Transportation in China
Air Transportation
International Air transportation:
A wide range of international travellers fly regular flights to and from
China. International air carriers from dozens of countries carries passengers
to and from over 50 international cities. Domestic carriers provide service
to every province and major city in the country. Check your travel agency
for information on available flights both internationally and for domestic
travel.
Domestic Air Carriers:
Here are some of the domestic carriers which available for domestic flights:
Airports:
there are over 206 airports, linking all major cities. Several are international
airports moving people and goods into and out of China.
Bicycles
The real traffic jams in major cities in China are caused by the sheer number
of bicycles. Besides walking, the main source of transportation is the bicycle.
Seldom new and often not pretty, they provide the basic means of transportation
to the average person in the PRC to work, shopping and leisure activities.
I hosted a group of chinese professionals to a visit to a U.S. grammar school.
my chinese friends could not hold back laughter when a 10 year old boy asked
whether the children in China owned bicycles. It generated much laughter.
For 1.2billion people in China, there are probably well over 1 billion bikes.
I am not sure if an actual census or estimate exists. What I did not know
at the time of this discussion was that there are laws in some of the large
cities forbidding bikes for children, sometimes up to twelve years old.
In the more affluent cities, the motor bike is well mixed into the equation.
It has already become common.
Highways and Roads
China is currently investing significant funds in creating and upgrading
their 1.117million miles of roads, highway and expressway systems, 75% of
which are unpaved. They are starting from a position of very few highways
and poor quality .. The existing system is primarily rural roads and old
highways that do not no where near modern standards. Highways and roads can
pose a significant problem in moving product across the country, even for
short distances, with the potential for product damage if not packed
sufficiently. Significant additional time should be planned in overland routes.
In addition, the roads and highways are rugged and congested.
. Consider this carefully in the packaging requirements for your products.
For more information on roads and highways,
Infrastructure
Motor Bikes
Motorized bicycles, motorcycles and other motorized vehicles are growing
in numbers. The vehicles come in many shapes, sizes and forms. You will see
some of the strangest motorized vehicles in both the cities and the country-side.
This is especially true in the larger cities as affluence grows. The motorized
bicycle is quickly replacing the bicycle. You can see their growth in numbers
with each visit.
Rail Lines
In 1996 there was over 56,700 kilometers of rail line. Trains are a major
means of transportation between cities in China, and connect virtually every
part of the country. Trains are a key method of transportation between
cities.
RickShaws
Rickshaws can still be found in many areas of China. As a tourist attraction,
look for them in the tourist areas of main cities. You may also find them
in frequent use in many smaller cities. It is a novel ride on a vehicle whose
days are numbered. If you find one, do not miss the opportunity to take a
ride before they disappear forever.
Subway systems
Subway systems exist only in the major cities. They are insufficient for
the population to take significant advantage. Inadequate subway systems is
a major issue to the growth and health of these cities. Shanghai is a good
example, where traffic congestion, air pollution from factories and a growing
number of motorized vehicles is already a problem . With a population of
14million and growing, it's already clogged clogged roads will only get worse.
Taxi
Taxis are the same anywhere in the world.
In addition, in China, they do not understand English.Make sure you have
someone provide the destination for you or carry business cards in Mandarin
with the address of where you are going.
Waterways
 Waterways
are and always have been an important way of moving goods through the country.
The Pearl river delta is a prime river system for the movement of goods and
people. The system is filled with an absolutely amazing wide armada of boats,
from barges to sampans to small fishing boats, to barges and hovercraft.
Product moving to and from Hong Kong will invariably be found on a boat for
some portion of it's journey.
Even today you will see a wide array of boats plying the various river systems.
Sampans, long famous in China, are still seen in Hong Kong harbor and plying
the waters around China. Barges of all types, laden with goods and materials
as well as soil and rocks for many of China's development projects can be
seen floating upon the waters.
The mix of boats include modern hovercraft which will speed travellers across
the waters to your destination.
Ocean ports :
Ports and loading and docking facilities appear to be in adequate
supply as China exports an enormous amount of ocean freight , the majority
of which travels over the ocean. There is a large number of major ocean ports
along the eastern and southern coasts.
Major ports include: Dalian, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Haikou, Hong Kong, Lianyungang,
Nanjing, Nantong, Ningbo, Qinddao, qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shantou, Tianjin,
Xiamen, Yantan, Zhanjiang,
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