Chinese Addresses for Taxis

Chinese addresses run from largest to smallest: city, district, street, lane, building number. An English string like No. 231 Wuhouci Street does not map cleanly onto what a driver sees in their navigation app, and transliterations vary from one booking site to the next. A driver may recognize 武侯祠 immediately but not the words Wuhou Shrine, especially outside the tourist center.

Ride-hailing adds another layer. DiDi's map is built around Chinese place names and pinned entrances. If you type an English hotel name, the app may return a similarly named hotel across the city. Copying the Chinese name from your booking confirmation is more reliable than translating it yourself, and it removes the guesswork when a driver calls to ask where you are.

• Chinese first, English second
• Keep the hotel's Chinese name and phone number
• Screenshot addresses before you leave Wi-Fi

Show the screen, not your pronunciation. The sentence 请带我去…。 means please take me to… Point to the Chinese line, let the driver read it, and confirm that the meter will be used before you move. Chengdu taxis are metered; a driver who refuses the meter or quotes a flat fare is a reason to walk away and flag another car.

For a taxi, have the destination open at full brightness. If you are going to a large site, add the gate: west gate 西门, east gate 东门, or a terminal number at the airport. Big attractions have several entrances, and the wrong one can add a twenty-minute walk in the rain. Handing over your phone is normal; keep hold of it and point rather than passing it into the front seat.

• Show the Chinese line at full brightness
• Name the gate or terminal
• Insist on the meter

DiDi accepts a destination pin, but you can also paste the Chinese name into the search box. Set your pickup point at a recognizable landmark rather than the middle of a block; drivers in central Chengdu often cannot stop where the pin sits. Hotels, metro exits, and mall entrances are better pickup points than a random stretch of curb.

Apple Maps uses AutoNavi data in China and is the more dependable option on an iPhone. Google Maps is unreliable for walking directions and public transport inside the city. Amap, the local standard, has an English mode, but the Chinese names on these cards are what you will need in every app. Do not rely on a single map for a day trip.

• Paste the Chinese name into DiDi search
• Choose a landmark pickup point
• Use Apple Maps or Amap in China

Chengdu has two airports. Tianfu is far south-east and can take 60 to 90 minutes by road; Shuangliu is much closer to the city. Check your ticket before you leave the hotel, and give the driver the full airport name rather than saying Chengdu airport. At the airport, follow signs for the official taxi rank instead of accepting an unsolicited ride.

The city also has several railway stations. Chengdu East handles most high-speed trains and is the one most visitors use. Chengdu South is smaller and easy to confuse, especially on a rushed departure. For hotels, give the street address from your booking rather than the brand name, since international chains can have several properties in the same city.

• Tianfu and Shuangliu are different airports
• Chengdu East is the main high-speed station
• Use the hotel's street address, not just the brand

Stay calm and move to a landmark. Metro stations are the most reliable meeting points because every driver knows them. If you are near a mall, name the mall. If the driver calls you, hand the phone to a hotel staff member or a passerby; a local voice resolves the address faster than repeated English.

Keep your hotel's Chinese name and phone number saved offline. If a ride goes wrong, the front desk is your best support. For emergencies, 110 is the police number and 120 is medical. Translation apps can handle a short conversation, but they struggle with place names, which is why the cards below use characters rather than pinyin.

• Meet at a metro station or mall
• Let a local speak to the driver
• Save the hotel number offline