How to Cross the Street in China?source：http://trip-per.com/blog/index.php/how-to-cross-the-street-in-china/

Only 20 years ago, the streets of Chinese cities were dominated by bikes. But with the rapid expansion of China’s

economy, today’s bikers have been marginalized by the tide of automobiles that have flooded the roads of the

nation’s cities. In larger cities like Beijing where both road and foot traffic are high, crossing the street can be an

ordeal. Many westerners are accustomed to drivers having to yield to them, sometimes obsequiously. But in China,

drivers will only reluctantly yield the right of way to pedestrians. In China, pedestrians do most of the yielding, even

at junctures where walk signals are operational. Every visitor to China should be prepared to face this reality.

In larger cities, foot bridges and underpasses for crossing can be found in abundance. But taking the crosswalk is in

many cases unavoidable, and many smaller cities lack sufficient crossing areas. Regardless of where you are in China

you will see lots of people jaywalking or crossing against the walk signal. If you are uncomfortable with engaging in

similar behavior, you can simply cross only at crosswalks and wait for the walk signal. However, this practice can

prove to be time consuming, especially in areas where there are no traffic lights. You will discover the main streets

offer fewer crossings, while many small intersections and roundabouts lack traffic lights. In this situation, the best

strategy is to watch the locals and move with them. While crossing the street in the absence of traffic lights, you will

often find that there is strength in numbers. A group of four or five people bravely stepping out onto the roadway can

force the traffic to yield. If you are not benefited by numbers, another commonly used crossing strategy is to cross

one lane at a time. When doing this for the first time, it can be nerve-racking as you can find yourself flanked closely

by moving traffic on both sides. Over time you will realize that many drivers are quite accustomed to this practice,

but you should always take great care to avoid being hit. Whatever crossing method you decide to adopt, it is

important to take great care and look carefully at the traffic situation before proceeding.

If you have more questions about China,just drop us a message @TripperEn. Tripper,as your China trip expert,will

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