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Wuhan

Wuhan (武汉 Wǔhàn) is the capital of Hubei Province in China and a major port on the Yangtze River.

Districts
Wuhan has 13 administrative districts, which Wikivoyage has grouped as follows:

Wuhan was created in the early 20th century by amalgamating the three cities of Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang.

History
Wuhan once consisted of three cities; Hanyang, Hankou (formerly known as Hankow), and Wuchang. Hanyang was a busy port as long as 2,000 years ago in the Han Dynasty. Yellow Crane Tower was built in 223 BCE and gained fame throughout China through the poetry of Cui Hao during the Tang Dynasty. Wuchang has been a center of learning for centuries, especially in the field of the arts. It became a provincial capital in the Yuan Dynasty.

Hankou was considered to be one of China's top four cities during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was the busiest inland port, first opened as a treaty port in 1861. During the 19th century, as a result of concessions granted in the aftermath of the Opium Wars, large areas of Hankou's riverfront were carved up into foreign mercantile divisions with port and rail facilities and the area's economy expanded rapidly. There remain many grand buildings along Hankou's riverfront clearly European in design as a result.

The city is perhaps most famous for its pivotal role in the formation of modern China. On October 10, 1911, the Wuchang Uprising took place, sparking the Xinhai Revolution throughout the nation which resulted in the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty (China's last) and the formation of the Republic of China, led by Sun Yat-Sen. The event is commemorated in many place names beginning with "Shouyi", literally "First Revolution", including a public square with an attached museum. In the ensuing chaos of the Republic of China, Wuchang was the capital of a leftist Kuomintang government ruled over by Wang Jingwei in direct opposition to Chiang Kai-shek.

In 1927, Hanyang, Hankou, and Wuchang were united to form the city of Wuhan. In 1938, during the Japanese invasion of China, Wuhan briefly became the temporary capital of the Republic of China, after the government had been moved here from Nanjing, which had been captured by the invaders. In the late 1938, however, Wuhan fell to the Japanese as well, and the ROC government moved further west to Chongqing. During the rest of World War II, fighting shifted to the western part of Hubei, Wuhan being liberated from the invaders only with the surrender of Japan in 1945.

With the opening of China, Wuhan was reopened in 1992 for the first time since the revolution. Today, Wuhan is one of China's largest cities and remains an important center of commerce. While many visitors overlook Wuhan as just another city, beneath its industrial exterior a rewarding tapestry of history and cultural arts awaits. It is also one of China's most important railway hubs, fulfilling the same role for China that Chicago does for the United States.

The COVID-19 virus was first identified in Wuhan in December 2019, and the exponential growth in number of infections prompted authorities to implement a lockdown that continued for 2.5 months. After some widespread testing and centralized treatment, which included building a new hospital for COVID-19 patients in 10 days, the local outbreak officially came to an end in early April 2020.

Orientation
Wuhan is an amalgamation of three smaller cities, Hankou, Hanyang and Wuchang, each separated from the other by a river. Hankou is the business center and it sits to the northwest with the Yangtze River separating it from Wuchang and the Han River separating it from Hanyang. Wuchang is the education center hosting a bewildering variety of universities, institutes and colleges. It is separated from Hankou and Hanyang by the Yangtze River. Hanyang is the industrial center, separated from Hankou by the Han River and from Wuchang by the Yangtze River.

Yangtze bridges
Vehicles can cross the Yangtze over nine bridges and a tunnel within the city limits, but only two of these may be used by pedestrians and cyclists.

spans the Yangtze 1 km upstream of its confluence with the Han. It's a colossus, with a railway on its lower deck, and a highway plus sidewalks on the upper deck. On the west bank, Hanyang, the sidewalks start at the corner of Guishan S. Rd and Yingwu Ave; there is also access to the northern sidewalk from the park outside the TV tower. On the east bank, Wuchang, several stairways access the bridge west of the Yellow Crane Tower.

The more graceful Number Two Yangtze River Bridge, 5 km downstream, connects Wuchang with Hankou, and is also open to pedestrians as well as vehicles.

Most of the bridges over the smaller Han River, connecting Hanyang and Hankou, have pedestrian sidewalks.

Climate
Travellers not accustomed to high heat and humidity should avoid visiting Wuhan in the summer months. As the hottest of the "Three Furnaces" of China (the others are Chongqing and Nanjing), Wuhan often gets summer temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F). Combine the heat with humidity, a lack of wind, and heavy urban pollution typical for most of the rapidly industrialized cities in China, and you have a recipe for a cloudy yet simmering day.

Get in
Wuhan is a major city in a central position. It has all the bus, rail, road and air connections you would expect.

By plane

Taxi from Wuhan Tianhe Airport to the city (Wuchang) costs ¥70–80, plus ¥10 toll.

A commuter rail line connecting Wuhan's Hankou Railway Station with the city of Xiaogan, has a stop at the airport. The train schedule is somewhat irregular, but, as of 2017, there is typically a train from the airport station (天河机场) to Hankou (汉口) Railway Station every 1-1½ hours. At Hankou, you can transfer to Wuhan Metro (subway), or to long-distance or commuter trains to various destinations. Some of the trains from the airport may continue beyond Hankou, to other cities in Hubei, such as Huanggang/Daye/Huangshi (with a stop at Wuhan Railway Station), or Yichang, Xiangyang and Shiyan. (Schedule).

Wuhan Metro's Line 2 also reaches the airport, providing frequent and inexpensive service to destinations throughout the city. As of 2018, Metro Line 2 trains run to and from the airport from 06:00 to 22:30.

As of 2015, there was regular bus service from Wuhan airport to several locations throughout Wuhan, including the Hankou and Wuhan railway stations and the Fujiapo Bus Station (in downtown Wuchang, within 1 km from the Wuchang Railway Station). These services may have been affected by the opening of the rail and metro connection to the airport, though.

If you get stuck at the airport for any length of time, the airport has free wifi throughout the domestic terminal (subject to verification of mobile phone number, any country OK), and you can find power outlets (with purchase) at Cite Coffee on the mezzanine above the pre-security departures hall (2F). There is a left-luggage service on the back wall of the departures hall as well, next to the odd-sized luggage check.

By train
Wuhan is a major railway hub, connected by direct trains to most of China's major cities, including Beijing and Lhasa in faraway Tibet. The G-trains flash along at 300 km/h, and are often quicker than flying. There are also slow conventional trains, often overnight given the great distances involved.

There are three main railway stations: has the fastest trains. The others are, and . All three stations are connected by the metro.

Going north

 * Beijing: 4 hr (G-series), 7½ hr (D-series), frequent service from Wuhan station; 10½ hr (Z- or T-series, including overnight trains), from Wuchang or Hankou
 * Shijiazhuang: 4-5 hr (G, D), frequent service from Wuhan station
 * Taiyuan: 5½-6 hr (G), two trains a day from Wuhan; you can also travel with a transfer in Shijiazhuang
 * Zhengzhou: 2 hr (G), 3½ hr (D), frequent service from Wuhan station
 * Tianjin: 13 hr (T, from Wuchang); faster travel by G or D train is possible with a transfer in Beijing (terminal change) or Nanjing
 * Harbin: 13 hr (G, from Wuhan); 23-28 hr (T, from Wuchang or Hankou)
 * Changchun: 25 hr (T, from Wuchang or Hankou)
 * Shenyang: 19 hr (T236/T237 from Wuchang)
 * Hohhot: 26-28 hr (K1276/K1277 or K600/K597 from Wuchang); much faster travel is possible by taking a G or D train to Beijing and transferring to T train there

Destinations in Northeastern China (e.g. Harbin) will involve changing between stations in Beijing.

Going north-west

 * Xi'an: 4 hr (G, from Wuhan); 12-15 hr (overnight T or K train, from Wuchang)
 * Lanzhou: 3 hr (G96/G97 from Wuhan); 17 hr (T264/T265, from Wuchang)
 * Ürümqi: 15 hr, change in Lanzhou
 * Xining: 21 hr (T264/T265, from Wuchang). Same day travel is possible by high-speed trains with a transfer in Xi'an
 * Lhasa: 44 hr (T264/T265, from Wuchang); runs every other day.
 * Yinchuan: 30½ hr (K1296/K1297, from Wuchang); much faster travel is possible by taking a G train to Shijiazhuang or Taiyuan and transferring there

Going south

 * Guangzhou, Shenzhen: 4-7 hr (G, D), frequent service from Wuhan; 11-13 hours (Z, T, including overnight trains), from Wuchang or Hankou
 * Changsha: 1½-2 hr (G, D), frequent service from Wuhan station
 * Guilin: 5½ hr (G), from Wuhan (one train daily); 12 hr (T, K, overnight train from Wuchang)
 * Nanning: 8 hr (G, from Wuhan); 18½-19½ hr (T, from Wuchang)
 * Haikou: 21½ hr (T201, from Wuchang)

Going east

 * Shanghai: 5½-6 hr (G, D), frequent service mostly from Hankou, some from Wuchang or Wuhan; 10 hr, overnight Z train from Wuchang
 * Nanjing: 3½-4 hr (G, D), frequent service mostly from Hankou, some from Wuchang or Wuhan
 * Hefei, 2½ hrs (G, D), frequent service mostly from Hankou, some from Wuchang or Wuhan
 * Hangzhou: 5½-6 hours (G, D), mostly from Hankou; you can also travel with a transfer in Nanjing; 8½ hr, overnight Z train from Wuchang
 * Qingdao: 8 hr (G), from Wuhan, one direct train daily; you can also travel on G or D trains with a transfer in Nanjing

Going south-east

 * Nanchang: 2½-3 hr (D), from all terminals
 * Fuzhou: 7-7½ hr (D, G), from Wuhan or Hankou

Going west

 * Chongqing: 7 hr (D or G, mostly from Hankou); 13-15 hr (T or K, overnight trains from all terminals)
 * Chengdu: 8½-9 hours (D, mostly from Hankou, some from Wuhan); 11 hr (Z) or 16-17 hr (T), mostly overnight, from all terminals

Going south-west

 * Kunming: 7-8 hr (G, from Wuhan); 24 hr (Z, from Wuchang)
 * Guiyang: 5 hr (G, from Wuhan); 17½ hr (T, from Wuchang)

Commuter services
. Wuhan is one of the first cities in China to introduce a modern commuter train system. You can take a commuter train from Wuchang Station to the city's southern southern suburbs (Xianning); from Wuhan Station, trains go to the eastern suburbs (Huangshi, Huanggang, Daye, Ezhou) suburbs. The third line, the one of greatest interest to travelers, is the one from Hankou Station to the northwest (to Xiaogan via the Wuhan Tianhe Airport).

As of 2018, on most lines, trains run about 10 times a day in each direction. The trains depart from the same three main train stations of the city, but use dedicated purpose-built rail lines, different from both the "regular" and high-speed railway lines used by long-distance trains. They also make a few stops at new purpose-built commuter stations on the city's outskirts; e.g. the Xianning-bound trains stop at the Tangxunhu Station (汤逊湖站) in the southern part of the Guanggu development area, from which a bus or a streetcar can be taken to various university or corporate campuses.

The system is undergoing further development; once the new Guanggu Railway Station (光谷火车站; formerly known as the Liufang Station) opens in the middle of the Guanggu development area later in 2020, the commuter service will be much improved.

Major bus stations
There are several major long-distance bus stations, again in Hankou and Wuchang, which tend to have buses visiting more than one station. The bus station with the most number of services is the Xinrong Bus Station in Hankou. The second and third busiest bus stations are Hongji Bus Station and Gutian Bus Station respectively.

The Jinjiadun Bus Station (金家墩客运站) near Hankou Railway Station was permanently closed in 2017. A brand new bus station is being built at the site and should be completed by the mid-2020s.

By boat
You can also reach Wuhan via boats on the Yangtze River, either from downstream centers such as Shanghai and Nanjing or from Chongqing further upstream, via the famous Three Gorges route.

These days, only cruise boats are available. Regular commuter-style services ceased operations many years ago. Moreover, most cruise boats on the Yangtze only travel between Chongqing and Yichang and do not reach Wuhan or cities further east. Yichang may be reached in about 2-hours by high-speed train.

By metro
Starting with a modest beginning in 2004, Wuhan's metro system has grown by the end of 2017 to an elaborate network with 7 lines and 167 stations, connecting all three major sections of the city (Hankou, Hanyang, and Wuchang); it continues to expand at a rapid pace.

The airport and the Hankou Railway Station are served by Line 2; the Wuhan Railway station (the major high speed railway station) and the Wuchang Railway Station, by Line 4.

As in most other subway systems in China, the fare depends on distance. For a single trip, you can buy a token from a vending machine at the station's entrance, use the token to enter the system at a turnstile, and then surrender it to another turnstile when exiting. You can also buy a Wuhan Tong card (from the person at the booth in the subway, or elsewhere) for ¥15 and add cash value to it, allowing you to enter the stations more quickly; subway rides using the Wuhan Tong are discounted by 10%, and the Wuhan Tong also works on public buses and ferries.

Stations are clean, and the trains are usually (outside of the rush hour) not very crowded. Public toilets are available at many stations (usually, outside the toll gate); drinking water fountains are found on the platforms of some stations.

It is useful to be aware of where subway construction work is being carried out, since large sections of streets may be fenced off for the construction, and street-level traffic may be significantly affected during the construction work.

By bus
Wuhan has a cheap and efficient bus system; however it may seem rather bewildering to the uninitiated. The service has vastly improved compared to the past. There are two bus companies in the city-centre: the Wuhan Public Transport Group which operates the majority of bus and trolleybus lines, and Tongheng which operates routes with the route number starting with 8XX (eg: 807) and uses a red & blue livery. It is the cheapest way to get around the city, bus fares typically being ¥2. If you have a local to guide you, it can be used to get from place to place with impressive speed (unless stuck in the traffic somewhere, of course). All buses have the route number prominently marked below the window on the left, and side electric displays also display the route's destinations. Similar boards are installed at each stop. Without a local to guide you, you should better have a good map and a decent grasp of Chinese.

