Livin' In The Chonx

The Basics Bus stops are located along just about every major street. Most bus stops are very clearly marked and labeled with Chinese and pinyin. It is usually a 15-20 minute walk between stops. There is a wide range of inner city buses, and most of them pass by the bus stops every 5-10 minutes (which is why locals often wait for the next one if the first is overcrowded).

How much does it cost? Fares start at 1 RMB and may increase to 1.5 or 2 depending on how far you are going (the highest fare I know of is 3.5 RMB and it takes you clear across the city).

Which one do I take? Each destination mentioned in this guide has aBus Tip that shows the Chinese and pinyin for the nearest bus stop. Print out or copy the Bus Tip and take it to your nearest bus stop. [Note: Some Bus Tips may show more than one stop. The first stop listed is the closest, the second is not as exact, but generally has more buses that stop there.] On one side of the bus stop there is usually a sign that shows which buses will stop there. When you become more familiar/faster you can also check the buses directly as they pass. The front of the bus will show the two final destinations, and on the side many buses list all the stops they go to on a small sign near the doors.

• How to read the bus stop sign: The numbers on the left are the bus numbers. The Chinese characters listed to the right of the numbers are the stops that bus goes to. The Chinese characters in red are the stop you are standing at. A half arrow below the characters shows which direction the bus is going (the arrows always point right…because the buses are always going right—this is a much simpler system than say… Kunming). Look on the sign for the characters that match the destination you want. If you find them and they are to the right of the red characters (your current stop) then you’re set! Just get on that bus when it arrives.
• I found my destination but it’s on the left of the red characters!: Don’t panic, just find a way to cross the street and go to the nearest stop on the other side. Repeat above steps.
• I didn’t find my destination on the sign!: Unfortunately, that means you’re not in a place with a direct bus to your destination. Consider taking another bus to one of the bigger bus hubs (keep reading below) and trying again there or just taxi all the way to your final destination.
• Why don’t you just tell me the bus number to take??: Bus routes are often subject to change, new roads are built, new buses are added. Not to mention the bus you take depends entirely on where you start and it’s more convenient for you to go to the nearest bus stop than to go hunting for a specific one.

The Major Hubs There are some places in the city that almost all the buses stop at, these are usually the best places to find a direct bus to your next location.

• West: Sha Ping Ba 沙坪坝; Sha Ping Ba Train Station (Huo Che Zhan) 沙坪坝火车站
• Central: Shi Qiao Pu 石桥铺; Da Ping 大坪
• South: Nan Ping 南坪
• North: Guan Yin Qiao 观音桥; Hong Qi He Gou 红旗河沟

Did You Know?

It’s Getting Hot In Here: Quick and easy way to tell if the bus you’re about to get on has air-conditioning or not is to see if the windows are open or if there is a fan above the driver (both cases usually mean no AC). Or if you can understand some Chinese listen for these magic words: “Kong Tiao Che” 空调车. Keep in mind that if the weather is cool by the government’s standards (i.e. not yours) they will not turn on the AC.  Middle Grade buses and higher are required to have AC (the front of the bus has a sign that indicates the grade)

Semilegal Buses: There are a few slightly less law abiding buses in Chongqing which can be handy sometimes because they will stop almost anywhere to pick you up and stop almost anywhere to let you off (as long as there are no police nearby!). These also run late into the night (sometimes as late as 1 or 2 am). The 700 buses typically fall into this category. These are relatively new lines—converted from the illegal minibuses that lined the streets in 2005—so they are not listed yet on most bus stop signs.

It’s All Online!: If you are not overwhelmed by a little Chinese (or know someone who can help you) check out this website: http://www.ipiao.com.cn/bus/city/17/index.htm It is a searchable database of all the inner-city buses. You can search by bus number (公交线路), bus stop (车站名称), or starting (出发站) and ending (到达站) stops. This is also a good place to check what time the first and last bus run. You don’t even have to type in Chinese as you can use the first letters of the pinyin (ex. enter SPB for Sha Ping Ba)