When foreigners come to Chengdu, a good alternative is to get around by taking the bus. Once getting used to going by bus, you will discover that it is actually not that bad.
Although a ride usually covers two or twenty stops, a bus ride costs RMB 2 in Chengdu. It is important to carry enough small money with you, because it is not usual to get back changes. Even though it is cheap, you can pay less and save some trouble if you get a RMB 25 bus card at your local pharmacy, Hongqi Chain Store or bus station terminal office—note that personal identification is needed. Explain to the worker that you want to purchase a bus card.
With this card, one bus drive costs only RMB 1 if you use a card based on frequency of your ride. If your card is based on the so called E-purse, you pay each time RMB 1.80 for the bus. If you require the use of subway, you can ask the cashier at the Hongqi Chain Store to activate the metro. After having your bus card, you can store money on your travel card. The fees for bus and metro have to be stored separately.
It is important to keep in mind that the money on the card does not overlap. For example, you charge 40 bus rides on the card, but you only used 20 during the month, the rest 20 will be invalid at the beginning of the next month and you have to recharge the card. Therefore, it is important to calculate the exact numbers of bus rides you will have to take.
After you have your own bus card, one swipe is only needed when you get on the bus at the front door. If you only manage to get on the bus at the back door, just ask the passengers to pass your card to the front and swipe it for you. With the bus card, you can transfer buses for fee if the travel time is within two hours.
Furthermore, it is to stress that you should keep an eye on your belongings while being on the bus. Generally, Chengdu is a safe place but most of the thefts are occurring on buses, at train stations or crowded large area, like the shopping street Chunxi Road.
Due to the fact that the place names are announced in Chinese, it is better to know the Chinese name of your destination. Even though there are announcements in English, they will sound like the following: “The next stop is Jinjiang Binguan (Jinjiang Hotel)”
小题1:Which of the following statements is true when taking the bus in Chengdu?
A．It’s always important to carry enough small money with you every day.
B．It only costs RMB 25 to get around in Chengdu by bus per month.
C．Personal identification is not essential when applying for a bus card for locals.
D．RMB 0.2 will be saved each time if you use E-purse rather than cash on the bus.小题2:Why are the readers reminded to pay close attention to their personal possessions?
A．Because Chengdu is not a safe place.
B．Because some thieves like stealing things in crowded buses.
C．Because people can transfer buses for fee within two hours.
D．Because the bus card must be swiped at the front door.小题3:Why does the author suggest the Chinese name of the destination be learnt?
A．Because it helps know clearly where to get off the bus.
B．Because it can prevent people from missing the bus they want to board.
C．Because the place names are merely announced in Chinese.
D．Because it prevents the passengers getting off at the next stop on time.小题4:The author might write this passage specially for ________.
A．The local Chengdu people who are interested in traveling by bus
B．Regular bus riders in Chengdu who fails to manage their bus cards properly.
C．New foreigners in Chengdu who want to get around by bus.
D．Pedestrians in Chengdu who are considering choosing to take the bus.
