes foreigners make, and the friction points—no flowery descriptions, just what works.

Warning Signs: Yellow Triangles You Can’t Ignore

Warning signs use yellow backgrounds with black borders and pictograms. They alert you to hazards requiring speed changes or heightened attention.

Intersection Traffic: A black cross or branching arrows inside a triangle. Signals multiple roads converging. Rural junctions often lack stop signs or lights—yield to vehicles on your right unless a priority sign says otherwise.

Curve Ahead: An arrow bending left or right. Sharper than you expect. Chinese mountain roads post these every 200 meters on switchbacks. Slow down earlier than feels natural; locals cut across lanes mid-curve.

Steep Descent: A triangle with a truck on a slope, percentage grade sometimes noted (e.g., 8%). Use engine braking. Speed cameras hide in trees on these sections—fines start at ¥200 for 10% over the limit.

Pedestrian Crossing: A walking figure. In cities, pedestrians cross on red if traffic gaps appear. In villages, crosswalks exist only as faded paint. A foreign teacher in Chengdu described stopping for a crossing near a school; three cars honked and swerved around him because locals expect you to inch forward, nudging pedestrians to time their steps.

Slippery Road: Two tire skid marks. Appears after rain on highways and before tunnels where condensation pools. Reduce speed by 20 km/h minimum. Oil spills from trucks make this sign literal—one expat motorcyclist in Yunnan hit a slick patch marked only by this triangle and slid into a guardrail.

Children Playing: Two running figures. Near schools or residential compounds. Speed limits drop to 30 km/h, enforced by cameras that also catch illegal parking. Chinese parents walk kids into traffic assuming cars will stop; they won’t always.

Narrow Road Ahead: Two converging lines. Lane width shrinks from 3.5m to barely 2.8m, often without warning pavement. Fold in mirrors if meeting a bus.

Roadworks Ahead: A shovel or barrier. Expect sudden lane closures, no cones, and workers stepping into traffic. Detour signs may point down dirt roads. A German driver in Guangxi followed a detour into a village market; the “road” was a pedestrian alley.

Escape Lane: A truck veering right onto gravel. For runaway vehicles on mountain descents. If your brakes fail, aim here—these ramps use deep gravel to stop momentum.

Railroad Crossing: A train silhouette, sometimes with “50m” text. Many crossings lack barriers. Stop, look both directions, listen. High-speed rail lines cross rural roads; trains move faster than you assume.

Prohibitory and Mandatory Signs: Red Circles and Blue Commands

Prohibitory signs are circular with red borders, often a red diagonal slash. Mandatory signs use blue circles with white symbols or arrows. Ignore these and cameras catch you—violation notices arrive within 48 hours to rental companies or your license record.

No Entry: Red circle, white horizontal bar. Common at highway exits and one-way street entrances. A British expat in Beijing drove past one at a hutong entrance; three motorcycles appeared head-on within seconds.

No Left/Right Turn: Red circle, black arrow with red slash. Enforced strictly at intersections with cameras overhead. Fines: ¥200 plus 3 demerit points (out of 12 annual). Right turns on red are allowed unless this sign appears.

No U-Turn: Red circle, U-shaped arrow slashed. Posted at medians and intersections. Locals sometimes ignore this in light traffic; don’t. Traffic police stake out these spots for quota enforcement.

No Overtaking: Red circle showing two cars, one passing. Applies until the next “end of restriction” sign (a gray circle with a slash). Mountain roads post this for 10+ km stretches. Overtaking here costs ¥200 and 3 points; on highways, double that.

No Stopping/Parking: Red circle with one diagonal slash (no stopping, even briefly) or two slashes forming an X (no parking). Parking enforcement tows within 15 minutes in Beijing and Shanghai. Tow fees: ¥500–800. Retrieval requires WeChat Pay; they don’t take Visa.

