Many of my students are worried about one primary thing when coming to visit China: Transportation. It can be an overwhelming thing to plan out when you are a beginner Chinese student, intermediate, or even advanced. Why? Because not only do you need to know how to read the characters to identify the right transportation, but you also must have some speaking skills.
Many visitors to China have never taken a “高铁 (gāotiě) high-speed railway” before, as it is unique to a few specific countries.
“高铁 (gāotiě) High-speed railway” system plays an increasingly important role in China's transportation system as a whole. Is it daunting to newcomers? Sure. But the truth is there is a very simple method of using the Chinese “高铁 (gāotiě) high-speed railway” system.
If you follow these steps, you are sure to reach your destination, and in record time.
Step 1:
买票 (Mǎipiào) Buy ticket/订票 (Dìngpiào) Book ticket/取票 (Qǔpiào) Get the ticket
At each “高铁 (gāotiě) high-speed railway” station there are many ticket windows. You can buy your ticket here, or you can book them online, such as Ctrip etc. Of course, if you know enough Chinese characters, you can book your ticket directly from the official site www.12306.cn
If you choose to book your ticket online, then you will need to use a self-service ticket machine (for Chinese citizens only) to print your ticket at the station, or get your ticket at a ticket window.
Always remember, whenever you travel in China, you should arrive early and be prepared to queue or stand in line for a while. I always make sure to bring a bottle of water in case I would get thirsty while waiting in line as sometimes you cannot foresee how long you will wait. Standing in line is never really relaxing or easy. Why? See the image below:
Now let's take a look at a dialogue that uses this new vocabulary/that you may use when you are planning on traveling using “高铁 (gāotiě) high-speed rail”.
Nǐ zài wǎngshàng dìngpiào le ma?
A: 你 在 网上 订票 了 吗？
Have you booked your ticket online?
Méiyǒu, wǒ zhíjiē qù gāotiězhàn mǎipiào.
B: 没有， 我 直接 去 高铁站 买票。
No, I will go directly to the high-speed rail station to buy a ticket.
Step 2:
进站 (Jìnzhàn) Enter into the station/安检 (Ānjiǎn) Security check/检票 (Jiǎnpiào) Ticket checking
After you have gotten your ticket, you should go through ticket checking and security check to enter the waiting hall. As you arrive at the waiting hall, look for the corresponding departure gate for your train. Find a seat near the departure gate and wait for the train to arrive. Generally, there will be an announcement broadcasting from the waiting hall when your train is arriving.
New words:
进站 (Jìnzhàn): Entering into the station
安检 (Ānjiǎn): Security check
检票 (Jiǎnpiào): Ticket checking
Examples:
Tim zhǔnbèi jìnzhàn le.
Tim 准备 进站 了。
Tim is ready to enter into the station.
Paul tōngguò le gāotiě de ānjiǎn.
Paul 通过 了 高铁 的 安检。
Paul has gone through the security check for high-speed rail.
Mary jiǎnpiào hòu jiù shàng le chē.
Mary 检票 后 就 上 了 车。
Mary got on the train after ticket checking.
Step 3: 上车 (Shàngchē) Board the train
Before you board the train, you will need to show your “车票 (chēzhàn) ticket” at the ticket barrier within the waiting hall. In most cases, your ticket will be checked by a self-service check-in machine, not a real person.
After boarding the trian, you can find your seat to sit and wait for the train to arrive at your stop.
Step 4: 出站 (Chūzhàn) Exit the station of your destination
As you exit the station, you will need to have your “车票 (chēpiào) ticket” ready. Then you can check out at the ticket barrier with your ticket. Be sure to keep your ticket during your journey, as you may need to pay for your ticket again if you lost it.
New word:
出站 (chūzhàn): Exiting the station of your destination
Examples：
Joy xiǎng zài chūzhàn hòu jiù qù chī wǔfàn.
Joy 想 在 出站 后 就 去 吃 午饭.
Joy want to eat lunch after exiting the station of your destination.
Qǐngwèn chūzhànkǒu zài nǎ'r?
请问 出站口 在 哪儿？
Where is the station exit?
Quiz:
1. Which of the following things are NOT required when you pulling into the high-speed railway?
A. 身份证 (Shēnfènzhèng)
B. 地铁卡 (Dìtiěkǎ)
C. 车票 (Chēpiào)
