China’s travellers raise alarm over error-filled tourist signs in public spaces

A highway operator in Gansu province, northern China, has apologized after a service area sign for a hot water room was mistakenly translated as "open water rooms" on social media. The error, shared by users online, drew attention to a broader issue of translation mistakes and spelling errors on signage at public facilities. A similar incident occurred in March at an airport in Guiyang, southwestern China, where passengers discovered numerous misspellings on English-language airline signs.

The Yuanyang service area on the Lianyungang-Khorgos Expressway, which connects eastern Jiangsu province with the western Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, had its incorrect English sign removed following public outcry. The Gansu Expressway Service Group, a state-owned enterprise managing 78 service area pairs accounting for 70% of the province's total, issued an official notice stating that the faulty sign had been removed and that "special inspections and rectifications of signs across all service areas" would be conducted.

The company also promised to establish a signage management system with review processes before installation and periodic rechecks, as well as to enhance its working mechanisms and service quality to improve its public image. Despite Chinese authorities releasing guidelines in 2017 to standardize English translations for public facilities, signs with faulty wording have continued to appear across the country.

These errors, while sometimes met with amusement, have raised concerns about potential confusion for international tourists and the impact on China's image as a travel destination.