Maps sold at newsstands etc for a few yuan show bus routes and bus stops, but aren't always easy to read, and aren't always up-to-date. There is an interactive Wuhan bus map (in Chinese) available online, which allows you to see bus connections between any two bus stops. The Baidu Maps web site also has information about the bus service.

There is also a Bus Rapid Transit line BRT1, which runs east from Wuchang Railway Station, along the Xiongchu St (mostly parallel to Line 2 of the Metro, but about 1-2 km south of it). It has stations somewhat similar to those of the metro; you pay at the entrance into the station, rather than when boarding the bus.

By streetcar

Several lines of wireless tram or streetcar (the vehicles carry batteries, and are recharged at each station) have been built, or are under construction in several parts of the city. The system (actually consisting of two separate networks, far apart from each other) is referred to as 武汉有轨电车.

One system operates in the far reaches of Hanyang, connecting to the subway Line 3 at Zhuanyang Boulevard Station (沌阳大道站).

The other system, opened in 2018, operates in the Guanggu ("Optics Valley") area of Wuchang. Its lines start near the main gate of the Huazhong Science and Technology University (stations Luoxiong Rd and Huazhong Science and Technology University of subway Line 2), and run south and south-east, passing by various university and corporate campuses of the area; one of them (L2) reaches the Tangsunhu Station of the Wuchang-Xianning commuter train line.

By taxi
Taxis are sometimes hard to find, especially in commercial areas. Taxis are supposed to switch drivers at 17:30 however often they will appear to do so much earlier. After 16:00, expect half of all taxis to display a sign indicating they are not for hire. In congested areas, especially 1-way streets with no convenient exit, taxi drivers displaying the for hire sign (空车) will often wave you away when you try to flag them down or stop the car to ask where you are going and dismiss you if it's not to an area they wish to go to. Be aware and plan accordingly if you have to be somewhere on-time. The lack of adequate taxis in congested areas (Wuhan Plaza, for example), people in Wuhan are much more aggressive when trying to get a taxi. Expect to race to any car that stops and to hold your ground at the door (for example if you're waiting at the front door, someone will jump in the back). Rates are relatively cheap at ¥6 on the flag and with around ¥70 getting you between almost any two spots you are likely to want to travel between. It is possible to get higher taxi fares, but usually only because the taxi driver has deliberately taken you on a longer trip (which is, thankfully, not a common occurrence).

Airport taxis are the exception. Foreigners in particular are likely to get ripped off by taxi drivers at the airport. They will demand prices starting at ¥150 to go anywhere in the city. For reference, going from the airport to the middle of Hanyang costs about ¥50 typically. It is advisable to insist on the metre before the taxi starts moving and if the driver refuses, step out, collect your luggage and go back to the taxi stand. This is not a serious problem in the daytime when there is a supervisor at the taxi stand who is an airport employee, rather than a taxi driver.

One oddity of the taxi system is crossing the bridges. Because of the traffic problems and snarls at the bridges, the city has instituted a system in which half the taxis are not permitted to cross the bridge on half the days. Basically, if the day of the month is odd, odd-numbered taxis are allowed to use the Number One Bridge. If the day of the month is even, even-numbered taxis are allowed to use the Number One Bridge. This system may extend to the Number Two Bridge (this is not yet confirmed) but it does not extend to the Number Three Bridge. In most circumstances, however, it is not advisable to use the Number Three Bridge as it tends to increase the taxi fares dramatically (although it is an interesting ride).

By ferry
The Yangtze River can be crossed by ferry for a very reasonable fee of ¥1.5. The ferry offers by virtue of its unique location some nice views of the city, the Number One Yangtze River Bridge, Yellow Crane Tower, etc. during the day and an interesting nightscape view after dark.

The main ferry route is between the Wuhan Customs House Wharf in Hankou and Zhonghua Road Wharf in Wuchang. The ferry on this route runs frequently starting at 06:30 and ending at 24:00. The fare is increased to ¥10 after 20:10. A special express ferry operates on the same route between 08:45 and 17:25. The fare for the express ferry is ¥5.

By car
Wuhan's perpetually snarled traffic has long been famous. The city, however, has invested a lot of money and effort in improving the road infrastructure. In the 2000s, a popular type of project was building two-level intersections at important street crossings, or putting sections of a street underground in locations with a lot of pedestrian traffic (e.g. in front of Wuchang or Hankou Railway Stations). Sometimes, an entire street was put underground (e.g. Ba Yi St south of the Wuhan University campus). In the 2010s, the city starting converting entire streets into two-level structures, with most traffic going on the elevated highway, and the local traffic, on the street level below. This, for example, has been done to Xiongchu Rd in Wuchang. While all these projects improve the traffic situation in the long run, they -- as well as subway construction -- create temporary bottlenecks for the duration of the construction work.

By bicycle
Bicyclists can be frequently seen on Wuhan's streets, although by 2018 there seem to be more riders of rental bikes than people who ride their own bicycles. If you want to see an iconic Chinese scene of the late 20th century, a huge crowd of people riding bicycles, you'll need to come to a popular park, such as the East Lake, on a good-weather weekend.

The ambitious Wuhan Greenway (武汉绿道) project aims to create a large network of wide pedestrian / bicycle paths throughout the Greater Wuhan. As of 2018, the paths along Ba Yi Rd and around all the sections of the East Lake have been completed, providing for a pleasant, even though not always very direct routes e.g. from several numerous university campuses in eastern Wuchang (Wuhan University, Sports University, Geosciences University, HUST) all the way to the Wuhan Railway Station area.

Crossing the Yangtze with a bicycle is somewhat of a challenge. Apparently, only the First Bridge allows bicycle riders; the Second Bridge allows pedestrians, but requires that bicycles be pushed. The rest of the bridges are for the automotive traffic only. Bicycles can also be taken on river ferries, for an additional fee (¥1). (More info: 武汉自行车免费“坐船”过江延至年底 "The bicycles-ride-free ferry offer is extended to the end of the year").)

Learn
Wuhan boasts eight national colleges and universities among its 36 colleges and universities. The city is among one of the biggest college towns with over a million college students in the city. Most of the colleges are in Wuchang and around the Optics Valley Square (Guanggu Guangchang). The OVS station ranks the highest for subway ridership in the system ever since its opening.

National

 * Wuhan University (武汉大学 Wǔhàn Dàxué), It is regarded as one of the top ten universities in China, and its history dates back to 1893, making it one of China's oldest institutions of higher learning. It was also one of the first modern "national universities" in post-dynastic China. See more info above, under "See".
 * Huazhong University of Science and Technology (华中科技大学 Huázhōng Kējì Dàxué), another of the top ten Chinese university in Wuhan, evolved from a 1953 school specialized in science and engineering studies. It is now a university providing complete education, but some of its engineering programs are among the best in China. It has a medical campus in Hankou (Tongji Medical School), but the main campus is on Luoyu Road, Wuchang. See more info above, under "See".
 * South-Central University for Nationalities (中南民族大学 Zhōngnán Mínzú Dàxué). It is a national university in Wuhan under the State Ethnic Affairs Commission of PRC. It is a comprehensive university founded in 1951 and formerly known as the South Central College for Nationalities (中南民族学院). In March 2002, the school adopted the current name. It is one of the 6 national higher education institutes for ethnic minorities in China. The campus has a pleasant waterfront on Wuhan's South Lake (南湖 Nanhu).
 * Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU) (华中农业大学) also known as Central China Agricultural University, HZAU is a multi-disciplinary comprehensive university in Wuhan, giving priority to agriculture, characterized by life sciences and supplemented by the combination of agriculture, basic sciences, engineering, liberal arts, law, agricultural economics, economic trade, and management. HZAU, one of the first groups of universities in China which are authorized to confer Ph.D. and M.A. degrees, has produced the new China's first doctor majoring in agronomy. As far as education quality and academic level, HZAU ranks first among the agricultural universities in China. In addition, it has been converted into a nationally important base for training senior special agricultural personnel and developing agricultural science and technology. It is a Chinese Ministry of Education Double First Class Discipline University, with Double First Class status in certain disciplines.Covering an area of 495 hectares, the campus contains well-spaced teaching blocks and lab buildings and is surrounded on three sides by clear lakes and backed by green hills, making it an ideal place for teaching and research. HZAU has established exchange and cooperation relationships with over 150 institutions of 40 countries and regions such as the United States, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Britain, France, and Pakistan built up joint training programs with many foreign universities. In addition, there are 20 international foundations and organizations who have developed cooperation programs with HZAU. HZAU also hosts many international students. The university has an International College, engaged in enrollment and management of foreign students (including undergraduates, postgraduates and doctoral students, post doctorates and visiting scholars), management and teaching of Chinese as a foreign language of international exchange students. Up to now, there are about 500 foreign students from 50 countries and regions to receive further education in HZAU. Most of these students are sponsored by fully funded scholarships by China Scholarship Council (CSC).

Eat
Wuhan is famous for its morning xiaochi - a variety of breakfast foods. Hubuxiang in Wuchang is Wuhan's famous breakfast alley where you will find all of Wuhan's famous breakfast dishes. Reganmian (热干面) (literally, "hot dry noodle") is the epitome of Wuhan's breakfast food. It is noodles with peanut sauce, tossed in sesame paste and other seasonings. You will find these noodles for ¥2 from street vendors. Other Wuhan breakfast specialties include mianwo, a type of savory donut; tangbao (汤包), small dumpling-buns filled with pork and soup; mibaba, a lightly sweetened pancake made with rice flour; and mijiu tangyuan (米酒汤圆), a sweet soup of rice wine (fermented from glutinous rice) with rice flour dumplings sometimes stuffed with sesame paste.

Real men find their fuel on the streets betwixt the hours of 12:00-05:00. On these streets there are generous and well-meaning folk selling dumplings, noodles, wok food, and foies gras. On the odd occasion that the lounge is closed, one is able to sit outside and enjoy the night air, the delightful local dialect, and any foods you order. If you are in the mood for a more romantic night on the town, there are countless 3-wall restaurants with candle lights upon the tables, live music flowing from the muses' mouths, and 4-star restaurants' finest fair at a reasonable and sanitary locale.

Since Wuchang is an education center with many universities hosting so many international students, therefore, a number of South Asian and Arabic cuisine restaurants have opened in the city. These restaurants are equally popular among Chinese and the foreigners, especially the international students.

Drink
There are a few drinks that are associated with the city. Included in this list is Jingjiu (a healthy alternative to regular wines), Baijiu. If you would like to taste something slightly more low key, there is a local micro-brew called Singo (Xingyinge), that will be the beginning of every good night, at ¥1.5 per bottle.

Respect
Although the COVID-19 pandemic was first identified in Wuhan, calling it "Wuhan pneumonia" or "Wuhan disease" is very offensive to locals.

Consulates

 * 🇫🇷 France
 * 🇰🇷 South Korea
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * 🇺🇸 United States

Go next

 * Jingzhou, the capital during the Warring states period.
 * Yichang for the Three Gorges and the Shennongjia Mountains.
 * Mount Wudang for its Taoist temples and monasteries.
 * Xianning for the Underground Project 131
 * Zhongxiang with the Ming Xianling mausoleum
 * Xian retains its city walls and has a remarkable collection of buildings and museums, including the Terracotta army.

title: Wuhan


text:
Wuhu

Wuhu (芜湖; Wúhú) is a city in Anhui Province in China. Many Chinese say there's not much to do here, but with a nice food street and proximity to larger cities like Nanjing and Hefei, it's worth a day trip.

By plane
The airport serving the city is Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport, with flights to domestic destinations.

The second closest airport is Nanjing Lukou International Airport, with international flights and more domestic flights.

By train

 * From Hefei, the province's capital city, there is a frequent train connection to Wuhu which takes approximately 2 hours. Wuhu is the second stop from Hefei.
 * From Nanjing, take the high-speed train from Nanjing South Railway Station. Wuhu is the second stop (first stop: Ma'anshan).
 * From Shanghai, take the high-speed train from Shanghai Hongqiao Station.

By bus
Direct bus service to Wuhu is available at least once a day from Nanjing and Shanghai. From Nanjing, the ride takes 1 hours 40 minutes, from Shanghai 6 hours.

By bus
There are several bus lines throughout Wuhu. A single journey costs ¥1 in regular buses and ¥2 in air conditioned buses.

By taxi
Taxis can be found easily at every street. The meters start at ¥5.5. Expect to pay between 5.5 and ¥10 depending on where you are going within the city limits. When it rains, it is almost impossible to find an unoccupied taxi.

The best way for non-Chinese speakers to get around would be to show Chinese addresses to taxi drivers.

Eat

 * Phoenix Food Street (凤凰美食街) East of the intersection between Zhongshan Bei Lu and Silver Lake Nan Lu (中山北路&银湖南路). A simple street with lots of restaurants, stalls, and dry goods vendors.

Sleep

 * Wuhu Little Snail Youth Hostel (芜湖小蜗牛青年旅舍), Jinghu District, Wuhu City, Wenhua Road No. 19, Century Garden Community, Building H number 1802 (安徽省芜湖市镜湖区火车站两站广场文化路19号(天桥旁边)世纪花园小区H坐1802号) 138-55334483 A cozy converted apartment with a good look over the city. There's no heating in winter, but plenty of blankets. It's very close to the train station (芜湖站, not 芜湖东站); and you can get there from the station by taking line 31 from 芜湖站东广场 to 联盛广场西 (文化路). ~¥50/night

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Wuhu


text:
Wujie

Wujie ((五結; Wǔjiē) is a town in Ilan County. Located on the coast near Luodong. The town has a population of around 40,000.

Get in
Take a train to Luodong and then a taxi from the train station. If you're heading to the traditional arts center, you can take a taxi directly there, or go to the DongShan Waterpark (which is closer by taxi) and take a boat to the traditional arts center.

