After you ask someone on the street for directions, listen for these key words in their answers:

nan (south)

xi (west)

hou (back)

qian (front)

  Buses in China are identified by their route number, so instead of saying hao ( number ) when referring to a bus, the Chinese say lu ( route ). Thus, bus no. 52 would be wu shi er lu che.

  Bus stops are marked by signposts along the road, or sometimes by small signs affixed to electricity poles or tree trunks. If the road is wide and an island separates it from the bicycle path, the bus stop will be on the island. The bus sign will show the route number, the name of the immediate stop, the destination toward which the bus is traveling, and the times of the first run and last run. A chart showing  all the stops along the route is often included, with the immediate stop indicated by a box, an arrow, or underlining. Sometimes the sign also gives advance notice of the next stop, so be careful not to mix that up with the same of the current stop.
  Some Chinese characters you will need to recognize are: