【HZMB、Mainland Driving License Test】A Complete Guide to Traffic Terminology in Mainland China and Hong Kong | Practical Driving Notes

Mainland China uses simplified Chinese characters, so road signs are naturally in simplified Chinese and also include Mandarin pinyin. However, for Hong Kong people, they may not fully understand them. It is advisable to look at simplified Chinese characters more often to understand the place names on road signs. In addition, common road sign terminology also differs from Hong Kong's.

Whether it's Hong Kong cars driving North or Hong Kong people learning to drive in Mainland China, being familiar with the daily driving terminology used in the Mainland not only helps to enhance driving safety but also speeds up the learning process for learners and increases the chance of successfully obtaining a driving license.

Car maintenance and servicing fees in Mainland China are cheaper than in Hong Kong, attracting many car owners from Hong Kong driving North to have their cars serviced in the Mainland. However, the names for many car parts in Hong Kong and Mainland China are different. You can refer to the comparison of car parts below to facilitate communication with Mainland repair shops.

Right-Hand Traffic - The first thing to note when driving in Mainland China is that the direction of travel changes from left-hand drive (left on top, right on bottom) in Hong Kong to right-hand drive (right on top, left on bottom). The leftmost lane is the "fast lane", and if you want to overtake the car in front, you should overtake from the left lane.

Mind the Signals - At some intersections in Mainland China, turning right is allowed on a red light, as long as there are no pedestrians or horizontal traffic, unless a red right-turn arrow light is lit prohibiting the right turn.

Pay Attention to Lanes - In Hong Kong, a double white line means vehicles are prohibited from crossing. In Mainland China, a single white line is used for this. Single and double yellow lines are used to separate lanes in opposite directions and are also not allowed to be crossed.

Intersections - When encountering an intersection without traffic lights and needing to turn left, remember the principle of "go straight first, then turn left". Let the straight-through traffic from the opposite lane pass first, and then turn left.

Entering and Exiting Car Parks - Most car parks in Mainland China have an automatic scanning system, which automatically records the license plate number upon entry. If it fails to recognize the plate, staff assistance is required. For charging, general car parks in urban shopping malls cost ¥5 - ¥8 RMB per hour. A QR Code will be displayed upon exit, and payment can be made using Alipay or WeChat Pay.