See

title: Wujie


text:
Wulai

Wulai (烏來區) is a small town in New Taipei, Taiwan, famous for its hot springs and aboriginal culture. The name of the town derives from the Atayal phrase kirofu ulai meaning "hot and poisonous". Don't let this scare you away from this lovely town! Consider going during the week if you can as it is quite crowded on the weekend. Also, in the summer, it might be a few degrees cooler than Taipei, but the elevation is not sufficient to provide real cooling.

In August 2015, Wulai was severely damaged by Typhoon Souledor. The road to Wulai was washed out completely and the town largely destroyed. Since then, the roads have been repaired and hotsprings are operating as normal, with some road work continuing.

Get in
MRT to Xindian Station (Xindian line). Take the bus, Bus Number 849, with destination name 烏來 Wu Lai at the bus stop in front of the station, just behind the Information Counter. The bus journey takes about 40 minutes (longer on weekends) and it is a one section fare, costs NT$15. If you are using the EasyCard, remember to tap both when you are getting on and getting off. Wulai is the last stop, so you can enjoy the journey without worrying when to get off. A seat on the right side of the bus allows views over the river.

The easiest and fastest way to get to Wulai is to take a taxi from Taipei. It only takes 30 minutes from Xindian MRT station, but is not cheap. At the Xindian MRT taxi line, they have a taxi fare sign with predetermined fares (depending on the destination). Going to Wulai from the Xindian MRT will cost you NT$600 one way. Returning from Wulai by taxi can be negotiated and should be cheaper than NT$600, but not cheaper than the bus.

Get around
This compact little town is easily covered on foot. There's a map posted next to the bus stop, with all tourist destinations clearly marked in English. If the taxi drivers waiting there tell you that Wulai Waterfall is too far away to walk, don't believe them: it's a nice stroll of less than half an hour. The walk also passes through the open air market on Wulai Old Street, and continues to the falls via the "Lover's Path", which affords some nice views of the river gorge below the falls.

The Wulai Scenic Train brings you to the terminus of the cable car that brings you to the top of a nearby mountain. From the main tourist street in the town, cross the bridge, and take the wooden staircase across the road. It goes up to the left. Follow the pedestrian street to the station. The scenic train costs NT$50 each way and takes you one and a half kilometers up the valley.

 * The Gondola is a spectacular way to see Wulai Falls as it takes visitors from the base of the gorge to the top of the mountain. At the top there is a hotel, conference center, and a beautiful garden park with paddle boats, nature trails, and a natural obstacle course (雲仙樂園)

Do
Famous for its natural hot water springs, along with Beitou, Wulai is the place in the Taipei area to soak away the winter cold and damp. In fact, the name Wulai is the aboriginal tribe Atayal's term for hot springs. The springs at Wulai are clear and odorless. Public hot spring etiquette requires that bathers thoroughly wash and rinse off their bodies before entering the bath, do not wear clothing (including swimwear) in the bath and tie up their hair so that it does not touch the water. Finally, people with high blood pressure, heart disease or open wounds should not enter the baths.

Places to bath

 * Gwoji Hotel (Hotel International) charges NT$450 for a soak in their baths. In the public pool area, there are three hot (one outdoor) and one cold pool, a sauna and steam bath. It is a very relaxing and well maintained facility. The hotel is located on the right, about two minutes after crossing the main bridge into town.
 * Long Men (龍門). The first store on the left near the tourist area adjacent to the Nashih Riverea. First time visitors are greeted with a cool, one-time offer of two-hours in a hot spring room for NT$200. The facilities include TV, music and whirlpool option. The spring also offer rooms for further relaxation.
 * Yunding Hotel (雲頂) NT$500 will get you a soak in the outdoor pools at Yunding Hotel (Top of the Clouds). While the main building itself is a bit tacky, the outlay of baths has obviously been inspired by the spacious and luxurious resorts in Bali and Thailand. The hotel has two bathing areas, which they alternate for women and men. Call to make sure that the large baths are available for you on the day that you plan to go. The small bathing area is nowhere near as impressive as its larger neighbor. Yunding Hotel is located right at the very top of the town - turn right after crossing the second bridge and keep going up. The hotel is painted purple.
 * The free hot springs are on the other side of the Nanshih River from the tourist street in downtown Wulai. Just cross the bridge, turn right, and walk up the road. Soon, on the right, you will see a stairway that takes you down to the river. Walk along the river and you will soon arrive at a rustic outdoor public hot springs area, with changing rooms, several pools, and even a sauna. You can also take a dip in the river when the water level is low and the current is weak. As this area is in the open, swimming wear must be worn.

Hiking
There are a number of excellent hiking trails in the mountains around Wulai.

Buy

 * Hand woven cloth made in traditional aboriginal designs. Available at stores on the main street.
 * Mochi candy made of sticky rice (mua-ji) is a specialty of Wulai.
 * Atayal Specialty millet wine, along with many many other types of Taiwanese liquor
 * Spa treatments and massages

Eat

As an Atayal aboriginal town, Wulai has a host of unusual and delicious dishes, including wild boar, Reeve's muntjac (山羌 - shan qiang), and bird's nest fern (山蘇 - shan su). A specialty of the area is seasoned rice steamed in a tube of bamboo (竹筒飯 - zhu tong fan). Another Aboriginal specialty is Millet Wine (小米酒), and various foods are seasoned with the Aboriginal spice maqaw (馬告, Litsea cubeba).

Sleep
There are numerous hotels in Wulai, making this a nice weekend getaway from Taipei. Many hotels will offer rooms with personal hotspring tubs, prices vary but a nice room with personal hotspring and sauna can be had for NT$4,500. Most people stay in Taipei and come to Wulai for a day trip.

Go next
To get back to Taipei, take the 烏來 Xindian-Taipei Main Station bus (849), and get off at the Xindian MRT station or continue on to the terminal stop Taipei Main Station for NT$45.

title: Wulai


text:
Wulingyuan

Wulingyuan (武陵源) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site near the city of Zhangjiajie in Hunan, China.

Note: Wulingyuan is the name of one of the parks that make up the "Zhangjiajie Scenic Area". It is also the name of a city/district on the eastern side of the park which has numerous guesthouses, hotels and restaurants.

Understand
Wulingyuan Scenic Area is comprised of several national parks, the most famous of which is Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, a park is full of stunning karst pillars of sandstone, covered with sub-tropical rainforest. The park is often covered in fog, adding to the mystery but obscuring views. The mountains in director James Cameron's movie Avatar may have been inspired by the scenery here. Park officials have renamed one of the peaks "Avatar Hallelujah Mountain" (阿凡达-哈利路亚山; Āfándá hālìlùyà shān).

History
Wulingyuan was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

Flora and fauna
Wulingyuan covers 3 natural reserves, and contains over 500 tree species, including dawn redwood, believed extinct until it was re-identified in 1948. There are also giant salamanders, rhesus monkeys, and many bird types. The monkeys have become accustomed to human visitors, and have been known to grab white plastic shopping bags from visitors to look for food.

Climate
There is extensive fog in the park at times, and summers are very humid. Temperatures vary greatly between early morning and late afternoon. In May, mornings can be a temperate 18 °C but rapidly reaching 30 °C by noon. Occasional snowfalls in winter make for beautiful landscapes, but walkways may be very slippery.

Get in
Generally, you'll first arrive in Zhangjiajie city.

A taxi from Zhangjiajie city to Wulingyuan entrance should cost about ¥100. You can also get a taxi directly from the Zhangjiajie airport.

A bus from Zhangjiajie city is a cheaper option, costing ¥20. Buses run every 10 minutes or so from the Zhangjiajie central bus station (张家界中心汽车站, just beside the train station, about 3 km east of the airport as a bird flies) to two locations: Travel time is 45–60 minutes. These routes do not have numbers - arrive in the bus station, go out to the outdoor platforms on the left, and ask for the route.
 * "Zhangjiajie National Forest Park" (the southern entrance of the park)
 * "Wulingyuan" (武陵源), which is a town whose west end also has an entrance to the park (about 1 km due west of Wulingyuan bus station).

Fees and permits
As of September 2018, ticket costs are as follows. All tickets include free rides on the internal bus system. Except for the annual ticket (unlimited validity for 1 year) other tickets are valid for 4 consecutive days. Insurance is an extra ¥3 for each ticket type.

Peak-season ticket (Mar - Nov): ¥255 Off-peak ticket (Dec - Feb): ¥115 Annual ticket (valid for 1 year): ¥298

For full time students (24 and under, age proof and student ID required) the entrance costs are half. The cashiers will want to see ID to ensure you are 24 or under.

Tickets may also be bought online (must be purchased at least 10 days in advance) for an additional discount. See this website for more information (Chinese language only, and must have a Chinese ID card).

Note: These tickets do not include the cable cars or scenic elevator. Each of these requires an addition ticket costing ¥65-72.

Payment at the entrance can be made in cash, WeChat Pay, or Alipay.

Get around
You can find different maps of the site online. The most comprehensive one (of which a paper copy can be bought for ¥5 at the site) is available here. It is, however, geographically quite inaccurate in its details. For a more accurate but less complete map, see OpenStreetMap.

There are three cable cars in the park - Yuangjiajie (in the west), Huangshizai (in the south), and Tianzi Mountain (in the east). Many other roads go across the park, many hiking trails go in between those and there is also a "mini train". There is also, the highest elevator in the world with 326m height, a providing scenic views on its own via the glass sides. Train and elevator cost extra in the range of ¥80-90 (April 2017) one way.

There are two main ticketing gates, one at Zhangjiajie (south side) and one at Wulingyuan (east side). From each of those gates, there are buses that take you into the actual park for free.

It may be difficult to find a bus going counterclockwise around the park as opposed to clockwise. Buses particularly on the north side may not stop frequently. Queuing is common but park managers apparently try to put enough buses into circulation to limit wait times at any major stop to 20 minutes.

Do
The main highlight is following the many paths through the stunning sandstone landscape. Some paths are short and easy, while others are long and involve hundreds of meters of exhausting climbing. The main sights are easily reachable from the bus stops but walkways will be clogged with tourist. As soon as you venture out to a 'minor' track, you'll be alone.

See

The park is enormous and there is no way you can see it all, even in two days, so plan ahead and know which areas you want to visit. The signage in the park is not always adequate, so buy a map from a vendor in the village before you go in (some maps are in both Chinese and English). The buses and cable cars are quite useful for getting from one hiking area to another.

Keep in mind that every part of the park has stunning terrain. While many particular locations in the park have been given fanciful names which are marked on maps, if you miss any particular rock feature you can still get the park experience from similar features located elsewhere.

Some highlights of hiking include the following natural landmarks:
 * Huang Shi Zhai (黄石寨)  The highest area in the park at, which can be climbed up a 3,878-step stairway, but you can take a cable car instead
 * Kongzhong Tianyuan This garden sits on an outcropping surrounded by slender peaks
 * Xianren Qiao (Bridge of the Immortals) This spectacular, narrow rock bridge is over a deep chasm, with no railings. Access to the bridge is blocked by barbed wire, but some daredevils choose to walk over it anyway. There are several amazing look-out points you can walk to nearby, including "Great Viewing Platform," "Emperor's Throne" and "Cock-Pecking."
 * Golden Whip Stream This famous stream begins near the Zhangjiajie village park entrance and continues for several kilometres through the park. There is a walking path along the length of the stream, from where you can look up at the karsts all around you.
 * At around the halfway point (200 m before Zicao Pool) you will come to a restaurant and souvenir shop. At this point there is a bridge across the stream, which leads to a different trail (about 4.5 km) through the Shadao Gully. The second half of the Shadao Gully trail is a steep flight of steps, but it leads to one of the most beautiful areas of the park. At the top of the staircase is a road with frequent buses that can take you to the First Bridge of the World (to the right) or to Xianren Qiao (to the left) and many other places. There is also Zhongtian International Youth Hostel (Yuanjiajie) 50 m to the right along the road (see Lodging below).
 * If you continue along the Golden Whip Stream around 200 m after Zicao Pool you will come to "Meeting of Thousands of Ways" attraction point. Here you can turn to another trail which eventually leads you to the following attraction points with great view: Back Garden, Enchanting Terrace, First Bridge of the World (see below).
 * After another 2 km of walking the Golden Whip Stream path ends by a bus station with souvenir shops and food outlets. From here you can take a bus to the lower stations of Bailong elevator (¥56 adult one-way), sightseeing mini-train, Tianzi Mountain cable car and also to the Wulingyuan park entrance.
 * First Bridge of the World (天下第一桥 - Tian Xia Di Yi Qiao) This is a natural rock bridge similar to Xianren Qiao, but with guard rails that make it much safer to walk across. The bridge is really just a minor part of the incredible panoramic views to be seen along this short and easy trail. Not to be missed.
 * Yupi Feng These thin, spiky columns hundreds of feet high are featured on stamps and resemble calligraphy letters
 * Yaozizai Unlike the other attraction points with nice scenery this area is much less crowded. You may hardly encounter a few people here for hours of hiking. This area can be reached from either ends of the Golden Whip Stream path. There is also a turn to the Yaozizai area near Zicao Pool at the Golden Whip Stream path.

Some other spectacular sites are located outside the main nature reserve, a short taxi ride away (there are rumored to be buses as well):

Tip: Try to find an elderly-looking man named Mr Zhou (周) who hangs out inside the Zhangjiajie park entrance. He offers to help carry bags using a bamboo stick. As it turns out, he knows the park inside-out, and he is also willing to work as a park guide. He is highly reliable, honest, and patient. On our last day, he even arranged transportation for us to Zhangjiajie and accompanied us all the way to make sure we would catch our flight.

Buy
At random points along the trails, you can find little stands selling food, water, and souvenirs. Try cooked eggs (¥3 each), fried tofu (¥10 a cup), cucumbers (¥10) that are sold everywhere in the park.