Speed Limit: Red circle, black number. “限速 60” means 60 km/h max. Highway limits: 120 km/h (some 100 km/h), urban roads 60–80 km/h, residential zones 30 km/h. Cameras flash at 10% over; fines scale with excess (10–20% over: ¥200; 20–50%: ¥500 and points; 50%+: license suspension and re-education classes). Enforcement has informal tolerances—traffic flows at 130 km/h in 120 zones—but don’t rely on this near city entry points or before tunnels where average speed cameras cluster.

Keep Right/Left: Blue circle, white arrow pointing right or left. Indicates which side of a traffic island or obstacle to pass. Ignoring it at a median opening can put you head-on with exiting traffic.

Proceed Straight Only: Blue circle, white upward arrow. Lane splits ahead; this lane cannot turn. Lane usage signs hang overhead at intersections, often with multiple arrows per lane (e.g., “straight or right”). Miss this and you end up in a bus-only lane, triggering a ¥200 fine.

Max Weight Limit: “轴重 10T” (axle weight 10 tons) in a red circle. Bridges and rural roads post these. Rental vans rarely exceed limits, but trucks ignore them—stay clear of overloaded trucks on weak bridges.

No Honking: Red circle, horn symbol with slash. Posted near hospitals and schools, marking designated no-honking zones. Unenforced in practice; honking in China communicates intent (lane change, passing, “I’m here”). A Canadian driver hesitated to honk when merging in Shenzhen, causing a near-collision; locals expect audible signals.

Priority and Right-of-Way Signs: Who Goes First

 

Priority rules in China mix posted signs with chaotic negotiation. Understand the symbols, then watch local behavior.

Yield (让行): Downward-pointing triangle, often white with red border. You must yield to cross traffic or traffic from the right. At unmarked rural T-junctions, vehicles on the continuing road have priority; the joining vehicle yields. If both approach an unmarked cross-junction, yield to the right. Hesitation here invites aggressive overtaking—commit to your yield or your advance.

Stop (停驶): Red octagon, white 停 character. Rare in China compared to yield signs. Requires full stop, wheels motionless, before proceeding when clear. Cameras at some stop signs ticket rolling stops.

Priority Road: Yellow diamond (or square) with white border. Your road has priority over intersecting roads until an “end of priority” sign. Intersecting roads show yield or stop signs. Don’t assume unmarked junctions grant priority without this sign.

Right-of-Way at Intersection: Complex junctions sometimes post diagrams showing priority lanes. More often, priority is unclear. Vehicles turning left across oncoming traffic force gaps aggressively. A French driver in Hangzhou described waiting for a safe left turn gap; a taxi behind him honked continuously, then swerved around and cut across traffic, expecting him to follow. Observation: larger vehicles, buses, and vehicles already mid-turn claim priority by momentum.

Roundabout Traffic: Circular arrows, sometimes with yield signs. International rules (yield to traffic in the roundabout) don’t always apply. Locals yield to the first vehicle entering or the largest vehicle. An American teacher in Chongqing entered a roundabout yielding to circulating traffic; a sedan entered simultaneously from the left without slowing, forcing him to brake hard mid-circle. Roundabouts function as multi-way yields—enter assertively but ready to stop.

Informational and Guide Signs: Green, Blue, and Navigation

Informational signs use rectangular shapes: green for highways (Gaosu, G/S prefixes), blue for city routes and services. They provide directions, distances in kilometers, lane instructions, and service locations.

Directional Signs: Green rectangles show city names, distances (e.g., “上海 120 km”). Highway exits display exit numbers and upcoming cities 2 km and 500m before the ramp. City signs use blue rectangles, often with district names in Pinyin and characters. English appears on 90% of signs in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou main roads, per a motorcyclist’s account from Shanghai; rural Guangxi or Guizhou signs use characters only.

Highway Entrance/Exit: Large green signs with white arrows. Entrance ramps merge without long acceleration lanes—floor it. Exit ramps appear suddenly; overhead signs give 1 km and 500m warnings, then the exit. Miss it and the next exit may be 30 km away.

