License plates guide

[dalaowai]

Does anyone have a guide which would tell me how to differentiate license plates?

For example, how to know if a car is from Hangzhou vs Shanghai. Any other special plates (i.e. Consulate cars, etc)

Thanks!

[WangLongju]

.

Try these:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/License_plates_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China

http://www.worldlicenseplates.com/world/AS_CHIN.html

http://www.olavsplates.com/china.html

http://www.olavsplates.com/china_submissions.html

.

[roddy]

The Wikipedia page looks very comprehensive - I didn't know previously about the 领 designation for consulates, or the way military plates used to use the heavenly stems.

Chances are any Chinese dictionary you have will include a list of provincial abbreviations in the appendixes (ie 沪 = Shanghai, 京 = Beijing), which may also help.

Roddy

[dalaowai]

Thanks! I will check those out. I plan on developing stereotypes for area-specific drivers and it'll give me something to do during rush-hour traffic.

[roddy]

I plan on developing stereotypes for area-specific drivers and it'll give me something to do during rush-hour traffic.

Surely in rush-hour traffic they all stop and hit the horn, regardless of where they're from . . .

[dalaowai]

haha! That's too true! The other day I was in a cab on an overpass and the car in front of us slammed on the brakes. A woman driver runs out crying and her male passenger quickly scoots over to the wheel as she goes in the back seat.

I jokingly tell the driver that women shouldn't drive to see what kind of reaction I'd get. Oh did I ever have to listen to a rant about women. This driver told me what was wrong with today's Chinese women and how they need to go back to staying home and cooking.

He was so agitated about the topic that I thought he might run out of the cab crying. So it'll be fun to find out what cab drivers think about non-Shanghainese cars.