Eat
Wulingyuan is in Hunan province, a region known for its spicy cuisine. In Zhangjiajie Cun lots of little restaurants have exotic wildlife on display in cages outside - which turn out to constitute the menu. You can have turtle, snake, toad and a huge variety of interesting and obscure fish and shellfish. Definitely interesting. It has been suggested some of these are endangered species, however.

Warning: The restaurants inside Zhangjiajie National Forest Park may present menus printed with ridiculous tourist prices (for example, ¥388 for a whole chicken dish). However, you can try to bargain. After some heated insistence, we were able to get more than 50% off the menu prices. It's better to save your appetite (and money) for the string of restaurants located outside the park entrance.

Drink
If you are doing a serious hike, remember to bring lots of water! The more heavily travelled trails are lined periodically with vendors selling food and water. But in the more remote parts of the park, on the more difficult trails, vendors are unlikely to be found.

Sleep
There are hotels in the main villages, Zhangjiajie Cun and Suoxiyu Cun, and there are simple inns throughout the reserve.

As of 2019, hotels and homestay within the park itself are being torn down by the government. All villagers are being moved to the town's at the base of the mountain. Expect to be unable to stay in the park itself going forward.

 * Corner No. 1 Guesthouse (Zhuan Jiao 1 Hao, 转角1号旅馆). Smalley, cosy guesthouse right next to the main bus terminal in Wulingyuan. Rooms are big and spacious, and the owner very friendly. Double bed rooms from ¥88/night
 * Railway Hotel (Tielu Binguan)- a budget hotel in Zhangjiajie village which can be booked online for ¥120 for a double room.
 * There are several new and trendy midrange hotels in the northeast of town (that is, near the park entrance and on an alley just north of Jundi street (军邸路) about 500 m west-north-west of the bus station where buses from Zhangjiajie arrive).

Chinese-speaking touts offering rooms will meet visitors at the Zhangjiajie village bus or the train station. You can probably get a cheap room for about ¥50 for a double by following one of these guys, but be prepared to bargain.

Camping
Camping is not allowed in the parks.

Stay safe
The park is full of extremely steep cliffs. Generally these are safe since they are well guarded with railings (as long as you stick to the official trails), but those with fear of heights or dropoffs should stick to the roads or take a boat cruise.

Go next

 * Tianmen Mountain, if you didn't go there already.

title: Wulingyuan


text:
Wu phrasebook

Wú (吴语) or "Shanghai dialect" or "Shanghainese" (上海话) is the main local language for much of East China — the municipality of Shanghai, most of Zhejiang province, and the southern parts of Jiangsu province. There are also some speakers in neighbouring Chinese provinces. There are local variants of the language; the standard is that of Suzhou (an older city, capital of the Kingdom of Wu centuries back, and home to many scholars), not that of Shanghai. Mutual intelligibility between different Wu dialects varies; while someone from Shanghai will be able to understand the Suzhou dialect fairly easily, comprehension becomes harder in cities further afield like Wuxi and Hangzhou, while the Wenzhou dialect is completely incomprehensible. It is therefore common for Wu speakers from different cities to communicate in Mandarin instead. This is a populous region and the number of Wu speakers is large; on Wikipedia's list of world languages by number of native speakers it ranks 13th with 70-odd million, slightly below German but ahead of French and Italian. On their list by total number of speakers, Wu is 18th. On both lists, it is ahead of Vietnamese, Korean, and any other Chinese language except Mandarin.

Few travellers are likely to need or want to learn Wu. Throughout China, Mandarin has been the main language of government, education, media, and entertainment, for over half a century. Nearly all Wu speakers have at least some Mandarin as well, and the educated ones are generally completely fluent. Also, the major cities where Wu is the main local language — Shanghai, Suzhou, Ningbo and Hangzhou — are all quite prosperous and full of immigrants or temporary migrant workers who come from areas where Wu is not spoken. As anywhere else in China, Mandarin is the lingua franca for communication between people from different areas. Most foreigners living in the region choose to learn Mandarin rather than Wu.

That said, if you are spending a significant length of time in the region, then learning some Wu may be useful. It will almost certainly please and amuse the locals.

Pronunciation guide
Unlike Mandarin, there is no widely-used Romanization system for Wu, and there is even no standardized Romanization system like Jyutping developed by Linguistic Society of Hong Kong for Cantonese, though some scholars did create several systems to Romanize Wu. Since native speakers almost have no idea about those, Chinese characters are what you should stick to for written communication.

This is partly due to the fact that, because standard written Chinese is based on Mandarin, many words in Wu are written with characters of the same meaning in standard written Chinese.

Here one of the Romanization system created by scholars is used. Some adjustments are made to allow non-native speakers to understand more easily.

Consonants
Unlike Mandarin and Cantonese, Wu does not only distinguish between aspirated and unaspirated consonants, but also between voiceless and voiced, thus maintaining the three-way contrast of Middle Chinese stop consonants and affricates, /p pʰ b/, /tɕ tɕʰ dʑ/, etc. Aspirated sounds are pronounced with a distinctive puff of air as they are pronounced in English when at the beginning of a word, while unaspirated sounds are pronounced without the puff, as in English when found in clusters.

Consonants m, n or ng alone can form a syllable without any extra vowels.

Note: when gh is followed by i, u and iu (/y/, listed in vowels below), it sounds like "y" in yard or "w" in way to English speakers. The spelling is changed to "y" or "w" accordingly:
 * gh + i = yi
 * gh + ieu = yeu
 * gh + iu = yu
 * gh + uan = wan
 * gh + u = wu

It should be noticed that "y" and "yu" represents two other sounds if not at the beginning of a syllable (as listed in vowels below), different from this case where "y" or "yu" is at the beginning.

Vowels
Wu is rich in vowels. Do not worry if some of them are difficult for you. Speak a little slowly and native speakers will probably understand you even when you make a mistake.

A "q" after a vowel represents a glottal stop (ʔ), and in this case, the vowel should be short in time, and ends suddenly. Otherwise the vowel should be relatively long. When "n" follows "a" or "ao", it means the vowel is nasalized.

Attention that y/yu at the beginning of a syllable means gh + i/iu, as mentioned above in consonants.

Common diphthongs
Most diphthongs in Wu starts with i, u or iu (/y/) and ends with another vowel in the list above. The exceptions are as below.

Tones
Like other varieties of Chinese, Wu is tonal. Tone sandhi is very common in Wu, which makes it a little harder to learn than Mandarin. However, unlike Mandarin and Cantonese, voiceless and voiced consonants are still distinguished in Wu, as in Middle Chinese. The tones of a syllable beginning with a voiceless consonant ("yin" tones) usually sounds higher than those with a voiced consonant ("yang" tones). When these rules are observed, it is easy for native speakers to understand you even when you make a mistake.

Since there is no standardized symbol to represent tones in Wu, here numbers are used according to Middle Chinese, as done by most scholars.

 * Tones in Suzhou

 * {| class="wikitable"

! Number !! Name !! Pitch !! Notes
 * 1 || Yinping || ˦˦ (44) || For syllables beginning with a voiceless consonant and NOT ending with "q"
 * 2 || Yangping || ˨˧ (23) || For syllables beginning with a voiced consonant and NOT ending with "q"
 * 3 || Yinshang || ˥˩ (51) || For syllables beginning with a voiceless consonant and NOT ending with "q"
 * 4 || Yangshang || ˧˩ (31) || For syllables beginning with a voiced consonant and NOT ending with "q"
 * 5 || Yinqu || ˦˩˨ (412) || For syllables beginning with a voiceless consonant and NOT ending with "q"
 * 7 || Yinru || ˥ʔ (5) || For syllables beginning with a voiceless consonant and ending with "q"
 * 8 || Yangru || ˧ʔ (3) || For syllables beginning with a voiced consonant and ending with "q"
 * }
 * 5 || Yinqu || ˦˩˨ (412) || For syllables beginning with a voiceless consonant and NOT ending with "q"
 * 7 || Yinru || ˥ʔ (5) || For syllables beginning with a voiceless consonant and ending with "q"
 * 8 || Yangru || ˧ʔ (3) || For syllables beginning with a voiced consonant and ending with "q"
 * }
 * 8 || Yangru || ˧ʔ (3) || For syllables beginning with a voiced consonant and ending with "q"
 * }
 * }

Tone sandhi in Suzhou

 * Tones in Shanghai

 * {| class="wikitable"

! Number !! Name !! Pitch !! Notes
 * 1 || Yinping || 52 || For syllables beginning with a voiceless consonant and NOT ending with "q"
 * 5 || Yinqu || 34 || For syllables beginning with a voiceless consonant and NOT ending with "q"
 * 6 || Yangqu || 23 || For syllables beginning with a voiced consonant and NOT ending with "q"
 * 7 || Yinru || 44 || For syllables beginning with a voiceless consonant and ending with "q"
 * 8 || Yangru || 24 || For syllables beginning with a voiced consonant and ending with "q"
 * }
 * 7 || Yinru || 44 || For syllables beginning with a voiceless consonant and ending with "q"
 * 8 || Yangru || 24 || For syllables beginning with a voiced consonant and ending with "q"
 * }
 * 8 || Yangru || 24 || For syllables beginning with a voiced consonant and ending with "q"
 * }

Tone sandhi in Shanghai

Usually among young generations in Shanghai who speak Mandarin more often, tones have become pitch accent, only appear in falling and rising, similar to Japanese.

Phrase list
The following is listed in both simplified and traditional Chinese characters, and both Suzhou and Shanghai pronunciation. Traditional characters are put in brackets after the same word or sentence written in simplified characters.

Basics

 * Hello. : 倷好 ne4 hae3. (Suzhou) 侬好（儂好）nong6 hau5. (Shanghai)
 * What is your name? : 倷叫啥名字？ ne3 ciae5 sao5 min2 zy4? (Suzhou) 侬叫啥名字？（儂叫啥名字）nong6 ciau5 sa5 min6 zy6? (Shanghai)
 * My name is ______ . : 我叫 ______ . ngou4 ciae5 ______ . (Suzhou) ngu6 ciau5 ______ . (Shanghai)
 * Please. : 请. （請. ）tshin3. (Suzhou) chin5. (Shanghai)
 * Thank you. : 谢谢. （謝謝. ）ziao4 ziao4. (Suzhou) zhia6 zhia6. (Shanghai, usually pronounced as zhia6 ia6)
 * You're welcome. : 覅客气. （覅客氣. ）fiae5 kaoq7 chi5. (Suzhou) viau6 kaq7 chi5. (Shanghai)
 * Yes. : 是. zy4. (Suzhou) zy6. (Shanghai) (Note: Only some questions are answered with this. As with other varieties of Chinese, affirmation is generally done by repeating the verb in the question.)
 * No. : 弗是. feq7 zy4. (Suzhou) veq8 zy6. (Shanghai)
 * Excuse me. : 弗好意思. feq7 hae3 i5 sy1. (Suzhou) veq8 hau5 i5 sy1. (Shanghai)
 * I'm sorry. : 对弗起/对弗住. （對弗起/對弗住. ） te5 feq7 chi3 / te5 feq7 zyu4. (Suzhou) te5 veq8 chi5 / te5 veq8 zy6. (Shanghai)
 * Goodbye : 再会. （再會. ）tse5 we4. (Suzhou) tse5 we6. (shanghai)
 * I can't speak Suzhounese/Shanghainese [well]. : 我弗会讲苏州闲话. （我弗會講蘇州閒話. ）ngou4 feq7 ue5 kaon3 sou1 tseu1 ghe2 gho4. (Suzhou) 我弗会讲上海闲话. （我弗會講上海閒話. ）ngu6 veq8 ue5 kaon5 zaon6 he5 ghe6 gho6. (Shanghai)
 * Do you speak English? : 倷啊会讲英文？（倷啊會講英文？）ne3 aq7 ue5 kaon3 in1 ven2? (Suzhou) 侬英文讲得来𠲎？（儂英文講得來𠲎？）nong6 in1 ven6 kaon5 teq7 le6 vah8? (Shanghai)
 * Is there someone here who speaks English? : 啊有人会讲英文？（啊有人會講英文？）aq7 yeu4 gnin2 ue5 kaon3 in1 ven2? (Suzhou) 有人英文讲得来𠲎？（有人英文講得來𠲎？）yeu6 gnin6 in1 ven6 kaon5 teq7 le6 vah8? (Shanghai)
 * Help! : 救命！cieu5 min4! (Suzhou) cieu5 min6! (Shanghai)
 * Look out! : 当心！（當心！）taon1 sin1. (Suzhou) taon1 shin1. (Shanghai)
 * I don't understand. : 我弗懂. ngou4 feq7 tong5. (Suzhou) ngu6 veq8 tong5. (Shanghai)
 * Where is the toilet? : 厕所勒嗱垯？（廁所勒嗱墶？）tshy5 sou3 leq8 no2 taq7? (Suzhou) 厕所勒嚡里垯？（廁所勒嚡裏墶？）tshy5 su5 leq8 gha6 li6 taq7? (Shanghai)

