What is the difference between county road and township road signs?
2 Answers
County road numbers start with the letter X, while township road numbers start with the letter Y. Here are the relevant details: 1. Road numbering rules: In China, roads are primarily classified by administrative level into national highways (including national trunk highways), provincial highways, and county highways. These are identified by the first letters of the Chinese pinyin for 'national', 'provincial', and 'county' - G, S, and X respectively, followed by numbers to form their designations. 2. County highways: County highways, abbreviated as X, refer to roads that hold political and economic significance for the entire county, connecting the county seat with major townships (towns), key commodity production and distribution centers within the county, as well as inter-county roads that are not classified as national or provincial highways.
Last time I got lost while driving, I specifically researched this: county road signs have yellow backgrounds with black lettering, while township roads have white backgrounds with black lettering. The most obvious difference is the letter on the sign—county road numbers start with 'X' (e.g., X105), and township roads start with 'Y' (like Y037). The size also matters: county road signs are typically 60cm × 60cm, while township road signs are smaller at 40cm × 40cm. County roads usually connect county towns and important townships, and they're better maintained, so you can drive a bit more confidently when you see a yellow sign. I remember once taking a wrong turn and relying on spotting the 'X' letter to find my way back to the county road.
