Traditional Taxis
When your battery is low, your app is acting up, or you need a ride immediately, knowing how traditional taxis work is still useful even in a Didi-first travel routine.
Why You Need This
Traditional taxis are still plentiful in China, and they remain a practical fallback when ride-hailing is slow, your phone battery is dying, or you need to leave immediately without waiting for a match.
They are also useful in moments when app-based destination entry becomes harder than simply showing a Chinese address card to a driver.
Types of Taxis
Standard taxis are the most common and often come in city-specific colors. Electric taxis are increasingly common and tend to be quieter and newer.
Luxury taxis are often black with a gold stripe and charge higher rates, while minivans are useful if you have a group or a lot of luggage.
How to Hail a Taxi
- Use hotel taxi stands when possible because they are the most reliable and drivers are usually easier to coordinate with.
- Wave at empty taxis on the street and check for the red dashboard light that shows the cab is available.
- Look for official taxi stands at airports, train stations, and major attractions.
- Have your destination ready in Chinese characters before you get in.
Payment & Tipping
- Cash is always accepted.
- WeChat Pay and Alipay are increasingly common.
- Credit cards are rarely accepted.
- No tipping is required because it is not part of normal taxi culture.
- If you want to be nice, rounding up to the nearest yuan is enough.
Tips
Have your destination written in Chinese and carry a hotel business card.
Use Baidu Maps to follow the route if you want extra confidence.
Rush hour from 7 to 9 AM and 5 to 7 PM can make street hailing much harder.
Flag down taxis on streets already moving in your direction, and insist on the meter with “Dǎ biǎo” (打表).
Use DiDi When You Can
Traditional taxis are useful backup, but DiDi is usually easier for pickup, destination entry, and payment.
DiDi Guide →