Problems

 * Go away : 走开！（走開！）tseu3 khe1! (Suzhou) tseu5 khe1! (Shanghai)
 * Don't touch me! : 覅碰我！ fiae5 ban4 ngou4! (Suzhou) viau6 ban6 ngu6! (Shanghai)
 * I'll call the police. : 我要叫警察 ngou4 iae5 ciae5 cin3 tshaoq7. (Suzhou) ngu6 iau5 ciau5 cin5 tshaq7. (Shanghai)
 * Police! : 警察 cin3 tshaq7 (Suzhou) cin5 tshaq7 (Shanghai)
 * Stop! : 停 din2 (Suzhou) din6 (Shanghai)
 * I need your help. : 我要倷帮忙. （我要倷幫忙. ）ngou4 iae5 ne4 paon1 maon2. (Suzhou) 我要侬帮忙. （我要儂幫忙. ）ngu6 iau5 nong2 paon1 maon6. (Shanghai)
 * I'm lost. : 我弗认得路哉. （我弗認得路哉. ）ngou4 feq7 gnin4 teq7 lou4 tse1. (Suzhou) 我弗认得路勒. （我弗認得路勒. ）ngu6 veq8 gnin6 teq7 lu6 leq8. (Shanghai)
 * I lost my purse/wallet. : 我皮夹子弗见脱哉. （我皮夾子弗見脫哉. ）ngou4 bi2 kaq7 tsy3 feq7 cie5 theq7 tse1. (Suzhou) 我皮夹子弗见脱勒. （我皮夾子弗見脫勒. ）ngu6 bi6 kaq7 tsy5 veq8 ci5 theq7 leq8. (Shanghai)
 * I'm sick. : 我生病哉. ngou4 san1 bin4 tse1. (Suzhou) 我生病勒. ngu6 san1 bin6 leq8. (Shanghai)
 * I've been injured. : 我受伤哉. （我受傷哉. ）ngou4 zeu4 saon1 tse1. (Suzhou) 我受伤勒. （我受傷勒. ）ngu6 zeu6 saon1 leq8. (Shanghai)
 * I need a doctor. : 我要看医生. （我要看醫生. ）ngou4 iae5 khoe5 i1 saon1. (Suzhou) ngu6 iau5 khoe5 i1 saon1. (Shanghai)
 * Can I use your phone? : 我啊好用倷个电话？（我啊好用倷個電話？）ngou4 aq7 hae3 yong4 ne4 keq7 die4 gho4? (Suzhou) 我用一用侬个电话好𠲎？（我用一用儂個電話好𠲎？）ngu6 yong6 iq7 yong6 nong6 eq8 di6 gho6 hau5 vaq8? (Shanghai)

Numbers
Note: A single number 2 is usually read as 兩, but when 2 is the last digit of a multi-digit number (such as 2 in 12, and the last 2 in 2132) it is read as 二. (But in Mandarin, for single number 2, 兩 is only used when specifying quantities.)
 * 0: 零 lin2 (Suzhou) lin6 (Shanghai)
 * 1 : 一 iq7
 * 2 : 二 gni4 (Suzhou) gni6 (Shanghai) / 两（兩） lian4 (Suzhou) lian6 (Shanghai)
 * 3 : 三 se1
 * 4 : 四 sy5
 * 5 : 五 ng4 (Suzhou) ng6 (Shanghai)
 * 6 : 六 loq8
 * 7 : 七 tshiq7 (Suzhou) chiq7 (Shanghai)
 * 8 : 八 poq7 (Suzhou) paq7 (Shanghai)
 * 9 : 九 cieu5 (Suzhou) cieu5 (Shanghai)
 * 10 : 十 zeq8
 * 11-19 except 15 : 十 zeq8 + last digit (For 12, 二 is used, not 兩)
 * 15 : 舍五 soq7 ng4 (Suzhou) zeq8 ng6 (Shanghai)
 * 20 : 廿 gnie4 (Suzhou) gniae6 (Shanghai)
 * 21-29 except 25 : 廿 gnie4 (Suzhou) gniae6 (Shanghai) + last digit (For 22, 二 is used, not 兩)
 * 25 : 廿五 gniao4 ng4 / gnie4 ng4 (Suzhou) gniae6 ng6 (Shanghai)
 * 30-99 : When the last digit is not 0, it is read by combining the first digit, "10" and the last digit, as e.g. 42 is read as 四十二 ("four ten two"). When the last digit is 2, 二 is used, not 兩. However when the last digit is 5, the pronunciation of "10" changes to 舍 soq7 in Suzhou as in 15. When the last digit is 0, it is read by combining the first digit and "10", but the pronunciation of "10" always changes to seq7, as e.g. 50 is read as 五十 ng4 seq7 (Suzhou) ng6 seq7 (Shanghai) ("five ten").

For numbers above 100, any "gaps" must be filled in with 零 (0), as e.g. 1003 is read as 一千零三 ("one thousand zero three"), and 1030 as 一千零三十 ("one thousand zero three ten"). 一千三 ("one thousand three") would be taken as shorthand for 1300, which is usually read as 一千三百 ("one thousand three hundred").

 * 100 : 一百 iq7 paoq7 (Suzhou) iq7 paq7 (Shanghai)
 * 200 : 兩百 lian4 paoq7 (Suzhou) lian6 paq7 (Shanghai)
 * 300 : 三百 se1 paoq7 (Suzhou) se1 paq7 (Shanghai)
 * 1000 : 一千 iq7 tshie1 (Suzhou) iq7 chi1 (Shanghai)
 * 2000 : 兩千 lian4 tshie1 (Suzhou) lian6 chi1 (Shanghai)

Numbers starting from 10,000 are grouped by in units of four digits starting with 万（萬） [ve4 (Suzhou) ve6 (Shanghai)] (ten thousand). "One million" in read as 一百萬 ("one hundred ten-thousands").

 * 10,000 : 一万（一萬） iq7 ve4 (Suzhou) iq7 ve6 (Shanghai)
 * 20,000 : 两万（兩萬） lian4 ve4 (Suzhou) lian6 ve6 (Shanghai)
 * 100,000 : 十万（十萬） zeq8 ve4 (Suzhou) zeq8 ve6 (Shanghai)
 * 1,000,000 : 一百万（一百萬） iq7 paoq7 ve4 (Suzhou) iq7 paq7 ve6 (Shanghai)
 * 10,000,000 : 一千万（一千萬） iq7 tshie1 ve4 (Suzhou) iq7 chi1 ve6 (Shanghai)
 * 100,000,000 : 一亿（一億） iq7 i5
 * 1,000,000,000 : 十亿（十億） zeq8 i5
 * 10,000,000,000 : 一百亿（一百億） iq7 paoq7 i5 (Suzhou) iq7 paq7 i5 (Shanghai)
 * 100,000,000,000 : 一千亿（一千億） iq7 tshie1 i5 (Suzhou) iq7 chi1 i5 (Shanghai)
 * 1,000,000,000,000 : 一万亿（一萬億） iq7 ve4 i5 (Suzhou) iq7 ve6 i5 (Shanghai) / 一兆 iq7 zae4 (Suzhou) iq7 zau6 (Shanghai)

 * number _____ (train, bus, etc.) : _____号（號） ghae4 (Suzhou) ghau6 (Shanghai)
 * half : 半 poe5
 * less : 少 sae3 (Suzhou) sau5 (Shanghai)
 * more : 多 tou1 (Suzhou) tu1 (Shanghai)

Time

 * now : 现在（現在）yie4 ze4 (Suzhou) yi6 ze6 (Shanghai)
 * late : 晏 e5
 * early : 早 tsae3 (Suzhou) tsau5 (Shanghai)
 * morning (early) : 早浪 tsae3 laon4 (Suzhou) tsau5 laon6 (Shanghai)
 * morning (late) : 上半日/上晚昼（上晚晝） zaon4 poe5 gniq8 / zaon4 me4 tseu5 (Suzhou) zaon6 poe5 gniq8 / zaon6 me6 tseu5 (Shanghai)
 * noon : 中浪 tsong1 laon4 (Suzhou) tsong1 laon6 (Shanghai)
 * afternoon : 下半日/下晚昼（下晚晝） gho4 poe5 gniq8 / gho4 me4 tseu5 (Suzhou) gho6 poe5 gniq8 / gho6 me6 tseu5 (Shanghai)
 * evening : 夜快 yao4 khuao5 (Suzhou) ya6 khua5 (Shanghai)
 * midnight : 半夜 poe5 yao4 (Suzhou) poe5 ya6 (Shanghai)

Clock time
The "o'clock" times are read as "hour number" + 点（點） [tie3 (Suzhou) ti5 (Shanghai)], while others are read as "hour number" + 点（點） + "minute number" + 分 (fen1). 一刻 (iq7 kheq7) is an alternative for 15分 in __:15, and 三刻 (se1 kheq7) is an alternative for 45分 in __:45. 半 (poe5), which means "half", is an alternative for 30分 in __:30.

For __:0_, the "0" should also be read out, as ____点零__分.

 * What time is it? : 现在几点？（現在幾點？）yie4 ze4 ci3 tie3? (Suzhou) yi6 ze6 ci5 ti5? (Shanghai)
 * One o'clock : 一点（一點）iq7 tie3 (Suzhou) iq7 ti5 (Shanghai)
 * Two o'clock : 两点（兩點）lian4 tie3 (Suzhou) lian6 ti5 (Shanghai)
 * Twelve o'clock : 十二点（十二點）zeq8 gni4 tie3 (Suzhou) zeq8 gni6 ti5 (Shanghai) (Attention the 2's used here are different, as mentioned in numbers.)
 * Half past 3 : 三点半（三點半）se1 tie3 poe5 (Suzhou) se1 ti5 poe5 (Shanghai)
 * 3 : 15 : 三点一刻（三點一刻）se1 tie3 iq7 kheq7 (Suzhou) se1 ti5 iq7 kheq7 (Shanghai)
 * 3 : 45 : 三点三刻（三點三刻）se1 tie3 se1 kheq7 (Suzhou) se1 ti5 se1 kheq7 (Shanghai)
 * 3 : 52 : 三点五十二分（三點五十二分）se1 tie3 ng4 zeq8 gni4 fen1 (Suzhou) se1 ti5 ng6 zeq8 gni6 fen1 (Shanghai)
 * 3 : 02 : 三点零两分（三點零兩分）se1 tie3 lin2 lian4 fen1 (Suzhou) se1 ti5 lin6 lian6 fen1 (Shanghai)

Duration

 * _____ minute(s) : _____ 分钟（分鐘）fen1 tsong1 [一刻钟（一刻鐘） (iq7 keq7 tsong1) is an alternative for 15 minutes, and 三刻钟（三刻鐘） (se1 keq7 tsong1) is an alternative for 45 minutes.]
 * _____ hour(s) : _____ 个钟头（個鐘頭）keq7 tsong1 deu2 (Suzhou) keq7 tsong1 deu6 (Shanghai)
 * _____ day(s) : _____ 日天 gniq7 thie1 (Suzhou) gniq7 thi1(Shanghai)
 * _____ week(s) : _____ 个礼拜（個禮拜）keq7 li4 pao5 (Suzhou) keq7 li6 pa5 (Shanghai)
 * _____ month(s) : _____ 个号头（個號頭）keq7 ghae4 deu2 (Suzhou) _____ 个月（個月）keq7 yuiq8 (Shanghai)
 * _____ year(s) : _____ 年 gnie2 (Suzhou) gni6 (Shanghai)

Days

 * today : 今朝 cin1 tsae1 (Suzhou) cin1 tsau1 (shanghai)
 * yesterday : 昨日 zoq8 gniq8
 * tomorrow : 明朝 men2 tsae1 (Suzhou) min6 tsau1 (Shanghai)
 * the day before last : 前日 zie2 gniq8 (Suzhou) zhi6 gniq8 (shanghai)
 * the day after tomorrow : 后日（後日） gheu4 gniq8 (Suzhou) gheu6 gniq8 (Shanghai)
 * this week : 哎个礼拜（哎個禮拜）e1 keq7 li4 pao5 (Suzhou) 搿个礼拜（搿個禮拜）geq8 keq7 li6 pa5 (Shanghai)
 * last week : 上个礼拜（上個禮拜）zaon4 keq7 li4 pao5 (Suzhou) zaon6 keq7 li6 pa5 (Shanghai)
 * next week : 下个礼拜（下個禮拜）gho4 keq7 li4 pao5 (Suzhou) gho6 keq7 li6 pa5 (Shanghai)

Days in a week are called 礼拜（禮拜） [li4 pao5 (Suzhou) li6 pa5 (Shanghai)] + number, 1 for Monday, 6 for Saturday. Both 二 and 兩 can be used for Tuesday, while 兩 is used more often. Sunday is named 礼拜日（禮拜日） [li4 pao5 gniq7 (Suzhou) li6 pa5 gniq7 (Shanghai)].

Months
Using number + 月 [ngeq8 (Suzhou) yuiq8 (Shanghai)]. As mentioned in numbers, February is 兩月 not 二月, but December is 十二月 not 十兩月.

Writing time and date

 * 22 March 2009 : 2009年3月22号 (兩零零九年 三月 廿二號) [lian4 lin2 lin2 cieu5 gnie2 se1 ngeq8 zeq8 gni4 ghae4 (Suzhou) / lian6 lin6 lin6 cieu5 gni6 se1 yuiq8 zeq8 gni4 ghau6 (Shanghai)]

Using number (of month) + 月 [ngeq8 (Suzhou) yuiq8 (Shanghai)] + number (of date) + 号（號） [ghae4 (Suzhou) ghau6 (Shanghai)]. As mentioned in numbers, the date 2nd is 两号（兩號）not 二号（二號）, but 12th and 22nd are 十二号（十二號）and 廿二号（廿二號）, not 十两号（十兩號）and 廿两号（廿兩號）.

Furthermore, when the year is also mentioned, it is read digit-by-digit and then putting a "年" (the word "year"), and 2 is always 两（兩）not 二 because it is regarded as a single number. For example, the year 2009 is 兩零零九年 (2-0-0-9 年). The first two digits can be omitted when it is clear to which century the year belongs, like 零九年 for the year 2009. In Mandarin the year 2000 is sometimes read as 兩千年 (the number 2000 read as a whole) for short, and this is sometimes used by young Wu speakers who use Mandarin more often, but not popular.