Parking Area: Blue square, white “P”. Designates legal parking. Payment requires WeChat Pay or Alipay; cash and Visa don’t work. Street parking meters are rare—look for attendants with payment QR codes or parking apps like “停车 (Tingche)” linked to Alipay.

Emergency Telephone: Blue square, white phone icon. Marks emergency call points on highways, spaced every 2 km. Phones connect to highway patrol. Cell coverage in mountains is spotty; use these if available.

Toll Gate: “收费站 (Shouzhan)” on green signs. Highways charge tolls by distance, paid via ETC (electronic toll card, requires Chinese bank account) or cash lanes (rare) or mobile pay at exit booths. Foreigners usually pay by scanning a QR code with WeChat Pay. Rental cars without ETC must use manual lanes, often congested.

Lane Usage Signs: Overhead or ground signs with arrows and icons. “左转 (left turn),” “直行 (straight),” “右转 (right turn),” sometimes combined (e.g., straight/right in one lane). Bus and taxi lanes marked “公交专用 (bus only)” carry ¥200 fines if violated. HOV lanes exist on some Shanghai and Beijing expressways during rush hours.

Common Mistakes Foreign Drivers Make and How to Avoid Them

 

Foreign drivers crash into predictable errors, often committing dangerous traffic violations tied to sign misinterpretation or cultural misreading of traffic flow.

Misreading Pictograms as International Equivalents: A yellow triangle with a bicycle and slope means “no uphill/downhill cycling,” not “bikes present.” A red circle with an exploding roof icon bans hazardous materials trucks, not generic cargo. An Australian driver in Sichuan mistook a “no tractors” sign (red circle, tractor silhouette) for “no trucks” and drove past, only to meet a wide tractor head-on in a narrow lane. Solution: study comprehensive sign galleries (e.g., Wikipedia’s China road signs page at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadsignsin_China) before departure. Download a photo guide to your phone.

Ignoring Priority at Unmarked Junctions and Roundabouts: Foreigners accustomed to strict yield-to-circulating-traffic rules hesitate in Chinese roundabouts, causing confusion and rear-end risks. At unmarked cross-junctions, Americans (trained to yield left, priority right) expect oncoming left-turners to wait; Chinese drivers force left turns through gaps, trusting others to slow. A commenter from Language Log noted: “apparent ease of understanding often stems from prior exposure rather than inherent clarity,” meaning if you learned these signs at home, they seem obvious; if not, you’re decoding blind (full URL: https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=4055). Solution: enter intersections and roundabouts with confidence but scan continuously. Use your horn to signal entry. Yield only when a vehicle is demonstrably committed to crossing your path.

Underestimating Prohibitory Sign Enforcement: “No U-Turn” and “No Stopping” feel like suggestions when locals ignore them in light traffic. They aren’t. Traffic police rotate enforcement locations; cameras capture violations automatically. An Italian expat in Nanjing made a quick U-turn at a signed median to grab street food; the fine (¥200, 3 points) arrived two days later via his rental agency, who added a ¥300 processing fee. Solution: treat every prohibitory sign as enforced. If you must stop briefly, look for legal pull-offs or side streets.

Misjudging Speed Limits and Camera Tolerances: Posted limits (60 km/h urban, 100–120 km/h highway) are strict. Traffic flows faster; locals drive 130 km/h in 120 zones, relying on perceived 10% tolerance. Cameras have no such tolerance—some flash at 121 km/h. Foreign drivers either crawl at 110 km/h (causing dangerous speed differentials) or match flow and get fined. A Swedish teacher in Suzhou followed traffic at 140 km/h in a 120 zone, collecting three fines totaling ¥1500 and 9 points in one highway trip. Solution: stick to posted limits plus 5 km/h max. Use cruise control on highways. Accept that locals will pass you; let them.

