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Hitching is treated as a very different concept from that of the Western concept. First, its rarely free. Many car owners in rural areas supplement their income by picking up hitchhikers. In the rural area's, its sometimes the only way to get around. Until recently, there were few private cars, and even today, most of the rural population lacks a vehicle. Thus, they hitch to get around for short distances. However, around cities and between cities of great distances, hitching is not advised. Not that it is dangerous, but it is painfully slow and generally won't get you to your destination, if its more than 100km. Plus, the bus and rail system is efficient and relatively cheap.
In summation, hitching is not the safest optinoption, but its not really more dangerous than anything else in China. It involves a different hand gesture than the thumbs out, and its best if hitching is confined to rural areas for short distances. If you really want to go hitching to experience the people, try and get outside the city and pick a random location that has nothing touristy. That'll fill you up on the real China quick.
==Regions ==
[[File:Hitchhikers with Chinese police man.jpg|thumb|250px|left]]
In the South the police was unaware, or friendly but very confused, to [[User:Guaka|Guaka]] and [[amylin]]. Most of the time the police didn't do anything while walking along the highway or trying to hitch. Once, at the highway entry of [[Kaili]] in [[Guizhou]], they started talking, found someone who spoke English, and brought the hitchers to a bus station, where the police paid for a bus ticket! Another time the highway police was very confused again, and it took 2,5 hours to find a translator and be left alone at a highway entrance again.
[[User:Fijau|Fijau]] hitchhiked through Xinjiang, Gansu, Shaanxi, Henan without being bothered by police. In Xinjiang police even helped him to get a ride. Poblems Problems started to occur in Zhejiang (Eastern China, near Shanghai). Several times police didn't let him onto the expressway through the toll gate and took him off the expressway while passing by.
== Maps ==