Colors
When colors are used to describe an object in Wu, there is usually only one or two syllables (as listed below), but when referred to as the color itself, it is usually represented by the name of color + 颜色（顏色）[nge2 seq7 (Suzhou) nge6 seq7 (Shanghai)].
 * black : 黑 heq7
 * white : 白 baoq8 (Suzhou) baq8 (Shanghai)
 * gray : 灰 hue1
 * red : 红（紅） ghong2 (Suzhou) ghong6 (Shanghai)
 * blue : 蓝（藍） le2 (Suzhou) le6 (Shanghai)
 * yellow : 黄（黃） waon2 (Suzhou) waon6 (Shanghai)
 * green : 绿（綠） loq8
 * orange : 橘黄（橘黃） cioq7 waon2 (Suzhou) cioq7 waon6 (Shanghai)
 * purple : 紫 tsy3 (Suzhou) tsy5 (Shanghai)
 * brown : 咖啡颜色（咖啡顏色） khao1 fi1 nge2 seq7 (Suzhou) kha1 fi1 nge6 seq7 (Shanghai) (This is an exception that "顏色" is always used even when describing an object, because 咖啡 itself means Coffee.)

Bus and train

 * Ticket : 票 phiae5 (Suzhou) phiau5 (Shanghai)
 * One ticket : 一张票（一張票） iq7 tsan1 phiae5 (Suzhou) iq7 tsan1 phiau5 (Shanghai)
 * How much is one ticket? : 一张票几钿？（一張票幾鈿？） iq7 tsan1 phiae5 ci3 die2 (Suzhou) iq7 tsan1 phiau5 ci5 di6 (Shanghai)
 * bus : 公交车（公交車） kong1 ciae1 tsho1 (Suzhou) kong1 ciau1 tsho1 (Shanghai)
 * train : 火车（火車） hou3 tsho1 (Suzhou) hu5 tsho1 (Shanghai)
 * Where does this bus go? : 哎部公交车到嗱垯？（哎部公交車到嗱墶？） e1 bu4 kong1 ciae1 tsho1 tae5 no2 taq7? (Suzhou) 搿部公交车到嚡里垯？（搿部公交車到嚡裏墶？） geq8 bu6 kong1 ciau1 tsho1 tau5 gha6 li6 taq7? (Shanghai)
 * Does this train go to ____? : 哎部火车啊到____？（哎部火車啊到____？） e1 bu4 hou3 tsho1 aq7 tae5 __? (Suzhou) 搿部火车到____𠲎？（搿部火車到____𠲎？） geq8 bu6 hu5 tsho1 tau5 __ vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * What time does this train leave? : 哎部火车啥辰光开？（哎部火車啥辰光開？） e1 bu4 hou3 tsho1 sao5 zen2 kuaon1 khe1? (Suzhou) 搿部火车啥辰光开？（搿部火車啥辰光開？） geq8 bu6 hu5 tsho1 sa5 zen6 kuaon1 khe1? (Shanghai)
 * What time will this bus arrive? : 哎部公交车啥辰光到？（哎部公交車啥辰光到？） e1 bu4 kong1 ciae1 tsho1 sao5 zen2 kuaon1 tae5? (Suzhou) 搿部公交车啥辰光到？（搿部公交車啥辰光到？） geq8 bu6 kong1 ciau1 tsho1 sa5 zen6 kuaon1 tau5? (Shanghai)

Directions

 * How do I get to _____ ? : 我哪哼去_____？ ngou4 na2 han1 chi5 __? (Suzhou) 我哪能去_____？ ngu6 na6 nen6 chi5 __? (Shanghai)
 * the train station : 火车站（火車站） hou3 tsho1 ze4 (Suzhou) hu5 tsho1 ze6 (Shanghai)
 * the bus station? : 公交站 kong1 ciae1 ze4 (Suzhou) kong1 chiau1 ze6 (Shanghai)
 * the airport? : 机场/飞机场（機場/飛機場） ci1 zan4 / fi1 ci1 zan4 (Suzhou) ci1 zan6 / fi1 ci1 zan6 (Shanghai)
 * downtown? : 市区（市區） zy4 chiu1 (Suzhou) zy6 chiu1 (Shanghai)
 * the youth hostel? : 青旅 tshin1 li4 (Suzhou) chin1 li6 (Shanghai)
 * the _____ hotel? : _____酒店 tseu3 tie5 (Suzhou) cieu5 ti5 (Shanghai)
 * the [American/Canadian/Australian/British] consulate : [美国/加拿大/澳州/英国] 领事馆（[美國/加拿大/澳州/英國] 領事館） [me3 kueq7 / kao1 nao2 dao2 / ae5 tseu1 / in1 kueq7] lin4 zy4 kuoe3 (Suzhou) [me5 koq7 / ka1 na6 da6 / au5 tseu1 / in1 koq7]  lin6 zy6 kuoe5 (Shanghai)
 * Where are there _____ ? : 嗱垯好寻着_____？（嗱墶好尋著_____？） no2 taq7 hae3 zin2 zaoq8 __? (Suzhou) 嚡里垯好寻着_____？（嚡裏墶好尋着_____？） gha6 li6 taq7 hau5 zhin6 zaq8 __? (Shanghai)
 * restaurants : 饭店（飯店） ve4 tie5 (Suzhou) ve6 ti5 (Shanghai)
 * bars : 酒吧 tseu3 po1 (Suzhou) cieu5 po1 (Shanghai)
 * sites to see : 景点（景點） cin3 tie3 (Suzhou) cin5 ti5 (Shanghai)
 * Can you show me on the map? : 啊好勒地图浪指畀我看？（啊好勒地圖浪指畀我看？） aq7 hae3 leq8 di4 dou2 laon4 tsy3 peh7 ngou4 khoe5? (Suzhou) 勒地图浪指畀我看好𠲎？（勒地圖浪指畀我看好𠲎？） leq8 di6 du6 laon6 tsy5 peh7 ngu6 khoe5 hau5 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * street : 街 kao1 (Suzhou) ka1 (Shanghai)
 * Turn left. : 左转弯（左轉彎） tsou3 tsoe3 ue1 (Suzhou) tsu5 tsoe5 ue1 (Shanghai)
 * Turn right. : 右转弯（右轉彎） yeu4 tsoe3 ue1 (Suzhou) yeu6 tsoe5 ue1 (Shanghai)
 * left : 左 tsou3 (Suzhou) tsu5 (Shanghai)
 * right : 右 yeu4 (Suzhou) yeu6 (Shanghai)
 * straight ahead : 一直走 iq7 zeq8 tseu3 (Suzhou) iq7 zeq8 tseu5 (Shanghai)
 * towards the _____ : 去_____ chi5
 * past the _____ : 过脱____（過脫____） kou5 theq7 (Suzhou) ku5 theq7 (Shanghai)
 * before the _____ : ____前头（____前頭） zie2 deu2 (Suzhou) zhi6 deu6 (Shanghai)
 * Watch for the _____. : 看好_____. khoe5 hae3 __. (Suzhou) khoe5 hau5 __. (Shanghai)
 * intersection : 四岔路口/十字路口 sy5 tsho5 lou4 kheu3 / zeq8 zy4 lou4 kheu3 (Suzhou) sy5 tsho5 lu6 kheu5 / zeq8 zy6 lou6 kheu5 (Shanghai)
 * north : 北 poq7
 * south : 南 noe2 (Suzhou) noe6 (Shanghai)
 * east : 东（東） tong1
 * west : 西 si1 (Suzhou) shi1 (Shanghai)

Taxi

 * Take me to _____, please. : 去_____，谢谢. （去_____，謝謝. ） chi5 __, zia4 zia4. (Suzhou) chi5 __, zhia6 zhia6. (Shanghai, the latter zhia6 is often pronounced ia6)
 * How much does it cost to get to _____? : 去_____要几钿？（去_____要幾鈿？） chi5 __ iae5 ci3 die2? (Suzhou) chi5 __ iau5 ci5 di6? (Shanghai)

Lodging

 * Do you have any rooms available? : 啊有房间？（啊有房間？） aq7 yeu4 vaon2 ke1? (Suzhou) 有房间𠲎？（有房間𠲎？） yeu6 vaon6 ke1 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * How much for one room? : 一间房几钿？（一間房幾鈿？） iq7 ke1 vaon2 ci3 die2? (Suzhou) iq7 ke1 vaon6 ci5 di6? (Shanghai)
 * One person : 一个人（一個人） iq7 keq1 gnin2 (Suzhou) iq7 keq1 gnin6 (Shanghai)
 * Two persons : 两个人（兩個人） lian4 keq1 gnin2 (Suzhou) lian6 keq1 gnin6 (Shanghai)
 * Does it have ____? : 啊有____？ aq7 yeu4 __? (Suzhou) 有____𠲎？ yeu6 __ vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * a bathroom : 浴室 yoq8 seq7
 * a telephone : 电话（電話） die4 gho4 (Suzhou) di6 gho6 (Shanghai)
 * a TV : 电视（電視） die4 zy4 (Suzhou) di6 zy6 (Shanghai)
 * May I see it first? : 啊好先看看？ aq7 hae3 sie1 khoe5 khoe5? (Suzhou) 先看看好𠲎？ shie1 khoe5 khoe5 hau5 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * Do you have something more ____? : 啊有____点个？（啊有____點個？） aq7 yeu4 __ tie3 keq7? (Suzhou) 有____点个𠲎？（有____點個𠲎？） yeu6 __ ti5 eq8 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * big : 大 dou4 (Suzhou) du6 (Shanghai)
 * cheap : 便宜 bie2 gniq8 (Suzhou) bi6 gniq8 (Shanghai)
 * I'll sleep here for ____ nights. : 我要住__夜. ngou4 iae5 zyu4 __ yao4. (Suzhou) ngu6 iau5 zy6 __ ya6. (Shanghai)
 * Do you have a _____? : 俉笃啊有_____？（俉篤啊有_____？） ng4 toq7 aq7 yeu4 __? (Suzhou) 㑚有____𠲎？ na6 yeu6 __ vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * safe : 保险箱（保險箱） pae3 shie3 sian1 (Suzhou) pau5 shi5 shian1 (Shanghai)
 * lockers : 储物箱（儲物箱） zyu4 veq8 sian1 (Suzhou) zy6 veq8 shian1 (Shanghai)
 * Is [breakfast/supper] included? : 啊包 [朝饭/夜饭]？（啊包 [朝飯/夜飯]？） aq7 pae1 [zae1 ve4 / yao4 ve4]? (Suzhou) 包 [朝饭/夜饭] 𠲎？（包 [朝飯/夜飯] 𠲎？） pau1 [zau1 ve6 / ya6 ve6] vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * What time is [breakfast/supper]? : [朝饭/夜饭] 几点钟？（[朝飯/夜飯] 幾點鐘？） [zae1 ve4 / yao4 ve4] ci3 tie3 tsong1? (Suzhou) [zau1 ve6 / ya6 ve6]  ci5 ti5 tsong1? (Shanghai)
 * Please clean my room. : 麻烦倷清理房间. （麻煩倷清理房間. ） mo2 ve2 ne4 tshin1 li4 vaon2 ke1? (Suzhou) 麻饭侬清理房间. （麻煩儂清理房間. ） mo6 ve6 nong6 chin1 li6 vaon6 ke1? (Shanghai)
 * Can you wake me at _____? : 啊好___喊我起來？ aq7 hae3 __ he3 ngou4 chi3 le2? (Suzhou) ___喊我起來好𠲎？ __ he5 ngu6 chi5 le6 hau5 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * I want to check out. : 我要退房. ngou4 iae5 the5 vaon2. (Suzhou) ngu6 iau5 the5 vaon6. (Shanghai)

Money

 * pay: 付 fu3 (Suzhou) fu5 (Shanghai)
 * cash: 现金（現金） ghie4 cin1 (Suzhou) ghi6 cin1 (Shanghai)
 * credit card: 信用卡 sin5 yong4 kha3 (Suzhou) shin5 yong6 kha5 (Shanghai)
 * debit card: 借记卡（借記卡） tsia5 ci5 kha3 (Suzhou) cia5 ci5 kha5 (Shanghai)
 * check: 支票 tsy1 phiae5 (Suzhou) tsy1 phiau5 (Shanghai)
 * foreign exchange: 外汇（外匯） ngao4 we4 (Suzhou) nga6 we6 (Shanghai)
 * to change money: 换铜钿（換銅鈿） woe4 don2 die2 (Suzhou) woe6 don6 di6 (Shanghai)
 * exchange rate: 汇率（匯率） we4 liq8
 * Chinese Renminbi: 人民币（人民幣） zen2 min2 bi6 (Suzhou) zen6 min6 bi6 (Shanghai)
 * ___ yuan : ___块（塊） __khue5 (referred to as a certain amount of money)
 * US dollars: 美元/美金 me3 yoe2 / me3 cin1 (Suzhou) me5 yoe6 / me5 cin1 (Shanghai)
 * Euros: 欧元（歐元） eu1 yoe2 (Suzhou) eu1 yoe6 (Shanghai)
 * British pounds: 英镑（英鎊） in1 paon5