Failing to Decode Lane Usage Signs Without English: Overhead signs at intersections show arrows and Chinese text: “左转” (left), “直行” (straight), “右转” (right). No English in tier-3 cities. A British driver in Lanzhou, unable to read characters, stayed in the leftmost lane assuming it went straight; it turned left-only, dumping him onto a flyover headed the wrong direction. Solution: memorize these characters or rely on arrow symbols alone. Lane arrows appear on pavement markings 50m before intersections—look down. Apps like Baidu Maps show lane guidance; follow the highlighted lane on-screen.

Ignoring Horn Use as Communication: Western norms treat horns as aggression warnings. In China, honking signals “I’m passing,” “I’m merging,” “I’m here,” or “go.” A Canadian driver in Guangzhou hesitated to honk when a scooter drifted into his lane; the scooter didn’t see him and swerved at the last second, nearly colliding. Another expat, honking appropriately, was surprised by how smoothly lane changes happened once others knew his intent. Linguist J.W. Brewer observed that non-language-specific symbols work “if there’s a sign that’s a red octagon with a character I don’t know on it I can easily conclude that it translates to STOP without needing to learn the character,” but added the caveat that familiarity drives this ease (full URL: https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=61593). Solution: tap the horn lightly before passing, merging, or navigating blind curves. Don’t interpret honks directed at you as anger—just acknowledgment.

Underestimating Pedestrian and E-Scooter Unpredictability: Pedestrians cross against signals, mid-block, in groups. E-scooters weave through traffic at 40 km/h, often on sidewalks or between lanes, with no lights at night. A pedestrian crossing sign doesn’t guarantee pedestrians will only cross there. A New Zealander in Xi’an stopped at a marked crossing for a green pedestrian light; a group of pedestrians crossed 10 meters away mid-block, forcing him to brake hard mid-block. Solution: scan beyond marked crossings. Assume e-scooters will appear from any direction. Drive 10 km/h slower in dense urban areas than the limit suggests.

Relying on Google Maps: Google Maps doesn’t function in China. A South African couple rented a car in Guilin and drove for two hours following cached offline Google directions; they ended up in a dead-end village, backtracking 50 km. Solution: download Baidu Maps (百度地图) or Amap/Gaode Maps (高德地图) before arrival. Both apps offer English interfaces and work offline with downloaded regions. Amap provides real-time traffic and speed camera warnings. Follow icons even if text is Chinese—blue route lines and turn arrows are universal.

Practical Driving Rules and Legal Requirements for Foreigners

 

You cannot drive in mainland China with only a foreign license or International Driving Permit (IDP). The process is bureaucratic but navigable.

Temporary Chinese Driver’s License: Short-term visitors (tourists, business travelers) need a Chinese temporary driver’s license. Requirements: valid foreign driver’s license, passport, translation and notarization of the license, and an in-person application at a vehicle administration office (车管所, Cheguansuo). Services like chinadriverslicense.com coordinate translation, notarization, and appointment booking for ¥800–1200 total, processing in 1–3 days. No theory exam or road test required for temporary licenses. The license is valid for 1–3 months, matching your visa duration. For stays beyond three months or permanent residency, you must take the Chinese driving theory exam (available in English) and convert or obtain a new license. The exam covers 100 questions; pass requires 90% correct.

12-Point Demerit System: China penalizes violations with fines (¥200–2000) and demerit points (1–12 per violation). Accumulate 12 points in one year under the 12-point driving license system and your license suspends; reinstatement requires completing a mandatory traffic re-education course (7 days, in Chinese) and passing the theory exam again. Points reset annually on the license issue date. Example violations: running a red light (6 points, ¥200), speeding 20–50% over limit (6 points, ¥500), drunk driving (12 points, ¥2000–5000, license revocation, possible jail). Foreign drivers on temporary licenses face identical penalties; points follow the license, not the passport.

