What is the abbreviation for Shanghai's license plate?
4 Answers
Shanghai's license plate abbreviation is "Hu". Shanghai, abbreviated as Hu, is one of China's four direct-controlled municipalities, located in East China, and serves as the country's economic, financial, trade, shipping, and technological innovation hub. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Shanghai was the fiefdom of Lord Chunshen of Chu, Huang Xie, hence its alternative name "Shen". In the 4th and 5th centuries during the Jin Dynasty, fishermen created a fishing tool called "Hu", and the river's entrance to the sea was called "Du", leading to the lower reaches of the Songjiang River being called "Hudu", later changed to "Hu", hence Shanghai's abbreviation "Hu". Shanghai was ranked as an "Alpha+" global city in the 2018 GaWC World Cities ranking. In the 2019 Global Cities Index by Kearney, Shanghai ranked 19th in the world and 3rd in China. In the 2019 Global Urban Business Environment Index and Top 100 Cities ranking, Shanghai ranked 48th in the world and 4th in China. Shanghai's license plates include Hu A, Hu B, Hu D, Hu E, Hu F, Hu G, Hu H, Hu J, Hu K, Hu L, Hu M, Hu AX, Hu BX, and Hu DX. Among them, Hu A: mostly public vehicles, such as buses, trucks, etc.; Hu B: no special meaning, both public and private vehicles, possibly more private vehicles; Hu C: suburban vehicles, not allowed within the outer ring road; Hu D: mainly taxis; Hu E: mostly private cars.
I'm a seasoned driver with over a decade of experience in Shanghai, where the license plate abbreviation is 'Hu,' referring to the city of Shanghai. For example, plates starting with HuA or HuB are immediately recognizable as local vehicles. Before buying a car, you have to participate in the lottery for a license plate. Getting a Hu plate is extremely difficult—not only is it costly, but suburban plates like HuC can't enter the inner ring roads, forcing drivers to stay on the outskirts. Every time I'm stuck in traffic, I feel that the license plate isn't just an abbreviation; it significantly impacts commuting convenience and life planning, especially during peak hours when spotting Hu plates helps avoid the chaos of out-of-town vehicles. The origin of 'Hu' is quite interesting—it's a simplified version of the ancient name 'Hudu.' Today, the license plate system continues this convention for easy identification, similar to Beijing's 'Jing' or Guangdong's 'Yue,' where each province has its own symbol. However, the privilege associated with Shanghai license plates is often debated, and the lottery system adds considerable pressure for locals.
I just got my driver's license and I'm quite curious about license plates. Shanghai's abbreviation is 'Hu', for example, my car starts with Hu D. The license plate shows 'Hu' followed by a combination of letters and numbers, making it easy to identify at a glance. However, different colors have different meanings: blue plates are for regular passenger cars, yellow plates represent large vehicles or trucks, and green plates indicate new energy vehicles. Driving on the streets of Shanghai, the 'Hu' logo is everywhere, like a city emblem, and it helps traffic police quickly distinguish between local and out-of-town vehicles, avoiding delays during inspections. The design of the license plate system is quite clever—every province in China uses an abbreviation, like 'Jing' for Beijing and 'Chuan' for Sichuan, but Shanghai's 'Hu' is one of the most unique, originating from a historical abbreviation. With the increase in new energy vehicles, 'Hu' license plates are also linked to charging station discounts, which is quite practical.
As an enthusiast of urban history, I find the origin of Shanghai's license plate abbreviation 'Hu' quite fascinating. It derives from the ancient place name 'Hu Du,' which was simplified to 'Hu' during the Republic of China era. Later, in the 1960s, when China standardized license plates, 'Hu' was directly adopted to represent Shanghai. The character 'Hu' on the license plate is not just a symbol but also carries local identity, facilitating administrative classification and reducing confusion. In the license plate system, plates starting with 'Hu A' are for the main urban area, 'Hu B' for taxis, and 'Hu C' for restricted suburban areas, reflecting a microcosm of administrative divisions. The choice of 'Hu' avoids the verbosity of long names, similar to other provinces like Jiangsu using 'Su' or Zhejiang using 'Zhe,' all of which are concise. Under traffic regulations, such abbreviations ensure quick handling of violations, demonstrating strong practicality.
