Why does Foshan have three license plates?
3 Answers
Because originally, Nanhai and Shunde, two of the five districts in Foshan, were independent cities with their own license plates. After being merged into Greater Foshan, these two cities retained their own license plate codes, hence Foshan has three license plates. Below is more information about vehicle license plates: 1. The function of license plates: License plates are the identification numbers for vehicles, and their significance to vehicles is like that of an ID number to a person. License plates are used for numbering and information registration of vehicles, and their main purpose is to identify the region to which the vehicle belongs, as well as to trace the owner and registration information of the vehicle. 2. Motor vehicle license plate numbers: Motor vehicle license plate numbers consist of the registration authority code and the license plate number. For cars, the license plate number is structured in two rows: the upper row is the registration authority code, and the lower row is the license plate number. The registration authority code consists of two characters, a Chinese character and an English letter. The Chinese character is the abbreviation of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the central government, and the English letter is the code of the vehicle management office.
During my years of driving in Foshan, I've often noticed three different prefixes on car license plates: 粤E, 粤X, and 粤Y. At first, I was quite puzzled, but after chatting with local veteran drivers, I finally understood. This was a transitional arrangement made during administrative division adjustments in Foshan. Originally, Shunde and Nanhai were independent districts with their own license plate codes 粤X and 粤Y. Around 2002, the major merger of Foshan incorporated these districts, but considering the backlog of work at vehicle management offices and public habits, the authorities temporarily retained these old license plate prefixes. This way, there wouldn't be confusion during vehicle transfers or maintenance. Now when I see 粤X in Shunde or 粤Y in Nanhai while driving, I immediately recognize them as local vehicles. However, I heard that since 2018, newly registered vehicles all uniformly use 粤E. This practice of retaining old prefixes is quite practical, reducing a lot of hassles, and also reflects the gradual integration process of urban development. I've also observed that blue license plates indicate small vehicles, and the different prefixes can reveal the age and historical stories behind the cars.
I often enjoy chatting with friends about cars, especially how license plates are divided by regions. In Foshan, there are three types of license plate prefixes: Yue E, Yue X, and Yue Y, which are actually a legacy of history. In the past, Shunde was considered an independent administrative division and used Yue X plates, while Nanhai District used Yue Y. Later, Foshan underwent a major merger, bringing all areas under its jurisdiction. However, the vehicle management department felt that switching all at once would cause chaos, such as overly complicated license plate records and transfer procedures. Therefore, the original codes were retained for existing vehicles, while new vehicles were issued the new Yue E plates. This way, drivers didn’t have to rush to change their plates. I’ve read online that this multi-plate system was designed to facilitate management during the transition period and minimize social impact. By the way, the color of the license plate can also indicate the type of vehicle—blue for passenger cars and yellow for trucks or large vehicles. Nowadays, as new vehicles are gradually unified under Yue E, the X and Y plates on the road are becoming rarer, but they carry a strong historical vibe.