Key Penalties:

• Speeding: 10–20% over limit: ¥200, no points (warnings common). 20–50% over: ¥500, 6 points. 50%+ over: ¥1000–2000, 12 points, license suspension.
• Red Light Running: ¥200, 6 points. Cameras capture this at nearly all signal-controlled intersections in cities.
• DUI (Driving Under the Influence): China enforces a 0.02% blood alcohol content (BAC) limit—effectively zero tolerance. 0.02–0.08%: ¥2000 fine, 12 points, 6-month suspension. Above 0.08%: criminal charge, license revocation (5–10 years or lifetime), detention (1–6 months), fines up to ¥5000. Foreigners face deportation after serving penalties. Checkpoints are common on weekends and holidays.
• Illegal Parking/Stopping: ¥200 fine, towing (¥500–800 tow fee, ¥50/day impound). No points unless obstructing emergency vehicles (3 points).
• Failure to Yield: At pedestrian crossings or when required by signs: ¥200, 3 points.

These penalties derive from the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China, enforced by the Ministry of Public Security. Official regulations (in Chinese) are available at the Ministry’s website; an English summary is provided by the China Vehicle Administration (no direct English URL; access via embassy consular sections or services like China Law Translate).

City-Specific Rules: Beijing restricts vehicles by license plate number on weekdays (e.g., plates ending in 1 and 6 banned Mondays); rental agencies provide compliant vehicles or warn you. Shanghai issues separate local license plates; rentals use these. Guangzhou and Shenzhen enforce strict bus lane hours (7–9 AM, 5–8 PM). Chengdu and Chongqing have complex elevated roads and tunnel networks; GPS is essential.

Penalties for Foreigners in Practice: If fined, the rental company receives notification (linked to the vehicle plate). They deduct the fine plus a processing fee (¥200–500) from your deposit or credit card. If you leave China before paying, the fine ties to your passport; re-entry or future visa applications may be complicated.

Pedestrian and E-Scooter Hazards for Foreign Visitors

 

Chinese traffic treats pedestrians and e-scooters as fluid components of road flow, not separate protected categories.

Pedestrian Crossing Behavior: Green pedestrian signals exist but don’t guarantee safety. Vehicles turning right (allowed on red unless prohibited) cut across crosswalks, honking to nudge pedestrians mid-step. Pedestrians cross against red lights when gaps appear, often in groups for perceived safety. A pedestrian sign (warning triangle or blue mandatory sign) marks designated crossings, but jaywalking is routine. Foreign pedestrians who wait for green lights while locals cross against red often end up isolated in the next traffic wave. Solution: cross with locals. Step confidently but watch for turning vehicles. Make eye contact with drivers.

E-Scooter Hazards: Electric scooters (e-bikes, e-mopeds) number in the hundreds of millions. They ride in bike lanes, on sidewalks, against traffic, and between car lanes. Speed: 25–40 km/h. Noise: nearly silent. Lights: often absent at night. They appear suddenly from blind spots. As a driver, check mirrors continuously; e-scooters squeeze through gaps you thought were safe. As a pedestrian, scan behind you before stepping off a curb; e-scooters approach from both directions on one-way streets. A Peking University student interviewed by linguist Victor Mair struggled to interpret a curve warning sign, saying it just meant “don’t crash when turning”—this illustrates even locals sometimes decode signs by function, not strict meaning, highlighting that foreign drivers shouldn’t assume perfect sign clarity (referenced in https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=4055).

Typical Crossing Habits: Urban Chinese pedestrians cross in groups, following the first person to step into traffic. They pause mid-crosswalk if vehicles approach, then continue as gaps open. Rural pedestrians cross anywhere, assuming vehicles will swerve or stop. Foreign visitors who wait passively at crosswalks get stranded. Solution: when locals start crossing, move with them. Keep a steady pace; stopping mid-crosswalk confuses drivers. Don’t sprint—vehicles time their passes around your expected speed.

Tips to Navigate Chinese Roads Safely and Efficiently

 

Surviving Chinese traffic requires defensive driving, technology, and flexibility.