Eating

 * One person : 一个人（一個人） iq7 keq1 gnin2 (Suzhou) iq7 keq1 gnin6 (Shanghai)
 * Two people : 两个人（兩個人） lian4 keq1 gnin2 (Suzhou) lian6 keq1 gnin6 (Shanghai)
 * Can I look at the menu, please? : 麻烦倷畀我看看菜单. （麻煩倷畀我看看菜單. ） mo2 ve2 ne4 peq7 ngou4 khoe5 khoe5 tshe5 te1. (Suzhou) 麻烦侬畀我看看菜单. （麻煩儂畀我看看菜單. ） mo6 ve6 nong6 peq7 ngu6 khoe5 khoe5 tshe5 te1? (Shanghai)
 * Can I look in the kitchen? : 啊好看看厨房？（啊好看看廚房？） aq7 hae3 khoe5 khoe5 zyu2 vaon2? (Suzhou) 看看厨房好𠲎？（看看廚房好𠲎？） khoe5 khoe5 zy6 vaon6 hau5 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * Is there a house specialty? : 啊有招牌菜？ aq7 yeu4 tsae1 bao2 tshe5? (Suzhou) 招牌菜有𠲎？ tsau1 ba6 tshe5 yeu6 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * Is there a local specialty? : 啊有本地特产？（啊有本地特產？） aq7 yeu4 pen3 di4 deq8 tshe3? (Suzhou) 本地特产有𠲎？（本地特產有𠲎？） pen5 di6 deq8 tshe5 yeu6 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * I'm a vegetarian. : 我吃素. ngou4 chiq7 sou5. (Suzhou) ngu6 chiq7 su5. (Shanghai)
 * I don't eat ___. : 我弗吃___. ngou4 feq7 chiq7 __. (Suzhou) ngu6 veq8 chiq7 __. (Shanghai)
 * Can you make it "lite", please? : 麻饭倷烧清淡点. （麻煩倷燒清淡點. ） mo2 ve2 ne4 sae1 tshin1 de4 tie3. (Suzhou) 麻烦侬烧清淡点. （麻煩儂燒清淡點. ） mo6 ve6 nong6 sau1 chin1 de6 ti5? (Shanghai)
 * fixed-price meal : 套餐 thae5 tshoe1 (Suzhou) thau5 tshoe1 (Shanghai)
 * a la carte : 照菜单来（照菜單來） tsae5 tshe5 te1 le2 (Suzhou) tsau5 tshe5 te1 le6 (Shanghai)
 * breakfast : 朝饭（朝飯） zae1 ve4 (Suzhou) zau1 ve6 (Shanghai)
 * lunch : 中饭（中飯） tshong1 ve4 (Suzhou) tshong1 ve6 (Shanghai), or 昼饭（晝飯） tseu5 ve4 (suzhou) tseu5 ve6 (Shanghai), mainly used by the elderly and rarely used among young generation
 * supper : 夜饭（夜飯） yao4 ve4? (Suzhou) ya6 ve6 (Shanghai)
 * I want _____. : 我要_____. ngou4 iae5 __. (Suzhou) ngu6 iau5 __. (Shanghai)
 * I want a dish containing _____. : 我要有_____个菜. （我要有_____個菜. ） ngou4 iae5 yeu4 __ keq7 tshe5. (Suzhou) ngu6 iau5 yeu6 __ eq8 tshe5. (Shanghai)
 * chicken : 鸡（雞） ci1
 * beef : 牛 gnieu2 (Suzhou) gnieu6 (Shanghai)
 * fish : 鱼（魚） ng2 (Suzhou) ng6 (Shanghai)
 * ham : 火腿 hou3 the4 (Suzhou) hu5 the5 (Shanghai)
 * sausage : 香肠（香腸） shian1 zan2 (Suzhou) shian1 zan6 (Shanghai)
 * cheese : 忌司 ci5 sy1
 * eggs : 蛋 de4 (Suzhou) de6 (Shanghai)
 * salad : 沙拉 sao1 lao1 (Suzhou) sa1 la1 (Shanghai)
 * [fresh] vegetables : [新鲜]蔬菜（[新鮮]蔬菜） [sin1 sie1[ sou1 tshe5 (Suzhou) [shin1 shi1] su1 tshe5 (Shanghai)
 * [fresh] fruit : [新鲜]水果（[新鮮]水果） [sin1 sie1] syu3 kou5 (Suzhou) [shin1 shi1] sy5 ku5 (Shanghai)
 * bread : 面包（麵包） mie4 pae1 (Suzhou) mi6 pau1 (Shanghai)
 * toast : 吐司 thou3 sy1 (Suzhou) thu5 sy1 (Shanghai)
 * noodles : 面（麵） mie4 (Suzhou) mi6 (Shanghai)
 * rice : 饭（飯） ve4 (Suzhou) ve6 (Shanghai)
 * beans : 豆 deu4 (Suzhou) deu6 (Shanghai)
 * wonton : 馄饨（餛飩） wen2 den4 (Suzhou) wen6 den6 (Shanghai)
 * xiaolongbao : 小笼馒头（小籠饅頭） siae3 long2 moe2 deu2 (Suzhou) shiau5 long6 moe6 deu6 (Shanghai)
 * Chinese mitten crab : 大闸蟹（大閘蟹） dou4 zaq8 hao5 (Suzhou) du5 zaq8 ha5 (Shanghai)
 * Yangcheng Lake large crab : 阳澄湖大闸蟹（陽澄湖大閘蟹） yan2 zan2 ghou2 dou4 zaoq8 hao5 (Suzhou) yan6 zan6 wu6 du5 zaq8 ha5 (Shanghai)
 * May I have a glass/cup of _____? : 啊好畀我杯____？ aq7 hae3 peq7 ngou4 pe1 __? (Suzhou) 畀我杯____好𠲎？ peq7 ngu6 pe1 __ hau5 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * May I have a bottle of _____? : 啊好畀我瓶____？ aq7 hae3 peq7 ngou4 bin2 __? (Suzhou) 畀我瓶____好𠲎？ peq7 ngu6 bin6 __ hau5 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * coffee : 咖啡 khao1 fi1 (Suzhou) kha1 fi1 (Shanghai)
 * tea (drink) : 茶 zo2 (Suzhou) zo6 (Shanghai)
 * juice : 果汁 kou3 tseq7 (Suzhou) ku5 tseq7 (Shanghai)
 * bubbly water : 汽水 chi5 syu3 (Suzhou) chi5 sy5 (Shanghai)
 * water : 水 syu3 (Suzhou) sy5 (Shanghai)
 * beer : 啤酒 bi2 tseu3 (Suzhou) bi6 cieu5 (Shanghai)
 * red/white wine : 红（紅）/白 酒 ghong2/baoq8 tseu3 (Suzhou) ghong6/baq8 cieu5 (Shanghai)
 * May I have some _____？ : 啊好畀我点____？（啊好畀我點____？） aq7 hae3 peq7 ngou4 tie3 __? (Suzhou) 畀我点____好𠲎？（畀我點____好𠲎？） peq7 ngu6 ti5 __ hau5 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * salt : 盐（鹽） yie2 (Suzhou) yi6 (Shanghai)
 * pepper : 胡椒 ghou2 tsiae1 (Suzhou) wu6 ciau1 (Shanghai)
 * butter : 黄油（黃油） waon2 yeu2 (Suzhou) waon6 weu6 (Shanghai)
 * Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server): 服务员（服務員） voq8 vu4 yoe4 (Suzhou) voq8 vu6 yoe6 (Shanghai)
 * I'm finished. : 我吃好哉. ngou4 chiq7 hae3 tse1. (Suzhou) 我吃好勒.  ngu6 chiq7 hau5 leq8. (Shanghai)
 * It was delicious / good to drink. : 好吃 hae3 chiq7 (Suzhou) hau5 chiq (Shanghai)
 * Please clear the plates. : 麻烦倷收捉台子. （麻煩倷收捉檯子. ） mo2 ve2 ne4 seu1 tsoq7 de2 tsy3. (Suzhou) 麻烦侬收捉台子. （麻煩儂收捉檯子. ） mo6 ve6 nong6 seu1 tsoq7 de6 tsy5. (Shanghai)
 * The check, please. : 结帐，谢谢. （結帳，謝謝. ） ciq7 tsan4, zia4 zia4 (Suzhou) ciq7 tsan6, zhia6 zhia6. (Shanghai, the latter zhia6 is usually pronounced as ia6)

Bars

 * Do you serve alcohol? : 俉笃啊有酒？（俉篤啊有酒？） ng4 toq7 aq7 yeu4 tseu3? (Suzhou) 㑚有酒𠲎？ na6 yeu6 cieu5 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * Is there table service? : 啊有餐桌服务？（啊有餐桌服務？） aq7 yeu4 tshoe1 tsoq7 voq8 vu4? (Suzhou) 餐桌服务有𠲎？（餐桌服務有𠲎？） tshoe1 tsoq7 voq8 vu6 yeu6 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * A beer/two beers : 一/两（兩） 杯啤酒 iq7/lian4 pe1 bi2 tseu3 (Suzhou) iq7/lian6 pe1 bi6 cieu5 (Shanghai)
 * A glass of red/white wine : 一杯 红（紅）/白 酒 iq7 pe1 ghong2/baoq8 tseu3 (Suzhou) iq7 pe1 ghong6/baq8 cieu5 (Shanghai)
 * A bottle : 一瓶 iq7 bin2 (Suzhou) iq7 bin6 (Shanghai)
 * _____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer) : ___搭___ __ taq7 __
 * whiskey : 威士忌 ue1 zy4 ci5 (Suzhou) ue1 zy6 ci5 (Shanghai)
 * vodka : 伏特加 voq8 deq8 kao1 (Suzhou) voa8 deq8 kha1 (Shanghai)
 * rum : 朗姆酒 laon4 m4 tseu3 (Suzhou) laon6 m6 cieu5 (Shanghai)
 * water : 水 syu3 (Suzhou) sy5 (Shanghai)
 * club soda : 苏打水（蘇打水） sou1 tan3 syu3 (Suzhou) su1 tan5 sy5 (Shanghai)
 * tonic water : 汤力水（湯力水） thaon1 liq8 syu3 (Suzhou) thaon1 liq8 sy5 (Shanghai)
 * orange juice : 橙汁 zen2 tseq7 (Suzhou) zen6 tseq7 (Shanghai)
 * Coke (soda) : 可乐（可樂） khoe3 loq8 (Suzhou) khu5 loq8 (Shanghai)
 * Do you have any bar snacks? : 俉笃啊有小吃？（俉篤啊有小吃？） ng4 toq7 aq7 yeu4 siae3 chiq7? (Suzhou) 㑚有小吃𠲎？ na6 yeu6 shiau5 chiq7 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * One more [cup/bottle] : 再要一 [杯/瓶] tse5 iae5 iq7 [pe1/bin2] (Suzhou) tse5 iau5 iq7 [pe1/bin6] (Shanghai)
 * When is closing time? : 几点关门？（幾點關門？） ci3 tie3 kue1 men2 (Suzhou) ci5 ti5 kue1 men6 (Shanghai)
 * Cheers! : 干杯（乾杯） koe1 pe1

Shopping

 * Do you have this in my size? : 啊有我个尺寸？（啊有我個尺寸？） aq7 yeu4 ngou4 keq7 tshaq7 tshen4? (Suzhou) 我个尺寸有𠲎？（我個尺寸有𠲎？） ngu6 eq8 tshaq7 tshen6 yeu6 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * How much? : 几钿（幾鈿） ci3 die2 (Suzhou) ci5 di6 (Shanghai)
 * That's too expensive. : 忒贵哉（忒貴哉） theq7 ciu5 tse1 (Suzhou) 忒贵勒（忒貴勒） theq7 ciu5 leq8 (Shanghai)
 * Would you take _____? : 啊收_____？ aq7 seu1 __? (Suzhou) _____收𠲎？ __ seu1 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * expensive : 贵（貴） ciu5
 * cheap : 便宜 bie2 gniq8 (Suzhou) bi6 gniq8 (Shanghai)
 * I can't afford it. : 我买弗起. （我買弗起. ） ngou4 mao4 feq7 chi3. (Suzhou) ngu6 ma6 veq8 chi5. (Shanghai)
 * I don't want it. : 我覅哉. ngou4 fiae5 tse1. (Suzhou) 我覅勒.  ngu6 viau6 leq8. (Shanghai)
 * You're cheating me. : 倷勒弄松我. ne4 leq8 long4 song1 ngou4. (Suzhou) 侬勒弄松我. （儂勒弄松我. ） nong6 leq8 long6 song1 ngu6. (Shanghai)
 * I'm not interested. : 我呒不兴趣. （我嘸不興趣. ） ngou4 m2 peq7 shin5 tshi5. (Suzhou) 我呒没兴趣. （我嘸沒興趣. ） ngu6 m6 meh8 shin5 chi5. (Shanghai)
 * OK, I'll take it. : 好，我要哎件. hae3, ngou4 iau5 e1 jie4. (Suzhou) 好，我要搿件.  hau5, ngu6 iau5 geq8 ji6. (Shanghai)
 * Can I have a bag? : 啊好畀我只袋袋？（啊好畀我隻袋袋？） aq7 hae3 peq7 ngou4 tsaq7 de4 de4? (Suzhou) 畀我只袋袋好𠲎？（畀我隻袋袋好𠲎？） peq7 ngu6 tsaq7 de6 de6 hau5 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * Do you ship [overseas]? : 俉笃啊送货[到外国]？（俉篤啊送貨[到外國]？） ng4 toq7 aq7 song5 hou5 [tae5 ngao4 kueq7]? (Suzhou) 㑚送货[到外国]𠲎？（㑚送貨[到外國]𠲎？） na6 song5 hu5 [tau5 nga6 koq7] vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * I need... : 我要... ngou4 iae5... (Suzhou) ngu6 iau5 (Shanghai)
 * ...toothpaste. : ...牙膏 ngao2 kae1 (Suzhou) nga6 kau1 (Shanghai)
 * ...a toothbrush. : ...牙刷 ngao2 seq7 (Suzhou) nga6 seq7 (Shanghai)
 * ...tampons. : ...卫生巾（衛生巾） we4 sen1 cin1 (Suzhou) we6 sen1 cin1 (Shanghai)
 * ...soap. : ...肥皂 bi2 zae4 (Suzhou) bi6 zau6 (Shanghai)
 * ...shampoo. : ...汏头膏（汏頭膏） da4 deu2 kae1 (Suzhou) da6 deu6 kau1 (Shanghai)
 * ...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen) : ...止痛药（止痛藥） tsyu3 thong5 yaoq8 (Suzhou) tsy5 thong5 yaq8 (Shanghai)
 * ...cold medicine. : ...感冒药（感冒藥） koe3 mae4 yaoq8 (Suzhou) koe5 mau6 yaq8 (Shanghai)
 * ...stomach medicine. : ...胃药（胃藥） we4 yaoq8 (Suzhou) we6 yaq8 (Shanghai)
 * ...a razor. : ...剃须刀（剃鬚刀） thi5 si1 tae1 (Suzhou) thi5 shi1 tau1 (Shanghai)
 * ...an umbrella. : ...伞（傘） se3 (Suzhou) se5 (Shanghai)
 * ...sunblock lotion. : ...防晒霜（防曬霜） baon2 so5 saon1 (Suzhou) baon6 so5 saon1 (Shanghai) (Young generation tend to pronounce "baon" as "vaon", influenced by Mandarin)
 * ...a postcard. : ...名信片 min2 sin5 phie5 (Suzhou) min6 shin5 phi5 (Shanghai)
 * ...postage stamps. : ...邮票（郵票） yeu2 phiae5 (Suzhou) yeu6 phiau5 (Shanghai)
 * ...batteries. : ...电池（電池） die4 zyu2 (Suzhou) di6 zy6 (Shanghai)
 * ...writing paper. : ...纸头（紙頭） tsy3 deu2 (Suzhou) tsy5 deu6 (Shanghai)
 * ...a pen. : ...笔（筆） piq7
 * ...English-language books. : ...英文书（英文書） in1 ven2 syu1 (Suzhou) in1 ven6 sy1 (Shanghai)
 * ...English-language magazines. : ...英文杂志（英文雜誌） in1 ven2 zaq8 tsyu5 (Suzhou) in1 ven6 zaq8 tsy5 (Shanghai)
 * ...an English-language newspaper. : ...英文报纸（英文報紙） in1 ven2 pae5 tsy3 (Suzhou) in1 ven6 pau5 tsy5 (Shanghai)
 * ...an English-English dictionary. : ...英英字典 in1 in1 zy4 tie3 (Suzhou) in1 in1 zy6 ti5 (Shanghai)
 * ...a Chinese-English dictionary. : ...汉英词典（漢英詞典） hoe5 in1 zy4 tie3 (Suzhou) hoe5 in1 zy6 ti5 (Shanghai)
 * ...an English-Chinese dictionary. : ...英汉词典（英漢詞典） in1 hoe5 zy4 tie3 (Suzhou) in1 hoe5 zy6 ti5 (Shanghai)

