China Shared Bikes Guide (for Foreign Travelers)

Shared bikes are everywhere in Chinese cities and are one of the easiest ways to travel short distances. However, there are several different bike systems, and not all of them work well for foreign travelers.

The Three Main Bike Colors

In most Chinese cities you will usually see three main types of shared bikes:

  • Blue bikes — Hello Bike (Alipay)
  • Yellow bikes

  • Green bikes

They belong to different companies and operate through different apps.

Recommendation:
Use blue bikes.

They work directly inside Alipay, which accepts passport verification.

The other apps sometimes cannot verify foreign passports.

What You Need

  • Alipay
  • Passport verified in Alipay
  • A linked credit/debit card

How to Unlock a Bike

  1. Open Alipay
  2. Open Scan Bottom
  3. Scan the QR code on the bike
  4. The lock opens automatically

Price

  • Usually about 1–2 RMB (0.2 USD) per 15 minutes.
  • sometimes they have foreigner discounts so you can ride for FREE!

Ending the Ride

  1. Park in a designated parking area
  2. Push down the rear wheel lock
  3. The ride will end automatically.

That’s it. Simple.