Defensive Driving and Negotiation: Assume every vehicle will change lanes without signaling, e-scooters will appear from nowhere, and pedestrians will cross unpredictably. Maintain a 3-second following distance (locals run 1 second; don’t mimic this). Scan intersections for vehicles running late reds—cameras don’t stop everyone. Treat lane lines as suggestions; vehicles drift and merge constantly. “Negotiation” means making your intent clear (horn, signal, eye contact) and advancing into gaps while leaving escape routes. Hesitation invites aggression or confusion; decisiveness with awareness works. A German expat in Shenzhen described this as “assertive defensiveness”—move forward purposefully but expect others to make mistakes.

Using Ride-Hailing Apps (DiDi): If renting a car feels excessive, use DiDi (滴滴), China’s Uber equivalent. The app has an English interface. Link it to Alipay or WeChat Pay (required for payment; Visa/Mastercard don’t work in-app). Rides cost ¥10–50 for city trips, ¥200–500 for intercity. DiDi drivers navigate traffic efficiently, sparing you sign-reading stress. Download: DiDi Global app (https://www.didiglobal.com).

Mobile Payment (WeChat Pay and Alipay): Cash is rarely accepted for parking, tolls, or fines. Visa and Mastercard work only in international hotels and some large retailers. Set up WeChat Pay or Alipay before arrival: link a Chinese bank account (requires residency) or use the foreigner-friendly versions that accept international cards with higher fees. Parking meters, toll booths, and traffic fine payments all display QR codes for scanning. Without mobile pay, you’re stranded. A Canadian teacher in Hangzhou couldn’t pay a parking fee (machine required WeChat); his car was towed within 20 minutes.

Navigation Apps: Baidu Maps (https://map.baidu.com) and Amap/Gaode Maps (https://www.amap.com) are essential. Both apps:

• Provide English interfaces (limited but functional).
• Offer offline maps (download provinces before driving).
• Show real-time traffic, speed cameras, and accidents.
• Give voice navigation in English or Chinese.
• Display lane guidance at intersections (which lane for which direction).

Amap is preferred for accuracy; Baidu integrates better with other services. Download both. Follow on-screen arrows and icons even if Chinese text is unreadable. The blue route line, turn arrows, and distance counters are universal.

Learning Key Characters: Memorize these for signs without pictograms:

• 停 (tíng): stop
• 让 (ràng): yield
• 禁止 (jìnzhǐ): prohibited
• 限速 (xiànsù): speed limit
• 收费 (shōufèi): toll
• 出口 (chūkǒu): exit
• 入口 (rùkǒu): entrance
• 左转 (zuǒzhuǎn): left turn
• 右转 (yòuzhuǎn): right turn
• 直行 (zhíxíng): straight

(Full guide at https://talkpal.ai/vocabulary/road-signs-in-chinese-language/)

Flashcards work; spend 30 minutes before departure. Recognize shapes first (red circle = prohibited, yellow triangle = warning), then decode text.

Testing Knowledge Before Driving: Review Wikipedia’s China road signs gallery (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadsignsin_China) and Rhino Car Hire’s guide (https://www.rhinocarhire.com/Drive-Smart-Blog/Drive-Smart-China/China-Road-Signs.aspx) before pickup. Screenshot common signs to your phone. Rental agencies in Beijing and Shanghai sometimes offer brief sign orientation; ask when booking.

Handling Accidents and Authority Interactions

 

Accidents happen. Knowing the process reduces panic.

Minor Accidents (No Injury): Stop immediately. Turn on hazard lights. Take photos of vehicle positions, damage, and license plates. Exchange information: name, phone, license plate, insurance company. Call your rental agency; they coordinate with insurance. If the other driver disputes fault, call 122 (traffic police hotline). Police arrive within 15–30 minutes in cities, longer in rural areas. They assess fault, issue a report, and may fine both parties. Do not admit fault verbally; let the report decide. If the other driver demands cash payment on the spot, refuse and wait for police.