Driving

 * I want to rent a car. : 我要租车. （我要租車. ） ngou4 iae5 tsou1 tsho1. (Suzhou) ngu6 isu5 tsu1 tsho1. (Shanghai)
 * Can I get insurance? : 啊好买保险？（啊好買保險？） aq7 hae3 mao4 pae3 shie3? (Suzhou) 保险好买𠲎？（保險好買𠲎？） pau5 shi5 hau5 ma6 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * stop (on a street sign) : 停 din2 (Suzhou) din6 (Shanghai)
 * one way : 单行线（單行線） te1 ghan2 sie5 (Suzhou) te1 ghan6 shi5 (Shanghai)
 * yield : 让（讓） gnian4 (Suzhou) gnian6 (Shanghai)
 * no parking : 弗许停车（弗許停車） feq7 shiu3 din2 tsho1 (Suzhou) veq8 shiu5 din6 tsho1 (Shanghai)
 * speed limit : 限速 ghe4 soq7 (Suzhou) ghe6 soq7 (Shanghai)
 * gas (petrol) station : 加油站 khao1 yeu2 ze4 (Suzhou) kha1 yeu6 ze6 (Shanghai)
 * petrol : 汽油 chi5 yeu2 (Suzhou) chi5 yeu6 (Shanghai)
 * diesel : 柴油 zao2 yeu2 (Suzhou) za6 yeu6 (Shanghai)

Authority

 * I haven't done anything wrong. : 我朆做错事体. （我朆做錯事體. ） ngou4 fen1 tsou5 tsho5 zy4 thi3. (Suzhou) 我呒没做错事体. （我嘸沒做錯事體. ） ngu6 m6 meq8 tsu5 tsho5 zy6 thi5. (Shanghai)
 * It was a misunderstanding. : 是误会. （是誤會. ） zy4 ngou4 we4. (Suzhou) zy6 ngu6 we6 (Shanghai)
 * Where are you taking me? : 倷带我去嗱垯？（倷帶我去嗱墶？） ne4 tao5 ngou4 chi5 no2 taq7? (Suzhou) 侬带我去嚡里垯？（儂帶我去嚡裏墶？） nong6 ta5 ngu6 chi5 gha6 li6 taq7? (Shanghai)
 * Am I under arrest? : 我啊畀逮捕？ ngou4 an1 peq7 de4 pu3? (Suzhou) 我畀逮捕勒𠲎？ ngu6 peq7 de6 pu5 leq8 vaq8? (Shanghai)
 * I am an [American/Canadian/Australian/British] citizen. : 我是 [美国/加拿大/澳州/英国] 公民. （我是 [美國/加拿大/澳州/英國] 公民. ） ngou4 zy4 [me3 kueq7 / kao1 nao2 dao2 / ae5 tseu1 / in1 kueq7]  kon1 min2. (Suzhou) ngu6 zy6  [me5 koq7 / ka1 na6 da6 / au5 tseu1 / in1 koq7]  kong1 min6. (Shanghai)
 * I want to talk to the [American/Canadian/Australian/British] [embassy/consulate]. : 我要寻 [美国/加拿大/澳州/英国] [大使馆/领事馆]. （我要尋 [美國/加拿大/澳州/英國] [大使館/領事館]. ） ngou4 iae5 zin2 [me3 kueq7 / kao1 nao2 dao2 / ae5 tseu1 / in1 kueq7]  [dao4 sy3 kuoe3 / lin4 zy4 kuoe3]. (Suzhou) ngu6 iau5 zhin6  [me5 koq7 / ka1 na6 da6 / au5 tseu1 / in1 koq7]  [da6 sy5 kuoe5 / lin6 zy6 kuoe5]. (Shanghai)
 * I want to talk to a lawyer. : 我要寻律师. （我要尋律師. ） ngou4 iae5 zin2 liq8 sy1. (Suzhou) ngu6 iau5 zhin6 liq8 sy1. (Shanghai)
 * Can I just pay a fine now? : 啊好就罚铜钿？（啊好就罰銅鈿？） aq7 hae3 zeu4 vaq8 dong2 die2? (Suzhou) 就罚铜钿好𠲎？（就罰銅鈿好𠲎？） zhieu6 vaq8 dong6 di6 hau5 vaq8? (Shanghai)

Learning more

 * Wu Chinese Online Association (吴语协会), a BBS set up in 2004, in which topics such as phonology, grammar, orthography and romanization of Wu Chinese are widely talked about, and of which the cultural and linguistic diversity within China is also a significant concerning

title: Wu phrasebook


text:
Wuppertal

Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia in the northwestern part of Germany. It is famous for having the world's oldest monorail system, and as the birthplace of Friedrich Engels, co-author of the Communist Manifesto.

Understand
It is a result of a 1929 merger of the erstwhile independent cities Barmen and Elberfeld. Despite the young age of the city, the history of the settlement along the river "Wupper" goes back to 1161. "Elberfeld" was first mentioned in official documents as an estate of the archbishop of Cologne and received its town charter in 1610. "Barmen" was charted in 1808. Barmen is also notable as the birthplace of Friedrich Engels, best friend, financier and confidante of Karl Marx (who was born in Trier). While some other city mergers in Germany haven't gone over well with the locals, the parts of Wuppertal feel much like a coherent whole these days, in part aided by the suspension railway ("Schwebebahn") that serves both parts and predates the merger.

By plane
The closest airports to Wuppertal are either Düsseldorf airport or Cologne/Bonn airport. Lufthansa's (and by extension Germany's) main hub airport Frankfurt is worth considering when arriving from across an ocean as it is not that far away and well connected through the Frankfurt-Cologne high speed mainline.

By train
Wuppertal is 30 minutes away from Cologne by regional train (RE/RB), with departures several times an hour.

The ICE (Inter City Express, the high-speed train) stops only at the Wuppertal Hauptbahnhof (HBF), the main station in Wuppertal. S-Bahn (Schnell-Bahn) and RE (Regional Express) trains stop at several train stations in Wuppertal, although the main station is probably the most convenient for most tourists.

By car
Wuppertal lies near and is crossed by several Autobahn routes. In the north-east of the city, highways A1, a major North-South Autobahn, A43 and A46 meet at an interchange. A46 transverses the city along the northern slope of the Wupper Valley and ends near Düsseldorf. In the West, near Vohwinkel district, A535 is a short branch highway that connects to A44 and can be used to reach Essen easily. The entire Ruhr area and Rhineland and their surroundings are criss-crossed by a dense web of highways and major roads, so Wuppertal is easy to reach from any direction.

On foot
Walking down the L357 will take approx 6 hours. This is not advisable but if time is your friend then this might be an alternate option.

By public transport
Wuppertal has a well-developed public transport network. The most important line is the world-famous Besides the Schwebebahn, which runs in the long-stretched valley, the city uses buses on regular city bus routes, express routes and night bus services on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as S-Bahn and Regional train services. Buses and the Schwebebahn are operated by local WSW (German website), mainline rail is run by various operators.

All of them can be used with VRR tickets. Tickets are set in different levels (Preisstufe): Within Wuppertal A, for trips to neighbouring cities except the very edges B, for further trips C or D. Tickets are available to be bought from bus drivers and from ticket machines at all Schwebebahn stops, important interchange stops and train stations. Machines take coins, bills and cards; bus drivers take small cash amounts. If you're unsure you can tell the bus driver where you need to go and they will sell you the correct ticket. Tickets can also be bought via apps like WSW, VRR or DB.

There are no barriers at Schwebebahn stops, but undercover officers will demand a fine if you're caught without valid ticket during a ticket check, so make sure you have a valid ticket before boarding.

By car
As its name implies, Wuppertal is within the Wupper valley, and surrounding hillsides. That means you're dealing with a densely built-up valley, steep narrow streets and winding steep main roads creeping up out of the valley, lots of traffic and a severe lack of parking. Unless you like burning through your clutch, trying to parallel park into a tiny spot on a 20 percent gradient (yes, really) street, you're better off parking in a garage in the valley and getting around on public transport.

On foot
As already mentioned, the city consists mostly of a narrow dense valley and neighbourhoods on the surrounding hills. This makes Wuppertal the german city with the most stairs. Walking here requires some seriosu cardio, as you'll be dealing with some interesting and old, but equally steep stairs in addition to the inclined streets. Once you've climbed your way up, you'll be rewarded by pretty neat views.

See
Wuppertal as a whole - as opposed to its constituent parts Barmen and Elberfeld - is probably best known for its pioneering urban transit system, the Schwebebahn which its designer Eugene Langen tried to sell around the world but had few takers outside Wuppertal. A much shorter route exists in Dresden and was also built during Langen's lifetime.

Buy
If you want to go shopping, then the Old Town or now center of Elberfeld will probably be the best place to go, since it offers the widest range of different stores in Wuppertal. Friedrich-Ebert-Straße in the Luisenviertel neighbourhood is a popular street for shopping and dining.

Eat
If you want to go out, then the Luisenviertel is probably a nice place to go. The Luisenviertel is part of the Old Town of Elberfeld and hosts a wide range of nice cafes and some restaurants. The most famous one is Katzengold.

Drink
Like most German cities, Wuppertal brews a local beer exclusive to the city. The Wupper Hell and the Wupper Dunkel can only be enjoyed in the Wuppertaler Brauhaus, a former swimming pool converted into a modern brewery in Barmen, close to the city centre.

Sleep
Most hotel accommodation is found in the main district of Elberfeld, even though smaller non-chain accommodation can be found in the other districts as well. A bunch of hotels have opened up in the 2020s due to increasing demand during trade fairs in close by Düsseldorf, so rates should have gotten more competitive.

Go next

 * Düsseldorf

title: Wuppertal


text:
Wupperthal

Wupperthal is a city in South Africa's Western Cape. Wupperthal is a village near the stunning Cederberg mountain range, and the Cederberg Wilderness Nature Reserve. Sadly, most of the town, including its pretty colonial buildings, was destroyed by a fire in 2018.

Get in
You can only enter this rural village by motor car. Cape Town is roughly 250 km (160 miles) away, i.e., a 3-hour motor car drive from the town.

Get around
The village is so small you can walk around on foot. It takes roughly ten minutes to walk from the one side of town to the other side.

See

 * The Cederberg Wilderness Nature Reserve (part of the Cape Fynbos UNESCO World Heritage Sites) is a stunning day trip. Go see the Maltese cross (a massive stone shaped like a Maltese cross). The cross is only a two- to three-hour walk from the park's main road.
 * The area is full of amazing stone structures like the famous 'Lot's wife' (a sandstone structure resembling the shape of a woman) and various arches that slightly resemble that of the Arches National Park in the USA.
 * The beautiful Stadsaal caves are also in the area and various San or "Bushman" drawings. A particularly well-preserved San drawing of elephants, Shamans and hunters can be found near the Stadsaal structures in the Matjiesfontein Nature Reserve.

Do
Talk to the locals, many of them have been residing in the town for decades and can probably tell you amazing stories of collecting and producing tea, the changing landscape and etc. Hiking is a must for everyone visiting the area, especially in and around the Cederberg Wilderness Nature reserve.

Buy
The area is famous as being one of the best rooibos (redbush) tea growing areas in the country.

Eat
The only restaurant in town was destroyed in a fire in December 2018. If you want a culinary experience rather go to the Clanwilliam hotel on the other side of the mountain range or to one of the hundreds of world class restaurants in Cape Town. Almost everything is closed on Sundays.

Drink
Rooibos tea! Rooibos tea! Rooibos tea!

Sleep
There are a few camping terrains in the area. Many tourists recommend the Algeria camping grounds in the Cederberg Wilderness Nature reserve. The camping ground does provide electricity and the ablution facilities are clean and functional. It is a truly stunning camping area but relatively expensive for South African tourists.

Go next
The only way out is via the road on which you came into the town or hiking over the mountains. If you decide to hike make sure you have permission from the farmers through which lands you will hike and San parks. Also ensure that you carry enough water with you (more than 2 litres per day) and sunscreen.

title: Wupperthal