Let’s assume you followed through with your long held dream to teach English in China. Now in China, you realize that some things are a bit different. For example, your Uber app doesn’t work and you wonder how to hail a bike. In China, a lot of widely used Western apps, such as Uber or Tinder, are not available. So, what do you do when you want to use a car-sharing service as you are used to at home, or do you need to use taxis? But the lack of Chinese might deter some of the drivers to pick up a foreigner, especially during peak hours. DiDi or DiDi chuxing as it’s known in China is the top choice for car-sharing services for Chinese. ‘Didi’ in Chinese sounds like a horn when a car is approaching to pick you up. Basically, it is the Chinese version of ‘Uber’, just a bit more powerful. According to Wikipedia, you can hail official taxis and private cars, you can share a ride, get a bicycle, it’s an on-demand delivery service, an automobile service (sales, leasing, financing, maintenance, etc) and a co-development service with automakers. Probably, by the time you are reading this, they have added some other services as well. As an interesting side fact, DiDi bought the Chinese Uber in 2016 for a miserly US$ 35 billion. How to use car-sharing app DiDi? So, without further ado: Here we explain to you how to use the Chinese car-sharing app DiDi. First, you need to download it from your app store and choose English in the language settings. In order to register an account, you need a Chinese telephone number. Choose your car Once you have registered, there are four options for rides: express, taxi, premier and luxe. Easy steps: Confirm your pick-up location Enter your destination in English or Chinese Contact the driver if needed: Tap the message icon to start instant messaging which comes handy with auto-translation in English and Chinese Payment: after finishing your booking, there are various payment methods including Alipay, WeChat Pay, and international credit/debit cards Get your car DiDi location serviceHere is an example: If you are a TEFL teacher in Chengdu and want to go from Sichuan University to Tianfu Square, the cheapest way is to choose an Express car. After you have entered your pick-up location and destination, you will see the estimated price for this trip (e.g. 17RMB). Prices vary depending on the time of the day as well as the traffic conditions. The red line in the picture below means the road is currently very crowded. Yellow means slight congestion and green means smooth traffic. You might be familiar with the color codes from Google maps. Also, there is a reminder about how long you have to wait before Didi can find a driver to pick you up. This is quite useful as you may estimate your waiting time and get ready for the pick-up location. During peak hours and/or location, it might take some time for a car to arrive. During morning rush hour, it could be easily more than 30 minutes! So, it is better to check early about your journey so you do not get late to your appointment. BTW, please make sure you are able to arrive at your pick-up location within three minutes after the driver’s arrival. If you are late, Didi will charge an extra waiting time. Car sharing services in China is not that different to Western equivalents. Safety DiDi In terms of safety, DiDi takes multiple steps to ensure you get support and feel safe. DiDi will record your trip (the texting history with your driver) in case there is any problem. There is also a safety center section on the main page. Here, you can find help and support if an emergency has happened. See the picture on the right side. Customer services On your account page, you will find a review section for each booking. Your review for each drive is very important as this can and will affect their order quantity. Usually, the customer service of DiDi is good enough to help with most of the problems. The review section allows you to give comments and details whether the car was clean, how the drive was in general; if you could smell any smoke; if the driver was late; if the driver found the right pick-up location and destination without any trouble; if the service was no good, etc. This helps Didi to get your feedback and to improve the service and as well make sure that you have a pleasant and easy ride. Prices & Discounts Everyone likes discounts, not just English teachers in China. The price for the express service is reasonable. It cost almost the same as a taxi but it offers better much better service. If you are planning to go to the airport, just make a reservation with Didi. Also, Didi has regular discounts and festival discounts to make your rides even cheaper. There are regular discounts every week through group purchases as well. Usually, you can start a discount package on Monday and invite at least five friends through WeChat to join you to pay one yuan and get a discount. This package contains several vouchers for a 70% discount for the express service and a 60% discount for the premier car service. They are valid for one week. So, if you are planning some rides or have a regular commute