Injury Accidents: Call 120 (ambulance) and 122 (police) immediately. Do not move injured parties unless vehicles are on fire. Police will detain both drivers briefly for statements. Foreign drivers must present passport and temporary license. Fault determination and penalties follow the traffic report. Serious injuries or fatalities trigger criminal investigation; retain a lawyer (your embassy can provide referrals).

Interacting with Traffic Police: Police conduct random checks at highway toll exits, city entry points, and during holiday campaigns. If stopped:

• Pull over safely, hazards on.
• Provide passport, temporary license, and rental contract.
• Police may ask (in limited English or via translation app): “Where are you going?” “Do you understand Chinese traffic rules?” Answer briefly and politely.
• If issued a fine, request a receipt (罚单, fádān) with violation code, amount, and payment instructions. Pay via WeChat/Alipay at police stations or online within 15 days to avoid late fees.
• Do not argue or offer cash bribes. Traffic police in major cities are professional; bribery attempts can escalate penalties.

If Detained for Violation: Serious violations (DUI, reckless driving, causing injury) can result in detention (1–15 days). Inform your embassy immediately. You have the right to contact consular officials. Police will confiscate your license and passport temporarily. After serving detention and paying fines, you must leave China or resolve visa status; your temporary license may be revoked.

What You Will Learn: Quick Summary

 

| Topic | Key Takeaway |
|——-|————–|
| Warning Signs | Yellow triangles (curves, descents, crossings). Slow down; hazards are sharper than posted. |
| Prohibitory Signs | Red circles (no entry, no turns, speed limits). Enforced by cameras; fines ¥200–2000, points 3–12. |
| Mandatory Signs | Blue circles (keep right, straight only). Follow exactly; lane violations cost ¥200. |
| Priority Rules | Yield signs, stop signs, priority roads. Roundabouts favor first/largest vehicle; enter assertively. |
| Navigation Signs | Green (highways), blue (city). Distances in km, exits numbered. English in cities, characters in rural areas. |
| Common Mistakes | Misreading pictograms, ignoring priority, trusting GPS, underestimating cameras. Study signs before driving. |
| Legal Requirements | Temporary license (¥800–1200, 1–3 days). 12-point system; DUI = license revoked, possible jail. |
| Payments | WeChat Pay/Alipay required. Cash/Visa useless for parking, tolls, fines. |
| Apps | Baidu Maps, Amap. Download offline maps. Google Maps doesn’t work. |
| Pedestrians/E-Scooters | Cross with locals, scan continuously. E-scooters silent, fast, everywhere. |

Accident and Authority Checklist

 

• Minor accident: Photos, exchange info, call rental agency, wait for police (122).
• Injury accident: Call 120 (ambulance) and 122. Don’t move victims.
• Police stop: Provide passport, license, rental contract. Answer briefly.
• Fine issued: Get receipt (罚单), pay via WeChat/Alipay within 15 days.
• Serious violation: Contact embassy, expect detention (1–15 days), license revocation.
• Dispute fault: Wait for police report. Don’t pay cash on the spot.

References and Sources

• Road Traffic Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China, enforced by Ministry of Public Security. English summaries available via embassy consular sections and China Law Translate.
• China road signs gallery: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadsignsin_China
• Foreign driver injury statistics (2000–2008): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3024578/
• Temporary license process: chinadriverslicense.com (service provider; verify details with local Vehicle Administration Office)
• Navigation apps: Baidu Maps (https://map.baidu.com), Amap (https://www.amap.com), DiDi (https://www.didiglobal.com)
• Chinese character guide: https://talkpal.ai/vocabulary/road-signs-in-chinese-language/
• Road sign guide: https://www.rhinocarhire.com/Drive-Smart-Blog/Drive-Smart-China/China-Road-Signs.aspx
• Expert commentary: Language Log discussions (https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=61593, https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=4055)
• Shanghai driving account: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lOPyfd8Vng
• 50 regulatory signs video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qprbsDT1lfc

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Keep a screenshot folder of the 20 most common signs (no entry, yield, speed limit, lane arrows) on your phone. Review it at rest stops. That’s your practical daily-maintenance move.