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|hitch = <rating country='cn' />
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'''China''' is the most populated country in the world and tourism is booming with its rapidly expanding economy, but hitchhiking is only practiced sporadically and don't expect speaking English to solve your problems. Despite a relatively low crime rate compared with many western countries, local people tend to believe that picking up If you follow the advice in this page you will most likely have a stranger on the road is unsafe especially on the highwaywonderful time hitch hiking in China.
The ''Thumb'' gesture used in most countries to indicate you want a lift is not fully understood in China, although it will still work. It's more readily understood as meaning "good" or "OK" so Chinese drivers will probably not think of stopping. The most common signal to ask a vehicle to stop is to outstretch your arm and gently wave the hand up and down.
Safety is an issue as traffic regulation is practiced half-heartedly. Expect people to honk rather than brake, to drive while holding a phone, drive on the hard shoulder, overtake in unsafe places, or worseand more. Buckle up if you can. Some travellers report that the driving in China is way safer than in Russia and neighbouring countries. Chinese usually don't exceed the speed limit much(130km/hr on expressways).
== How-to ==
As in many countries, on major roads try to hitchhike from a service station, toll area or some other place where traffic has to stop or slow. Otherwise use the outstretched arm and hand wave described above, or hold a card, preferably in Chinese not Pinyin (the Romanised script) showing where you ant to go. This latter approach is used locals in some areas (eg Guangzhou).
The hitchhiker's appearance is important: the Chinese are less used to the extreme casual style of many westerners so long hair should be made tidy dressing fairly smartly and clothes should appear having a clean and tidyappearance will help you greatly. Students in China tend to dress more conservatively and males usually have short hair. It is a good idea not to wear sunglasses as they are not as commonly worn and might make you look sinister. There is some prejudice against people who look what the Chinese consider as hippyish or like a beggar.
It is always a good practice in China to have someone write a polite letter in Chinese about where you want to go, or what you ant to do. This is certainly true for hitchhiking so that when a car stops, or if you approach a driver you can show the note to explain. You might include what hitchhiking is, that you will point out on the map where you are heading and ask if the driver wants paying and how much. Some hitchhikers have reported this makes a very big difference.
The first character of a vehicle's number plate is in Chinese and indicates the home province and then there is a roman letter indicating the city in the province (A is always the capital). If you are in Anhui and see a 成 (Chengdu's "Cheng") with some numbers and an A, that's from Chengdu. If one is heading in the direction of home you can use it as a criteria to select a car to stop.
If you want to sleep while on the road, you will have no problem pitching a tent. People will usually not bother you. However do make sure your belongings are not on show. You will find there is plenty of traffic at night also. You can try to pick a slow and confortable truck, you might only make 400km in 8 hours but if that's at night and avoids an accommodation cost, who cares? The lack of malice (at an individual level at least!) of the Chinese makes most of China easy to hitchhike 24h without fear. There is little fear of being attacked or robbed though of course such activities exist everywhere, and as always girls should take extra care.
== Regions ==
“Highway” doesn't mean the same as in occidental countries but express ways are great for going long distances. As of 2007 a lot of expressways are still under construction, and most traffic consists of trucks that don't go too fast. When you can, try to hitch with normal cars. There are quite a few cops on the expressway, but it doesn't seem to be a problem to walk along them. Cops help you rather than being a problem, they even stop buses for you for free.
The expressways are often new and fast (100-160Km130Km/h), where as the second level roads may be really bad and a fatal error. Stick to highways if you want to travel fast.
Most of the entrance to the highways from the cities in China, have a toll. Go there and talk straight to the drivers, pointing the atlas. Show them your notice. Go like: "Nihao! Qing wen, ni qu nali? Wo qu zheli, ni ne? Ni qu zheli ma? Wo shi yi ge ren!" (Hello! Excuse me, where are you going? I go here, and you? Do you go here? I am just one person!), etc. Keep saying "Oh hao hao, xiexie a!" (Oh good good, thanks, ah!) Unlike in Europe, ppl there will typically tell you the truth about where are they going, and once they do so, if you ask them to go with them and they have free space, they will hardly say "no", either because they are just too naive or because they don't want to loose face.