with Didi within a week, this would be a very cost-effective package for you. If you have plans to go to the airport or other holiday plans, it is good to consider Golden Week Coupons. This could give you a discount of up to 60RMB. This Coupon Pack includes discounts on two airport trips, two-holiday trips, and two post-holiday trips. Simply, invite your friends to join your group purchase and the coupons will be placed on your wallet page. This is also valid for one week, so it is quite flexible and easy. Payment methods Password-free payment is a quick payment method launched by Didi and third-party payment channels. Once enabled, Didi passengers may enjoy quick payment service with less than 500 RMB for each transaction. Here are some FQA’s about payment. Traveling In China, DiDi covers more than 400 cities and counting. Most cities have a starting fare for taxis of 6RMB, and DiDi does the same. If you are heading to small towns nearby and you are not sure how to use the public transportation, or you have two or three friends to go with you together, then DiDi could also be a good alternative. No matter if you are heading to some ancient towns like Lijiang, or scenic places like Lhasa, Tibet or Turpan, Xinjiang, you will find Didi there. Also, if you are traveling in a group of 6, for example, all you TEFL teacher colleagues, simply enter your destination and right slide to select ‘Business Van-6-Seater’ under the premier service section. English service To make it easier with English-speaking customers, DiDi is now expanding its English services on WeChat. If you haven’t Didi’s English version, just open your WeChat, go to contacts, and search ‘DiDiEN’ to follow their official WeChat account. And what’s even better – you can get 15% off of an express ride and 15% off of a premier ride! The WeChat account helps you stay tuned for tips, games, ride coupons and more. Teach English in China with TeachDiscoverChina Now you know how to use Car sharing services in China! If you are interested in teaching English in China, Get in touch and we find you the right TEFL job in China. That’s what we do at TeachDiscoverChina. You already know that you want to become a TEFL China teacher? 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Five Chinese Singers You Should Listen to before you get to China Do you like Chinese music? How many Chinese singers do you know? How many Chinese hit songs have you listened to? Today, we’re going to recommend you five Chinese singers who are so representative that you should listen to. Follow us, and get the key to learning Mandarin while enjoying Chinese songs. ... 1. Amei Chang AKA: A-mei/ Sherry/ Kulilay Amit Profile:  Amei Chang is a famous pop singer in Taiwan, China. She is not only a singer on the cover of the Asian edition of Time magazine, but also one of the most influential figures in the Chinese music scene, as well as the most representative real power faction singer in the Chinese music scene from the mid-1990s till now. Her albums have been sold for more than 10 million copies in Taiwan and 50 million copies in Asia, holding the record for sales and concert attendance of Asian Chinese pop female singers. Music link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I49Kec5Pj1Y Figure evaluation:  Amei Chang is the first Taiwanese singer to break into the mainstream of pop music while emphasizing her indigenous identity, becoming a symbol of indigenous people's upward struggle. (From Sina Female) As a successful singer, Amei Chang is able to continue to innovate in music, having the spirit which is rare among the entertainers of this era. (From China Network) Representative songs:  Sisters (《姐妹》) is the first song of Amei Chang since her debut. In 2016, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of her debut, Amei Chang sung a rearranged version of "Sisters". The song represents the intimate feelings between sisters. Faces of Paranoia (《偏执面》 ) is the title track of Amei Chang’s album released in 2014. The song represents a love dominated by possessiveness. Slow (《缓缓》) is a single released by Amei Chang in late 2020. The song conveys life enlightenment brought about by the epidemic. ... 2. Jacky Cheung AKA: Cheung Hok Yau Profile:  Jacky Cheung, from Hong Kong, China, is a very influential music superstar in Asia, as well as a famous film actor. He is one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Hong Kong music scene, enjoying the God of Song reputation in Chinese-speaking areas. In 1995, Jacky Cheung's album sales ranked second among the world only to American singer Michael Jackson. Music link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PccpLbsYIY0 Figure evaluation:  Jacky Cheung is a superstar and pioneer in the field of pop music. He developed a large overseas following successfully, and his peak period is considered to be the time when Hong Kong pop music made a great contribution overseas. (From Sohu network and Tencent network) Jacky Cheung has no particular style of music, because he can perform almost all types of music. (From Xinhua network) Representative songs:  The Goodbye Kiss (《吻别》) is included in Jacky Cheung's album The Goodbye Kiss released in 1993. This song shows the lovelorn's unwillingness to give up incisively and vividly. Along the Way with You (《一路上有你》) is also included in Jacky Cheung's album The Goodbye Kiss. It is a tender and classic love song. You are the Most Precious (《你最珍贵》) is sung by Jacky Cheung and Gao Huijun, released in 1998. It's a classic love song duet. ... 