The plates, the roads and the words: China from the driver's seat
The characters on a Chinese plate say where the car was registered, and the colour says what kind of vehicle it is. The pages here decode both, and cover the rest of what a road in China asks of a driver: the licence, the price of a car, where it charges and what the signs say.
Licence plates
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How a Chinese plate is read
The province character, the city letter, 7 colours and the formats — including the eight-character new-energy plate.
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Plate decoder
Type a prefix and read back the province, the city and the colour rules.
Province and municipality pages
Guides
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Buying a Car in China as a Foreigner: 4S Stores, Paperwork, Tax and Plates
What a foreign resident needs to buy and register a car in China: eligibility, the 4S store, invoice, purchase tax, insurance, plates and selling up.
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How Much Does a Car Cost in China? Prices by Segment (with Examples)
Chinese domestic car prices by segment with named models and dates, plus the 10% purchase tax, the NEV exemption phase-down, insurance and plate costs.
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Chinese Car Vocabulary: 汽车, 新能源 and 40 Words You Will See on the Road
A reference table of the Chinese words on Chinese roads, dashboards and price lists, each with pinyin, a pronunciation hint and what it actually means.
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Driving in China as a Foreigner: Licences, Permits and the Rules
China accepts no International Driving Permit. What you need instead: the temporary permit, licence conversion, points, speed and drink-drive limits.
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EV Charging in China: Plugs, Networks, Swapping and How Payment Works
China's GB/T plugs, the size of the charging network, the big operators, battery swapping, highway coverage and how a foreign visitor pays to charge.
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Getting a Licence Plate in Beijing, Shanghai and Other Capped Cities
Why Chinese cities cap car registrations, how Beijing's lottery and Shanghai's auction work, what NEV plates change, and out-of-town plate restrictions.
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Chinese Road Signs, Speed Limits and Rules That Surprise Visitors
How Chinese road signs are colour-coded under GB 5768, what the speed limits are by road type, how tolls and ETC work, and the rules visitors get wrong.
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Taxis and Ride-Hailing in China: DiDi, Amap, Robotaxis and Paying
How to get a car in a Chinese city: DiDi and the aggregators, taxi meters and fares, robotaxis in Wuhan and Guangzhou, and paying with a foreign card.
| Guide | What it covers | Facts checked |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a Car in China as a Foreigner: 4S Stores, Paperwork, Tax and Plates | What a foreign resident needs to buy and register a car in China: eligibility, the 4S store, invoice, purchase tax, insurance, plates and selling up. | |
| How Much Does a Car Cost in China? Prices by Segment (with Examples) | Chinese domestic car prices by segment with named models and dates, plus the 10% purchase tax, the NEV exemption phase-down, insurance and plate costs. | |
| Chinese Car Vocabulary: 汽车, 新能源 and 40 Words You Will See on the Road | A reference table of the Chinese words on Chinese roads, dashboards and price lists, each with pinyin, a pronunciation hint and what it actually means. | |
| Driving in China as a Foreigner: Licences, Permits and the Rules | China accepts no International Driving Permit. What you need instead: the temporary permit, licence conversion, points, speed and drink-drive limits. | |
| EV Charging in China: Plugs, Networks, Swapping and How Payment Works | China's GB/T plugs, the size of the charging network, the big operators, battery swapping, highway coverage and how a foreign visitor pays to charge. | |
| Getting a Licence Plate in Beijing, Shanghai and Other Capped Cities | Why Chinese cities cap car registrations, how Beijing's lottery and Shanghai's auction work, what NEV plates change, and out-of-town plate restrictions. | |
| Chinese Road Signs, Speed Limits and Rules That Surprise Visitors | How Chinese road signs are colour-coded under GB 5768, what the speed limits are by road type, how tolls and ETC work, and the rules visitors get wrong. | |
| Taxis and Ride-Hailing in China: DiDi, Amap, Robotaxis and Paying | How to get a car in a Chinese city: DiDi and the aggregators, taxi meters and fares, robotaxis in Wuhan and Guangzhou, and paying with a foreign card. |