How To Baidu Beijing Bus Routes

When there’s no taxis in sight or no subway stop near your destination, hopping on a bus can make any journey around Beijing a little easier. However, the Chinese-only bus signs sometimes make this option impossible for expats.

However, Chinese search engine Baidu can give you a clear bus route to get from point A to point B. You don't need the ability to read or write Chinese – just a bit of common sense.

If you’ve planning to be in Liangmaqiao (eating some pulled pork at Home Plate BBQ) and then need to head over to 12SQM on Nanluogu Xiang, you'll know that the subway isn’t the best option. With these two destinations in mind, log onto Baidu.com and select the map link (地图) on the homepage, or head directly to map.baidu.com.

On the map page, the middle tab under the search box will provide bus+subway or bus-only trips. Using the Beijinger directory (which provides addresses in Chinese), input your starting and ending destinations and hit "Enter." (If you are asked to confirm locations, Location A is usually the closest option.)

The results will give you a map with the route as well as multiple options on the right-hand side to choose from.

The route options are listed in terms of efficiency. They list subway and/or bus numbers and the number of stops to take.

To make the process even easier, use Google Chrome which will translate pages as you go along. If you don't have access to this specific browser, filter select phrases (like stop/transfer names) through Google Translate.

Photo: flickrhivemind.net