3. Jolin Tsai Profile:  Jolin Tsai is a famous Chinese pop singer. She is the winner of the Best Mandarin Female Singer Award at the 18th Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan. So far, her albums have been sold for more than 23 million copies in Asia, and she is recognized as the most representative female singer in the Chinese music industry in the 21st century.  Music link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUHY3G5Cswk Figure evaluation:  Jolin Tsai has become a symbol of Chinese pop music, not only because of her music, her appearance and her dance, but also because of her unyielding spirit and infinite possibilities. (From Tencent Entertainment) What Jolin Tsai has achieved is from her step by step effort, she is like some people in real life, hoping that diligent work may turn into harvest. The reason why she is so successful, is that she tries more than others. Jolin Tsai has the willpower of a tough woman, she is hard-working no matter in music or performance. (From China Times) Representative songs:  Love 36 (《爱情36计》), from Jolin Tsai's album Castle released in 2004, is a dance song with straightforward lyrics, hopping melody and strong appeal. Rewind (《倒带》) is also from Jolin Tsai's album Castle, is a pop-rock song filling with her emotions. Play (《PLAY我呸》) is the title song of Jolin Tsai's album Play released in 2014, is an experimental and avant-garde electronic song. ... 4. Jay Chou AKA: Chou Jie Lun/ President Chou Profile:  Jay Chou is a Taiwanese mandopop singer, composer, lyricist, producer and director. He is the most revolutionary and iconic singer-songwriter in Asian pop after 2000, and is known as the King of Asian pop. He have broken through the traditional theme and form of Asian music and fused various music materials to create varied song styles, especially famous for hip-hop and R&B, which combine Chinese and Western styles. He can be regarded as the pioneer of the Chinese style of mandopop music. Music link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR-0wptI_u0 Figure evaluation:  The uniqueness of Jay Chou lies in his pursuit of Chinese-style music while injecting the beauty of literature and artistic conception into his music, making him an idol with his own cultural taste. (From Guinness World Records) Jay Chou's talent lies not only in his live improvisation ability and mastery of music theory and all sorts of musical instruments, but also in his unconventional creative ideas, which gives his songs a strong personal style that is not identical to any other musical form. (From American CNN) Representative songs:  Nunchucks (《双截棍》) is included in Jay Chou's album Fantasy released in 2001. The lyrics of this song are fun and interesting, with strong ethnic customs, which is unconstrained and full of pictorial sense. Rice field (《稻香》) is included in Jay Chou's album Capricorn released in 2008. The song was created for the Wenchuan earthquake, telling the listeners a very simple but easily forgotten principle, that is contentment. Bedtime Stories (《床边故事》) is the title track of Jay Chou's album Jay Chou’s Bedtime Stories released in 2016, is an imaginative classical rap song. ... 5. Siwei Ma Profile:  Siwei Ma is a male rapper born in the 1990s who comes from Chengdu, Sichuan Province. He is a member of the rap group Higher Brothers. He has toured the United States with the group and has released two solo albums to date. Figure evaluation:  Born and raised in Chengdu, Making Siwei Ma control the styles of Old School, Trap, Boombap etc. easily, while adding more energy to his lyrics. As the team leader of the mainland rap group Higher Brothers, Siwei Ma can not only write songs, produce, mix and edit music videos, he is also recognized in rap circle for many of his personal music works. He has gradually become one of the representatives who bring Chinese rap to the world, leaving an imprint on the landscape of contemporary Chinese hip hop. (From Rolling Stone) Representative songs:  Laoshan Taoist (《崂山道士》) is included in Siwei Ma’s mixtape P.E.L VOL.2 released in 2014. It is an Old School hip-hop song with strong Chinese style. Bean Psate (《豆瓣酱》) is a single by Siwei Ma released in 2021, and bean paste is a specialty of his hometown, Pixian County, Chengdu. Why (《为什么》) is a single released by Siwei Ma in 2021. If you get any doubts about love, you can find some resonance in this song. ... Our article has come to an end, but there are so many other excellent Chinese singers waiting for you to explore. If you want to know more about Chinese singers or mandarin hot songs, or you’re planning to work/teach in Chengdu or Sichuan, get in touch at [email protected] and we’re glad to help.