High time we put down our phones and looked through to the front of the taxis we’re sat in. Behind the wheel, every driver has a story; a reflection of resilience, adaptation, and the pulse of a changing China. I took the opportunity to speak with three taxi drivers from different walks of life to uncover their experiences navigating Nanjing’s ever-evolving streets. In many ways, taxi drivers are the silent witnesses to the city’s transformation, their vehicles rolling archives of shifting times and personal struggles.
Mr. Zhao: The Veteran
Taxi: Yellow EV
Location: Gulou
With over 25 years in the driver’s seat, Mr. Zhao has witnessed Nanjing transform. “The roads were quieter, the skyline lower,” he recalls. Having started his career when taxis were less common on the road, more of a novelty so to speak, he has adapted to everything from digital fare payments to app-based ride-hailing platforms.
Despite the changes, some things remain constant; his deep knowledge of the city and his ability to avoid those much-chagrined traffic jams. Not often encountered by taxi drivers these days is also his appreciation for a good conversation. “Passengers are important to me. Not many people will chat to drivers anymore, but when they do, it puts a smile on my face,” he says, recounting a recent ride where an elderly woman shared her memories of a local Nanjing delicacies; probably long gone by now. Mid-ride, he even recited a Tang Dynasty poem about the Stone City, taking the time to remind me of how much history flows through this city. “Sometimes, I feel that every day I drive through the same roads, but every year, the city outside changes”, he says with a nostalgic smile.
Ms. Lin: The Single Mother
Taxi: Green EV
Location: Qinhuai
Lin, driving a taxi is more than just a job; it’s a means of independence. She explains that as a single mum raising a teenage son, she chose the profession for its flexible hours. “It’s not easy”, she admits. “Late nights can be tough, but it allows me to be there for my son when he needs me, especially with homework.”
You can almost imagine the taxi as her second home; clean and immaculate but with a sense of pride, where she mentions that her usual passengers are hurried businesspeople shooting across the city to star-crossed university students out on their first dates. “Some never look up from their phones, but the odd passenger will talk about their jobs, their holidays and their families. It reminds me that we’re all just human.”
She talks about how one night recently, she picked up a tearful but drunk young man who had just broken up with his girlfriend. “He sat in the back, crying. I didn’t say much, just drove him home safely and quietly. Before he got out, he smiled and just said, ‘thanks’.”
Mr. Wang: The Newcomer
Taxi: Black EV
Location: Jiangning
Wang, who left a factory job to become a taxi driver two years ago, is still adjusting to the fast-paced world of ride-hailing platforms. Unlike Zhao, he never knew Nanjing before instant map apps and mobile payments, yet he faces his own challenges: stiff competition on the ride-hailing apps and demanding passengers.
“It’s difficult to stay ahead and not be neijuan (内卷)”, he says. “You need good ratings, quick responses, and patience.” He says all of this while glancing at his phone screen, with one eye on the road of course. He sighs, adjusting his rearview mirror. “Some days are hard; long hours, low fares.”
But he gets a little more excited explaining how he likes to pick up passengers from Nanjing South Railway Station. He tells me he drove a family who had just arrived in Nanjing from a small rural town for the holidays. “The kids kept pointing at the tall buildings, amazed. It reminded me of how I felt when I first came to the city. There’s always something new to discover.”
The Roads They Travel
Despite their differences, all three drivers exemplified one thing; Nanjing’s roads are more than just tarmac and traffic. They are just one part of the circulatory system ferrying around the lifeblood of the city.
Their cars are not just mere vehicles, but spaces where there are fleeting moments of connection, where sometimes laughter and understanding can take place.
As passengers, we often see taxis as part of that collective convenience that makes life run smoothly here in China. But they’re not just a way to get from one place to another. Behind every app screen or even the ticking meter is a person with their own journey; some long, some just beginning.
Perhaps the next time you step into a taxi, you’ll take a moment to look beyond the phone screen or the neighbouring window and appreciate the story waiting to be told. Paraphrasing Virginia Woolf, cities and people are always shifting, in a constant state of flux.
But in the backseats of taxis, we catch glimpses of something more permanent; stories, moments, and the quiet hum of a city that never stops moving. We know we’re a small part of the larger story.
