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Shanghai is unique in China, although it is more similar with western cities.
In Beijing, it is rare to use doorplates to locate a place. Instead, they use landmarks.
Even though some land marks have a door plate, but almost no taxi drivers can easily find the place when I only tell them the address like "29 Zizhuyuan Road". Instead, people use "near .... bridge", or "opposite to ... building" to describe a place.
However, it is not difficult to use this convention in Beijing. Beijing's street is either north-south or west-east, and there are always big buildings/bridges/gates at the intersection of major roads. By pointing these landmarks at the intersection, they basically specify a latitude and a longitude on the map. Buildings in Bejiing are larger in size and easily to find.
Posted by Jian Shuo Wang at August 13, 2004 11:26 PM
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Oh yeah! that is so true. the last time i went to china, i remember my cousin telling the taxi driver to go to his house which instead of saying his house number, he said "behind this department store". Interesting...
Posted by: Frank (external link) on August 14, 2004 1:18 AMHmmm...locating a place that way is quite strange but interesting. You think more people can find their way using this method? Hehehe.
Posted by: earthmilk (external link) on August 14, 2004 1:18 AMit's very true!!! that's wat i've experienced in Beijing :P
it really took me a long long time to look for my friend's place:(
To locate a place in Beijing is not as exact as in Shanghai. Sometimes it is even easier to find (big) buildings in Beijing, but often, it took longer time.
My friend Ray concluded the city - "Beijing is using points (land marks) to locate while Shanghai use lines (intersaction of roads or ordinary of lines by door plate number)." It is very true.
Posted by: Jian Shuo Wang (external link) on August 19, 2004 12:23 AM